2009 Chevrolet Malibu Exterior Lighting
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
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The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake lights would illuminate briefly but for a shorter period than the normal time duration. Additionally, the brake lights would illuminate spontaneously without depressing the brake pedal. The electronic stability control warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the driver’s side lock would malfunction causing the door to remain locked. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 181,326.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the ESC and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The contact was informed that while pulling into the driveway, the brake lights were not operational. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake sensor and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I HAVE REPEATEDLY REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULB. ONCE I DID IT 3 TIMES IN TWO MONTHS. WHEN THEY WENT OUT THEY WOULD GO OUT SOMETIMES AND THEN COME BACK ON THE NEXT DAY AND GO OUT AGAIN. THE FOURTH TIME I TOOK OFF THE ENTIRE BUMPER TO CHANGE THE LIGHT (BECAUSE THE RIDICULOUS DESIGN OF THE CAR REQUIRES YOU TO DO THIS) THE LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS REMOVING THE LAMP FROM ITS PLACE IN TO BUMPER I LEFT IT IN AND PUT THE LIGHT BACK IN (AND THE BUMPER BACK ON) IT WORKED FOR ONE DAY AND WENT OUT AGAIN. I DECIDED TO REGISTER THIS COMPLAINT AFTER FINDING A WEBSITE WHERE I WENT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. AT THAT WEBSITE, I FOUND MANY PEOPLE DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I WAS HAVING, ALL BUT ONE WERE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I REALIZE IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH ONLY ONE LAMP, BUT THE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM MAKES IT TIME AN COST PROHIBITIVE TO CONTINUALLY REPLACE THE BULB, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GOES OUT SOON AFTER IT IS REPLACED. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING, I FELT I HAD TO DO THIS AFTER TRYING TO FIX IT AGAIN LAST WEEK. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED PERIODICALLY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURANCE ON JULY 8, 2020.
I HAVE REPLACED 2 LOW BEAM FRONT HEADLIGHTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THIS VEHICLE ALREADY. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS AND IT SEEMS THAT ALL THESE CARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.LOW BEAM BULB KEEPS GOING OUT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. AS THERE IS NO RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE YET EVERY MALIBU HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.
LOW BEAM PASSENGER HEADLIGHT OUT MALFUNCTION SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINES.. REPLACED PARTS AND STILL CURRENTLY NOT WORKING! WORKS FOR LESS THAN A WEEK THEN STOPS AGAIN. LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SHOWS MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION!
MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM CONTINUES TO GO OUT. I GET IT REPLACED AND IT WILL GO OUT AGAIN IN AS SHORT OF TIME AS 6 MONTHS. DRIVER SIDE DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THE I INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE.
THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS FAILING. THE WIRING HARNESS KEEPS FRYING OVER AND OVER. CHEVY NEEDS TO FIX THIS ISSUE!
RIGHT FRONT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, THEN NOT AT ALL. THE WIRE HARNESS WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. PICTURES ATTACHED SHOW MELTED LOW BEAM BULB CONNECTOR ON THE OEM HARNESS.
PASSENGERS SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. HARNESS IS ACTUALLY MELTING CAUSING CONNECTION PROBLEMS. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE A FIRE STARTS IN THESE VEHICLES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS SEIZED INTERMITTENTLY. CORNING CHEVROLET BUICK (2087 SOLANO ST, CORNING, CA 96021, (530) 838-4371) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULBS MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.
PASSENGER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT ON 2009 CHEVY MALIBU. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS, AND THE PIGTAIL HARNESS 3 TIMES A YEAR FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS.
EVERYONE THAT I KNOW THAT HAS A CHEVROLET MALIBU IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS. I AM GETTING TICKETS AND REPLACING BULBS EVERY 2/3 WEEKS. REPLACING THEM CONSTANTLY IS GETTING EXPENSIVE AND IT'S GETTING EXPENSIVE BECAUSE I KEEP GETTING TICKETS.
IN THE LAST 5-6 MONTHS MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN GOING OUT, I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHT BULB LIKE 4-5 TIMES, THE HARNESS ADAPTER TO THE HEADLIGHT LIGHTBULB CONNECTOR AND LASTLY THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNESS FROM THE FACTORY AND IT IS STILL GOING OUT AFTER A DAY OR TWO.
PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM KEEPS GOING OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS
I HAVE OWNED MY 2009 CHEVY MALIBU LT SINCE 2010. THE PASSENGER SIDE DIM HEADLAMP IS OUT FOR THE 3RD TIME! I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SEVERAL MODEL YEARS INCLUDING 2009 THAT THE FRONT END MUST BE REMOVED TO FIX THE HEADLIGHT. I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET TWICE, FOR $170+ & $142+ WHEN I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A HEAD LIGHT ON A CAR, MUCH LESS REMOVE THE WHOLE FRONT END , THEN IT WAS FIXED AND BURNED OUT A MONTH LATER EACH TIME. I NEED TO HAVE IT FIXED, BUT I KNOW MY HEADLIGHT IS GOOD, THERE IS JUST A DESIGN FAILURE IN KEEPING THE HEADLIGHT ON.
I HAVE REPLACED THE DRIVER LOW BEAN HEADLIGHT 3 TIMES IN 2018 ALL WITHIN 1-2 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. THE LAST TIME BEING IN OCT 2018 AND NOW ITS OUT AGAIN.
LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT, EVEN AFTER REPLACING MULTIPLE TIMES
PASSENGER HEADLIGHT LOSES POWER. LIGHT BULB CHANGES 3 TIMES AND THEY ALL ARE NOT BURNED OUT. CHANGED WIRING. LIGHT WILL NOW STAY LIT. LOW BEAM ONLY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A YEAR.
MY HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ALL TIME N IT'S VERY SCARY WHEN YOU DRIVE N AT NIGHT IT HAPPENS
SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN 2010, I HAVE REPLACED HEADLIGHTS AT LEAST 3 TIMES A YEAR, WHICH HAS COST ME AT LEAST $200.00 EACH VISIT, I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE. I HAVE DROPPED IT OFF FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 3 MONTHS TO GET
PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. IT IS NOT DETERMINED BY IF IT'S PARKED OR I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT AND NOT I THINK IT IS AFFECTING MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR LIGHTS. I ALREADY HAD IT FIXED AND PAID A TRAFFIC TICKET TOTALING $700.00 ON IT. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE BULB. I FOUND OUT IT WAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE PIGTAIL. I REPLACED IT AND NOW AFTER 4 MONTHS THEY ARE OUT AGAIN. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE IN MULTIPLE BLOGS.
HEADLIGHT CONNTOR KEEP BURING OUT LOW BEAM ON PASSAGER SIDE SECOND TIME REPLACING IT IN TWO YEARS
PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHT WENT OUT FOR 3RD TIME WITHIN ABOUT 8 MONTHS.
HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP, WORKS INTERMITTENTLY,STOPPED OR IN MOTION,(I HAVE READ ONLINE ITS A CONNECTION AT THE LED HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP).LEFT AND RIGHT FENDER STOP LAMPS WORK CORRECTLY. NOT PART OF RECALL 13036
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Quick Summary
The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has 55 Exterior Lighting complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.