2009 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
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Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 120,000 however, the contact researched and discovered in a Carfax Report that the mileage was approximately 234,000. The contact stated that the vehicle had several issues, leading the contact believe that the odometer had been tampered with. The contact stated that the current approximate mileage on the vehicle was 141,000, which the contact believed to be inaccurate.
The fuse box is faulty. It’s not giving power to the starter when the car heats or if it is hot outside. My car has been showing “reduced engine power” and it will no longer turn on. I have researched online and on YouTube from mechanics that the fuse box is the problem. I have taken the car in multiple times and my mechanics never get a code for electric issues. There is a brand new radiator, alternator and battery that has been put into my car. There is no problem with the actual starter itself. When the car is jumped it comes on but turns off while driving when it gets hot. Multiple cars similar to mine have been having this problem and it was never made public.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the contact smelled a burning odor and felt her leg burning. When the contact exited the vehicle, she became aware that her sweater was burned, and the driver’s seat was burned. The contact was not severely injured. The contact had not sought medical attention. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the fuse for the seat warmer was removed, but the seat was not replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 193,000.
The headlights continually burn out and melt connectors on multiple malibus around this year model, myself, my friends and many online have all been effected, the issue seems to have started as early as 2014 and still continues to this day. I have been fighting this issue myself for many years now. I once had a connector smoke so bad I had to run to turn everything off and make sure it wasn't burning.
The power steering light comes in every time car is turned on and I don’t want to be driving like this
My car keep showing the engine reduced light and esc service light I have paid to get a new computer and gas petal and a throttle body from the Chevy computer and it’s still doing the same thing
Power steering will stop working while driving. EPS Light will start blinking. Once you shut off car and turn it back on it works again.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated after he had the vehicle serviced for maintenance at the local dealer, he noticed an ignition odor after parking the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,276.
WHEN TRYING TO USE THE REMOTE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. IT STARTED WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR STARTED HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND NOW IT HAS ALSO COME TO THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR. YOU CANNOT USE THE FOB FROM OUTSIDE NOR CAN YOU USE THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE INSIDE TO GET THE DOORS TO UNLOCK. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE BACK SEAT, YOU HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE SEAT AND PULL THE UNLOCK BUTTON BY THE WINDOW. WE HAVE CHECK THE CHILD SAFELY LOCKS AND THEY ARE NOT ENGAGED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER SITES(HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CHEVROLET/MALIBU/2009/ACCESSORIESINTERIOR/POWER_DOOR_LOCKS_MALFUNCTIONING.SHTML) ANDHTTPS://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/CHEVROLET/MALIBU/POWER-DOOR-LOCKS-NOT-WORKING-PROBLEMS.PHP ANDHTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T33503_DS654132. THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME ISSUE AS WELL AS ISSUES OF THE LOCKS UNLOCKING WHILE THEY CARS ARE IN MOTION. IT SEEMS THAT GM HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE ISSUES. WHAT CAN A CITIZEN DO TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF? THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF YOU HAVE A CHILD IN THE CAR AND CANNOT GET THE DOOR OPEN TO GET THEM OUT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE DISCUSSED IT WITH MECHANICS AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE ACCUATOR(SPELLING) IS AN ISSUE AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS.
THE LOCKS ON THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF DOOR LOCK FAILURE, SOMETIMES THEY GO UP WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES THEY WONT GO UP OR DOWN AT ALL WITH REMOTE OR CAR ON/OFF, AND THIS HAPPENS THE WORST AND MOSTLY IN HEAT AND HOT WEATHER. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET FOR YEARS. GM REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN IN THE BACK. PLEASE DO SOMETHING, IM NOT THE ONLY ONE AT ALL THAT EVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. HAVE HAD IT REPLACED FOR OTHER TIMES AND THE CONNECTOR TO THE HEADLIGHT KEEPS MELTING. THEN THERE IS A SMELL OF PLASTIC MELTING ALMOST LIKE IT IS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE
PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THE CONNECTOR TO THE HEADLIGHT IS MELTED THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT GETS REPLACED EVERY TIME AND THAT CONNECTOR KEEPS GETTING MELTED MAKING IT HARD TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT
WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON WHEN YOU PRESS THE PEDAL THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OFF AND THEN COME BACK ON WHEN YOU RELEASE THE PEDAL 3 SECONDS LATER THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME BACK ON AND STAY ON.
