Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Takata recall. my radio started displaying a service air bag message and my horn stopped working. the wiring in the car has stopped working. i began to replace lightbulbs thinking they were blown but just will not work. heard this car was recalled for these exact problems i am having but for some reason my car has no recalls. my steering wheel makes a knocking noise when turning very sharp. sounds like a piece is broken knocking around

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the windshield transmission wiper linkage bushing failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact also stated that the rear passenger side tail lights failed. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent. the contact also stated that removing the key from the ignition was difficult at times. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

The dim headlight on passenger side keeps going out. the wires are melted where it plugs in to the light

2004 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to gm recall #13036* ld the consumer stated the recall fix, did not fix the problem. the consumer stated he did not know, if the brake lights worked and the cruise control rarely worked. the traction control and abs light was on. the consumer returned to the dealer. an inspection revealed a problem was speed sensor on the right front wheel, which was not related to the recall. the cost to replace the sensor was $460. *jb

Letter from congressman king on behalf of constituent re 2004 chevy malibu. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the parts were not available to fix the recalled components. the power steering and brake lights needed to be replaced.

The turn signals and flasher work intermittently. *tr

We have received three recall notices for the above mentioned problems. all of the notices say that the car will be fixed free of charge by the dealer but parts are not available at the current time. when i got the second notice i called and talked to a woman at the chevrolet division of gm and was told the parts should be available within two weeks. a month later we got our third notice of a different problem and when i called again i was told that they had not determined the "root" of the problem so they don't know which parts need to be replaced. also they could not tell me when the solution would be found and therefore when the parts would be available. in addition i would think an american company like gm would be hiring americans to answer their customer's complaints. it was pretty obvious that the person i talked to today was most likely a call person from india. any ideas when these problems will be solved?? who should i complain to next?? *tr

My car has had interior electrical problems since the day that i bought. i have had things like the cd deck and the brakes and alloy rims fixed after having problems with them however i have had the front left blinker fail to work and then an hour later it works, the next hour does not work. the interior lighting all stopped working and the dealership says that it is electrical, at the same time that the lights stopped working i started to be unable to shift my car from low into 1 or 2. i have had my power steering go out multiple times and then after pulling over, shutting off my car and turning it back on it worked again. i have almost go into an accident multiple times because the front left blinker stops working mid drive, or the power steering stops working. this car clearly has multiple electrical problems that should be recalled and fixed because they are very dangerous. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu. customer states that he has received three recall notices for vehicle in june 2014 and july 2014. all three noticed indicated the parts are not available and hasn't heard any response since. *ta

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control); however, the parts needed for the repairs were unavailable. the manufacturer was notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

2004 chevrolet malibu experiencing power steering problems, abs and shift cable, all replaced. *cw the consumer stated the vehicle was taken to the repair shop seven times, due to power steering failure, which resulted in the steering locking up. the consumer was involved in two accidents, in which the air bags failed to deploy. the consumer received a transmission, steering and brake recall. however, the parts were not available. *jb

Chevrolet malibu ls 2004 v6. exterior brake lights not working as expected. in my vehicle the brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is not depressed, and turn off once the pedal is applied. during this event i was notified by the "service vehicle soon" warning light. in the dark i could see in my mirrors that my brake lights would go on and off with out touching the pedal. my brake lights would not illuminate while pressing the brake pedal. when i got home i had my husband stand behind the vehicle while i pressed the brake pedal. no changed occurred as i pressed the brake pedal. this is extremely dangerous because other drivers will not know when i am truly slowing down or actually applying the brake. now whenever the "service vehicle soon" warning light comes on i know that my exterior brake lights are not working properly. since february of 2014 this happens 4 or more times a month. i work second shift, so when i drive home it is dark out. my vehicle could cause another driver to rear end me because they don't know that my exterior brake lights aren't working properly. *js

My 16 year old daughter was stopped at a four way intersection. as she proceeded to turn, she lost her ability to steer the car. she was able to avoid hitting another car and get her car to the side of the road. she noticed there was a yellow dash board light that came on when she lost the steering but no prior warning of any issues or warning lights prior to loosing the steering on the vehicle. once she got to the side of the road, her four way emergency flashers would not work. my husband went to pick her up. he restarted the car and the steering worked fine for him. there was no warning lights indicating any problem on the dash board. we brought the car to our mechanic he could not get the problem to resurface. he did note that the directional turn signals seemed to be "messed up" and he changed the light bulbs. when she lost her steering a second time we had the vehicle towed to a different mechanic who told us this was a chronic defect issue with this make/brand of vehicle and that it needed a new electronic component in the steering column which would cost us $900.00. i researched this information on the internet and found that there are thousands of complaints for this very issue. it occurs at different amounts of mileage. it occurs on the vehicles when they were purchased brand new and purchased used as in our case. this is not your normal wear and tear type of vehicle issue. this is a significant safety issue which is an engineering/design flaw in the vehicle. i have called the gm customer service line. our case # is 71-127-262-2441. we now have to bring the car to our local chevy dealer and they have told us that it could cost way more just to diagnose the problem than to repair it. unbelievable...please help look into this safety issue as my daughter could of been killed herself and or could have caused injury to someone else without any forewarning. *tr

