Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09E012000 | SABERSPORT | E (Equipment) | 16270 | 05/11/2009 | OVSC | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/07/2009 | 04/07/2009 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.in order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.the list can be found under document search located at the bottom of your screen.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||||
| 060842004 | 09/01/2007 | 060842004C | 10019834 | Front park/turn/drl or rear stop/turn/tail lamp inoperative. (replace bulb and inspect socket) *tt updated. *kb updated 11/02/07 *nj | 05/05/2006 |
| 3393 | 10017222 | Backlighting is inoperative during daylight conditions (headlight switch turned on manually). *tt | 10/28/2005 | ||
| 3393A | 10017006 | Backlighting is inop during daylight conditions (headlight switch turned on manually) *sc | 10/20/2005 | ||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||||
| SB-08-05-22-009A | 06/01/2009 | 10032206 | Chevrolet/pontiac/saturn: intermittently brake lights (stop lamps) do not function correctly, extended travel to shift out of park, cruise control inoperative, dtcs c0161/c0277 set (perform repair as outlined). *pe | 02/17/2010 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||||
| 3170E | 10019186 | Ipc, interior lights and/or headlamps flicker. *ak fb2 | 02/16/2006 | ||
| 3834 | 10019188 | Headlamp replacement due to moisture - service vme. *tt | 02/16/2006 | ||
| 3159 | 10011816 | Sir light on with codes b00120e and b00130e. *eh | 02/01/2005 | ||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | 08/12/2010 | Turn Signal Lamps | ||
| Gm designed the my 2004 and 2005 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (drl) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.the high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a drl.the drl is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.the my 2003 and earlier malibu vehicles (malibu maxx was not manufactured for sale in the u.s. prior to my 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the drl function; gm reverted back to this design on the my 2006 and later malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.as a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.gm identified and addressed two front turn signal/drl and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in my 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.to address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to odi by gm were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), gm issued a technical service bulletin in march 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.in june 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) gm changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the tsb bulb in vehicle production also.to date, odi has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.odi's analysis of consumer complaints, both voq and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.the warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.gm conducted a safety recall (06v-263) for my 2004-2005 cadillac xlr to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and the electrical sockets.however gm advised that the turn signal/drl bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled xlrs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented xlr headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the xlr.additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached report for further information. | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | PARK/TURN/STOP/DRL LAMPS | |||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or drl lamps.failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this ea covers both model years.gm reports design and production improvement changes for model year 2006 malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | 08/12/2010 | Turn Signal Lamps | ||
| Gm designed the my 2004 and 2005 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (drl) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.the high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a drl.the drl is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.the my 2003 and earlier malibu vehicles (malibu maxx was not manufactured for sale in the u.s. prior to my 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the drl function; gm reverted back to this design on the my 2006 and later malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.as a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.gm identified and addressed two front turn signal/drl and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in my 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.to address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to odi by gm were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), gm issued a technical service bulletin in march 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.in june 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) gm changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the tsb bulb in vehicle production also.to date, odi has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.odi's analysis of consumer complaints, both voq and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.the warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.gm conducted a safety recall (06v-263) for my 2004-2005 cadillac xlr to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and the electrical sockets.however gm advised that the turn signal/drl bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled xlrs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented xlr headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the xlr.additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached report for further information. | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | PARK/TURN/STOP/DRL LAMPS | |||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or drl lamps.failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this ea covers both model years.gm reports design and production improvement changes for model year 2006 malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | 08/12/2010 | Turn Signal Lamps | ||
