What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE LOW BEAM BULBS OVER 10 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 4 YEARS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONTACTED THE DEALER MCCARTHY CHEVROLET LEE'S SUMMIT (945 SE OLDHAM PKWY, LEE'S SUMMIT, MO 64081, (816) 356-6610) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSE NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

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THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE BURN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 3-4 MONTHS (3-4 TIMES PER YEAR FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE). THIS IS NOT ONLY AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR (BECAUSE MY MECHANIC NEEDS TO REMOVE THE BUMPER IN ORDER TO COMPLETE IT), BUT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. MULTIPLE TIMES MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AT NIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES PULLING OVER AND HITTING THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WILL CAUSE IT TO HAVE A BETTER CONNECTION AGAIN, CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO WORK, BUT THIS FIX IS ONLY TEMPORARY. THE CONNECTORS KEEP MELTING, MY MECHANIC AND I NOW BELIEVE, DUE TO THE HIGH AMPERAGE CAUSED BY THE 70% REDUCTION IN POWER DURING THE VEHICLE'S DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT MODE. MY COMPLAINTS TO THE MANUFACTURER HAVE GONE UNHEARD. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO PROVIDE FOR A HEAVIER CONNECTOR THAN THE OEM PART, AND PERHAPS DIFFERENT BULBS, TO REMEDY THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IN THE YEAR 2020 IT SHOULD NOT BE SO DIFFICULT TO KEEP BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS RUNNING! I CAN GET AROUND THE ISSUE BY USING MY HIGH BEAM LIGHTS, BUT THIS IS HAZARDOUS TO OTHER MOTORISTS. IT IS A POOR DESIGN, AND I AM CONVINCED THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A SATISFACTORY FIX FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE UNTIL NHTSA COMPELS GM TO ISSUE A RECALL.

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ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HEADLAMPS BURNING OUT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND HAVE TO HAVE THEM REPLACED EVERY 3 MO.OR SO THE LAST BURN OUT HAPPENED ON 5/12/2020. *TR

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THE ESC TURNS OFF PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. LAST MONDAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING M. THE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT AND THE SOLENOID IS STUCK OPEN WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. PROMPTING THE DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND SELL ME A WHOLE NEW $5,000 TRANS. WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAS 130,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN RUNNING SLOW ON ACCELERATION BUT HAS NEVER BEEN STUCK IN FIRST GEAR LEAVING ME LEFT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAITING FOR HELP TO COME GET ME. THE HEADLIGHT BURN OUT LIKE EVERY 6 MONTHS RESULTING IN TAKING OFF THE BUMPER OR PAYING $200 FROM THE DEALERSHIP FOR A $5 BULB. I HAVE NO PICTURES SINCE MY CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR ME TO EITHER GO GET OR PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION.

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MY LOW BEAM LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT REPEATEDLY. IT STARTS WITH THE PASSENGER LIGHT THEN BOTH AND AFTER A FEW DAYS I HAVE NO LIGHTS. THEY BEEN GOING OUT EVERY 2 MONTHS AND THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I REPLACED THEM. NO SPECIFIC TIME WHEN THEY GO OUT I JUST NOTICE IT WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS ON. THEY HAVE NOT LASTED LONGER THAN TWO MONTHS.

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WITH IN THE LAST 10 TO 12 MONTHS I'VE HAD 5 HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT. ONE THE MODULE HAD MELTED. THE CURRENT LIGHT OUT IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT BURNT OUT JANUARY 24, 2020. SO FAR TO DATE IT'S BEEN 2 ON THE DRIVER SIDE, 3 ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.

