2008 Chevrolet Malibu Driver assistance Problems

Vehicle accelerated on its own. Only able to stop by turning off the ignition. It was cold at the time 8-15degrees F.

NHTSA ID

11730031

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

When I walk up to my car all I smell is gas and my gas tank doesn’t last as long as it should the first half of my tank is gone within 2-4 hours the second half last a couple days . I just had a child and I wanna make sure I can get these things fixed . I just purchased this car like 3 months ago from a dealership .. he’s been giving me the run around so I’m trying to see what I can do

NHTSA ID

11550328

Incident

Jul 9, 2023

I was driving down hwy 79 and all of a sudden my car traxtion control light, service ESC,service traction, and,engine reduce power and check engine light came on.

NHTSA ID

11452980

Incident

Feb 19, 2022

THE MAIN CONCER I HAVE IS (1)WHILE DRIVING AND CAR IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, THE CAR ACCERLERATED ON IT'S OWN. ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE. (2)THE CAR BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN. I CANNOT DRIVE MORE THE 10 MILE PER HOUR, THE RPM GAGE GOES HIGH BUT THE CAR DOES NOT. (3)ALSO, THE CAR ABS LIGHT COMES ON WITH NORMAL DRIVING IN THE CITY, UNKNOWN CAUSE. (4)THE CAR SEEMS TO HAVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES, I'VE CHANGED HEAD LIGHTS TWICE, HORN FUSES BLOWN MULTIPLE TIMES, THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS GONE OFF 3X NOW, AND ON THE HEAT/AIR CONTROL PANEL MAKES A CLOCKNG NOISE, EVEN IF I WANT TO USE THE WIPERS.

NHTSA ID

11413840

Incident

Nov 17, 2020

Mileage

240,000 mi

MY 2008 MALIBU LTZ DOES A HARD JURKING THEN THE RPM GAGE RISES WITHOUT SHIFTING. WHEN THE CAR IS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY IT HAS A BURNING SMELL. ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON BUT DOESN'T SHOW ON THE DASHBOARD.

NHTSA ID

11404125

Incident

Mar 10, 2021

ON 3/15/21 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER2008 MALIBU DOWN 787 INTERSTATE WHEN TAX STARTED GOING UP AN DOWN ENGINE RAISING FOR NO REASON ALSO THAT SAME MONTH WHEN YOU TURN SHARP TO GO INTO A TURN STEERING HAD MIND OF ITS OWN AN YOU CAN HERE A LOT OF RATTLING UP UNDER DASH ON DRIVERS SIDE.

NHTSA ID

11404080

Incident

Mar 15, 2021

Mileage

157,341 mi

SERVICE ESC SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I ALMOST WRECKED THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS BUT IT CLOSED AND THE DEALER WON'T FIX IT NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN FIXED OPEN OR CLOSED CAN U PLEASE HELP ME GET THE FIXED

NHTSA ID

11366784

Incident

Oct 22, 2020

Mileage

93,475 mi

TRANSMISSION 123 GEAR SLIPS CHANGES ON OWN TRY TO ACCELERATE STALLS DOWNSHIFTS STALLS ALSO TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE BEEN TOLD WILL HAPPEN WHEN TRYING TO SPEED UP OR COMPLETE STOP OR REVERSE THE TURNING SIGNALS WILL HAVE TO BE MANUALLY STOPPED INTERFERING WITH DRIVING BARLEY MAKE. SOUND SOMETIMES FORGET THE ARE ON STILL CRUISE CONTROL TOTALLY WAKED OUT DOES WHAT EVER IT WANT SPEED OR SLOWS ON OWN I DO KNOW OF ONE CURRENT RECALL I'VE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CALL W NO RETURN MESSAGES THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEED REPLACED BECAUSE THE SOLENOIDS KEEP GETTING STUCK 123 MINE ALSO THE CORE FEE FOR THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE 300-600 FOR THE CORE FEE ..WHY ARE THESE BEING SOLD FOR PRICES OF 500-1000$ IF THE ARE BEING REFURBISHED SEEMS TO BE A HOT ITEM TO EVEN FIND USED OR NEW IF U COULD AFFORD IT .. THESE GM TRANSMISSION ISSUES ARE EVERYWHERE .... WHY ARE THE NO RECALLS .. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE SHIFT FAILURE 45PH TO 15PH IN A SEC .. OR NOTHING THE DEALERSHIPS ARE VERY HARD TO DEAL WITH IF YOU JUST WANT A PART OR INFO A TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE PART # 12678511 RECALL 14V224000 # 14145 DELLEN CHEVROLET 317 462-5591 MADE A FEW CALLS W NO RESPONSE TO SCHEDULE BEEN 7 DAYS NOW. STANLEY CHEVROLET PENALTON IN. JUSTIN WOULD NOT ALLOWE A PART # TO ME UNLESS 120.$ DIAGNOSTIC THEN TOLDE TO GET OUT AFTER A FEW WORDS EXCHANGE SO I PAID FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TWICE NEITHER THROUGH GM THEY TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE 1300$ OVER THE PHONE DOUG AT DELLEN CHEVROLET I THK THAT'S NAME GAVE ME QUOTE OVER PHONE .. SO THERE'S MUCH MORE THE TRANSMISSION AND SOLENOIDS IN THESES CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED OR FLASHED FIXED AND IF U READ IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2004 AND NOW THE NEW AND NEWER ONE STILL SAME PROBLEMS I'VE HAD TO STOP OIL OVER RESTART CAR PUT IN NEUTRAL TO SHIFT RPMS GET HIGH I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN WALKERS TO DINERS ETC ..NEEDS ATTN INTO