Front turning signals or running lights get very hot and melt through the amber lens that the bulb sits in. these bulbs burn out quite often, which have created some near misses while making turns because the bulbs would burn out without notice. this is a very common problem on all the 04 and 05 malibu. i have contacted the chevy dealers and the deny and knowledge of the problem, but there many complaints of this online. every malibu of these years have the same problem. *tr

In summer 2013 i elected to replace both headlamp casing with a new headlamp kit because of internal discoloration and yellow liquid fluid seeping from daytime running lamp. approximately 1 week later the new daytime running lamp casing melted and burnt the new bulb. the bulb was replaced at no cost. at my next service 5-6 months later i inquired about replacing the defective headlamp casing because the bulb on both daytime running lamp burnt through its plastic casing, again causing internal discoloration of headlamp kit. i was told warranty expired. the dealership sent an inquire to gm regarding such defect but i am told there was no response from gm and i have no recourse. i no longer use daytime running lamp. i purposely shut off the daytime running lamps (which defeats the purpose) for fear the bulb will continue to melt the casing causing further discoloration and burn the bulb. this is not how the product should be made; poor craftsmanship and poor workmanship. *tr

The car steering wheel locked up and unable to control where it was going to guide as coming around curve. ended up in ditch and shaking like crazy! im so afraid that something is going to happen. i want another car! *tr

Brake lights come on for no reason , shut off cruise control. *tr

As for the lighting i cannot count how many light bulbs i have replaced on this vehicle to the point that i had the auto shop replace them since i thought i was doing something wrong. they only last about a month or two and burn out which is really dangerous when you don't know if will work or not. the steering issue is a much more dangerous problem, this is my wife's car and she got stuck leaving the house and physically could not turn the steering wheel which she described as locking up. i can not imagine if she were to be turn down a busy intersection on not been able to turn the vehicle to the proper lane. this is dangerous and should be a recall item as the 2005's were!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the brake lights failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in recall nhtsa campaign number:14v252000 (exterior lighting). the failure and current mileage was 95,000....updated 09-05-14 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle the vehicle has also had issues with switching from park to drive, the exterior as well as the interior lights would go out during highway speeds and an alarm would sound, whenever the vehicle would be filled with gas the low fuel alarm would sound, and the blinker lights would burn out prematurely. updated 09/15/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while the cruise control was engaged at 75 mph it suddenly disengaged and caused the vehicle to lose speed. the contact did not apply the brakes in order to disengaged the cruise control system. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic who stated the brake lights malfunctioned and caused the cruise control to disengaged due to the brake lights illuminating. the mechanic replaced numerous fuses in the vehicle as well as re-calibrating the electrical system; however, that did not remedy the issue. the contact stated the turn signal malfunctioned as well. the failure mileage was 148,000.

The backlighting on the main dash (behind the odometer, speedometer, gas gauge and other indicators) fails to illuminate. it started out as only a small part of the backlighting, but has progressively become worse. we just had the car at the dealership for the 3 unrelated recalls and asked them to "give us an estimate to repair". when the car was returned to us, the lighting failed to illuminate nearly the entire dash (worse then before it was in for service). we were told the module would need to be returned to the manufacturer (gm) to be repaired/replaced and then be reinstalled and would cost over $350. no idea how long the car would be out of service either. this a major safety issue for night driving! *js

Rear turn signal bulbs burn too hot and melt bulb connection. front turn signal bulbs burn too hot and melt lens housing, causing severe discoloration in headlamp assembly. headlamp becomes very hot to touch, could possibly start a fire. i have read multiple complaints on this issue and cannot understand why this has not been a recall by gm. i am very frustrated. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact inspected the front drivers side turn signal, running lights, and hazard lights and noticed they were not illuminating properly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

2004 chevy malibu lt front left & right amber headlight assemblies are melted. left side is 9 months old and already melted through. right side looks like original, has plastic amber bulb melted on top. on left side bulb socket is burnt. i am using the appropriate bulbs required for the front and they were installed correctly. this can be a fire hazard. *tr

My front seat broke on one side causing me to sit lop sided while driving. my mechanic repaired 3 times and said it had to be replaced. the front and rear blinkers continuosly go out. the bulbs are fine the connection is just loose. *tr