| Gm designed the my 2004 and 2005 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (drl) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.the high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a drl.the drl is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.the my 2003 and earlier malibu vehicles (malibu maxx was not manufactured for sale in the u.s. prior to my 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the drl function; gm reverted back to this design on the my 2006 and later malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.as a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.gm identified and addressed two front turn signal/drl and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in my 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.to address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to odi by gm were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), gm issued a technical service bulletin in march 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.in june 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) gm changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the tsb bulb in vehicle production also.to date, odi has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.odi's analysis of consumer complaints, both voq and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.the warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.gm conducted a safety recall (06v-263) for my 2004-2005 cadillac xlr to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and the electrical sockets.however gm advised that the turn signal/drl bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled xlrs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented xlr headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the xlr.additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached report for further information. | ||||||
| PE08062 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 10/21/2008 | 03/20/2009 | TURN SIGNAL LAMPS | ||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or daytime running lamps (drl).failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this investigation is upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-004). | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | PARK/TURN/STOP/DRL LAMPS | |||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or drl lamps.failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this ea covers both model years.gm reports design and production improvement changes for model year 2006 malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | 08/12/2010 | Turn Signal Lamps | ||
| Gm designed the my 2004 and 2005 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (drl) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.the high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a drl.the drl is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.the my 2003 and earlier malibu vehicles (malibu maxx was not manufactured for sale in the u.s. prior to my 2004) used a headlamp based design, operated at a reduced voltage, for the drl function; gm reverted back to this design on the my 2006 and later malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. filament based bulbs have a finite life (hours of illumination) for any given operating voltage.as a result, increasing the duty cycle of a bulb typically decreases the life span of the bulb.gm identified and addressed two front turn signal/drl and rear turn signal bulb quality issues early in my 2004 production, however vehicle warranty claims for failed bulbs continued to occur.to address the high warranty levels of bulb failures (90% of the warranty claims submitted to odi by gm were bulb failures and 10% were socket failures), gm issued a technical service bulletin in march 2006 advising dealers to use a new specification of bulb when addressing service failures, and to also inspect the electrical sockets for thermal damage and replace if necessary.in june 2006 (after subject vehicle production ended) gm changed the turn signal bulb specification to that of the tsb bulb in vehicle production also.to date, odi has not identified any allegations of crash, injury, or fire related to the alleged defect even though the subject vehicles have experienced 5 - 6 years of field exposure.odi's analysis of consumer complaints, both voq and manufacturer, shows a declining trend.the warranty rate for turn signal bulb replacement is high however statistical analysis of the warranty data suggests that the majority of the original equipment bulbs have already been replaced.gm conducted a safety recall (06v-263) for my 2004-2005 cadillac xlr to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and the electrical sockets.however gm advised that the turn signal/drl bulbs/sockets on the subject vehicles differ from those on the recalled xlrs in several respects, including using bulb sockets with four electrical terminals as opposed to three, which improves the electrical connection, allows the bulb to operate at a lower temperature, and adds stability to the bulb in the socket; operating at a lower voltage, which increases vehicle bulb life; using vented headlamps, which allows bulbs to run cooler than those installed in a non-vented xlr headlamp; and using a clear bulb, which runs cooler than the amber bulbs installed on the xlr.additionally, the warranty claim level related to subject vehicle sockets is unremarkable compared to other defect investigations into defective socket assemblies.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached report for further information. | ||||||
| EA09004 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/20/2009 | PARK/TURN/STOP/DRL LAMPS | |||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or drl lamps.failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this ea covers both model years.gm reports design and production improvement changes for model year 2006 malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. | ||||||
| PE08062 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 10/21/2008 | 03/20/2009 | TURN SIGNAL LAMPS | ||
