Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||||
| PI-0011A | 02/01/2011 | 10038344 | Ready | 06/15/2011 | |
| PI-0011A | 02/01/2011 | 10038344 | Gm: the front or rear door may not open from the inside or outside handle, the door will not unlock with any method. the probably cause an incorrect installation of a handle component. *rm | 06/15/2011 | |
| PIC-5169 | 05/01/2009 | 10030749 | Pontiac/chevrolet/saturn: the rear door will not open from either the inside or outside handle (door unlocked). if the outside door handle rod is mis adjusted when the door is locked then closed, the locking mechanism internal to the latc | 11/24/2009 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | |||
| 11/09/2012 | 83000 | 3 | |
| Three of my car doors do not lock unless manually locked. the electronics have failed on all three doors. i have to replace the motor in each door, at the cost of over $750. the cost is not the only problem. the motors that failed in each door will be replaced by the same faulty part. i can't believe it costs $300 to fix one door's locks alone. the drivers lock had greater problems than the others because sometimes it locks me in the car because it shifts the lock a little and the door gets jammed. this should be recalled. i filed a complaint with gm. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 47000 | 1 | |
| Automatic door lock failed to open when transmission was put in park. the only way to open the door was to pull up on lock knob which was almost impossible due to limited mobility (arthritis in shoulder). needed to remove seat belt, slide over and sit on console to reach lock knob. automatic locks still engage when car is put in drive but will not open when put back in park. i can not easily or quickly exit the car with this failure. gm says not a safety issue since automatic locks are only a convenience and older cars were not equipped with automatic locks. however, on older cars the door would unlock when the door handle was pulled. on the malibu pulling up on the lock knob is the only way to exit the car. cost to have dealer repair $300. an internet search reveals automatic door lock failures are very common. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2012 | 86000 | 1 | |
| Started the car to come out of a parking spot, heard humming/rattling noise. steering wheel started to vibrate then would do rapid half-turns by itself, jerking left and right. shut the car off and restarted. seemed ok for first few minutes then started again. got on the road, driving about 35-40 mpg on highway and it became uncontrollable. could not keep it straight within the lane. almost hit a car in the lane on my right! pulled up to an auto shop near by. they test drove and experienced the issue but explained that with these cars, the technology in them is too advanced and would have to be taken to a chevy dealer. mechanic explained that the matter is quite hazardous and it would be a huge risk driving it now. single mom driving 45 minutes from home with 2 minor children. had to get a tow truck to get back home, 45 minutes away. $$$!! had this vehicle for 11 months only. prior to this issue, had door locks issues as i've ready on other threads and also currently experiencing issues with faulty tire pressure sensor as well. nothing but problems with this car since i've had it. this is my first and very last chevrolet!! *tr | |||
| 10/16/2012 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The door locks do not work. how is this not a safety problem? sometimes the door locks work sometimes they don't. i have a newborn that rides in the backseat. if the doorlocks don't work, the only way to unlock the back door is to either roll down the rear window or crawl into the back seat from the front. if i had to get my child out of the car in an emergency, i don't know how i would do that without working door locks. i have researched this problem online and it appears this is a common problem with this car. *tr | |||
| 09/25/2012 | 66600 | 1 | |
| The driver's side rear door lock no longer works when using the power lock button. it must be actuated manually- by manually lifting the knob up. the main problem is the knob is located to the rear of the door and is not accessible unless you are in the back seat- the knob cannot be raised from the front seat area of the vehicle in order to unlock the door to help occupants exit the vehicle, especially in case of emergency. the lock pull knob is located in a poor position. *tr | |||
| 01/19/2011 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Both back door locks stopped working. they will not unlock or lock without manually doing so. this makes it very hard to quickly get my toddler son out of the car without rolling the window down first to unlock it. cruise control works on and off due to the break lights flashing off and on even when i'm not pushing the break pedal. this is very dangerous when i am driving on the free way and my break lights stay on. this also occurs more often when it has rained and the car is wet. i assume this is due to a leak of water getting into the electrical... my trunk leaks when it is shut. when it rains heavy i notice the bedding becomes very wet on one side. the radio is also effected along with the cruise control. certain buttons stop working for periods of time. the screen will also go black and the radio will not work at all then suddenly come back on. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 40500 | 1 | |
| Turn signal arm does not stay in place when signaling to turn. also the turn signal arm when it does stay in place it will not return to normal position/turn off signal by itself after making a turn. when turning the steering wheel it makes popping noises. door locks on all doors stay either in the lock or unlock position at all times. one of the rear passenger door lock has been replaced at the dealership for $300.00 and the door lock still fails. the only way to unlock the passenger doors is to do it manually and climb over the seats. the driver door has to be unlocked with the key and manually locked when exiting the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 03/14/2012 | 54657 | 1 | |
