Top 5 Problems Chevy Malibu Sedan 7th Generation 2008-2012 

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I have a 2011 Chevy Malibu. Only big issue I've had with this car is changing the headlights. Other than that, with over 150k miles on it, it still drives great and gives me no issues at all.

I’ve worked as a technician for over ten years, and never knew about leaving the key on for ten minutes to work around the antitheft system. Awesome tip!

Currently 235,000 miles, on a 2010 Malibu LS. 2.4. 4 cylinder. Aside from major suspension needs , only big issues now are oil use( need to clear intake/pcv) and a large evap leak ( p0455?, thinking canister). Daily driver, reliable. Maintenance beats a car payment. No tranny slips, did the electric steering fix, replaced water pump around 160k. Yes, electric gremlins turning on headlights, unlocking doors, etc . Been driving with only hi beams for a bit, I am going to try the removal of the DRL stuff next time . Thanks for that guys!

I was gonna stop watching, but hearing him say vehicle kept me glued. Great info too.

Geeezzz...I've had mine for 11 years. I've driven back and forth from to Michigan to Florida many times. The ONLY problem I've had is replacement of the fan for the AC. And this is the ONLY problem.

How about the defective headlight connectors & the fact that you need to remove your whole goddamn bumper to even replace the headlight let alone the connectors UPDATE: FINALLY GETTING RID OF THAT BURDEN HOPEFULLY I GET AT LEAST 3k

2010 LTZ with 3.6L V6 and has been a great car. Bought it with 30k miles and now has 160k. (Knocking on wood). Headlights, removed the day time running light relay and fuse, no more issues. Water pump started leaking, tightened the bolts almost a quarter turn, factory torq seemed too low to me and haven't had anymore issues. Turn signal lever thing that makes it return to home, had to flip it around to make it start working again.

Congrats on 1 million subs 1A auto you've helped me out a lot in fixing my car and keeping it in good shape see you when you hit 2 million subs :)

I haven’t had any of those problems besides the faulty headlight connector, replaced them and been fine since. Power steering had a problem but it went away after new tires . Currently pushing 275,000 miles

I would add that wheel bearings seems to be an issue with this gen to. Also for the Passkey lock thing, you can also use keyless fob to deactivate the anti-theft mode. I've had to use that trick a few times on my 09.

I wanna bring up a testament about the steering, since that was your first point. We bought a 2012 LTZ V6 back in 2018, it only had about 63k miles on it at the time we bought it. The car had sat on and off for its entire life, about 9 months before we bought it. We had a full service done since it had sat so much, and about a month into ownership we started noticing the steering wheel rubbing or squeaking when turning it. We figured since the car was 6 years old it could just been worn rubber etc. Not a bad power steering pump whine, the noise was inside the cabin coming from the steering wheel itself. Well, one night after work a Challenger came barreling up a one way I was going down, going at least 100mph in this 40mph zone, and unfortunately the steering wheel had COMPLETELY locked up at this exact time. Not just lost power steering, it fully locked like when the car is off. I was going probably 45 or so, but could not turn the steering wheel at all, which in turn made me slam straight into a 6" curb. Luckily I wasn't hurt but the car was bad. I had to completely rebuild the entire front suspension, get it re aligned, it completely destroyed the factory 18" wheels on the passenger's side, and also scratched up the passenger side profile pretty bad bc there was alot of dead bushes up on the curb, but luckily there was no sub frame damage. We also replaced the SCM and stuff. It's absolutely insane that this happened tho. Thank God I wasn't on the highway or in traffic, I could have been killed or someone else. This car when we bought it was in seemingly immaculate condition, we had only had it about a month, it was owned by an old guy who took really good care of it. Just wanted to share that bc it still blows my mind that the car failed like that and to potentially warn others. If your steering starts rubbing/ squeaking, go get it checked out asap. Like I said, this happened randomly out of nowhere but the steering was making those noises.

You guys are awesome. Honestly. Super cool of you all to make these videos to help all these people including myself. All your info is on point and very reliable. Only thing that is distracting is Veericle 😁 Keep it up guys !