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MY MOTHER"S 2011 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ HAS HAD A RECURRING PROBLEM CONCERNING DASH LIGHTS. IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR US TO BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE ARE NO LIGHTS WITHIN THE GAUGE PANEL OR STEREO FACE PANEL. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS WILL ONLY DIM, OTHERS THEY GO OUT COMPLETELY. ON OTHER OCCASIONS THE LIGHTS DON'T COME ON AT START-UP AND MAY TURN ON AT SOME POINT, 10-15 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD. WE'VE CALLED THE DEALER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM, STARLING CHEVROLET-CADILLAC TO REPORT THESE ISSUES, ONLY BE TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN "WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING", BY THE TIME WE WOULD GET HALF WAY THERE, THE PROBLEM STOPPED AND THE SERVICE WRITER SAYS COME BACK WHEN IT'S HAPPENING. WE'VE WONDERED IF THIS COULD BE RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES FOR WHICH CHEVROLET SENT OUT THE EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY TO 15 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES. ANOTHER ISSUE WE'VE HAD RELATES TO THE OLDER POWER STEERING RECALL. WE'VE HAD THE CAR IN TO STARLING CHEVROLET TWICE THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE PROBLEM I HAVE CONCERNS THE UN PROFESSIONAL WORK OF THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE SERVICE. WHILE HAVING TIRES REPLACED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER THE POWER STEERING REPLACEMENT, WE WERE SHOWN THE WAY THE STARLING CHEVROLET MECHANIC HAD BEAT THE DEVIL OUT OF THE CARS' UNDER CARRIAGE. IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE FOR A CHEVY DEALER TO CAUSE THIS KIND OF DAMAGE WHILE PERFORMING A RECALL SERVICE!!! FINALLY, IS THE FIRST PROBLEM WE INCURRED WITH STARLING. DURING THE ORIGINAL TEST DRIVE, THE DEALER'S SALESMAN PROCEEDED TO TOSS A DRIVE-OUT TAG IN THE REAR OF THE CAR DURING WHICH THEY DAMAGED THE PAINT. MY BROTHER TRIED TO STOP THE SALESMAN FROM USING THIS TAG HANGER WHEN HE SAW THE UNGUARDED MAGNET HANGER, BUT THE DEALER REP WOULDN'T LISTEN. IT TOOKY A MONTH TO GET THE PAINT FIXED AND ONLY THEN AFTER MR. STARLING GOT INVOLVED. THE DEALER CHANGED HANGERS AS A RESULT!

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I HAVE GOTTEN MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS CHANGED ON BOTH SIDES TWICE, COSTING ME $150 EACH TIME DUE TO HAVING TO REMOVE THE BUMPER, AND THEY KEEP GOING OUT!!! I WORK AT NIGHT IN AN AREA HEAVILY POPULATED WITH DEER, AMONG OTHER ISSUES WITH JUST NEEDING TO HAVE MY HEADLIGHTS WORKING REGULARLY. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO KEEP REPLACING THEM! AND I JUST GOT IT IN OCTOBER.

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DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT, REPLACED IT SEVERAL TIMES ONLY TO REALIZE IT'S NOT THE BULB ITSELF

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EXTERIOR PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED/REPAIR ABOUT 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. IT MAY GO OUT AT ANYTIME.

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FOR OVER A YEAR I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH MY PASSENGERS SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHT GOING OUT. THE ISSUE IS NOT WITH THE LIGHTBULB BUT THE ACTUAL HARNESS AND PIG TAIL. AFTER THREE MECHANICS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS (THIS IS NOT ANY EASY FIX DUE TO THE BUMPER HAVING TO BE REMOVED EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS) NOT TO MENTION THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR, I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH. IT APPEARS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS SINCE I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED AND IT HAS BURNT UP AGAIN. I FEEL CHEVROLET SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

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LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. WILL TURN ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY. HAVE HAD THE LIGHTS CHANGED MANY TIMES. AND ALSO HAD THE PIGTAILS CHANGED . STILL WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY

