2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Chevrolet › Malibu Classic › 2008
These records cover every 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
21 complaints2 involved a crash1 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
TL* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu classic. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The vehicle was repaired, but the contact was not satisfied with the remedy. When the key was inserted in the ignition, there was no support to…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu classic. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The vehicle was repaired, but the contact was not satisfied with the remedy. When the key was inserted in the ignition, there was no support to maintain the stability of the key. The failure occurred for over six months. The vehicle was not diagnosed and the ignition switch cylinder was not replaced. The contact was referred to the federal trade commission. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Electrical system · Latches/locks/linkages
A safety hazard exists due to power door locks not locking/unlocking consistently on three out of four doors of the vehicle. The problem could cause occupants, particularly children in the rear seats, to become trapped during an emergency. *tr
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Service brakes · Suspension
I was t boned by another vehicle going the wrong way on a one way. I then was sent up a curb 35 mph hitting a tree head on dragging the car down the tree then went up a small hill almost ending up in someones porch. I passed out at some point. Not one airbag went off in my vehicle. I contacted…
I was t boned by another vehicle going the wrong way on a one way. I then was sent up a curb 35 mph hitting a tree head on dragging the car down the tree then went up a small hill almost ending up in someones porch. I passed out at some point. Not one airbag went off in my vehicle. I contacted gm and they requested pictures first. I sent pictures of the malibu and was told they didn't feel the airbags should of deployed. I would have to find the vehicle for them to check the module. I found the vehicle and gm says the module was now put in another vehicle and I now have to find that vehicle. this next person might not live through a accident. Why wouldn't they find this.vehicle and check the module? My car was totaled. I worry about the person now driving with this module in their car! Isn't this the problem gm has now? *tr
- Electrical system · Power train
I have had to drive my car to the dealership to have them to release my key from the ignition a couple time and never thought anything of it, but in june the beginning the key wouldn't come out. So I called the dealer to find out I had to replace the ignition switch alone with my shift that cost me…
I have had to drive my car to the dealership to have them to release my key from the ignition a couple time and never thought anything of it, but in june the beginning the key wouldn't come out. So I called the dealer to find out I had to replace the ignition switch alone with my shift that cost me 884.00 dollars. They claim no warranties. I called chevrolet to find there was recall,but it was done just before I purchase the car in 2009. But it kind of bizarre the key was still getting stuck if it was replace. IS there any way you can help me to resolve this situation. I am concern why this would need to be replace,because if continue to replace wouldn't mean it still a defeat part. Please help. *tr
- Electrical system
The ignition switch has been difficult to move from off to start position and the gear shift has been difficult to move into gear; this has occurred for a couple of years. I called previously and was told that my vin wasn't part of any recall. I have to believe that gm hasn't recognized that…
The ignition switch has been difficult to move from off to start position and the gear shift has been difficult to move into gear; this has occurred for a couple of years. I called previously and was told that my vin wasn't part of any recall. I have to believe that gm hasn't recognized that this vin also has an issue, but just hasn't identified my vin or sent me the information. I also had to spend $1000 on another issue with this malibu, which I called again to see if there was a recall and there wasn't. please check out my complaints before another accident occurs. *tr
- Steering
I feel that I experienced the same power steering failure that affected other malibus (and chevrolets) and that my repair should have been covered under chevrolet special bulletin #10183. however, something about my vehicle's build kept my vin from being included in the range for this extended…
I feel that I experienced the same power steering failure that affected other malibus (and chevrolets) and that my repair should have been covered under chevrolet special bulletin #10183. however, something about my vehicle's build kept my vin from being included in the range for this extended coverage. I first experienced problems on february 13, 2014. my vehicle had 97,600 miles on it. after I started the vehicle, the car made a dinging sound and the words "power steering"' flashed on my radio information screen. I tried to drive a few feet but found I had no power steering assist. I had to stop and start the car a couple times before getting power steering back. on february 16, I experienced the same loss of power steering (audible ding, display read "'power steering" and I had no power steering). after restarting, the assist returned. on february 19, power steering failed three times in the last two miles of my commute. restarting the vehicle at a stoplight solved the problem twice. after the final failure that morning, I drove the rest of the way without power steering. that night, I was unable to keep power steering functioning and drove the 12 mile trip home without power steering. in addition, when stopped and while driving, my steering wheel would move by itself. this occurred randomly between february 13 and 19. the amount of movement varied from a rapid shake to up to a 1 inch swing from center. took to chevrolet dealer which diagnosed "traced to internal fault in steering column. replaced steering column to correct." *tr
