2011 Chevrolet Malibu Visibility Problems

Headlight wiring harness connector has melted multiple times leaving me without low beam headlights while driving at night with my children in the car. This has left me having to use my high beams to drive and this poses as a safety hazard for not only me and my family but other people on the road. This also poses a fire hazard if the plastic connector is getting hot enoughto melt. I have requested warranty replacements for this part through AC Delco and made them aware of the on going problem and informed them that this is a well known issue with this car and that it is extremely dangerous. I have not had the part inspected by a mechanic, insurance company or law enforcement but have the failed part and would be willing to have it inspected by law enforcement or anyone else but can not afford out of pocket expenses to do so. There was no prior warning to this happening any of the times it happened it would be working when I left my house I would stop somewhere turn the car off and when I got back in and started the car they wouldn't turn on. Another time they quit working while driving down the road. The date below is the date that I ordered the first replacement wiring harness it lasted less than 3 months and i had to have it replaced and currently I am dealing with not having low beams again this is the 3rd time I have dealt with this issue and it has been on going since January 2025.

NHTSA ID

11699889

Incident

Nov 19, 2023

Sudden and complete loss of windshield wipers while on the interstate in a intense rain storm. Driving the vehicle became impossible and stopping on the shoulder was dangerous because other drivers were dealing with poor vision because of the intense rain and came close to hitting me several times. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING CONDITION. My research found that this is not an isolated problem as multiple years and models (vans as well cars) are affected. The cause of the failure was caused by failure of the windshield wiper transmission, linkage and bushing that a part of or attached thereto.

NHTSA ID

11511339

Incident

Aug 10, 2022

WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION HAS QUIT 2 TIMES IN 2 1/2 YEARS. THE WIPER ARMS CAN BE MOVED BY HAND WITH NO RESISTANCE. BOTH TIMES IN HEAVY RAIN GOING OVER 55MPH IN THE DARK LEAVING ME WITH NO WAY TO SEE THE ROAD. I HAD TO STOP QUICK TO GET ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. 1ST TIME WAS 12/3/15 THIS TIME WAS 8/17/18. I HAD IT FIXED A GM DEALER THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE CLOSE FOR $366 THE FIRST TIME-NOW AGAIN???? THE EQUINOX HAD A RECALL ON THIS I WAS TOLD. ITS CRAZY THE MALIBU WAS NOT INCLUDED.

NHTSA ID

11121072

Incident

Aug 17, 2018

Mileage

175,000 mi

ON MY WIPER SYSTEM I WAS TRAVELING IN A RAINSTORM AND THE WIPER TRANSMISSION SEPARATED FROM THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY AT THE PIECE ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR HALTING THE WIPER ASSEMBLY FROM CLEARING THE WINDOW THIS ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH DO TO LACK OF VISIBILITY .THIS OCCURRED ON 2/7/2017 . VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION PLEASE ADDRESS THIS PART MALFUNCTION, IT SHOULD NEVER SEPARATE

NHTSA ID

11071745

Incident

Feb 7, 2018

Mileage

145,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER FAILED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE THE FUSE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUSE MELTED INTO THE FUSE PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUSE PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10820169

Incident

Dec 31, 2015

Mileage

70,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON I-95 IN THE RIGHT LANE AND PRIOR TO PASSING THE PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MY WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE THEY WERE IN USE. I WAS PETRIFIED BECAUSE WATER WAS ACCUMULATING RAPIDLY ON TO MY WINDSHIELD AND THE MOTORIST WHOM WERE PASSING ME INCREASED THE DANGER TEN FOLD BECAUSE THEIR VEHICLES WERE SPLASHING WATER ON TO MY WINDSHIELD AS WELL. MY VISIBILITY WENT DOWN TO ABOUT TEN PERCENT; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE PASSING MOTORIST THAT QUICKLY DECREASED TO ZERO MAKING IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. FURTHERMORE, DURING THE FRIGHTENING INCIDENT I KEPT MY COMPOSURE AND SLOWED DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE UNTIL I COULD PROCEED TO THE SHOULDER. FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT MY CONFIDENCE IN AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES HAS VANISHED AND AS A RESULT I WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE AMERICAN MANUFACTURED AUTOMOBILES IN THE FUTURE. MOREOVER, FOR THOSE WHOM MIGHT BE WONDERING I OWN A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU IT HAD A LITTLE LESS THAN 82,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME AND NO THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE WIPERS TO CAUSE THEM TO FAIL AT THE TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10691828

Incident

Feb 22, 2015

Mileage

81,875 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT CLEAR THE WINDOWS. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER CONNECTER WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

NHTSA ID

10614570

Incident

Nov 27, 2013

Mileage

52,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR FUSE BOX AND THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10594206

Incident

Apr 8, 2014

Mileage

72,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I-95 IN THE RAIN WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY FAILED. FORTUNATELY, BOTH THE RAIN AND TRAFFIC WERE RELATIVELY LIGHT AND I HAD SUFFICIENT VISIBILITY TO SAFELY EXIT THE HIGHWAY AT THE NEXT INTERCHANGE. HAD IT HAPPENED ONE DAY LATER DURING THE HEAVY RAIN, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO LUCKY. THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF THE WIPER LINKAGE DETACHING ITSELF FROM THE WIPER MOTOR/TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC BALL JOINT TYPE CONNECTOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10586375

Incident

Apr 29, 2014

Mileage

87,200 mi

WIPER SYSTEM FAILED DURING RAIN STORM. NEITHER WIPER BLADE MOVED. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS WIPER TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PART COST $135 FROM THE CHEVROLET DEALER PLUS $150 LABOR TO INSTALL. COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE WIPER SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY WARNING SUCH AS SLIPPAGE SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO SEE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO CHANGE LANES AND PULL OVER. *TT

NHTSA ID

10583043

Incident

Apr 15, 2014

Mileage

46,000 mi

I HAVE A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND HAD TO REPLACE THE HEATING CORE AND NOW THE HVAC SYSTEM IS LEAKING AND DAMAGED ALL THE CARPETS. I AM ALSO HEARING A THUMPING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. I HAVE RECENTLY BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY CARPETS TO DRY AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING RAIN SHOWERS FOR DAYS. THE ONLY WAY THE DEALER IS ABLE TO DRY THE CARPETS IS TO PLACE THEM OUTSIDE. I NOW HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL BECAUSE MY BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10524585

Incident

Mar 17, 2012

Mileage

20,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT CLEAR ENOUGH AND HER VISIBILITY WAS IMPAIRED WHEN THE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE WERE CLOUDY. THERE WAS A VISIBLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR AND THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THEY STATED THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE VIEW MIRRORS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ID

10465191

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

12,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A BLIND SPOT WHEN LOOKING OUT THE PASSENGER REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A CRASH DUE TO THE ABNORMAL BLIND SPOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR IS BLOCKED BY 26 INCHES BY THE POST MIRROR. UPDATED 09/16/11

NHTSA ID

10390153

Incident

Feb 15, 2011

Mileage

1,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES DID NOT FULLY CLEAR THE WINDOW IN COLD WEATHER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO SEPARATE DEALERS. THE FIRST DEALER STATED THAT THE WIPERS WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED WHILE THE SECOND DEALER STATED THAT THE RUBBER USED FOR THE WIPERS SEEMED TO CONTRACT AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD IN COLD WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,900.

NHTSA ID

10386739

Incident

Nov 16, 2010

Mileage

25 mi