Had a 2012 Malibu and I had 2 minutes f these problems. Steering issue usually happened at start up trying to come out from in between two cars. The coolant leak problem I got at around 150K and that’s when I decided to trade it in for a 2019 Malibu. Overall though I’d say it was a great car that never left me stranded.

thankfully these cars are pretty simple to work on, except for the headlight change 😭

Excellent video it will really help me today as I am dealing with a overheating issue with my 2008 Malibu thank you.

You guys are the best. I learned a lot about our Malibu. The repair shop that worked on our 2009 Malibu said they had to replace the climate control module, the resistor, a sensor, the blower motor (that's another story) and after a few weeks it cuts off Are there any recalls on any of these parts?

8. Head light replacement (remove front clip to get to them) 9. Starter goes out prematurely (easy to replace) 10. Front end rattles because shocks and struts need replaced (a lot of GM cars do this) 11. Tires wear uneven (refer to no. 10 shocks and struts wear out after 100,000 miles) 12. U joints clunk when you shimmy the steering wheel side to side. 13. Numerous electrical problems (recall made about the tail lights and also caused by a car battery is bad). 14. Rear trunk struts wear out like the hood struts and need replaced. 15. Rear shocks rattle just like the front so replace those too. 16. Wheel bearings go out at 100,000 miles. 17. Turn signal switch goes bad so when you turn it doesn’t click back to its off position. 18. Door actuators go out and need replaced. 19. Door locks won’t open when you use the remote so you have to use a key to unlock the door (needs to be greased). 20. The remote doesn’t work when it’s cold outside then eventually quits working. 21. Drivers side airbag stopped working and needs to be repaired. 22. Tire spare cover in the trunk caved in and needs replaced. 23. 2 Tire air sensors went bad and need replaced. There’s more but maybe I’ll add on later.

I'm putting this in my saves to make this a drinking game. Every time he says verhicle take a drink. Still a great video though. These guys have great content.

My Malibu deadass broke last night and this popped in my recommendation wtf 😂

If you are new to Gen.7 Malibus than you are probably wondering why we owners put up with all these annoyances. The answer is a smooth reliable ride and good power/weight ratio even with the 4 cyl. engine. Good gas mileage as well. My problems so far are the same as others but you can add Error P0014 Exhaust Gas solenoid failure and turn signal stalk module as well. There are good videos here on RU-vid for these fixes.

We can't forget that reliable timing chain and their guides.

Thanks this was very helpful. Our piston on our hood is crap like the one in the vid. Thanks for the bid look forward to watching more.

The annoying junk Passlock system 10-minute key-on override was the most useful tip in this video. I will file that in my memory for future potential no-crank/no-start Passlock related issues. Thanks.

230k on my Malibu and the only problem in this video I have ever had was the Hood Support... xD That and VVT Solenoids went bad. Just after replacing those a wheel bearing decided to go too... -__- Otherwise, nothing crazy awful has happened. Very reliable!

Very well explained! And very well done 😊

Excellent video. Helped so much, have all of the woes you discussed on video! I can easily understand your videos

Loved the car for the first 3 years, then wham ! I started having all kinds of issues. The front speakers worked intermittently however they don't work at all now. Replaced the front hub assemblies and rear ones also. The module on the throttle body ( allows for increase in speed) went up. Driver's seat front support bar broke away from weld joint. Blower motor bit the dust as well as the blower motor resistor. (twice). Headlights replaced twice, found out the wiring harnesses are not heavy duty enough and overheat to cause a short. Replaced both the crank and cam sensors. Other than that the car is dependable (?). It is a 2012 with 150 thousand miles. Just hope the transmission filter holds up since that's inside the transaxle. When I was in the Army as a M1 tank mechanic I had less problems with them than I do with my Malibu. '

whats a vericle??

thank you so much for all your help and information

Thank you for your informative videos

Thank you so much. You helped me so much!

There is no “R” in vehicle! Love the videos though!

I usually live A1auto videos but this one came up when I looked for a 2010 Malibu PCM. Thank you anyway.

The sad thing is I've actually had at least 4 of the issues mentioned in this video ESPECIALLY the first one. Steering wheel out of nowhere malfunctioned while I was driving on the highway one day. Had to search online for a fix. I discovered that Chevy actually has a warranty on the this power steering issue for free.

You are a life saver cause everything u said was on point

1st problem, it's a Chevrolet. 2nd problem, it's a Malibu. I hate working on these cars. GM went out of their way to screw over the do it your selfer.