| The passenger door lock does not operate. the locks moves slightly but not enough to lock or unlock the door. *tr | |||
| 07/31/2012 | 62650 | 1 | |
| The a/c unit is blowing hot air ..door locks will not unlock. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 24500 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power locks failed to lock and unlock. the failure occurred intermittently. the failure affected the rear doors and the front passenger door. the failure occurred when attempting to lock the doors using the key and the key fob. the contact noticed that the failure occurred more often when there were higher temperatures. the vehicle was not taken to dealer for inspection or repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however no further assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 24,500 and the current mileage was 25,600. | |||
| 04/25/2011 | 60000 | ||
| Back in april i started having problems with my driver side lock. it would get stuck. sometimes the door wouldn't even open. i would press the button to unlock the door, and that wouldn't work. i would have to use my key, ans sometimes that didn't work either. i am still having problems with the lock, and pretty much everyday i have to use my key to open the driver side door. i was told to use wd-40 and that sill didn't help. the most recent event with my car is this loud vibrating noise that has been occuring off and on for the past two months. i'v had several people check it out and they say they can't find anything wrong. my car makes the noise while sitting in park, sometimes while i'm driving, or sitting still at a light. about a 1-1 1/2 months ago my wheel wou;d move back and forth. i went to have it checked out and was told that there wasn't anything wrong. my wheel moves more and more. it moves sometimes when i first start my car, while sitting a light, and at various speeds while i am driving. when i turn my steering wheel back in a neutral position sometimes it would turn the other way. today my wheel was moving while i was drivng and my car started moving in the same direction. it was hard to control and it was very scary because i was on the highway. i'm so fed up with this car, and i totally regret buying it. i am probably never going to buy a chevrolet again, even if chevrolet's are all that i have ever owned. | |||
| 07/28/2011 | 62111 | ||
| Nothing occurred prior to my passenger door lock working, electronically. it does not lock/unlock when the car is placed in park, or using the key control or door panel control. we are having the dealer hopefully fix the problem tomorrow. | |||
| 04/25/2011 | 60000 | ||
| Back in april i started having problems with my driver side lock. it would get stuck. sometimes the door wouldn't even open. i would press the button to unlock the door, and that wouldn't work. i would have to use my key, ans sometimes that didn't work either. i am still having problems with the lock, and pretty much everyday i have to use my key to open the driver side door. i was told to use wd-40 and that sill didn't help. the most recent event with my car is this loud vibrating noise that has been occuring off and on for the past two months. i'v had several people check it out and they say they can't find anything wrong. my car makes the noise while sitting in park, sometimes while i'm driving, or sitting still at a light. about a 1-1 1/2 months ago my wheel wou;d move back and forth. i went to have it checked out and was told that there wasn't anything wrong. my wheel moves more and more. it moves sometimes when i first start my car, while sitting a light, and at various speeds while i am driving. when i turn my steering wheel back in a neutral position sometimes it would turn the other way. today my wheel was moving while i was drivng and my car started moving in the same direction. it was hard to control and it was very scary because i was on the highway. i'm so fed up with this car, and i totally regret buying it. i am probably never going to buy a chevrolet again, even if chevrolet's are all that i have ever owned. | |||
| 07/28/2011 | 62111 | ||
| Nothing occurred prior to my passenger door lock working, electronically. it does not lock/unlock when the car is placed in park, or using the key control or door panel control. we are having the dealer hopefully fix the problem tomorrow. | |||
| 04/12/2011 | 21000 | ||
| Power door locks do not work properly... the passenger side rear power door lock was repaired under warranty. the other three remaining power door locks do not function correctly and have to be locked manually. this is an inconvenience when exiting the vehicle and also a hazard in the event of an emergency... | |||
| 05/15/2011 | 39500 | ||
| The was nothing leading up to the event, the car was working fine. one day in may i put the car in park, and noticed that the front passenger door did not unlock as the rest of the doors did. i put the care back in drive, then back in park, still the door did not unlock, i tried the lock button, and the remote for the car and nothing happened. i went to the dealership, and since my warranty is up, i was told its $52 to diagnose the problem. unfortunately my bumper-to-bumper warranty ended in dec 2010. i see that this is a known issue with one or more doors not working after approximately 37k miles. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Rear driver door will not unlock with power locks. it is very difficult to reach the manual door lock without crawling into the back seat and there is no keyhole on the exterior of the rear door. it would be extremely difficult to get my children out of the car if there were an emergency. | |||
| 05/15/2011 | 39500 | ||