CAR DIES WHILE DRIVING. NO WARNING. STARTS BACK UP AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING KEY OFF AND THEN BACK ON. HAPPENED 5 TIMES NOW.
CONSTANTLY HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT GOING OUT. REPLACED HARNESS, NOW LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. INTERMITTENTLY WORKING, PROBLEM IS NOW MY DAUGHTER IS GOING DOWN I94 IN THE DARK AND THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF. ONLY WAY TO DRIVE IS WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON.
ELECTRONIC POWER SYSTEM FAILED.. WHILE DRIVING IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. MANAGED TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND WAIT FOR HELP.. WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY LIMITS OF TOWN
KEY FOB QUIT WORKING. BOUGHT NEW KEY FOB FROM CHEVROLET AND CHEVROLET MECHANIC COULD NOT GET IT TO PROGRAM. LOCK SWITCHES ON DOOR STOP WORKING. CAR WILL LOCK ITSELF. HAD TO PAY FOR LOCK SMITH BECAUSE IT LOCKED ME OUT.
BODY CONTROL MODULE CAUSING BRAKING LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS NOT TO FUNCTION WHILE IN MOTION AND STATIONARY. THREE TIMES I'VE HAD THE BULBS REPAIRED AND WIRING HARNESS CHECKED. GIVEN THAT TE FRONT END NEEDS TO BE PULLED JUST TO CHANGE THE BULBS, THIS HAS LED TO SOME HIGH REPAIR BILLS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT 2004-2014 MALIBU HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM. CHEVY RECALL #13036 NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V252000. FOR WHATEVER REASON MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IT SHOULD BE, AND BEFORE MY DAUGHTER IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS.
PASSENGER REAR AND FRONT DOOR AUTOMATIC LOCK DOESN'T WORK AND PASSENGER HAS TO MANUALLY PULL IT UP TO GET OUT OF CAR. ELECTRICAL PANEL WILL RESET AND THEN COME BACK NORMAL. SPEED, GAS, AND RPM NEEDLES WILL BOUNCE TO 0, E, 0 AND THEN GO NORMAL.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR IS VERY HUMID MY ALL OF THE DOOR LOCKS WILL RANDOMLY LOCK AND UNLOCK ' WHETHER I'M DRIVING OR THE CAR IS OFF AND I AM NOT INSIDE. ITS CREEPY. THE DOOR PANEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE INITIALLY STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED IN JANUARY 2018 BUT BY FEB THE PANEL HAD STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ONLY LOCKS MANUALLY AND NEVER RESPONDED TO DRIVER SIDE DOOR PANEL CONTROLS WHEN THEY WERE FUNCTIONING. NOW THAT MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, MANUAL LOCKING IT IS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE TWO BURNT HOLES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACTS JACKET BURNED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE ESC WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND THE SPEED DECREASED TO 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MORAN CHEVROLET CLINTON TWP (35500 GRATIOT AVE, CHARTER TWP OF CLINTON, MI 48035, (586) 307-5902) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAULTY SOLENOID VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,937.
I HAVE REPLACED MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT THREE TIMES NOW WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS. I DONT THINK HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED THIS OFTEN. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WILL GO ON AND THEN A LITTLE WHILE LATER WILL GO OFF. I JUST RECENTLY REPLACED MY HEADLIGHT TWO WEEKS AGO AND ITS NOW DOING THE SAME THING...IT COMES ON AND LATER GOES OFF...
REAR DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT OPEN WHEN CAR IS PUT IN PARK ALSO WILL NOT OPEN WITH REMOTE.
THE DOOR LOCKS GO UP AND DOWN BY THERE SELF.. WHICH RESORTS TO BATTERY GOING DEAD... THEY NEVER STOP.. EVEN WHEN CAR IS OFF THEY STILL FLICK UP AND DOWN..
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Quick Summary
The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has 79 Electrical System complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.