Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Malibu POWER TRAIN

While maintaining speeds around 35-40 mph. the engine seemed to try to cut out and lose power. the service esc service traction control light came on the dash. the engine was trying to cut out. later in the day starting out at a stop light the engine stopped completely and i was stuck in the intersection. i was able to get the car to the side of the road. it restarted after about 5 minutes. i took it to a dealership and they fixed a few things. a few days later the same thing happened again while on a side road. i could not get the car restarted again and had to get the car towed. the dealership replaced a few more parts and said it was ok. after it happened for a third time i told the dealership to keep it until they get it running properly. the car works but it still feels like the engine wants to cut out sometimes but not as bad. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14e044000 (steering) and nhtsa campaign number: 14v224000 (power train). however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Started car and service traction esc lights came on. upon driving car would not accelerate as it normally does, and seemed to loose power. the engine vibrated an unusual amount, much more than normal. the next day we took the vehicle to the dealer for recall no. 13036, the htsa campaign id no. for this recall is 14v252. the dealer only replaced what was outlined in the recall, which was clip, retainer, strap, retainer. however, this had no effect on the problem. they would not further diagnose or fix the problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when the ignition key was turned to the start position, the vehicle failed to start intermittently. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. while driving at various speeds, when the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle and the brake pedal vibrated and hesitated to respond without warning. on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked forward independently without warning. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 159,734. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, a loud noise was heard from the vehicle. the vehicle then became hard to shift into gear between reverse and drive. the failure recurred seven or eight times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. the vin was not available.

Rec'd two safety recall notices for this vehicle. 2 months apart. local dealer does not have parts, we will be notified when available are we going to have an accident before parts are available? *tr

Shift cable broke. when i went to park the car, the car kept moving. no injury, no damage. looks like general motors safety recall number 12106, but dealer stated that the vin was not under this defect. this is a major safety concern and if other vehicles are out there, then they should recall them all. i was never notified of this defect because my vin was not on the list, and i believe that i have hit this issue... updated 06/10/13 *bf updated 06/17/2013 *js *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v460000 (power train) but the repair failed to remedy the problem and the contact was unable to shift into park. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,864.

I pulled the car into my driveway, stopped and shifted into park. when i took my foot off the brake, it began rolling backwards. i put the brake back on, stopped it, and then discovered the transmission shift indicator light showed the transmission was in reverse. i ran the shifter through all the gears, but the indicator light stayed the same. it began rolling backwards again when i briefly lifted my foot from the brake pedal. i turned the ignition off, removed the key, called my dealer and had the car towed to them. they fixed it the same day and told me the shift cable had separated from where it attaches to the transmission. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu lt. the contact started the ignition and shifted into reverse. the vehicle would not shift into any other position. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the gear shifter cable was replaced. the vehicle was repaired one month prior to the failure under nhtsa campaign id number was 12v460000 (power train). the technician advised the contact that the recall repair was not related to the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

When i started the car and shifted into reverse, car did fine but when i put it in drive the car went into manual steering. i could hardly move the wheel. i turned the ignition off and turned it back on and power steering came back. then, was at a light to turn left onto a main busy two way road with lots of traffic, and when i went to turn left, the car went into manual again and i almost got hit by oncoming traffic. i was just able to get past the oncoming cars, quickly shut ignition off and turned it back on and power steering came back. then, assignment for my work, was on the freeway going about 50 mph the steering wheel was shaking violently. i was very afraid. i took surface streets to get to the job then and came home using surface streets. the problem with the power steering going out is not all the time, intermittent, but fairly frequent. it is unsafe to drive this vehicle. i went online typing 2008 malibu power steering problem and saw the website where gm had a recall. i emailed gm helplilne and was asked to take it to the dealer. i was informed that if they cannot isolate the problem, i will have to pay for it because my vin was not listed as part of the recall and the mileage is over 100,000. i do not agree with this because this problem is not a "wear and tear", but rather a defective known problem that practically could have killed me. the car is unsafe. the repair is well over $700+ and i don't have that kind of money to fix it. i think that this is a grave danger to the safety and wellbeing of not only myself but for other drivers such that the power steering is unpredictable in performance. i use my car for my job as i am asked to go to various locations and so it is not just unsafe for personal driving it affects my ability to feel safe while on the job. *tr

