Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx across 4 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (51). The words owners use most often: “turn signal” (35% of reports).
- 101exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 35%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Turn signal: mentioned in 35 of 101 complaints (35%)
- Bulb melted: mentioned in 7 of 101 complaints (7%)
- Headlight assembly: mentioned in 7 of 101 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 74 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 101 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 12 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Malibu Maxx | 5 | 11% | 86,624 |
| 2006 Malibu Maxx | 8 | 3% | 158,000 |
| 2005 Malibu Maxx | 51 | 16% | 87,000 |
| 2004 Malibu Maxx | 37 | 9% | 73,121 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
Model years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 malibu maxx. While operating the vehicle, the passenger and driver side turn signals malfunctioned and would not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to lewis chevrolet of garden city (1903 us 50 bus e., garden city , ks) where it was diagnosed that the headlight bulb…
Steering out of whack. I have had my control arm on both sides changed along with axles and a alignment. No luck its still all over road. I drive from sylvester ga to tifton ga everyday. It does the same thing everytime. Also i have had my lights replaced 3 times in the last year. Why arent the…
The passenger side low beam light keeps going out. I have changed the light build 3 times in the last 2 months. The last time being saturday morning, then on the way home tonight it is out again. Last friday, it was working on my way somewhere and then quite. On my way home it started working…
Brake lights stay on all of the time except when foot is resting on the brake pedal. Have tried to change out the brake sensor and that doesn't seem to resolve the problem. Brake lights are one both in motion or when car is just sitting
Ignition staying stuck alowing starter to continue to turn, day time no break lights , night time break lights stay lit up or flash on and off , fuel gauge drops to empty even when full bounces back and forth empty full , service air bag and check engine lights keep coming on even after they have…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Malibu Maxxs have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 101 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
The most frequent phrase is “turn signal”, in 35 of 101 complaints, followed by “bulb melted” (7).
Other Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems
- Steering problems (653)
- Seats problems (141)
- Electrical System problems (112)
See all Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems.