Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 143 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 143, in the owner's own words
THE TURN SIGNALS WORK SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEAMS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR MAKE. IF THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THIS THERE SHOULD BE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY TEENAGE SON.
HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED SUCH AS COMING TO A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN TO NEGOTIATE TURNS. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE VISIBILITY IS COMPROMISED DURING NIGHT DRIVING. IT IS VERY EASY TO MISS TURNS, EXIT RAMPS, AND ROAD SIGNS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO GM SERVICE CENTER, AND WAS TOLD THIS OPERATION IS NORMAL. BATTERY, AND CHARGING SYSTEM NO PROBLEMS FOUND. NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS INSTALLED NO DIFFERENCE. VEHICLE IS LIKE NEW CONDITION; ALWAYS GARAGED. NO DAMAGE, RUST, OR MODIFICATIONS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE IS A TSB #02-06-03-008A CONCERNING THE ISSUE.
TURN SIGNALS WORK ON OCCASION THIS CAR ONLY HAS 42,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT AND TURN SIGNAL PROBLEM BEGAN AT 36,000
AFTER READING OTHER COMMENTS, I HAVE TO LAUGH. WHY CAN'T THEY FIX THIS WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. THE TURN SIGNALS JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY. THREE DAYS LATER THEY WORKED. THEN A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT THEY STOPPED WORKING AGAIN AND THEN JUST SEEMED TO WORK WHEN THEY WANTED TO. TOOK IT IN TO JIMMIE JOHNSON CHEVROLET WHEN THE SIGNALS WERE NOT WORKING. PICKED UP THE CAR TO HEAR THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH THE SIGNALS WERE WORKING. THAT LASTED ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE TURN SIGNALS STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. SINCE THEN, TWO MORE TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH PRETTY MUCH THE SAME RESULT EACH TIME. NOW I NOTICE IF THE WEATHER IS VERY WARM, THE TURN SIGNALS WORK MORE PART TIME AND WHILE IT IS COOL THEY DON'T WORK AT ALL. NOW, I HAVE READ YOUR COMMENTS HERE AND BEGAN PLAYING WITH THE HAZARD FLASHING BUTTON. IF I PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE UPPER RIGHT, THE TURN SIGNALS WORK. I NOW HAVE AT LEAST A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION TO TAKE TO JIMMIE JOHNSON CHEVROLET. MAYBE THIS WILL STRIKE SOME SORT OF RECOGNITION TO THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR WRITING YOUR COMMENTS. *TR
WON'T CRANK, INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICK ON AND OFF. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER STATES A LIGHT SIGN IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TGW
I TURN THE KEY TO START MY CAR. I DRIVE TO THE CORNER TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE MAIN STREET. THE TURN SIGNAL DOES NOT WORK. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. I THEN TURN ON THE TURN SIGNALS LEFT TO CHANGE LANES AND MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE SIGNALS DON'T WORK AGAIN. THEN I COME TO A STOP AT A LIGHT AND THE HORN GOES OF ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TRIED TO STOP THE HORN BY TURNING OFF THE CAR. THE HORN IS STILL GOING. I TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND THE HORN IS STILL GOING AND THE LIGHTS STILL ARE NOT WORKING. I HIT WITH AN OPEN HAND THE HORN TWICE AND IT STOPS, BUT THE TURN SIGNALS STILL DOESN'T WORK. THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE HEADLIGHTS CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. THE WHEEL THAT ADJUSTS THE LIGHTS FROM BRIGHT TO DIM DOESN'T WORK. YOU CANNOT ADJUST THE LIGHTS AND IF YOU TRY, ALL THE LIGHTS, INSIDE AND OUT GO OUT. ALSO THE TURN SIGNALS ON BOTH SIDES(LEFT AND RIGHT) WORK WHEN THEY WANT AND I DON'T HAVE A HORN. ONCE A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE LIGHTS WERE BLINKING AND THE HORN WAS GOING OFF IN MY CAR WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. HELP ME!!!!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE PARKING AND TURN SIGNAL BLINKER INDICATORS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE LAMP CONTAINED MOISTURE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE LAMP WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.
ANTITHEFT SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING CAR TO STALL AND FAILS TO RESTART TAIL LIGHTS ARE FAILING FUEL SYSTEM CUTOFF. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN NEGOTIATING A TURN AND WENT TO USE THE TURN SIGNAL AND IT WOULD NOT WORK. SINCE THEN IT ONLY WORKS A QUARTER OF THE TIME AND OFTEN THE HAZARD RELAY IS CLICKING IN AND OUT VERY FAST LIKE IT IS SHORTING OUT. IF YOU PUSH THE HAZARD BUTTON IN SOMETIMES YOU CAN MAKE THE TURN SIGNALS WORK AND SOMETIMES NOT. AND OFTEN TIMES THE HAZARD WILL NOT WORK EITHER. NO FUSES ARE BLOWN? *JS
I HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING ANY KEY TO TURN THE CAR ON. IT SEEMS LIKE THE WHOLE WHERE THE KEY GOES INTO IS VERY LOOSE. I SOMETIMES HAVE TO TRY TO TURN IT UP TO TEN TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WILL START,I HAVE TRIED BOTH KEYS THAT CAME WITH THE CAR AND EVEN GOT NEW ONES AND NOTHING WORKS, IF I EVER HAVE TO START IN AN EMERGENCY I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO IT. MY TURN SIGNALS ALSO CLICK WHEN NOT IN USE, I DID HAVE A RECALL ON THIS YEARS AGO, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK, I 'M AFRAID THAT ONE DAY THEY MAY NOT WORK AT ALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL, BRAKELIGHTS, AND HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE HAZARD SIGNALS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED AND COULD NOT BE ACTIVATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SIGNAL SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TURN SIGNALS JUST RANDOMLY WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. HAD IT TO THE GARAGE RECENTLY AND ASKED WHY THEY DIDN'T WORK RIGHT, DIDN'T GET MUCH OF AN ANSWER. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND IN DOING MY RESEARCH, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. *JS
I HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ALMOST SINCE BUYING THE CAR IN 2004. IN 2010 I EXPERIENCED A SCARY NEW TWIST: MY BLINKERS WON'T ALWAYS WORK. IT HAPPENED MAYBE THREE TIMES TOTAL OVER THE NEXT 12-18 MONTHS, BUT IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN, AND I AM NOW DOING MUCH MORE AROUND-TOWN DRIVING. I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS WHERE SOME OWNERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE BLINKERS WORKING AGAIN BY TOGGLING THE HAZARD LIGHTS, BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH MY CAR. I TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND THE BLINKERS WILL WORK THE FIRST TIME I USE THEM, THEN NOT AGAIN FOR THE REST OF MY TRIP (OR IN SOME CASES, THE REST OF THE DAY). *TR
1. THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. JUST STOPPED WORKING FOR NO REASON. LIGHTS WERE NOT BURNED OUT. THEN THEY MYSTERIOUSLY STARTED WORKING JUST AS THEY HAD STOPPED. FOR NO REASON. INCIDENTS BECAME MORE FREQUENT WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. NOT WEATHER RELATED. AFTER READING COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, I FOUND THAT IF I TURNED ON MY HAZARD FLASHERS, THE BLINKERS WOULD WORK AGAIN. 2. I WAS REAR ENDED ON 11/4/11 THOUGH AND COULD NOT GET THE FLASHERS TO WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE WORKING OR NOT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. 3. THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER ONLY WORK ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL. 4. THE DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK AT RANDOM WHILE DRIVING. 5. THE KEY FOB WILL WORK SOMETIMES, MOST TIMES NOT LATELY. 6. THE SECURITY SYSTEM WILL HONK THE HORN SOMETIMES WHEN THE KEY FOB DOES LOCK THE DOORS, MOST TIMES IT DOES NOT HONK THOUGH. 7. THE CAR OVERHEATS AS THE COOLANT CONTAINER IS LOOSE AND THE RADIATOR CAP DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY EVEN THOUGH I PURCHASED A NEW ONE. THE GAUGE FOR THE TEMPERATURE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ACCURATE. 8. SOMETIMES THE HEATER DOES NOT WORK, JUST AS THE A/C DIDN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME IN THE SUMMER. 9. ANYTIME I TRY TO USE THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER, IT BLOWS THE FUSE, LEAVING THAT FEATURE TOTALLY USELESS. THIS CAR IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND FOR A SINGLE WOMAN, I FEEL IT CREATES POTENTIAL TO BE IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS CAR AND I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A RELIABLE USED CAR SINCE IT IS A CHEVROLET MALIBU. WAS I EVER WRONG AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT CHEVROLET, IT WILL NOT BE MY PREFERENCE IN THE FUTURE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER MOTOR WOULD ONLY FUNCTION WHEN SET ON HIGH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
SURPRISED TO NOT SEE THIS GM RECALL IN THE DATABASE. GM RECALLED THOUSANDS OF CHEVY MALIBU'S MANUFACTURED FROM 1997 ' 2003 FOR A MALFUNCTIONING FLASHER SWITCH AND/OR SHORT IN THE WIRING. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THE MALFUNCTIONING SWITCH CAUSES THE BLINKERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND IN MANY INSTANCES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL ADDITIONALLY THE HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. *TR
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU WHICH I HAVE OWNED SINCE 2003. FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS (STARTING AROUND APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES) I'VE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD LIGHT INDICATORS. THE MALFUNCTION LEADS TO TOTAL FAILURE OR FLICKERING OF THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND THE INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MALFUNCTION WILL OCCUR AT ANY TIME - SUNNY, RAINY, DRY, HUMID, SNOWY, HOT OR COLD WEATHER; DAYTIME OR NIGHTTIME; WHETHER THE ENGINE IS HOT OR COLD. OCCASIONALLY THE INDICATORS WILL WORK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BUT THEN THE MALFUNCTION WILL OCCUR AGAIN. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION TO BEGIN. THE ORIGINAL MALFUNCTIONING PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AS THEY ARE CURRENTLY STILL INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER SWITCH IN MY CAR. A RATTLE TYPE NOISE IN THE HEATER FAN ASSEMBLY WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT I NOTICED AT AROUND 70,000 MILES. THAT STOPPED WHEN THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AFTER I RAN OVER A TRUCK TIRE TREAD THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE SWITCH WORKED FOR A WHILE THEN I LOST THE NUMBER ONE AND TWO SPEEDS. EVENTUALLY THE NUMBER THREE SPEED WENT OUT. I CURRENTLY CAN RUN THE HEATER ON SPEEDS NUMBER FOUR AND FIVE; HOWEVER, THE OUTPUT IS LESS THAT WHAT IT SHOULD BE FOR THE TWO HIGHEST FAN SPEEDS. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS CURRENTLY STILL INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. *TR
2002 CHEVY MALIBU. FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT TURN SIGNAL FAILURE. WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS FAIL, THE CORRESPONDING TURN INDICATORS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL DO NOT WORK AS WELL. OFTEN I CAN GET THEM WORKING AGAIN BY TURNING OFF THE CAR, REMOVING THE KEY, STARTING THE CAR AND REPEATING THE PROCESS 2 OR 3 TIMES. SINCE THIS STARTED I HAVE HAD SOME NEAR MISSES AS THE CAR BEHIND ME DOESN'T KNOW THAT I'M TURNING UNTIL I PRESS THE BRAKES. *TR
ON 6-24-2008 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, AND I WENT TO TURN ON MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL, 100 FEET BEFORE THE TURNING LANE (SO AS TO WARN THE PERSON BEHIND ME, THAT I WAS GOING TO MOVE INTO THE LEFT HAND TURNING LANE), AND I WENT TO TURN ON MY LEFT HAND TURN SIGNAL, AND NOT REALIZING THAT IT WASN'T WORKING, I WENT TO MOVE OVER INTO THE LEFT HAND TURN LANE, AND I ALMOST HIT THE CAR THAT WAS BEHIND ME, BECAUSE AS HE SAID "YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY WARNING THAT YOU WANTED TO GO INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE, WHERE I ALREADY WAS. YOU DIDN'T TURN YOUR SIGNAL ON"! THE GUY WAS REALLY PISSED OFF AT ME. I HAD MY TURN SIGNAL ON WAY AHEAD OF TIME. HOWEVER ,AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WERE "NO LONGER WORKING AT ALL"! THIS REALLY WORRIED ME, BECAUSE IF THIS GUY HAD GONE TOTALLY CRAZY ON ME, AND HAD A GUN, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HE WOULD HAVE USED IT ON US. I NOTICED THAT THESE TURN SIGNALS ON MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU, ARE SOME HOW INTER CONNECTED TO THE EMERGENCY SIGNAL (I FOUND THIS OUT, AFTER REVIEWING MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU REPAIR BOOK. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, EVERY TIME I GO TO MAKE A TURN. IT'S CAUSED MORE PROBLEM'S THAN MY FAMILY OR I HAVE EVER WANTED. UP UNTIL THIS PROBLEM AROSE, MY FAMILY & I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN CHEVY CAR'S. NOW THOU, I WOULD HAVE TO RECONSIDER EVER BUYING A CHEVY. I NEED THIS PROBLEM FIXED IMMEDIATELY. *TR
TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARDS WORK INTERMITTENT. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY AFTER A RAIN NOW IM LUCKY IF THE WORK AT ALL. IT HAS COME CLOSE MANY OF TIMES TO CAUSE A WRECK. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY WORKING/NOT WORKING. THIS SITUATION POSES A SAFETY RISK WHEN NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY WORKING/NOT WORKING. IS THERE OR IS THERE NOT A RECALL TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM? *TR
TURNING SIGNALS AND FLASHERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. SOMETIMES CUT OFF WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A TURN OR WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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