09 Chevrolet Malibu LT 2.4l got the car at 165k miles now sitting at 275k miles, worst fail that has happened so far is the plastic timing chain guides busted all into pieces. Other than that just small minor problems, has been a great vehicle.

P0455 code is popping on mine... but when they ran the computer it said the evap emission vent valve.. Ive taken it to 4 different "mechanics" in this small town I moved to and they have been useless other than taking over 400 just to "evaluate" the problem and not fix it. My car runs fine except the first initial start of th day. I have to pump the accelerator just for it to start.. any suggestions? I also have a video of it.

Good job great info

I own one of these cars and its been the toughest most reliable car. 350 thousand km on it and its still going strong. Ive had none of these issues at all. Only ever had to replace breaks wheel bearings oil changes and the odd sensor here and there. Oh and the struts n shocks. Just regular maintenance stuff. Cars been awesome.

7th gen is my favorite Malibu. It’s the last of its kind to have a V6 engine and the 2.4L ecotech atmospheric 4 cylinder is a lot more reliable than the 1.5 liter with a 200,000 rpm fidget spinner.

Tire pressure sensor , headlight bulbs , weak door panels, window sensors , I have a few more

thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. Really helpfull|||

Very informative, thanks!

Thanks this taught me a ton about my verichle

Thank you video I have 2010 malibu & SVC keeps popping up which makes power steering go out...how can I fix issue..I haven't seen recall Also I'm getting code po128 & po014 are they related and are these common with this car. Thank you in Advance for responding 😊

Good information 👍👍👍👍

thanks for demonstrating that this one is much needed how replace a fender honda accord 2003-2007 .........i searched it from the internet with 0 result.....

Thanks for the tips. I’ll Help me in a long run

Had a little fender-bender on mine it kind of punctured the radiator replaced it and the starter still not starting not exactly for sure why a few years back that had to replace computer wanted to see if you had any thoughts on what I should do next

I got a 2012 Mali. I haven't had any of those problems. I have had a headlight connector burn up. Had to replace the left headlight twice in one year. Removed the DRL fuse to preserve them longer. Also my under hood wiring looms are starting to disintegrate. Still the most dependable car I ever owned.

Got a 2010 got almost 170,000 miles and it still runs good only issue is my third brake light works when it feels like it

The accuracy of this video 👍🏻👍🏻

Good video. When making these, it might help to include approx. mileage when people are likely to come across these problems.

As always - great video !! Can you reach the fuel pump from under the back seat ? or you realy have to disassemble the fuel tank in order to reach it ?

Have a 2010 that I've owned since 2013.. 213,500 miles no major issues as of yet..

I just bought one of these veericles hopefully won't be any issues with it

I have 372K on a 2011 Malibu. Very few problems despite 60K per year urban work miles. Power steering issue is solved 100% of time by simply turning engine off and restarting.

I have a 2012 Malibu with 131, 000 miles ( video was helpful ) I've had the coolant leak and struts making noise. Issue that we're currently having is 1. locks unlock and lock when driving down the road at any time 2. When it rains car is parked the lights flash and locks are going crazy up and down 3. remote start will not work due to this issue..

Thank you.

