2008 Chevrolet Malibu Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems
Owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “traction control” (25% of reports).
- 68electronic stability control (esc) complaints
- 100,000median miles at failure
- 5mention 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.
- Traction control: mentioned in 17 of 68 complaints (25%)
- Service ESC: mentioned in 14 of 68 complaints (21%)
- Electrical electronic stability: mentioned in 6 of 68 complaints (9%)
- Exterior lighting: mentioned in 6 of 68 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems happen?
Based on 52 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 68 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu electronic stability control (esc) complaints by model year
| Model year | Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 2 | 1% | 13,650 |
| 2019 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 52,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2017 Malibu | 53 | 8% | 55,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 76 | 9% | 55,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 16 | 6% | 59,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 31 | 9% | 68,500 |
| 2013 Malibu | 72 | 9% | 79,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 129 | 14% | 93,438 |
| 2011 Malibu | 174 | 18% | 84,250 |
| 2010 Malibu | 227 | 17% | 85,125 |
| 2009 Malibu | 255 | 17% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 68 | 7% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 22 | 2% | 167,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 29 | 3% | 107,100 |
| 2005 Malibu | 30 | 3% | 162,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 21 | 2% | 129,662 |
| 2003 Malibu | 3 | 1% | 6,750 |
| 2002 Malibu | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2001 Malibu | 2 | 0% | 120,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 1 | 0% | 170,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 1 | 0% | — |
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.
Service esc service traction light came on the steering wheel locked and i almost wrecked there has been a recall for this but it closed and the dealer won't fix it no recalls have been fixed open or closed can u please help me get the fixed
Keep getting a message saying 'esc off' , 'traction control off' comes and goes. Sometimes seems like the vehicle is stuck in a gear makes a loud roar. Starts to vibrate while driving at certain speeds. Having a problem with brake light staying on a even after replacing switch. I have the recall…
My car's check engine light has been on and flashing for the past two weeks. I have had my car repaired several times by autobody shops. A diagnostic test have never been done before today. My car is pulling to the right. The rack and pinion was replaced last year. I hit a deer and according to the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Chevrolet Malibus have electronic stability control (esc) problems?
No. NHTSA has 68 owner complaints about electronic stability control (esc) for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu (7% of the 989 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 2008 Chevrolet Malibu electronic stability control (esc)?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electronic stability control (esc). Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems start?
The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 17 of 68 complaints, followed by “service esc” (14).
Other 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems or electronic stability control (esc) problems across all Malibu years.