- Steering
I lost power steering when I was driving on a semi curve while raining lightly. The car kept going to the left and I could not steer. I pressed brakes and car spun. I almost hit a sign on the opposite direction. Thank god nothing happened to me nor my son. There were no other cars involved either.…
I lost power steering when I was driving on a semi curve while raining lightly. The car kept going to the left and I could not steer. I pressed brakes and car spun. I almost hit a sign on the opposite direction. Thank god nothing happened to me nor my son. There were no other cars involved either. There was a truck coming on the opposite direction but he stopped. Otherwise, we would have collided. I got on the ditch. I was able to get back on road and drive to nearest gm/chevrolet dealership. They kept the car for 2 days and found out that the power steering motor control module had to be replaced for $703 including labor. There was a recall in canada for the same part (transport canada recall # 2012331: manufacturer recall number 12221) but as of now I have not found the recall in USA. Why?? *tr
- Electrical system
My husband and I have a 2008 chevrolet malibu (purchased new) with 41,000 miles. Recently, I noticed my back door car locks did not work. I called the dealer and am told we need new actuators; no recall as it IS not a safety issue. I disagree - pressing a lock on your door should lock your door.…
My husband and I have a 2008 chevrolet malibu (purchased new) with 41,000 miles. Recently, I noticed my back door car locks did not work. I called the dealer and am told we need new actuators; no recall as it IS not a safety issue. I disagree - pressing a lock on your door should lock your door. Plus when I manually lock the doors, if an emergency arose I would not be able to unlock the back doors without crawling into the back seat to unlock. the dealer quoted a cost of $250 per door plus labor. my point IS - this IS a safety concern to me and my family. I phoned gm and am again told it IS not a safety concern. again, I politely disagreed. IS it possible for the ntsa to review this issue with gm? thank you so much for considering my concern. *jb
- Electrical system · Electronic stability control (esc) · Structure
When we purchased the malibu ltz V6 fully loaded , leather seats all the upgraded options I thought I was getting a "excellent" car. I was delusional ! Within a couple of months I had a problem with my radio, and components in the radio saying" aux input device" and it kept turning on and off ! I…
When we purchased the malibu ltz V6 fully loaded , leather seats all the upgraded options I thought I was getting a "excellent" car. I was delusional ! Within a couple of months I had a problem with my radio, and components in the radio saying" aux input device" and it kept turning on and off ! I called chevrolet in green cove springs florida and asked them about it and they said it was "nothing" it wasn't nothing ! I was told of course "after my warranty expired" that it was the electrical system! And that I would have to pay more then $3,000 to fix it! Nice gm! Because the electrical system IS wired into the radio so when they radio has a problem guess what ladies and gentlemen ? Everything goes to hell ! Also my motors on all my doors have failed at least once and now because my electrical system IS going my doors open and close when they want to ! I was driving on highway at 70 miles and hour and all of a sudden my car started to slow down as if I had no power again they said nothing was wrong ! This IS my first chevrolet and my last ! I am trading this garbage in for a foreign car ! Probably a fiat ! Thank you ! Gm should be ashamed of themselves we the american people bailed them out and they have china who btw hates us ! Making parts for our cars ! Omg I just love this country ! *tr
- Electrical system · Latches/locks/linkages
Door locks are failing to lock and unlock, with the key fob or, with the inside switch, from the drivers side or from either one of the three other doors. this IS a major safety issue as, if someone IS about to get robbed, raped, beat up or a car jacking IS about to occur and, the door locks fails…
Door locks are failing to lock and unlock, with the key fob or, with the inside switch, from the drivers side or from either one of the three other doors. this IS a major safety issue as, if someone IS about to get robbed, raped, beat up or a car jacking IS about to occur and, the door locks fails to lock or unlock then, someone could get raped, injured or even killed. please pay attention to this message and take action against general motors to get this issue resolved. I think, along with every other 08 or 09 malibu owners, that general motors IS using this for a "cash cow" as they too are unwilling to budge and do the right thing by making and installing an upgraded locking system that will last for more than five years. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6). *tr
- Exterior lighting
This has occured multiple times over the last year. when driving, the brake lights come on by themselves and you have to tap the brakes to get them to go out. then they might or might not go off and totally cancels any cruise control opetation. there IS no actual braking and this even happens…
