2008 Chevrolet Malibu Exterior lighting Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the gear shifter could be moved without depressing the brake pedal. The contact then stated that the vehicle had failed to start up after several attempts with the traction control and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the gear shift indicator lights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was initially towed to the dealer and was given a diagnostic fee; the vehicle was later towed back to the residence without a diagnostic test being performed. The contact stated that the front headlights and the horn failed to operate after replacing the battery. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V224000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 245,000.

NHTSA ID

11570755

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

Mileage

245,000 mi

Brake lights automatically come on when you don't touch the brakes and go off when you do. GM has had at least 2 recalls on this problem which this vehicle has gone through and now at 177,000 miles there was a 3 recall which GM won't honor due to high mileage. If it was unsafe at 150,000 miles why is it not unsafe now? We've had it fixed on our own which cost $200.00 and lasted all of 5-6 months.

NHTSA ID

11491435

Incident

Oct 29, 2022

Mileage

177,000 mi

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving behind the vehicle he noticed that the brake light was illuminated even though the brakes was not applied. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the brake light failed to illuminate. The ESC, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number 14V252000 (Electrical system, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control). The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11430203

Incident

Aug 9, 2021

Mileage

150,000 mi

THIRD BREAK LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY WORKING. THE OTHER TWO BREAK LIGHTS HAVE NO ISSUE. I HAD THE THIRD BREAK LIGHT REPLACED AND AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF OTHE CONSUMERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11397293

Incident

Aug 20, 2020

Mileage

161,000 mi

TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND HAVE A PROBLEM RECALL FOR TAIL LIGHTS PROBLEMS

NHTSA ID

11387426

Incident

Dec 15, 2020

HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF REPLACEMENT. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR. POOR DESIGN MEANS THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR MUST BE REMOVED TO ACCESS AND CHANGE HEADLIGHT BULBS. BULBS HAVE GONE OUT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MAKING A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

11376858

Incident

Nov 26, 2020

Mileage

145,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY GO OUT. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 5 YEARS AND HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS ABOUT 4 TIMES BUT THE BULB HAS NEVER BURNED OUT ON ME THE LIGHT JUST QUITS WORKING. USED TO BE THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY AND EVERY NOW AND THEN IF I HIT A BUMP OR HIT THE LIGHT MYSELF IT WOULD FLICKER BACK ON. NOW THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT HAS REFUSED TO WORK FOR A YEAR NOW. I HAVE REPLACED IT WITH A NEW LIGHT AND NEW WIRING HARNESS AND STILL WILL NOT WORK WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN I UNLOCK THE DOORS THOUGH.

NHTSA ID

11366955

Incident

Mar 31, 2016

Mileage

100,000 mi

LOW BEAMS ON MY 2008 CHEVY MALIBU INTERMITTENTLY TURN OFF AND ON. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT BULBS HAD DIED SO I REPLACED ONE THEN THE OTHER, HOWEVER, SAME ISSUE STILL EXISTS. SOMETIMES WHEN I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY, BOTH LIGHTS WILL JUST GO OUT. I HAVE PULLED OVER AND GIGGLED WIRES TO LIGHTS AND USUALLY I CAN GET AT LEAST ONE TO GO BACK ON, HOWEVER, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFAULT THAT SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE A DEADLY ACCIDENT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF HEADLAMPS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

11339932

Incident

Jul 16, 2020

Mileage

144,743 mi

THERE IS SOME ISSUE WITH MY DRIVERS DOOR. I GO TO LOCK IT WHEN I GET OUT AND IT UNLOCKS ITSELF AND ITS ONLY THE DRIVERS DOOR THAT DOES IT. MY CAR WAS PARKED AND NOT IN MOTION. I STARTED MY CAR UP TO GO HOME AFTER WORK AND WHEN I SHIFTED MY CAR INTO GEAR THE DRIVERS DOOR DID NOT LOCK. I HAD TO DO IT MANUALLY. ON TOP OF THAT HAPPENING MY DOME LIGHT IS SET TO TURN ON AND OFF WHEN A DOOR IS OPEN. ALL OF MY DOORS ARE CLOSED COMPLETELY AND THE DOME LIGHT IS STILL ON.

NHTSA ID

11322783

Incident

Apr 30, 2020

Mileage

137,460 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WOBBLES AND WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE STALLED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS BULB WAS REPLACED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTION THE REAR SIGNAL INSIDE THE VEHICLE WOULD CLICK VERY FAST AND THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 136,006.