| The subject vehicles may experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or daytime running lamps (drl).failure of the bulb may also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (gm) technical service bulletin (tsb) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the severity of the discoloration and the condition of the bulbs and sockets.the scope of investigation in the preliminary evaluation (pe08-062) was the 2004 malibu/maxx.however, the agency evaluated gm's warranty data which indicates that the 2005 model year (my) malibu and malibu maxx vehicles are also affected by this condition.this investigation is upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-004). | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 03/15/2013 | 155000 | ||
| Brake lights come on for no reason , shut off cruise control. | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 80000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 80000 | ||
| 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 discribed as locking up. i can not imagen 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!!! | |||
| 07/06/2010 | 57600 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/15/2011 | 60000 | ||
| 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. rvk | |||
| 07/15/2011 | 60000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while parked the contact inspected the front drivers side turn signal, running light, and the hazard light and noticed they were not illuminating properly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. ds | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 87877 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 05/24/2011 | 77000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 94000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 12/24/2010 | 111282 | ||
| 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 reccomended that i contact a gm dealer ship to check for recalls. i did that and recieved information that there has not been a recall for the current situations but there has been many similar complaits with the same make and model car and was referred me to the nearest dealership to be checked. | |||
| 10/22/2010 | 92563 | ||
| 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 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. | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 178000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 05/15/2009 | 114000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu . the contact stated that the light bulb inside the the headlight assembly are to high in voltage that they are leaving brown burn marks. the dealer was informed about the failure and that they will not assist her with the problem due to the mileage and age. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114000 and the current mileage was 120000.cv | |||
| 09/22/2008 | 60000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the headlight bulbs constantly turned off and went out. the vehicle was taken to repair shops and dealerships several times where 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 give 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 that due to high mileage on the vehicle, they could not assist her. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,000-bk | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 77083 | ||
| 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 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 | |||
| 01/13/2005 | 18000 | ||
| The front yellow signal light seen to get very hot melting the inner cover which is locate inside the headlight in both of them it seen that most of these car has the same problem. | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 1 | ||
| 2004 chevy. malibu turn signal bulb/daytime running lights melt through the plastic amber cover and constantly burn out the 3157 light bulbs. the company has several repair reports for this vin; now i replace the bulbs myself. gm does not want to recognize the problem. my headlights are ruined, the lens covering the entire headlamp has cracked from the heat and is stained from heat damage. this is a costly repair that gm will not perform. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2009 | 101950 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/12/2009 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/16/2009 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 06/05/2006 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Rear light bulbs keep burning out on driver side have to replace bulbs everytime it rains or gets cold. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 10/28/2008 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/14/2007 | 47000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. immediately after purchasing the vehicle in february of 2007, the exterior and interior lights would lose power intermittently. while driving approximately 50-60 mph, the exterior and interior lights lost power and caused the contact to pull over to the side of the road. she turned off and parked the vehicle for a while and eventually the lights illuminated again. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. approximately a year later, she drove the vehicle back to the dealer due to the exterior and interior lights losing power intermittently. the mechanic replaced the entire instrument panel, but the failure recurred a month later. the vehicle has not been repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were notified and stated that they were not liable for the repairs. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was 112,000 and failure mileage was 47,000. | |||
| 01/22/2007 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Front turn signals have burned out numerous times. the plastic housing for the bulbs has melted through. this is a very common problem for the 2004 malibu. *tr | |||
| 08/02/2008 | 53800 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/15/2006 | 65000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving at any speed, the turn signals fail. the failure occurs intermittently. the vehicle has been diagnosed for the failure, but has not been serviced. the current mileage was 71,957 and failure mileage was 65,000. | |||
