2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

STARTED THE CAR TO COME OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, HEARD HUMMING/RATTLING NOISE. STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE THEN WOULD DO RAPID HALF-TURNS BY ITSELF, JERKING LEFT AND RIGHT. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. SEEMED OK FOR FIRST FEW MINUTES THEN STARTED AGAIN. GOT ON THE ROAD, DRIVING ABOUT 35-40 MPG ON HIGHWAY AND IT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. COULD NOT KEEP IT STRAIGHT WITHIN THE LANE. ALMOST HIT A CAR IN THE LANE ON MY RIGHT! PULLED UP TO AN AUTO SHOP NEAR BY. THEY TEST DROVE AND EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE BUT EXPLAINED THAT WITH THESE CARS, THE TECHNOLOGY IN THEM IS TOO ADVANCED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO A CHEVY DEALER. MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE MATTER IS QUITE HAZARDOUS AND IT WOULD BE A HUGE RISK DRIVING IT NOW. SINGLE MOM DRIVING 45 MINUTES FROM HOME WITH 2 MINOR CHILDREN. HAD TO GET A TOW TRUCK TO GET BACK HOME, 45 MINUTES AWAY. $$$!! HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 11 MONTHS ONLY. PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE, HAD DOOR LOCKS ISSUES AS I'VE READY ON OTHER THREADS AND ALSO CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH FAULTY TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR AS WELL. NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE I'VE HAD IT. THIS IS MY FIRST AND VERY LAST CHEVROLET!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE STEERING SEEMED TO LOCK UP AND THEN WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. I GOT THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF, AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING SEEMED OK.THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 7 OR 8 TIMES SINCE 10/1/12. TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER ON 10/13 AND THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO DO IT WHILE THEY DROVE IT. I AM TAKING THE CAR BACK ON 10/22 TO GET IT CHECKED AGAIN. THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED POWER STEERING. *TR

THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK. HOW IS THIS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM? SOMETIMES THE DOOR LOCKS WORK SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. I HAVE A NEWBORN THAT RIDES IN THE BACKSEAT. IF THE DOORLOCKS DON'T WORK, THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE BACK DOOR IS TO EITHER ROLL DOWN THE REAR WINDOW OR CRAWL INTO THE BACK SEAT FROM THE FRONT. IF I HAD TO GET MY CHILD OUT OF THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD DO THAT WITHOUT WORKING DOOR LOCKS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. *TR

GM IS RECALLING 40000 CARS FOR A FUEL LEAK FROM THE FUEL PUMP MODULE ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. I ORIGINALLY HEARD THAT THIS WAS FOR CARS IN THE SOUTHWEST REGION OF THE COUNTRY. MY DAUGHTER LIVES IN PHOENIX, DRIVES A 2005 PONTIAC G6, AND HAD A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM A PLASTIC FITTING ATTACHED TO THE FUEL PRESSURE RETURN LINE. THE FUEL WAS RUNNING ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TANK ACROSS THE PROTECTIVE SHIELD AND ONTO THE MUFFLER IN SMALL AMOUNTS. FORTUNATELY WE REPLACED THE PUMP/INDICATOR SENDING UNIT BEFORE A FIRE TOOK PLACE. I LIVE IN TUCSON AND DRIVE A 2008 CHEVY MALIBU LT. A FEW WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS AT THE REAR OF THE CAR AFTER IT WAS PARKED. NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK LIKE MY DAUGHTER"S CAR, BUT A STRONG SMELL. I JACKED THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH FOR A LEAK, BUT FOUND NONE. THE SMELL OF FUEL WAS STRONGER IN THE AREA OF THE WIRING HARNESS AND FUEL LINES GOING TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. DO YOU KNOW OF A RECALL FOR MY MODEL OF CAR? IT SEEMS LIKE A TREND WITH THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN OF FUEL SYSTEM.

FUEL GAUGE IS INACCURATE RESULTING IN ENGINE CODE AND INABILITY TO PROPERLY MONITOR FUEL LEVEL. POTENTIAL FOR OUT OF FUEL STALLS. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR LOCK NO LONGER WORKS WHEN USING THE POWER LOCK BUTTON. IT MUST BE ACTUATED MANUALLY- BY MANUALLY LIFTING THE KNOB UP. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE KNOB IS LOCATED TO THE REAR OF THE DOOR AND IS NOT ACCESSIBLE UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE BACK SEAT- THE KNOB CANNOT BE RAISED FROM THE FRONT SEAT AREA OF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO UNLOCK THE DOOR TO HELP OCCUPANTS EXIT THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. THE LOCK PULL KNOB IS LOCATED IN A POOR POSITION. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHTS, INCLUDING THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, WERE OBSERVED ON DURING NORMAL OPERATION, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE NOT BEING APPLIED. THIS GIVES A FALSE INDICATION OF INTENDED OPERATION. *TR

BOTH BACK DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING. THEY WILL NOT UNLOCK OR LOCK WITHOUT MANUALLY DOING SO. THIS MAKES IT VERY HARD TO QUICKLY GET MY TODDLER SON OUT OF THE CAR WITHOUT ROLLING THE WINDOW DOWN FIRST TO UNLOCK IT. CRUISE CONTROL WORKS ON AND OFF DUE TO THE BREAK LIGHTS FLASHING OFF AND ON EVEN WHEN I'M NOT PUSHING THE BREAK PEDAL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I AM DRIVING ON THE FREE WAY AND MY BREAK LIGHTS STAY ON. THIS ALSO OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN IT HAS RAINED AND THE CAR IS WET. I ASSUME THIS IS DUE TO A LEAK OF WATER GETTING INTO THE ELECTRICAL... MY TRUNK LEAKS WHEN IT IS SHUT. WHEN IT RAINS HEAVY I NOTICE THE BEDDING BECOMES VERY WET ON ONE SIDE. THE RADIO IS ALSO EFFECTED ALONG WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. CERTAIN BUTTONS STOP WORKING FOR PERIODS OF TIME. THE SCREEN WILL ALSO GO BLACK AND THE RADIO WILL NOT WORK AT ALL THEN SUDDENLY COME BACK ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CONTACT NOTICED A CLUNKING NOISE AND A JERKING MOTION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. WHILE PARKED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING THREE TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 11/01/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE SIDE. UPDATED 11/01/12

TURN SIGNAL ARM DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE WHEN SIGNALING TO TURN. ALSO THE TURN SIGNAL ARM WHEN IT DOES STAY IN PLACE IT WILL NOT RETURN TO NORMAL POSITION/TURN OFF SIGNAL BY ITSELF AFTER MAKING A TURN. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IT MAKES POPPING NOISES. DOOR LOCKS ON ALL DOORS STAY EITHER IN THE "LOCK" OR "UNLOCK" POSITION AT ALL TIMES. ONE OF THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK HAS BEEN REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $300.00 AND THE DOOR LOCK STILL FAILS. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE PASSENGER DOORS IS TO DO IT MANUALLY AND CLIMB OVER THE SEATS. THE DRIVER DOOR HAS TO BE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY AND MANUALLY LOCKED WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. *TR