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THE FRONT PASSENGER HEADLIGHTS LOW BEAM KEEPS GOING OUT I HAVE CHANGED THE SOCKET 2 TIMES AND CHANGED THE WIRE HARNESS 1 TIME AND IT'S ONLY THE LOW BEAM BURNING OUT ON REPEAT LIKE EVERY OTHER MONTH I CHANGE IT AND TRY FIXING IT WITH NEW SOCKETS OR LIGHTS AND IT KEEPS BURNING OUT I THINK THIS HAS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE FROM MANUFACTURER BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM PLEASE CAN WE GET THIS RECALLED AND FIXED PLEASE

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PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT STOPPED WORKING. ALL OTHER LIGHTS WORK FINE. REPLACED BULB AND WIRING HARNESS FOR THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND STILL WONT WORK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION MANY OTHER CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE WITH THE SAME EXACT LIGHT. THE LIGHT JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY WHILE STATIONARY.

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LOW-BEAM HEADLAMPS CONTINUALLY BURN OUT OR QUIT WORKING, REQUIRING FREQUENT REPLACEMENT OF HEADLAMP BULBS AND HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY PIECES. REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S ENTIRE FRONT END MUST BE REMOVED EACH TIME TO ACCESS HEADLAMPS AND RELATED WIRING. ONE OR BOTH HEADLAMPS HAVE GONE OUT AT LEAST FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS.

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RIGHT FRONT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. HARNESS AND BULB HAS BEEN CHANGED. SAME HAS HAPPENED 3TIMES. SAFETY CONCERN!!! LAST CHEVROLET FOR ME!!! THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES THIS YEAR. GETTING EXPENSIVE!!!!

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WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD CONSTANTLY COME ON AND GO OFF BUT NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. I JUST RECENTLY STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NOT BEING ENGAGED AND THE ENGINE ESC COMES ON WHENEVER IT PLEASES, EVEN WHEN THE WEATHER IS GOOD OUTSIDE. LAST WEEKEND, MY BATTERY DIED FOR THE FIRST TIME, I'M JUST GLAD THAT I HAD SOMEONE TO JUMP ME OFF. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS MY HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE GOTTEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE 3 TIMES DUE TO MY INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHTS. THE FIRST TIME MY RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, A OFFICER PULLED ME OVER AND INFORMED ME OF THE ISSUE, SO I GOT IT FIXED THE VERY NEXT DAY. A WEEK GOES BY AND I GET PULLED OVER AGAIN AND THE OFFICER INFORMED ME BUT THIS TIME I INFORMED THE OFFICER THAT I JUST CHANGED THE BULB A WEEK AGO AND HE MENTIONED THAT IT COULD BE THE WIRING. AFTER THE OFFICER LEFT, I GOT OUT MY CAR AND HIT THE HEADLIGHT WITH MY FIST AND IT CAME BACK ON JUST TO GO BACK OUT THE NEXT DAY. I WENT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE CHANGED THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET. THAT ONLY LASTED 3 OR 4 WEEKS AND NOW I LITERALLY HAVE TO RIDE WITH MY HEADLIGHTS ON BRIGHT OR CAN'T BE OUT AT NIGHT. AFTER GOING TO MULTIPLE AUTO SHOPS, THEY ALL SAYS THAT IT'S THE WIRING, WHICH I ALREADY KNEW BECAUSE THE GAGES ON MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP LIKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS EVERY OTHER DAY.

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IN THE PAST FEW YEARS MY HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. I REPLACE THE BULB AND LIKE A MONTH LATER IT GOES OUT AGAIN. WENT TO REPLACE AGAIN AND BULB WAS FINE BUT BAD WIRING. FIXED THAT AND TODAY NOW BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE OUT. I JUST REPLACED THEM IN THE SUMMER NOT SURE HOW THEY CAN BE OUT AGAIN! IT IS NOT AN EASY PROCESS TO GET TO THESE LIGHTS MAKING IT A LOT OF WORK AND MONEY IF I DONT DO IT MYSELF WHICH NOW THAT ITS NEGATIVE OUT I WILL BE PAYING TO GET THIS FIXED YET AGAIN. I WAS JUST LEAVING THE GROCERY STORE TURNED THEM ON AND THEY WERE NOT WORKING.