| 04/04/2007 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The turn signal lens a part of the front headlamp assembly is apparently melting from heat caused by the turn signal light bulb. the lens is mounted inside of the clear headlamp lens and is made out of amber colored plastic. this melting is occurring on both sides of the vehicle and has caused several light bulb malfunctions to occur. this problem not only causes the failure of the turn signal bulb but also creates the potential for a fire to break out. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/14/2008 | 47000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/30/2008 | 59850 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 66000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 11/26/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 03/05/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/22/2007 | 95000 | 1 | 03/30/2004 |
| I have had several issues with my steering column that hopefully now have been repaired. my most recent problem is related to the headlights. the front marker lights have burned through the plastic casing. it has overheated my bulb resulting in turn signal going out. in the process of repairing. *tr | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2004 malibu customer has had problems with loss of electric power steering and wants out of the lease without penalty**cc the radio was inoperative, the cruise control was inoperative at times, it would turn off, but not engage. the pcm was replaced. the passenger side directional lights and brake lights were inoperative. the dealer replaced the bulbs. the heated seats came on by themselves. the intermediate shaft was replaced, because the consumer stated there was a noise when turning the steering wheel. the transmission cooling lines were leaking, the rear defogger on the passenger side was inoperative. when the windshield wipers were on intermittent, they would go full speed by themselves. *jb | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 73000 | 1 | 08/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the right front turn signal stopped working without warning. upon initial inspection, the amber lens inside the headlight housing had visible damage on the headlight assembly as though it had burned. there were no visible flames or smoke to indicate a fire. the dealer was alerted, but no repairs were made. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 4383 | 6 | 09/20/2003 |
| I have had many problems with my 04 malibu. rough idle, power steering faliure many times took to dealer 3 times could not duplicate, brought in with power steering out at it was duplicated, but could not figure out for a while told me to continue to drive, no safety factor.finally thought they figured out put in a new steering column, 9,000 miles later back to having problems with power steering. also problems with hard shifting,and also with ignition sticking or continuing to turn over after leeting go of the key. i would not recomend this car to anyone and they should all be crushed.my wife is terrified of the car and will not drive.car is at dealer right now we are driving a loaner. *jb ea04018_cat | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS | |||
| 11/05/2004 | 98000 | 500 | 03/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the turn signals and hazard lights work randomly, especially in changing weather conditions. the failure was noticed while driving 15 mph. whenever the contact activated the turn signal and hazard lights, he would hear the lights flicker, but they would not operate. the contact found a recall on the nhtsa website and called the manufacturer. he was informed that his vin was not included in the recall, even though the vehicle was experiencing the same failures. the recall number was unknown. the failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 122,000. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 01/10/2005 | 22000 | 3 | 06/28/2004 |
| I bought the 2004 malibu in june 2004. in january 2005, the front driver's side turn signal and headlight stopped working. i took it to the nearest shop, and they replaced the bulbs. a few weeks later, it happened a second time. they replaced the bulbs again. when it happened the third time i asked for further investigation into the problem, including wiring. they discovered the whole light carriage needed to be replaced. problem fixed. in march 2005, the rear driver's side light did the same thing. the entire carriage was replaced. it just seemed a bit excessive for a car less than a year old.*ak | |||
| 09/28/2004 | 14893 | 3 | 02/28/2004 |
| While driving power steering pump failed . the consumer took the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. *ak ea04018_cat currently the vehicle still does not steer properly. the vehicle was taken four times before the service dealer to say it was okay. the headlights shined too high, there was a vibration when the vehicle was in motion and was unable to be duplicated. *sc | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES | |||
| 08/01/2007 | 44000 | 2 | 12/01/2003 |
| Both yellow daytime running light covers are melted. there is a burn mark surrounding the holes over each light bulb -- on both the right and the left side of the vehicle. the clear plastic shell around the headlight is discolored as a result of the excess heat. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 3057 | 4 | |
| Consumer complained about an electrical problem. consumer took vehicle to dealership and had the work done on july 1, 2004. vehicle had only 100 miles. on august 13,2004 the dashboard lights failed, and the tail lights were out. on august 23, vehicle had the same problem. consumer parked the vehicle and the locks automatically unlocked while the vehicle was still running. also, the air conditioner was running when the key was not in the ignition. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 05/21/2008 | 114000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 02/02/2008 | 16 | 12/26/2006 | |
| 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 | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 35000 | 6 | 06/11/2004 |