2008 chevy malibu. consumer writes in regards to transmission defect recall notice. *smd the consumer was informed the parts were not available, despite receiving a recall notice in the mail.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v460000 (power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. the dealer was unable to perform the repairs and advised the contact that she would have to wait until january 2013 to have the vehicle repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

I have a 2008 chevrolet malibu 2lt with 111,000 km on it. i have been noticing a few things since i purchased this from brand new. overall my car has been ok with getting me from place a to place b. the issues i have had that are pretty serious flaws are the power steering column, the alignment, the automatic power transmission, and the door locks. i have been able to get by however recently i had to get the steering column replaced under a special warranty policy. i had to "kick and scream" however in the end the part was installed. that would have cost me about 900 dollars if it was not covered. now i am having an issue with the "check engine light" indicator. this came on for the first time yesterday and when i called to get a diagnostic i was told that there is an issue with the power transmission. it seems after looking on-line that there are a lot of people with the same care as mine having issues with the transmission. now i am getting nervous since i just paid 13,000 to buy out my lease. i have called gm customer service and they told me that they will work with me and the dealership to get this fixed. before i go to the dealership i want to have all my documentation that indicates that this is a special policy issue and not something that i have to pay for out of my own wallet. i have put about 38,000 into the purchase of this car and do not have any more room to dump tons of money to getting this fixed especially when other gm customers have paid out of their own pocket to realize a few weeks later that there is another issue on the transmission that needs fixing. i am going to do everything in my power to have this covered by gm. i have been a proud gm owner all my driving life and want to make this right. i dread needing to fix the car and selling it. that is not an option for me at this time. any help would be greatly appreciated. *tr

Drivers seat defected. the metal bracket that secure the seat broke, casing the seat not to slide forward or back, up or down. also the seat padding and cover to separate from the seat molden. took vehicle to buick car service department. they said this was the second time they heard of this and wanted to charge e six hundred for the repairs stating they would pick up the other six hundred . at the time the vehicle was still under warranty and they was repairing the transmission that also went out on a vehicle. the vehicle at the time was less then five years old. . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle rolled backward after being parked and shut off. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle would not start until after numerous attempts. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the shifter cable was replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 39,735.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while the contact's vehicle was stationary, it was rear ended by another vehicle. all of the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel upon impact. the air bag did not deploy. a police report was not filed. the contact sustained significant injuries to the head and a temporary loss of orientation. the passenger sustained injuries to the back. medical attention was required. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the independent mechanic repaired the vehicle by resetting the air bag indicator, and the driver's seat belt and gear shift assembly were replaced. ed bozarth chevrolet (5501 drexel road, las vegas, nevada 89130, (702) 967-5500) was made aware of the crash. in addition, the contact referenced several occasions of becoming locked out and locked in the vehicle. also, on one occasion, the transmission became stuck in the reverse position while driving various highway speeds. the manufacturer was made aware of the crash and other failures. the failure mileage was unknown.

Letter from senator brown on behalf of constituent re concerns about 2008 chevrolet malibu (respond to cleveland office *tgw the consumer stated the transmission cooler lines and front hub assembly were replaced. also, the power steering light illuminated and the headlights had condensation which caused the bulbs to blow out. the dealer found a seal around the parameter of the capsule was not properly sealed at the factory. the intermediate steering shaft and power steering control module were replaced. also, the front seat heater switch had to be replaced, due to the heater coming on when the seat was occupied. *jb

2008 malibu v6 engine the car going 60 miles per hour an goes to neutral have to hit brakes to get it to go back to normal,could blow up motor or cause wreck. *tr

My 2008 chevy malibu ltz 4 cylinder has a very serious design flaw which gm/chevy refuse to acknowledge. it is putting my family and i and possible danger. the vehicle experiences very severe lags and hesitation at variable intervals while driving either stop and go or on a highway. last month while driving on rt. 95 in connecticut, our vehicle acted up and it would not accelerate and shift between gears properly. the serious lags where the vehicle is inbetween gears with no engine/trans. engagement, left us close to being run over by a tractor trailer. *tr

