2004 Chevrolet Malibu Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 66,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “turn signal” (37% of reports).
- 84exterior lighting complaints
- 66,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 52%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 31 of 84 complaints (37%)
- Headlight assembly: mentioned in 8 of 84 complaints (10%)
- Amber lens: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
- Daytime running: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 67 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 84 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Chevrolet Malibu exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Malibu | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 1,900 |
| 2020 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 61,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 4 | 2% | 16,180 |
| 2018 Malibu | 9 | 1% | 800 |
| 2017 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 51,888 |
| 2016 Malibu | 19 | 2% | 41,500 |
| 2015 Malibu | 4 | 1% | 39,346 |
| 2014 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 35,000 |
| 2013 Malibu | 28 | 3% | 70,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 202 | 22% | 99,750 |
| 2011 Malibu | 130 | 13% | 103,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 194 | 14% | 96,573 |
| 2009 Malibu | 172 | 11% | 94,236 |
| 2008 Malibu | 106 | 11% | 90,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 29 | 3% | 105,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 63 | 6% | 72,759 |
| 2005 Malibu | 153 | 16% | 76,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 84 | 7% | 66,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 28 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 143 | 25% | 61,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 108 | 15% | 63,600 |
| 2000 Malibu | 241 | 26% | 67,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 58 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 79 | 8% | 45,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 40 | 9% | 74,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
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.
I was driving to work with my son and sister in the car when the steering wheel suddenly got very tight and started jerking when I attempted to make a left or right turn. I then stopped at a gas station and as soon as I came to a complete stop the vehicle shut off before I could turn it off…
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and the engine running the contact noticed that their front driver and passenger headlight were very low in both low beam and high beam and that the light eventually burned out. The contact inspected the…
First, the car routinely burns out turn signals, and overheats the turn signal to the point that it melts the housing thta the light bulb snaps into. I have had to replace the headlight housing/lamp wirings harness multiple times along with many light bulbs. Second, there is a recall for the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Chevrolet Malibus have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 84 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu (7% of the 1,147 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu 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.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 66,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “turn signal”, in 31 of 84 complaints, followed by “headlight assembly” (8).
Other 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems
- Steering problems (798)
- Electrical System problems (151)
- Seats problems (69)
- Power Train problems (64)
See all 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems or exterior lighting problems across all Malibu years.