2002 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

WON'T CRANK, INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICK ON AND OFF. *TR

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

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

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

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS SEDAN PRESENTED HAS NOTICEABLY WEAK AND INEFFICIENT HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS POSING A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FOG LIGHTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE IN MILDLY FOGGY DRIVING CONDITIONS AT ALL. IN FACT DUE TO SUCH POOR PERFORMANCE, IT IS QUITE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHETHER OR NOT THE FOG LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON. HEADLIGHT PERFORMANCE IS POOR WITH MARKEDLY DECREASED LIGHTING EFFICIENCY IN CITY DRIVING AND ON WET ROADS. THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS DIM AND OR FLICKER WHEN THE DRIVER DEPRESSES THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE OR COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. CONCERN THAT ON COMING TRAFFIC CAN'T DISCERN BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAMS OR A CONFUSION FROM THE UNINTENDED DIMMING/FLICKERING. VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN CHECKED WITH NO PROBLEMS FOUND. ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR CHECK OK, NEW BATTERY CHECK OK, SERPENTINE BELT AND PULLEYS CHECK OK, ALL BULBS, FUSES, AND FUSIBLE LINKS CHECK OK. NEW BULBS TRIED, BUT NO INCREASE IN LIGHTING OUTPUT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO GM SERVICE CENTER IN ZANESVILLE, OHIO. SERVICE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH CUSTOMER PRESENT. SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE WAS BASICALLY "NORMAL" AND A COMMON CONCERN AMONG MANY CUSTOMERS. SERVICE TECH. WENT ON TO SAY THAT BRAND NEW GM VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, IN FACT HE STATED THAT THEY ARE WORSE. 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS LIGHTING/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. VEHICLE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT DUE TO THE LIGHTING. *TR

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 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.

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

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

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY WORKING/NOT WORKING. THIS SITUATION POSES A SAFETY RISK WHEN NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *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

I BOUGHT A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU FROM A CAR DEALERSHIP. ONCE I DROVE OFF THE LOT THE BLINKERS STOPPED WORKING FOR ME, THEY WERE WORKING DURING THE TEST DRIVE. AFTER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CONNECTED WITH THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS BOX. WHENEVER IT WAS IN A CERTAIN POSITION THE BLINKERS WOULD WORK OTHERWISE THEY DID NOT. I TRIED FIXING IT WITH SOME RUBBERBANDS AND DUCT TAPE- FOR SOME REASON THAT WORKED FOR AWHILE BUT NOW IT'S ACTING UP AGAIN! HELP! *TR

MY CAR IS A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. I AM EXPERIENCING TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AND HAZARDOUS EMERGENCY LIGHT FAILURE THE TURN SIGNAL WORKS ON OCCASION ONLY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL ( MANY OCCASIONS ). AN AVERAGE % OF HOW OFTEN IT WORKS IS ABOUT 5 %, THE OTHER 95 % OF THE TIME IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS WON'T COME ON SOMETIMES. THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE BEING HEARD WITHIN THE CAR ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THE SOUND APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE HAZARD EMERGENCY LIGHT SWITCH. ALSO, MY REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY IS NOT WORKING. IT WON'T UNLOCK THE CAR DOORS OR THE TRUNK. I HAVE TO PRESS IT AT CLOSE RANGE AT LEAST ABOUT 10 TIMES MAYBE MORE BEFORE IT WILL UNLOCK THE CAR DOORS OR OPEN THE TRUNK. *NM

TURN SIGNAL FAILURES, EMERGENCY SIGNAL FAILURE & THEFT SYSTEM MY CAR'S SIGNALS WORK OFF AND ON. WHEN I GO TO USE MY TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT WORK SOMETIMES IT DOES. WHAT I USUALLY HAVE TO DO IS ACTIVATE THE TURN SIGNAL AND THEN HOLD DOWN THE EMERGENCY HAZARD BUTTON WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT ACTIVATE MY SIGNAL TO WORK. IF I CAN NOT GET THIS TO WORK THEN I AM UNABLE TO USE MY SIGNALS AT ALL. THE THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATES ON THE CAR CAUSING THE CAR NOT TO START UNTIL I ALLOW IT TO SIT FOR 10 MINUTES TO CORRECT ITS SELF. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART AFTER THE 10 MINUTES THAT THE MANUAL SAYS TO WAIT. MY CAR IS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. *NM

ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE TURN INDICATORS ON MY 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF THE TIME, THEY FUNCTION NORMALLY BUT THEY RANDOMLY FAIL AND JUST AS RANDOMLY BEGIN WORKING AGAIN. THE PROBLEM SEEMS UNRELATED TO POWER ON/OFF CYCLES OF THE TURN INDICATOR SYSTEM OR VEHICLE. LIKEWISE, ROAD VIBRATION INTENSITY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE CONDITION. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, THE FOUR WAY HAZARD WARNING SYSTEM STILL FUNCTIONS NORMALLY. THE FAILURE AFFECTS BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. NEITHER DASHBOARD INDICATORS NOR TURN INDICATOR LAMPS FUNCTION DURING THE FAILURE. THE SOUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF THE FLASHER UNIT IS ALSO MISSING DURING FAILURES. I HAVE REPLACED THE FLASHER UNIT AND THE PROBLEM WAS UNAFFECTED. I REINSTALLED THE ORIGINAL FLASHER. IT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION.*JB

DT: 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS. THE CONSUMER STATED CAR DEVELOPED A SPORADIC FAILURE OF TURN SIGNALS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS. INVOLVED LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED CHEVROLET, THEY TOLD THE CONSUMER TO CONTACT THE DEALER, IMPERIAL CHEVROLET. HOWEVER, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $46.00 JUST TO LOOK AT CAR. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT AN ARTICLE IN LOCAL NEWSPAPER STATED THERE HAS BEEN A TREND OF FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED IMPERIAL CHEVROLET THEY STATED THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES. *AK

THE RADIO SOMETIMES WORKED AND SOMETIMES DIDN'T. AFTER 7 TRIPS, IT WAS DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS THE AMPLIFIER. THE RADIO WORKED FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND NOW IS DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNALS WORK WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT. I HAD THE DEALER CHECK AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW SWITCH. I DID NOT GET ONE AS YET, BUT SEE WHERE OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL, NOR DID THE DEALER INFORM ME OF THE ISSUE. I INITIALLY HAD TROUBLE WITH THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS BUT THEY DID REMEDY THAT. I GET SHOCKED (ELECTRICALLY) MANY TIMES WHEN I EXIT THE CAR AS DO SOME OF MY PASSENGERS.*AK