| Turn signal bulb does not work or works periodically in the front. both sides have stopped working at times causing the driver to be unable to signal ongoing traffic of turn. car has been back to dealer who at first replace bulb than when it failed again said it was a short. same thing of right and left sides. *cn | |||
| 11/05/2004 | 98000 | 500 | 03/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the turn signals and hazard lights work randomly, especially in changing weather conditions. the failure was noticed while driving 15 mph. whenever the contact activated the turn signal and hazard lights, he would hear the lights flicker, but they would not operate. the contact found a recall on the nhtsa website and called the manufacturer. he was informed that his vin was not included in the recall, even though the vehicle was experiencing the same failures. the recall number was unknown. the failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 122,000. | |||
| 03/08/2007 | 50000 | 10 | 07/04/2004 |
| My wife and bought a 2004 chevy malibu in july 2004. in march 2007 my turn signals began to fail, both the left and right sides. also, the right side amber cover on the running lights has a hole burnt in the top of it and the left side is beginning to burn thru now. i replaced several bulbs and also took it the dealership that we purchased it from; the first time they replaced the bulbs and the turn signals worked for about 1 hour after leaving the dealership. i took the vehicle back and was told that i needed to have the sockets replaced, the sockets were replaced and everything worked fine for 2 months and the problem happened again, so back to the dealership i went and this time i was told that i needed to have both complete headlamp assemblies replaced. there's obviously a major problem with these vehicles. sooner or later this situation will result in a fire and possibly bodily injuries and property damage. what is going to take before gm wake up? there are no recalls for this issue.... *tr | |||
| 04/30/2007 | 44532 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle's exterior front turn signal consistently fails. the vehicle purchase date was unknown. the current mileage is 46,793 and failure mileage was 44,532. | |||
| 11/18/2006 | 25 | 1 | 12/28/2004 |
| Auto: 2004 chevrolet malibu ls - front turn signal-daytime running light melted a hole in the amber lens on both sides of the car. grand prize chevrolet of miami replaced both headlight assembly's . have seen other malibus with the same problem and i am trying to find out if this is going to be a recurring problem. i have noticed that on newer models the daytime running lights are now the headlights instead of the turn signal lamps. *tr | |||
| 12/02/2006 | 44000 | 1 | 07/30/2004 |
| After one year of driving our 2004 malibu (about 20, 000 miles), the signal lights began failing. replacement of the bulbs by a gm dealer solved each problem (4 incidents). then about two weeks ago the right front signal revealed an electrical short in the wiring harness, which was replaced at our expense. today the left rear signal socket and harness have the same problem. there appears to be a manufacturing or design defect in the signal light system. *nm | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 73000 | 1 | 08/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the right front turn signal stopped working without warning. upon initial inspection, the amber lens inside the headlight housing had visible damage on the headlight assembly as though it had burned. there were no visible flames or smoke to indicate a fire. the dealer was alerted, but no repairs were made. | |||
| 07/29/2005 | 25000 | 2 | |
| Left turn signal inop. replaced under warranty. failure again within an hour of leaving dealership. *nm | |||
| 01/10/2005 | 22000 | 3 | 06/28/2004 |
| I bought the 2004 malibu in june 2004. in january 2005, the front driver's side turn signal and headlight stopped working. i took it to the nearest shop, and they replaced the bulbs. a few weeks later, it happened a second time. they replaced the bulbs again. when it happened the third time i asked for further investigation into the problem, including wiring. they discovered the whole light carriage needed to be replaced. problem fixed. in march 2005, the rear driver's side light did the same thing. the entire carriage was replaced. it just seemed a bit excessive for a car less than a year old.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||
| 05/10/2007 | 9 | 01/24/2005 | |
| The left front turn signal had to be replaced around 9 times in the three years i have owned the car. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH | |||
| 05/17/2006 | 15000 | 5 | 07/30/2004 |
| I bought a 2004 chevy malibu in august of 2004. since that time all 4 signal lights and one headlight assembly have burnt out and needed to be replaced. the left rear signal light is now inoperable. making this the 5 time i have had problems with the signal lights. i have asked them (chevrolet service department) to check the entire electrical system every time and every time they tell me that the problem has been resolved. several times the work invoice copy said, replaced signal light bulb there appears to be a more serious issue to this problem and i see that i am not the only one that it has happened to. although no fire has occurred, i feel that there is definite safety hazard when it unexpectedly stops operating because you are unable to signal other drivers that you are turning. *jb | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 4383 | 6 | 09/20/2003 |
| I have had many problems with my 04 malibu. rough idle, power steering faliure many times took to dealer 3 times could not duplicate, brought in with power steering out at it was duplicated, but could not figure out for a while told me to continue to drive, no safety factor.finally thought they figured out put in a new steering column, 9,000 miles later back to having problems with power steering. also problems with hard shifting,and also with ignition sticking or continuing to turn over after leeting go of the key. i would not recomend this car to anyone and they should all be crushed.my wife is terrified of the car and will not drive.car is at dealer right now we are driving a loaner. *jb ea04018_cat | |||