12/24/2010 while driving a 2004 chevy malibu my engine light came on and then the steering wheel locked up while driving and it made a sudden jerking stop. this was the first time this happened but it scared both my daughter and i. then in addition to keep replacing my headlights and tail lights pretty much every other month they blow out and need to be replaced. for both incidents a local mechanic was consulted and he recommended that i contact a gm dealer ship to check for recalls. i did that and received information that there has not been a recall for the current situations but there has been many similar complaints with the same make and model car and was referred me to the nearest dealership to be checked. *tr

Hazard switch is defective and causing the directionals not to work. the external lights , front and back fail to work also, and its creating a hazard where the cars coming in front us or the cars in back of us don't see our blinker. we thought they where working and they are not. if we turn on the emergency flasher and then turn on the directional everything would work only to fail next time you make a turn. *tr

The front passenger bulb stopped working. after attempting to replace the bulb, noticed that the lighting assembly was melted and inoperable. was advised by a mechanic that the entire assembly needed to be replaced. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu - both front headlights assemblies are melting from the heat coming off of the turn signal/marker light. the plastic bulb housing is actually melting enough to drip onto the bulb causing them to break and need replaced. this is definitely a fire hazard. *tr

This has been an ongoing incident with one or both turn signals lamps for more than two years. the turn signal lamps themselves do not appear burned out but the lamp socket wire melts the plastic housing from excessive heat and causes a break in the electrical circuit. i have made multiple bulb replacements over the two plus years only to have the turn signal socket plastic housing fail repeatedly. this situation may be a solder joint cracking caused by rapid temperature transitions. if solder joint cracking occurs and results in an open circuit, the turn signals lamps become intermittent or inoperative. consequences: when the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash. *tr

Purchased a used 2004 chevrolet malibu in april 2009 at a saturn dealer. a month after the purchase the front left turn signal stopped working. i replaced the bulb with the part number identified in the owners manual. a few weeks later it stopped working. i continued to remove and/or replace the light bulb until it worked for a few days or weeks. after several times of replacing the bulb i took the car to the saturn dealer in august 2009. they supposedly replaced the entire head light assembly which cost several hundred dollars. the issue seemed to have been resolved until june 1 2010 when the light bulb stopped working. after investigation i noticed the left turn light bulb was mostly white in color and the turn signal amber colored lens was melted with a hole in it. it seems that during the summer months when it is hot the lamp is overheating. my left turn signal light is currently not working. the saturn dealer went out of business and closed. after research i found this is a common problem with the 2004 malibu (url below). please investigate to see if a recall exists for this problem and if this can be permanently fixed by a chevrolet dealer. http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2004/chevrolet/malibu/?q=turn+signal. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the turn signal bulbs continuously failed. in addition, the amber lens of the headlight assembly was melted. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the dealer advised the vehicle was not under recall. the failure mileage was approximately 48,000 and the current mileage was approximately 58,000.

Problem with our 2004 chevrolet malibu: both parking lights have burned through/melted the headlight covers. we have been advised that it's not possible to just replace the headlight cover; the entire headlight assembly must be replaced. this is an expensive repair for an apparent engineering defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the dealer stated that the fuel relay switch overheated and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact also indicated that the brake lights failed and were replaced multiple times. in addition, the headlights would not illuminate bright enough to see in front of the vehicle while driving at night. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. while activating the cruise control at any speed, the vehicle would suddenly accelerate on its own. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the light bulbs of the headlight assembly were too high in voltage that they were leaving brown burn marks. the dealer was informed of the failure and they stated that they could not assist with the failure due to the mileage and age of the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

Intermittent turn signal problems. front and rear bulbs stop working, the bulbs are frequently replaced but the flashers still stop working. when we take the old bulb out the element in the bulb is intact. *tr

I have had to replace all of the rear and front light bulbs in my 2004 chevy malibu in the past nine months. i bought this car used from a chevy dealer in 2006. two weeks after owning it the little malibu emblem on the dash board fell into the dash and shredded when we tried to get it out to replace it. little things that happen ad up and are very frustrating to an owner who thought they were getting a good quality car. *tr

I am simply adding to an existing complaint.#pe08062 i am reporting my concern in hopes a decision will be made to proceed with a recall. i am sadly disappointed that not only did this occur with my 1997 malibu, this is now continuing with my 2004. i love chevy and i have enjoyed both my malibus, however an issue of this magnitude should be researched. i will also make a complaint on close #ea04018 & #pe04031 as i just experienced this issue today. chevy has a name to uphold and i find it concerning that issues can go on occurring when customers truly have concerns. please determine wisely if and when a recall will be issued for my chevy model. i believe that gm would be making a wise decision to secure their customer's trust in their company by looking into this issue. thank you for your time.. concerned chevy owner *tr