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MY 2011 MALIBU HAS FAULTY HEADLIGHTS THAT CONTINUOUSLY GO OUT AND CANNOT BE CHANGED WITHOUT REMOVING THE FRONT BUMPER WHICH REQUIRES THE ASSISTANCE OF A MECHANIC AND THEREFORE COSTS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO DO. EVEN AFTER THE BULB IS CHANGED, IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO GO OUT AGAIN AS QUICKLY AS HOURS LATER. THIS CREATES UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS AS OFTEN TIMES THE OUTAGES OCCUR SPONTANEOUSLY, AT NIGHT, AND ON DARK ROADWAYS. IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS AND FINANCIALLY TAXING TO OWN AND OPERATE THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS.

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YEAR 2008-2012 MODELS HAVE A REOCCURRING HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. THE HEADLIGHT BULBS / CONNECTORS TEND TO BURN OUT AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. CAUSING REMOVAL OF FRONT BUMPER JUST TO ACCESS HEADLIGHT HOUSING. PRICING RANGING $100-$150 PER HOUR JUST IN LABOR.

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I HAVE CONTINUOUSLY HAD TO CHANGE MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT BULBS AND THAT IS A HAZARD AND WITHOUT THEM YOU GET A TICKET. THIS HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT AT LEAST 3 TIMES A YEAR. I AM DRIVING WHEN IT HAPPENS AND IF I GET OUT AND HIT THE HEADLIGHT IT MAY OR MAY NOT COME BACK ON. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO

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I HAVE A 2011 CHEVY MALIBU AND THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. NOT BURNING OUT, BUT QUITS WORKING! I CHANGED THE BULB ABOUT 5 TIMES BEFORE I REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T BURNING OUT. ALL THE OTHER LIGHTS ON THAT SIDE WORK FINE. A FEW TIMES I COULD TAP ON THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND IT WOULD COME BACK ON. I TOOK IT APART AND FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR WAS BROKEN AND SHORTED OUT, SO I ORDERED A NEW WIRING HARNESS THAT GOES FROM THE GROUND WIRE SPLIT TO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, PUT IT TOGETHER AND IT WORKED FINE FOR 2 DAYS AND WENT OUT AGAIN. I TOOK THE FRONT END OFF AGIAN AND UNPLUGGED THE BULB AND PLUGGED IT BACK IN AND IT WORKS FINE AGAIN. I HAVE CHECKED ALL THE WIRES AND THE GROUND SCREW AND CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM.

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THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LAMP IS CONSTANTLY IN NEED OF REPAIR. AFTER REPLACING THE DIM BULB SEVERAL TIMES, I HAD THE WIRING REPLACED TO FIX IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THE FAULTY LIGHTING. THIS STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE R.H. PASSENGER DIM LAMP IS OUT AGAIN. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR ALL 2009 - 2011 CHEVY MALIBU VEHICLES. THE LIGHTING, ONCE REPLACED, WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEN IT GOES OUT. I AM AT THE POINT OF REPLACING THE HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLY WHICH IS PRICEY. THE REPAIRS WERE DONE SEVERAL TIMES BEGINNING IN 2018.

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PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT KEEPS BURNING OUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS. AS OF THIS MORNING, BOTH BREAK LIGHTS AND REAR TURN SIGNALS ARE RANDOMLY WORKING. SOMETIMES THEY WORK, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. I'VE READ A LOT OF POSTS ABOUT PEOPLE DEALING WITH ISSUES WITH THE POWER GOING SPECIFICALLY TO HEADLIGHTS, AS IN IT IS TOO MUCH VOLTAGE AND THAT IS CAUSING THE LIGHT TO GO OUT.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLAMP BECAME INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE HEADLAMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE BULB TWICE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

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