| The was nothing leading up to the event, the car was working fine. one day in may i put the car in park, and noticed that the front passenger door did not unlock as the rest of the doors did. i put the care back in drive, then back in park, still the door did not unlock, i tried the lock button, and the remote for the car and nothing happened. i went to the dealership, and since my warranty is up, i was told its $52 to diagnose the problem. unfortunately my bumper-to-bumper warranty ended in dec 2010. i see that this is a known issue with one or more doors not working after approximately 37k miles. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Rear driver door will not unlock with power locks. it is very difficult to reach the manual door lock without crawling into the back seat and there is no keyhole on the exterior of the rear door. it would be extremely difficult to get my children out of the car if there were an emergency. | |||
| 05/15/2011 | 39500 | ||
| The was nothing leading up to the event, the car was working fine. one day in may i put the car in park, and noticed that the front passenger door did not unlock as the rest of the doors did. i put the care back in drive, then back in park, still the door did not unlock, i tried the lock button, and the remote for the car and nothing happened. i went to the dealership, and since my warranty is up, i was told its $52 to diagnose the problem. unfortunately my bumper-to-bumper warranty ended in dec 2010. i see that this is a known issue with one or more doors not working after approximately 37k miles. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Rear driver door will not unlock with power locks. it is very difficult to reach the manual door lock without crawling into the back seat and there is no keyhole on the exterior of the rear door. it would be extremely difficult to get my children out of the car if there were an emergency. | |||
| 09/26/2010 | 46143 | ||
| Driverside rear passenger door and front passenger door unlocks not working, or work intermittenly. have manually lock/unlock both doors. | |||
| 05/10/2011 | 30000 | ||
| 2008 malibu - drivers door latch does not work. often driver gets stuck in vehicle. in addition, there is a loud knock in the steering and it has had a ring gear replaced already, same problem 12,000 miles later. | |||
| 04/19/2011 | 24638 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the rear driver side automatic door lock would not activate upon the engagement of the key fob or the interior door lock device. the vehicle had not been diagnosed. the failure mileage was 24,638. | |||
| 04/19/2011 | 24638 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the rear driver's side automatic door lock would not activate upon the engagement of the key fob or the interior door lock device. the vehicle had not been diagnosed. the failure mileage was 24,638. js | |||
| 12/23/2010 | 47000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu ltz. the contact stated that the rear driver and passengers doors were unable to opened from the outside. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that they needed to replace the door lock actuators on the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 47,000. | |||
| 12/23/2010 | 47000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu ltz. the contact stated that the rear driver and passenger doors are unable to open from the outside. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that they would need to replace the door lock actuators for the rear. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 47,000. tb | |||
| 01/07/2010 | 75000 | ||
| The door lock motors have gone out on both the driver side door and the driver side passenger door. the back door went out first followed by the front door. the problem occurs all the time, the automatic door locks do not work at all. we have not repaired this issues simply because we cannot afford the extra expense. | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 36000 | ||
| I own a 2008 chevy malibu that was bought new off the lot. the door locks on both back doors and the passenger door started malfuntioning a few months ago, and now even the driver door lock is inoperable. i have changed the batteries in the fobs, to no avail. i had onstar also do the auto unlock, but this too in unsuccessful. i purchased all extended warranties the company had to offer, but unforthunately they only cover up to 36,000 miles. i am currently at 36,000 miles and unfortunately out of luck. the service center wants $90 just to diagnose the issue before they even tell me what the costs may be. | |||
| 05/08/2010 | 37000 | ||
| I own a 2008 malibu lt2. shortly after the 36,000 mile warrant ran out the passenger front door lock would not unlock with the remote or by the unlock button. it has to be manually unlocked. about one month later the rear drivers door began doing the same thing. i took it to the dealership and they charged me $80 dollars to tell me it would cost $400 to replace both actuators on the locks. i see there have been many similar complaints on the door locks on 2008 malibu's. when it becomes a normal occurence that parts on a car are going bad it should be the responsibility of the manufacturer to fix them. in reading the other complaints on the malibu i see a lot on the steering shaking and jerking. this is really scary as i drive over 400 miles to see my son at college. to think this might happen when i would be driving in the mountains of virginia is really scary. chevy needs to step up and put out recalls on this problem before someone is killed in an accident. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 48000 | ||
| Both rear door lock actuators are inoperable. the doors will not lock automatically or unlock automatically. both doors will not lock or unlock when the power door lock button is actuated. both doors will not lock when the car is placed into drive. the rear doors can be opened when the car is moving. both doors will not lock or unlock using the remote keyless entry. because the vehicle is out of warranty, gm will not cover the repairs. | |||