This has occured multiple times over the last year. when driving, the brake lights come on by themselves and you have to tap the brakes to get them to go out. then they might or might not go off and totally cancels any cruise control opetation. there IS no actual braking and this even happens when accelerating. this last time, they would not go off at all and it even triggered a 'service traction' warning on the dash. the first couple of times I took it in, the dealership said they could not fix/diagnose it unless it was doing this right then. well another shop found a safety bulletin on this issue and completed the recommended fix. this worked for quite a while until now and here we are again. I worry about another driver taking faulty action thinking I am braking, when I am not. also it has become a recurring safety issue and I see other owners are dealing with the same issue. please help! *tr
- Air bags
The "service air bag" light started to come on when the weather was very hot or very cold from time to time starting in 2009. in the winter of 2013, the light remained on constantly. when this warning was on, the air bag sensor was not working. even if someone was sitting in the front seat, the…
The "service air bag" light started to come on when the weather was very hot or very cold from time to time starting in 2009. in the winter of 2013, the light remained on constantly. when this warning was on, the air bag sensor was not working. even if someone was sitting in the front seat, the light indicated that the sensor could not detect a person and the airbag would not deploy. our dealer verified that the sensor wasn't working and if we got into a crash, the airbag would not work. we felt that this issue should be dealt with by chevrolet at no cost to us, but chevrolet claimed that since it was out of warranty and there were no recalls, they could not replace it at no cost. we hope this report helps to shed light on the issue, and if it IS common, leads to a recall or voluntary replacement of the faulty sensor at no cost to consumers. *tr
- Electrical system · Fuel/propulsion system · Steering · Visibility › Power window devices and controls
When vehicles steering wheel IS turned left or right it makes a loud clicking noise like its going to break. Does not allow accurate steering while driving. the driver rear windows electric suspension wire popped and came unraveled and window drops. fuel level range sensor does not provide…
When vehicles steering wheel IS turned left or right it makes a loud clicking noise like its going to break. Does not allow accurate steering while driving. the driver rear windows electric suspension wire popped and came unraveled and window drops. fuel level range sensor does not provide accurate reading. Also, disabled fuel gauge arm in dash (fluctuates). Diagnosis ran and seems to be no issue with fuel pump. while driving the arm bar that keeps seat level and in place snapped and seat fell as vehicle was in motion (70mph on freeway).. Very scary.. Since steering column already feels like its going to fall apart. *tr
- Electrical system · Steering
For about 3 weeks now every time I turn the steering wheel to the left it wants to "jump" it acts like it IS hanging up somewhere. On 3-2-2013 I got into the car and the power steering wasn't working. I got back home and shut it off and turned it back on about an hour later and it worked again. *tr
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Engine · Power train
2008 malibu shows "ice possible" and then traction light comes on and then engine power reduce light comes on and the engine starts to slow down. This happens on the high way, in traffic, while accelerating and honestly going up and down hills. Took to service center and they said it was the mass…
2008 malibu shows "ice possible" and then traction light comes on and then engine power reduce light comes on and the engine starts to slow down. This happens on the high way, in traffic, while accelerating and honestly going up and down hills. Took to service center and they said it was the mass air flow sensor, however after replacing the vehicle IS still having the same issues. Contacted chevrolet and they told me to have the recall on the vehicle done however the mechanic told me the recall has nothing to do with the issue and he doesn't know why the car IS doing that. I have looked on line and no one seems to have a resolve for the issue. This should definitely be a defect and something that IS recalled immediately as it IS very dangerous. *tr
- Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel gauge IS inaccurate resulting in engine code and inability to properly monitor fuel level. Potential for out of fuel stalls. *tr
- Latches/locks/linkages
TL* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu classic. The contact stated that the rear driver and passenger side doors could not be unlocked. The locks on the doors were broke. The contact stated that she attempted to open the doors from the exterior but to no avail. The vehicle was taken to the…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu classic. The contact stated that the rear driver and passenger side doors could not be unlocked. The locks on the doors were broke. The contact stated that she attempted to open the doors from the exterior but to no avail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the locks needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified and offered to cover half of the repair expenses. The vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000. The vin was unavailable. updated 08/07/12*lj updated 08/15/12
- Steering
My 2008 chevy malibu has a loud clunk noise when I turn the wheel sharply either direction, this occurs while in motion and when completely stopped. I have read many reviews where it states it IS the intermediate shaft and needs replace. I still have 1 yr left on war. But took it to a dealer today…
My 2008 chevy malibu has a loud clunk noise when I turn the wheel sharply either direction, this occurs while in motion and when completely stopped. I have read many reviews where it states it IS the intermediate shaft and needs replace. I still have 1 yr left on war. But took it to a dealer today and they said its not covered!! If gm knows about this why have they not issued a recall to fit this dangerous problem??!! *tr