NHTSA ID

11311142

Incident

Dec 1, 2017

Mileage

136,006 mi

LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. IT TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS BURNING OUT. THIS IS NOT AN EASY FIX FOR THIS MODEL, TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY THE ENTIRE FRONT BUMPER NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. I WAS TICKETED AND HAD TO PAY THE FINE SINCE I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A SHOP TO TAKE OFF THE BUMPER WITHIN THE 24 HOUR GRACE PERIOD ALLOTTED BY THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT.

NHTSA ID

11310753

Incident

Jan 16, 2020

Mileage

60,200 mi

MY PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM STOPPED WORKING. I CHANGED THE BULB AND IT STILL WASN'T WORKING. WHEN I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK, I NOTICED THE CONNECTOR WAS MELTED.

NHTSA ID

11301446

Incident

Nov 23, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

LIGHTING NOT WORKING IN CAR, POWER LOCK NOT WORKING, POWER TRUCK OPEN NOT WORKING, BAD SUSPENSION.

NHTSA ID

11297179

Incident

Aug 1, 2019

Mileage

167,000 mi

I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION TOTALLY LOCK UP AND SOUND LIKE BRAKING PLACTIC,HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. DASHBOAD LIGHTS EITHER DO NOT WORK OR FLICKER. FAST FLASHING AS IF A BULB IS OUT THAN IT FIXES ITSELF. NUMBERS RUNNING ACROSS THE RADIO SCREEN THAN STOPS.

NHTSA ID

11291161

Incident

Aug 1, 2016

Mileage

80,000 mi

RIGHT LOW BEAM KEEPS GOING OUT. EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE BULB WITH A NEW BULB IT WILL WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEN GO OFF BUT NOT BURNT OUT.

NHTSA ID

11287752

Incident

Dec 5, 2019

Mileage

111,000 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

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT O PROBLEMS WITH MY LOW BEAMS I'VE CHANGED THEM 3 TIMES CHECKED OUT ALL FUSES AND WIRING SOMETIMES THEY WILL WORK MOSTLY NOT SEEN ALIT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE JUST SAYING THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11279810

Incident

Apr 20, 2017

Mileage

170,000 mi

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY LOW BEAMS SEVERAL TIMES. A COUPLE OF TIMES A MECHANIC REPLACED THE (MELTED AND SCORCHED) HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE BULB AND IT WORKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE BUT EVENTUALLY ONE OF THE LIGHTS GOES OUT AGAIN. I HAVE WASTED MUCH TIME AND MONEY ON THIS ISSUE AND REALIZE I AM NOT ALONE!!!

NHTSA ID

11268010

Incident

Oct 11, 2019

Mileage

95,000 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

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS SHORTING OUT AFTER BEING FIXED MULTIPLE TIMES.

NHTSA ID

11258576

Incident

May 26, 2017

FRONT LOW BEAM LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT REPLACED LOW BEAM BULBS 3 TIMES IN 6 MONTHS AND REPLACED HARNESSES ONCE AND LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS CONTINUES TO GO OUT. BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED AND CONTINUES TO STAY ON WHILE DRIVING. 3RD BRAKE LIGHT DOESN'T WORK ALL THE TIME. IT LIGHTS UP BRIGHT SOMETIME, DIM SOMETIME, AND OTHER TIMES IT DON'T WORK AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

11256049

Incident

Jan 5, 2019

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OFF. REPLACING THE BULB DOES NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

NHTSA ID

11252426

Incident

Aug 23, 2019

2008 CHEVY MALIBU PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT REPEATEDLY HAS BURNT OUT SOCKET, MELTING INSIDE. WIRING HARNESS AND BULB HAVE BEEN CHANGED OUT THREE TIMES AND ISSUE REOCCURS WITHIN DAYS. BULB HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED. WIRING SEEMS IN TACT. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, EVEN THOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE ON FORUMS. WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS VEHICLE AND SAFELY. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11252132

Incident

Mar 10, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT REPEATEDLY! BAD WIRING, MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE

NHTSA ID

11233519

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

121,000 mi

REPLACED PASSENGER HEADLIGHT HARNESS TWICE, AS THE LOW BEAM/ DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT CONNECTOR BURNS UNTIL THE BULB ITSELF BURNS OUT, OR THE CONNECTOR FALLS OFF THE BULB. MOSTLY NOTICED AT NIGHT, AS THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS ARE USUALLY NEEDED THEN.

NHTSA ID

11209156

Incident

May 21, 2019

Mileage

159,654 mi