| 05/08/2010 | 37000 | ||
| I own a 2008 malibu lt2. shortly after the 36,000 mile warrant ran out the passenger front door lock would not unlock with the remote or by the unlock button. it has to be manually unlocked. about one month later the rear drivers door began doing the same thing. i took it to the dealership and they charged me $80 dollars to tell me it would cost $400 to replace both actuators on the locks. i see there have been many similar complaints on the door locks on 2008 malibu's. when it becomes a normal occurence that parts on a car are going bad it should be the responsibility of the manufacturer to fix them. in reading the other complaints on the malibu i see a lot on the steering shaking and jerking. this is really scary as i drive over 400 miles to see my son at college. to think this might happen when i would be driving in the mountains of virginia is really scary. chevy needs to step up and put out recalls on this problem before someone is killed in an accident. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 48000 | ||
| Both rear door lock actuators are inoperable. the doors will not lock automatically or unlock automatically. both doors will not lock or unlock when the power door lock button is actuated. both doors will not lock when the car is placed into drive. the rear doors can be opened when the car is moving. both doors will not lock or unlock using the remote keyless entry. because the vehicle is out of warranty, gm will not cover the repairs. | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 53000 | ||
| My 2008 chevy malibu 1lt has several problems, let me explain. first the problem was a slight clicking, popping in the steering column when turning the wheel, then it starting doing it every time i slightly turn the wheel you can feel it through the steering column, nothing bad but its annoying, then suddenly within a couple months of that my power locks suddenly started going up and down by themselves periodically whether it's parked or being driven, locked me out two times, i was late for work because i had to call door unlocking service, also the manual locks on the door used to lock and unlock won't work at all, you have to manually use your hand, then to beat it all my seatbelt wont lock i tryed to click it but it wont even go down hardly at all, this is only the seatbelt in the drivers side. this is a real bad safety issue and the law in ky (click it or ticket) so far thats all i can say is going on for now. i do know this for a fact i will never buy a chevrolet. | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 37508 | ||
| My car locks on all 4 doors has to be manually locked, when they are electrical. and when i use the remote to unlock the doors, and i open a door, the alarm sounds. the locks on my doors has not been working for a long time, and of course i am out of the warranty time. i think there should be a recall on that. it really gets tiring. the warning light for the air bags and tire pressure moitor has been coming on since forever, again, i think a recall should be called for these cars. | |||
| 07/21/2009 | 40000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel pulled to the left and then to the right. the contact had to slow down and grip the wheel tight in order to gain control of the vehicle. the failure occurred intermittently but had become progressively worse over time. she also noticed that the door locks had malfunctioned. the wheel bearing was replaced but the doors locks were not repaired when the complaint was filed. the vehicle had not been inspected for the steering failure. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the current mileage was approximately 72,000. | |||
| 07/18/2009 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 chevy malibu that has some steering issues. the steering wheel will jerk back and forth while driving or while sitting still, steering wheel makes a popping noise when turning. 2 of the 4 door locks completely quit working electronically. so many more problems, this car is a lemon and gm and the government should be ashamed for making this vehicle car of the year. *tr | |||
| 11/17/2008 | 1 | ||
| Unexpectedly the interior door locks starts to unlock and lock by them self. if i put the car in gear, the locks are suppose to lock, these locks i have un-lock them self in this process. this has been going on since i bought the car brand new in september of 2008, on a 2008 chevy malibu. *tr | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 06/15/2012 | 1 | ||
| The chevy malibu 2008 door latch on the passenger side does not work. it has to be opened and closed manually. when you buy anew car and pay that much money for it, you expect the doors to work properly for the life of the car, as i did for my other cars. this is wrong and it should be taken care of by the manufacturer, whether it's under warranty or not. this is just good business practice. also, my front headlight leaks inside when it rains. this is totally uncalled for. i've driven almost 50 years and this has never happened to any of my cars. this also needs to be taken care of. ..updated 12/11/12 *bf | |||
| 06/15/2012 | 1 | ||
| The chevy malibu 2008 door latch on the passenger side does not work. it has to be opened and closed manually. when you buy anew car and pay that much money for it, you expect the doors to work properly for the life of the car, as i did for my other cars. this is wrong and it should be taken care of by the manufacturer, whether it's under warranty or not. this is just good business practice. also, my front headlight leaks inside when it rains. this is totally uncalled for. i've driven almost 50 years and this has never happened to any of my cars. this also needs to be taken care of. | |||