- Electrical system · Latches/locks/linkages
In this 4 door vehicle, the door lock actuators appear to have a defect that has affected numerous vehicles of the same make and model. The door lock actuators either completely fail or become intermittent. There are two primary safety concerns with these actuators failing. The first being that not…
In this 4 door vehicle, the door lock actuators appear to have a defect that has affected numerous vehicles of the same make and model. The door lock actuators either completely fail or become intermittent. There are two primary safety concerns with these actuators failing. The first being that not all the locks automatically lock when vehicle IS placed into drive, giving women or men a false sense of security against car jacking because they have no indication that all the locks are working or not on all four doors. Secondly, impaired personnel or pregnant woman may not be able to reach (manually) from the inside to the rear locks to unlock the door due to the positioning of the latch to the far most aft position of the vehicle. Nor IS there a key slot to unlock the rear or passenger doors from the outside. Therefore, someone with a disability or pregnancy may become injured while trying to maneuver in a position to unlock the rear doors via the inside lock latch. A simple internet search of the issue revealed that this IS a known defect that many consumers are experiencing. In fact, chevrolet re-engineered the door lock actuator for newer models and for replacement parts of older models, hence confirming the defect. However, no recall has been issued to protect consumers against a known issue. The safety of vehicle occupants and owners are compromised by this flaw. Case in point, october of this year in al, three men robbed a man and left the area in his chevy malibu. Asking a consumer with a disability or who IS pregnant, who buys this vehicle with automatic locks, to crawl over their seats to secure/unsecure their vehicle IS wrong. Please help. *kb
- Steering
Electronic power steering fails intermittently while driving making it very difficult to steer at low speeds. Turning vehicle off and on fixes the issue. Gm issued recall for other vehicles with electronic power steering in march 2010, my vehicle was not listed on that recall although it suffers from the exact same symptoms. *tr
- Electrical system · Fuel system, gasoline
Erratic fuel gauge, check engine light stays on. 2008 chevy malibu. Problem started 2 months ago, dealership says that this IS a common problem due to a defective, cheap piece of metal in the fuel gage that easily corrodes. Chevrolet refuses to recall part even though it IS defective. They also…
Erratic fuel gauge, check engine light stays on. 2008 chevy malibu. Problem started 2 months ago, dealership says that this IS a common problem due to a defective, cheap piece of metal in the fuel gage that easily corrodes. Chevrolet refuses to recall part even though it IS defective. They also told me that the check engine light staying on all of the time IS related. I am requesting that an investigation be conducted to make gm recall the defective part. The consequence IS that I have a car that has a defective part, I never know how much gas I have, I don't know if the check engine light IS on because of the defective part or a real problem. The resale value of this car IS extremely poor . I bought this car because it was "2008 car of the year". The cost to repair this car IS extremely expensive and this IS a problem that gm has known about for at least 10 years yet they will not fix the part. This can happen at any speed, any time. I have run out of gas while driving on the interstate, causing a safety hazard. *Tr
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10054243General motors: the windows, front and rear, would bind, poor fit, misalignment, makes rattle or squeaking noises, moves slowly and IS inoperative. Model 2008-2014 vehicles and trucks.
- 10037570Gm: on some truck models there IS some frame corrosion. Updated on 5/2/2012.
- 10037184Gm: service bulletin explaining when the safety belts are supposed to lock. Updated 12/6/11.
- 10032292Chevrolet/pontiac/saturn: steering column tilt wheel release lever inoperative/broken (replace tilt wheel release lever kit and/or release lever retainer (tilt teeth)).
- 10032206Chevrolet/pontiac/saturn: intermittently brake lights (stop lamps) do not function correctly, extended travel to shift out of park, cruise control inoperative, dtcs c0161/c0277 set (perform repair as outlined). Updated 5/11/11.
- 10030685Saturn/pontiac/chevrolet: the fuel gauge does not rise above the 3/4 mark after a fill up or the fuel gauge appears stuck. An illumination of the check engine light. On rare occasions, the fuel gauge does not read the correct level which may result in a no start condition due to a low fuel level.
- 10029924General motors: diagnostic information for intermittent restraints, air bag (sir) indicator/lamp on with dtc(s) b0012, b0013, b0016, b0016, b0019, b0020, b0022, b0023, b0026, b0033, b0040, b0042 or b0044 set. This may be caused by a loose, missing, or broken connector position assurance (cpa) retainer at the air bag for the set dtc. Includes trailblazer ext. Updated 8/16/10. Updated 3/12/12.
- 10028285Chevrolet: unable to relearn the brake pedal position (bpp) sensor.
- 10026163GMC: unable to relearn the brake pedal position (bpp) sensor. Have difficulty performing the brake pedal position (bpp) relearn. Models chevrolets, pontiacs and saturns.
- 10026124GMC: wipers stop in intermittent operation. When operating the wipers in intermittent mode, the wipers stop at a position other then at the bottom of the stroke.
- 10023415Adjustable pedals will not adjust inoperative. Updated 3/13/09. Updated 8/1/11.
Every Chevrolet Malibu Classic model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.