I have the 2009 2 LT with a 3.6 and 6t75 transmission. So far the main issues have been with the transmission mount, the coolant reservoir Will drip a little bit when you take the cap off but not a whole lot ,it's obvious that the leak is coming from right below the reservoir and that there's always pressure when you take the cap off. The water pump doesn't leak. A lot of people don't understand sometimes you're going to look at your reservoir and it's going to look low when it's hot. Sometimes you shut the car off when the system was open next thing you know you think you have a leak. I made this mistake and ended up having too much coolant in my system Don't check your level unless it's cold. This car doesn't have any way to burp the system other than lifting the front and keeping the cap off overnight. I've had pressure test done at the dealer just to show that everything was good, however a smaller shop pointed out that I had a very very slow leak in a coolant line leading to the transmission which is an easy fix. Another common issue with these cars is the pigtails burning out on your low beams. You have to take the whole front clip off to properly get to your headlights but the whole job is done with a 10 mm socket and pulling some clips out of the wheel wells. They're also some 10 mm nuts in the wheel wells but if you live in the rust belt they're probably already rusted and you're going to snap them off anyways I found that you don't really need them as long as you have everything else and the clips. There was one time I took this thing in for an oil change and they pointed out that I had almost zero tranny fluid they topped it off and it seems to stay at level and the 3.6 really doesn't burn a whole lot of oil at all actually, with fresh transmission fluid and a fresh oil change I have driven this thing to Oklahoma and back from Ohio without adding either fluid (without needing to, stayed level). If you're having issues with the car not blowing heat and you also notice your car is struggling to maintain operating temp you will also notice that eventually your temp gauge will shut off all together but comes back if you can get the engine hot enough this means you need a whole new thermostat but don't just buy a thermostat by the entire housing because it has a thermostat built in you will save yourself a lot of time. If you need to do ball joints on this car just get lower control arm assemblies.. beyond all this the engine and transmission are powerful for what they are and very reliable. This generation Malibu has a recall for the body control module flipping on your brake lights when you're not pressing the brakes this is free work it will also prevent you from using your cruise control if you think your cruise control stopped working. This car has 149k miles as well. A buddy of mine used to work in the factory that made these engines he says they are known for blowing gaskets. Which would explain the white smoke. I wouldn't worry about blowing gaskets unless you're someone who is extremely hard on their cars in general.

Interesting video! I have a 08 malibu currently she runs so great. 200 k kms on her. Never really had a problem aside from the check engine light always being on even though its perfectly fine.

Had a 2010 LT 2.4L original owner with 115K miles until the transmission went out and then had it replaced and last until 140K miles on the ODO which failed again. The Brake Light was recalled and replaced only to randomly come on and stress out drivers behind me. Replacing the headlights for LED lights is a B****, I would dread spending hours taking off the front bumper, Front speakers went out and got replaced, Tire Sensor kept going off, Accidentally left the driver window cracked on a RAINY day and destroyed the power lock system, the A/C would make a funny noise from the blow motor once turned off, Passenger door pocket/handle would pop out of place when passengers would grab it to close the door, car had so many problems but roughed it out over the years. If I could find a ‘08-‘12 LTZ model with low mileage I would consider buying it, this car gave me so many good memories with family and friends!

You missed one big issue on Malibus from 08-12 the fuel pump wiring is too small (it has 18-20 gauge wire) over time the wire burns out and the car will stop running.. most people replace the fuel pump which will work for a while but it'll break down again.. the wires have to replaced with a larger gauge wire

My biggest issues on my 2008 2.4L have been Fuel pump assembly (replaced twice in 50k), the steering popping at low speed turns (Intermediate shaft replaced twice). Also, the steering shaking at high speeds was fixed with a new rack & pinion. Lastly an issue with cruise kicking off and brake lights being on when pedal is not depressed and turning off when i apply the brakes, also with the thermostat gauge & A/C compressor not working...to fix the brake lights and thermostat gauge try checking the C2 connector in the passenger floorboard fuse area, it is a blue connector on the BCM with a grey latch on it (disconnect battery first). Pull up the grey latch and remove the plug and smear a little di-electric grease on the end of the plug and reconnect everything. This has fixed the brake light issues as well as the thermostat/ac issue. Hope this helps someone.

Is what it is! Just bought 2010 4 banger,Eco.Better than the 93 Ford Turdbird! Take care of shit from the start.

1a auto is excellent. And since im a mech im going to buy one of these malibu 2500

Hey great video, now I came across a problem with my malibu 2011 The car won't turn on all lights would, battery seems good just the car won't start and makes a clicking noise. I would Remove the key and stereo also lights stay on. Is this an electronic problem?

I have a 2012 Malibu the pedal lags/throttle lags to accelerate in drive from dead stop is very slow to respond but it not in reverse that works perfect (in park I can rev engine but once I place in Drive I can not rev engine?) and once it finally gets going … it will start to shake after that at 10-30 mph … I appreciate your videos and response to comments it does take time thanks Bro

Question? I had screaming noises coming from my fuel pump so I got it changed, left the mechanic shop and the next day while driving an error message pops up esc engine disabled and my 2012 Chevy Malibu stopped running. I try to start my car and the light just comes on on the dashboard.

hi there..i just subscribed from your channel and i am having fun watching your vids..If you don't mind me asking for a solution..I have chevy malibu 2010, and the chime of the turn/hazard signal is not working together with the stereo it has power but no audio..what particular problem i have? is this on speaker? where is exactly the locaiton for this if ever..thanks in advance.

