2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V153000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE TO DO THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DELAY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT SKIPS A BEAT/STALLS FOR A SECOND OR TWO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THEN OFF, THE DASHBOARD READS: "SERVICE TRACTION/SERVICE ESC". DURING RESEARCH OF THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE, WE LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE MAY CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE POTENTIALLY DYING WHILE IN OPERATION. WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THAT. FURTHER WE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED 5/14/14, NUMBER 103518, CALLED ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER RECALLS FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL WITH TECHNICAL DETAILS NOTING A FIX TO THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AS THE SOLUTION - ALL ISSUED ON 5/14/14. HOWEVER, UPON INQUIRY OF GENERAL MOTORS, THEY NOTED OUR VIN WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE ISSUE NOTED IN THE RECALL. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE RECALLED VINS MAY NOT BE A COMPLETE LIST AS WE ARE CLEARLY EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE. THE RECALL NOTES THAT THE DEFECT INCREASES RISK OF A CRASH. WE ARE UNSURE OF HOW TO PROCEED AS GM NOTED PARTS FOR REPAIR ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. *TR

MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 40 GOING AROUND 75-80 MPH WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL DISABLED BY ITSELF. I COULD NOT GET IT TO ENGAGE AND NOTICED THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD GO OFF WAS TO APPLY A LITTLE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL STILL NOT WORK AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STAYING ILLUMINATED. ALSO WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS THE ENTIRE CAR OCCASIONALLY SHAKES AND DOES NOT BRAKE PROPERLY. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I HAVE NOT NEEDED TO APPLY THE BRAKES IN SUCH A MANNER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. *TR

DOORS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK UNLESS DONE MANUALLY. MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR JUST RECENTLY STOPPED UNLOCKING WITH THE REMOTE IT HAS TO BE DONE WITH THE KEY. ITS NOT SAFE I DON'T LIVE IN THAT GREAT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND IF MY DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND SOMEONE IS TRYING TO GET IN ID HAVE TO CRAWL INTO THE BACK SEAT TO LOCK EACH DOOR. ITS NOT SAFE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET. *TR

THE POWER DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK ON 3 OF THE FOUR DOORS. THE DOORS DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN CAR PUT INTO DRIVE. YOU ARE UNABLE TO UNLOCK DRIVERS DOOR OR REAR DOORS WITH DRIVERS AUTOMATIC CONTROLS OR THE KEY FOB. HAVE TO LIFT THE DOOR LOCK MANUALLY FROM INSIDE THE CAR. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE REAR DOORS IS BY CLIMBING INTO THE BACK SEATS. A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN YOUNG CHILDREN ARE IN THE REAR SEATS AND YOU NEED TO GET THEM OUT OF THE CAR QUICKLY!! HAD TO HAVE THE DOOR LOCKS REPLACED ON THE THREE DOORS WHICH COST $750.00. *TR

THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OFFICIAL GM RECALL ON THE CHEVY MALIBU 2008. MY BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK. THEY WORKED IN REVERSE. EVERY TIME I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP, THE LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN ON TO INDICATE TO OTHER DRIVERS THAT I WAS SLOWING DOWN. WHEN MY FOOT WAS OFF THE BRAKE, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. FOR ME, AND THE FAMILY THAT I DRIVE IN THIS CAR, I FELT THIS WAS HAZARDOUS. THIS WAS NOT SAFE DRIVING FOR ME AND FOR EVERYONE AROUND ME. IF I HAD TO SUDDENLY STOP AND APPLY MY BRAKES, I COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE BRAKE LIGHT ISSUE IS ONLY RECALLED FOR 2004-2007 MALIBU'S. THIS ISSUE HAS CONTINUED ON PAST 2007. *TR

THE DRIVER DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I BROUGHT TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR, IT WAS DETERMINED THE ACTUATOR NO LONGER WORKED PROPERLY AND IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, THE PASSENGER SIDE WENT OUT, THE UNIT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. TODAY, NEITHER SIDE WORKS NOR DO THE KEY FOBS. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $350 PER LOCK. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING AND NOTED ISSUE WITH GM. THE MANUAL STATES "UNLOCKED DOORS CAN BE DANGEROUS". MANY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE LODGED COMPLAINTS ON INDEPENDENT SITES INCLUDING CHEVROLET MALIBU FORUM. *TR

AIR BAG MODULE IS NOT WORKING ACCORDING TO DEALER. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND DID NOT GO OFF. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ITEM AND SHOULD GOOD FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SECURED IN PARK BUT WOULD NOT REGISTER THE PARKING GEAR. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL AWAY WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS IN THE PARKING POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 12V460000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 10/07/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. UPDATED 3/16/2015 *JS

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I WAS ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH LANES AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT IN MY CAR CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR, I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE WHERE I COULD PUT POWER STEERING FLUID AND DID NOT FIND A PUMP. I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND STARTED IT UP AND THE POWER STEERING WAS FINE, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD 5 MILES AND IT WENT OUT AGAIN, I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND IT WAS FINE HOWEVER THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN EVERY 5-10 MILES. I WAS TOLD OF A RECALL CONCERNING THIS SAME ISSUE SO I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME YES THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR FOR THE SAME THING I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HOWEVER MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. I HAD TO PAY 1,158.00 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AND I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR. MY CAR HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS THE ONES UNDER THE RECALL AND IT IS THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR. I FEEL GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. *JS