Right rear turn signal bulb went out and was replaced. rear went out a second time and then the front went out as well. then the back went out a third time, all happening within two months. now about a month later the left rear bulb has done the same thing. mechanic looked at it and said was not normal. no parts were retained after repair, however will keep next time replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the headlight bulbs constantly turned off. the vehicle was taken to repair shops and dealerships several times. the bulbs were replaced but the failure continued. the headlight bulb recently melted to the wiring harness. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. additionally, the contact stated that the fuel gauge would fluctuate between full and empty and did produce correct readings. on three occasions, the contact ran out of fuel because of the faulty gauge. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired for this problem at the time of the complaint. the contact called the manufacturer and was told , due to high mileage on the vehicle, they could not assist her. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,000.

I bought a 2004 chevrolet malibu in 2008, since that time i have had to replace the front turn signals approx. 6 times due to the plastic on the signal bulbs, melting and covering the wire s that go over the plastic that make contact with the plug the bulb goes into. *kb

The turn signal on the front of the vehicle (driver's side) is not working properly. it was blinking faster than normal which usually means the bulb needs replaced. i replaced the bulb, but that did not resolve the issue. i took it to the dealer and they said the entire module needs to be replaced. the vehicle has 54000 miles and it is a chevrolet malibu ls v6 2004. *tr

Left and right front turn signals/daytime running lights are overheating and causing the yellow plastic lens surrounding the bulb to overheat and melt. the melting plastic is dripping down onto the hot bulb were is it burning. although i have not seen it smoke or flame the damage and cause is obvious. this is a major fire hazard yet when i contacted gm they refused to do anything about it. citing the age and mileage on the vehicle. it is a 2004 with 55,000 miles on it. i have checked out many other malibu's and the problem is occurring on the majority of them. with molten plastic dripping down onto a hot bulb or its metal base it is only a matter of time until a fire occurs. i have the same problem on both sides. this is a design issue that needs to be corrected. *tr

I have owned this car approx. 12 months...recently took a long trip-11 hours driving straight through-upon returning i noticed the left front turn signal not working, i immediately purchased replacement bulb and upon replacing i noticed the internal amber lens cup for the signal had a hole melted/burned through it. noticing this i immediately checked the right side and it also has a hole starting to come through. i traveled at night, outside temperature was 62-68 degrees fahrenheit for the better part of the travel. the base of the bulb that was replaced shows slight melt, their is no apparent damage to the socket. i have saved the old bulb. *tr

I recently purchased a used 2004 chevrolet malibu with 47,000 miles. after 2 weeks of driving the vehicle, the left turn signal went out. after replacing the bulb, i noticed that a hole has burned through the yellow, plastic lens. *tr

Turn signal bulb burning through the plastic casing resulting in ineffective turn signals. took to gm dealer in november 2007 and they said nothing was wrong. i replaced the headlights in december. turn signal bulb burning through plastic casing on both headlights yet again resulting in ineffective turn signals. *tr

We own a 2004 chevy malibu ls sedan with 66,000 miles on it. in march we had the front right turn signal light bulb replaced, and within a week we had to replace the rear left turn signal. then on may 1st, we were on a trip when the rear right turn signal went out, so we replaced that. the next day the front left turn signal went out for four hours, started to work again for a while, and went on and off again for two days. we brought it into our dealership because we suspected that there might be an electrical problem. the service person called us to report that we had to replace the electrical harness which had been cut (somehow) and it would cost a large sum of money. as with any fear of major electrical problems in an automobile, we gave him permission to replace it. however on the bill it only states that the bulb was replaced for a lesser cost and said nothing about the electrical harness that he had mentioned (which we never even knew existed). we are going back in to talk with the head service manager about this. our concern is that there are so many reports listed here about turn signal problems. we are reporting this to chevrolet and hope other people will contact chevrolet at so they will be aware of and look into these problems. *tr

Multiple problems with this car - left turn signal does not work - car is aligned and still wants to go left (electrical steering issues i am told) - adjustable pedals do not adjust - visor mirror is broken - *tr

Front left turning signal is not working. i have bought many light bulbs replacing light bulb after bulb. everytime i change the bulb it would work but as soon as i drive for little and turn the signal it goes out again. seem as though it may have a shortage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. both of the front turn signal lenses have a one half inch hole burned into the top of the plastic. the plastic has completely melted and turned brown. the shiny material has turned a dull white. the dealer stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty. the current and failure mileages were 82,000. updated 02-14-08. *kb