NHTSA ID

11353311

Incident

Aug 28, 2020

Mileage

15 mi

WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR SOMETIMES I GET A MESSAGE ON MY DASH THAT SAYS SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE POWER STEERING. WHEN THE SERVICE POWER STEERING MESSAGE COMES ON THE SPEEDOMETER SAYS ERROR AND I CANNOT SEE HOW FAST I'M GOING AND THE CAR STAYS IN FIRST GEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

11325367

Incident

May 19, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

KEEP GETTING A MESSAGE SAYING 'ESC OFF' , 'TRACTION CONTROL OFF' COMES AND GOES. SOMETIMES SEEMS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS STUCK IN A GEAR MAKES A LOUD ROAR. STARTS TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. HAVING A PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHT STAYING ON A EVEN AFTER REPLACING SWITCH. I HAVE THE RECALL PROBLEMS FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR BUT VIN DOESN'T SEEM TO MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

11324493

Incident

Jun 13, 2019

Mileage

179,000 mi

MY CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND FLASHING FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I HAVE HAD MY CAR REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES BY AUTOBODY SHOPS. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE TODAY. MY CAR IS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR. I HIT A DEER AND ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP I ONLY HAD BODY DAMAGE. SIX MONTHS LATER THEY ARE TELLING ME I NEED TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR MORE THAN SEVEN TIMES. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE ROTORS REPLACED. THEN EVERY FOUR MONTHS I HAVE TO GET MY TIRES REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

11323030

Incident

May 2, 2020

Mileage

260,000 mi

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING JUST FINE UNTIL THE OTHER DAY WHEN MY VEHICLE OUT OF NOWHERE WENT INTO 'LIMP MODE' AND I COULDN'T GO OVER 20 MPH. THE NOTIFICATIONS ON MY DASH WERE 'ENG PWR REDUCED' AND 'SERVICE ESC'. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE FOR POSSIBLE CAUSES, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND SERVICE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVY MALIBU'S FROM OLDER MODELS TO NEWER 2016-2018 MODELS). NOT ONLY IS IT COMMON, BUT MOST PEOPLE THAT EXPERIENCE THE SAME ISSUE I DID, END UP SPENDING THOUSANDS TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. REPAIRS RANGE FROM CHANGING THE THROTTLE BODY TO SENSORS TO BATTERY CABLES & TERMINALS. A FEW GET LUCKY BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF MALIBU OWNERS, THE PROBLEM RETURNS WITHIN DAYS OR IF THEY'RE LUCKY, THEY GET A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THE ERROR CODES COME BACK. ALL ONE HAS TO DO IS SEARCH THE FORUMS OF CARGURUS.COM OR YOUTUBE FOR VIDEOS TO FIND THE COUNTLESS POSTS OF CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS ALL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I PERSONALLY READ OF MANY ACCOUNTS WHERE OWNERS WERE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY HAVE THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND EVENTUALLY SOMEONE OR MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET KILLED WHEN THEY LOSE POWER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. CHEVY IS UNDOUBTEDLY AWARE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM AND ARE CHOOWING TO TURN A BLIND EYE INSTEAD OF ISSUING A RECALL. WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE FOR GM TO ADMIT THERE'S A PROBLEM? MULTIPLE DEATHS? MECHANICS, EVEN THOSE THAT WORK FOR GM KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT PERMANENTLY. I'M SURE I'M NOT ALONE WHEN I SAY I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THOUSANDS FOR GUESS WORK. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO EVEN CONSIDER IT BECAUSE GM KNOWS THERE'S AN ISSUE AND AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BEFORE PEOPLE GET KILLED, AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED & A RECALL ISSUED!

NHTSA ID

11308867

Incident

Feb 10, 2020

Mileage

100,400 mi

RANDOM LOSE OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, ON HIGHWAY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS.. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK AND CAUSE YOU TO BE UNABLE TO KEEP THE CAR IN CONTROL.. I'VE CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AFTER BEING ADVISED THIS WAS AND IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND IN MOST CASES IS COVERED UNDER RECALLS AND EXTENDED COVERAGE. THEY SAID THIS VEHICLE WASN'T COVERED

NHTSA ID

11302897

Incident

Jan 15, 2020

Mileage

116,000 mi

ESC WARNING LIGHT, SERVICE ESC, ESC OFF, SERVICE TRACTION, TRACTION OFF LIGHTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY COMING ON WHEN DRIVING, FRONT END SHUDDERS/SHAKES WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND I LOSE SPEED.