I have a problem! My temp gage will go from under the middle too the middle but only when stopped for a long time and I do have a bit of slip in my trans.. can you advise?

I have a 2011. 75k. Owned it for 6 years. Literally zero issues

I have been having that problem with the fuel sense of level and what I found out is that the sulfur in cheap gas or gas that has been sitting for a long time in the tank at the station makes it stick…but when I put Techron plus concentrate gas treatment in there it unsticks it and the gauge starts working again

Off topic question.... What is the background music on this video? It's perfect for a project I have.

I got an 08 Chevy Malubu LT Classic, and last week...almost everything suddenly failed, fuel pump sensor, the key ignition lock, the heater core fail, the coolant leak, and now my overhead lights and trunk lights don't work. 😑 All within 1 week.

I have a 2010 malibu ltz. I’m struggling with figuring out why my blower only works sometimes. I changed out the blower and resistor. Worked for short while now it works intermittently. Most days it won’t work unless I play with the wires. Not sure if it’s the switch? Any ideas

Hello, My grandson has a 2005 Chevy Malibu. The car usually runs great, however, at times will just shut down while driving. Usually will start back up aqnd run fine for several days, then, shuts down. I am guessing the engine light is not working because it does not come on. Can you give me ideas on what to check first?

Im not buying one of these, but thanks for doing these types of videos, very useful You got one for 2015 tacomas?

Do you have video changing headlights on 2010 Malibu? Love your videos

Thank you sir very good video

You didn't mention the common P0010 code that these models get as well. I'm having this issue as we speak and possibly need to replace both intake and exhaust Solonoids.

2010 LTZ malibu 2.4L (bought with 89k miles in 2015) with 170k miles now and the only issue I’m having so far is the exhaust camshaft position actuator and the tire pressure system. Other then that, it’s rolling still

Glad my 7th gen has been nice to me. Never had any of these issues

You need to update this video to include the Center Brake light. Not only is it about as bad as the headlights but the light itself is a NOT cheap LED bar!

I think the intake manifold cracking is a common thing too. It splits in two, smells like exhaust and makes lots of noise.

Im pretty sure my Torque sensors shot. No power steering at all In the car, but if I turn the wheel when Im starting the car the power steering works for a whopping 5 seconds and then stops working again right after. Would that just be the sensor?

Thanks. Informative. I may watch out for barsleak in the over flow resevoir. Test drive on a reaaly hot day! That said, a long list of electrical problems from others here. Quality appears poor after 100,000 miles

Service esc and reduced engine power light comes on at random times. I can restart the car several times and usually that fixes it. I had this same problem over six months ago and suddenly it stopped but now it’s happening again any suggestions? I have a 2012 chevy malibu LS

Very helpful thnx just 1 question is that spelled vericle?

box connector, or is it sold separately, I have 09 chevrolet malibu ltz 3.6, I believe I spliced my fuse box wires wrong, now I may need new harness to fix it, it cranks but runs very rough

When your headlight goes out - slap the headlight. If it turns back on the connection is junk. Buy a new one at the dealer and replace it. Changing the headlights on this car takes some effort.

Thanks for sharing your advice dude!! Very helpful information!! By the way dude, something about you makes me think about that guy "Bob Ross" the painter on PBS .... maybe it's your personality, heck, I don't know. :-) Thanks again dude!!! :-)

Please make a video on the front driver’s side headlight known short. A low beam issue. 👨🏼‍🔧🤨

My 2011 Malibu Ltz is running great at 175k miles

I have a 2010 with 186km on it. Only problem I’ve had is an exhaust manifold and the car needs an alignment but it doesn’t bother me. Other than that it’s a good little commuter

I have a 12 chevy malibu lt .. No problems at all.. EXCEPT my headlights always go out .. but other then that who cares the engine is very strong.... just take care of ur shit .. That goes for any car

How about Headlights, fuel pump which is located inside gas tank 🤔, transmission.

I had to replace the engine in my 2011 Chevy Malibu LT 3.6 cylinder at only 89,000 miles, then shortly after had to replace my alternator and water pump. Now at 150,000 miles it is making a whining noise when I turn it on, any idea what this could be? Power steering and coolant and transmission fluids look fine my mechanic said?