My 2008 chevy malibu's shifting cable broke. i was driving it and went to park and it would not go into park however i had it in park on the gearshift. when i exited the vehicle it rolled forward. i had to set the emergency brake to keep it stopped. my car is at the dealership right now and i was told it was not covered under the powertrain warranty. since the 2009 malibu has the same problem and there is a recall on the shifting cable clip, i feel the 2008 chevy should be included and i should not have to pay for it. *tr

The vehicle just recently purchased has had a problem with the steering. the drive shaft was replaced within 2 weeks of the purchase then another problem occurred and another part was replaced. but now one month later the steering wheel starts to jerk and wiggle while i am driving or even when i turn the car off. then 2 days ago the powersteering alert keeps coming on. allow since i bought the car the traction light will come on and sometimes i am just seating at a red light. *tr

I have a 2008 chevrolet malibu, it is a 2.4l 4-cylinder and 4-spd automatic. for a few months now my shifter has felt kind of loose when i am shifting from park to neutral or reverse, and the other day i pulled into my fathers drive way with the car and went to put it into park and i shut the car off and took my foot off the brake, the car did not engage park gear and rolled forward into my fathers car. the car would not start in park, only neutral, and i had to use the parking brake to keep the car from rolling. i took the car to the dealership and found out that it was the shift cable, and it cost me $365 to get it fixed. but then the next day i found out that gm had issued a safety recall 09041 on several models including the 2009 malibu that cover the exact same thing that i experienced. i feel the 2008 malibu should be included in this recall as well. *tr

2008 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to transmission recall notice and seeks reimbursement for repairs. *smd the consumer stated the transmission would shift erratically and it also slipped at times. the solenoid and tcm were replaced.

The power door locks do not lock or unlock when the vehicle gear shift is put in park or drive. the first lock became disabled while under warranty and was repaired.. now the remaining (3) three power locks do not function.. they stopped functioning when the warranty ended... i did not repair them because the cost is a few hundred dollars per lock.. i have to turn the car ignition off while the transmission is in drive and then put the shifter in park. otherwise i have to go around to each door and lock them manually.. very embarrassing.. not certain of the possible safety hazard though. *tr

My 2008 chevy malibu ltz has transmission problems. it stalls out when you go from park to the 1st gear, than from 1st gear to 2nd and from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. what happens is the transmission stalls out long enough to cause an accident or other type of incident. this problem happens most of the time and has been going on now for six months. it has stalled out climbing vail pass, the eisenhower tunnel climb and descent and i-70 est of i-15 in utah through the high elevations. this vehicle intermittently goes into neutral and than re-engages. furthermore, when the car shifts from 2nd to 3rd it goes into a stall and the rpm's increase to around 4000 before it actually changes into the next gear... the other severe problem is while driving my car through a very long tunnel on 9-17-09; the fuel gage went from full to empty (no fuel) and low fuel lamp came on. on-star said "system has an electrical problem". the cause: fuel vapor line hanging up fuel level sender causing gauge to read inaccurately j7815 (code p0461) found in bulletin #09-06-04-007a. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu ltz (na). while driving approximately 55-60 mph, the contact applied the accelerator pedal and the vehicle hesitated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the vehicle was performing as normal. the failure continued. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times where the dealer performed a front end alignment. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer as the failure occurred again. the dealer replaced the transmission line. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop but had not been repaired. the headlights also did not function properly. the failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 36,300.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 60 mph the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle began to slow down. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the head gasket was replaced. the contact also stated that she had to replace the powertrain control module, the air conditioning unit, the mass air flow sensor, the battery, the starter cable wires, the system computer and the door locks on both rear doors. all of the repairs were made by an authorized dealer. the failure mileage was 16,988 and the current mileage was 58,000.

The chevy malibu ltz spring edition 4 cylinder engine 6 speed transmission has a very serious delay or lag in communication between the engine and the transmission. at times, the lag is so severe that when the response time does finally register for the vehicle to accelerate and then attempt to stop, the vehicle still intends to go ahead as planned prior to the braking of the vehicle. this occurs at any time, hot or cold engine, during hot weather and on short drives or long ones. the dealer and gm has finally acknowledged there is some short of problem; numerous attempts to correct the problem through software updates have been unsuccessful thus far. *tr