NHTSA ID

11291342

Incident

Nov 1, 2019

Mileage

138,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN

NHTSA ID

11287863

Incident

Dec 1, 2019

Mileage

171,000 mi

I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY ESC LIGHT COMES ON AND IT CAUSES MY BRAKES TO ENGAGE BY THERE SELVES IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NOW

NHTSA ID

11279909

Incident

Nov 13, 2019

Mileage

150,000 mi

MY CAR WAS SHOWING SERVICE ESC I LOOKED IT UP AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THAT SO I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP IN JUNE TO BE REPAIRED AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE CAR STARTED RUNNING FUNNY AND THE SERVICE ESC LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN

NHTSA ID

11278504

Incident

Nov 5, 2019

(ESC) TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM NEEDS REPAIRS COMES ON CAUSING THE CAR TO REDUCE ENGINE POWER IMMEDIATELY. NO MATTER HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING. I WAS LUCKY WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE ON A HWY AND HIT A SMALL BUMB IN IN ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENED TO ME. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO FIX THEY COMB THROUGH THE CAR THEY SAID AFTER RESETTING ESC THEY COULD NOT REPEAT ESC CODE AGAIN, BUT TOLD ME IF IT KEEPS HAPPENING JUST BRING BACK. LUCKILY THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME THIS VISIT BUT WAS SECOND TIME TO TAKE TO THEM. FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS SOME OTHER SENSORS AND CHANGED THEM WHICH DIDN'T FIX PROBLEM. THEY SAID I HAD RODENT DAMAGE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO CUT INTO THE WIRES TO CAUSE THE PROBLEM. THEY SEEMED CLUELESS AS TO WHY IT DOES THIS. I READ OTHER PEOPLE'S FORMS ON THERE CHEVY CARS AND IT'S NOT JUST MY MAILBU. I WAS TOLD PRETTY MUCH DON'T TRUST FOR A TWO TRIP I HAD PLANNED. THEY TAPED UP SOME OF MY WIRES AND HOPED IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE THE START TO A LARGER PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11277016

Incident

Oct 19, 2019

Mileage

131,500 mi

ESC ALWAYS TURNING OFF. BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATING RANDOMLY AND NOT WORKING RANDOMLY WHEN IN MOTION. CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGING IF ESC LIGHT COMES ON WHEN CONTROL

NHTSA ID

11267050

Incident

Jul 1, 2018

Mileage

75,000 mi

THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES NOW WHERE MY POWER STEERING LIGHT WILL TURN ON MY DASHBOARD, THEN IT TURNS TO MANUAL STEERING WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH MY VEHICLE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE OFF TO THE SHOULDER. SEEMS TO BE MORE COMMON WHEN GOING 30 MPH OR UNDER BUT HAS HAPPENED WHEN GOING 75 MPH ON HIGHWAY. LAST TIME WAS TODAY WHEN I WENT TO GET NEW SET OF TIRES AND IT LOCKED UP ON THE TECHNICIAN. IT WILL HAPPEN AT RANDOM TIMES AND IF I RESTART MY CAR PROBLEM SEEMS TO GO AWAY FOR AWHILE.

NHTSA ID

11256771

Incident

Sep 19, 2019

Mileage

146,750 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUNN CHEVROLET BUICK (LOCATED AT 3000 DUSTIN RD, OREGON, OH 43616, (419) 442-7814) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A TUNE UP WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V2520000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE DEALER DECLINED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000.

NHTSA ID

11254616

Incident

Aug 30, 2019

Mileage

166,000 mi

ESC LIGHTS, AND TRACTION STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF OFTEN, REGARDLESS OF CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. I NOTICED IT HAPPENS MORE WHEN THE WEATHER IS COOLER. STARTED AROUND 29K MILES ON MY CAR. WHEN THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON, MY BREAK LIGHTS STAY ON. COMPUTER DOESN'T KICK BACK ANY CODES UNLESS THE WARNING LIGHTS THAT ARE ON.

NHTSA ID

11190170

Incident

Jan 27, 2017

Mileage

29,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STEERED AT LOW SPEEDS PREVENTING ME FROM TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THE DASH LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE POWER STEERING FAILURE NOTICE APPEARED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE PRIOR RECALL WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH AND DID NOT COVER THE POPULATION OF DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. TIME FOR NHTSA AND GM TO EXPAND THE RECALL AND ELIMINATE THIS DANGER.

NHTSA ID

11182124

Incident

Feb 22, 2019

Mileage

216,000 mi

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, REDUCED ENGINE POWER SIGNAGE, AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. DRIVING HOME ON SECONDARY STREET. FIXED WITH NEW SENSOR FOR THROTTLE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. 2 WEEKS LATER, SAME LIGHTS ON DASH WHEN STARTED IN THE MORNING.

NHTSA ID

11174333

Incident

Jan 14, 2019

Mileage

98,500 mi

THE SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT, ESC OFF, & SERVICE ESC LIGHTS HAVE ALL COME ON IN THE DIC. SOMETIMES ENGINE SLOWS & JERKS WHIE DRIVING. I HAD MY DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AXLE AND WHEEL BEARING FIXED A MONTH AGO. I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE LIGHTS ARE ON.

NHTSA ID

11166061

Incident

Dec 31, 2018

Mileage

175,000 mi