2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Fuel/propulsion system

  SMELL FUEL AND THERE IS A LEAK NEAR UPPER TANK BY THE FUEL PUMP.

  Apr 17, 2017
• Air bags

  WHEN DRIVING, 2 MESSAGES APPEARED ON DASH - "POWER STEERING" AND "SERVICE AIR BAG." WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR LATER, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER, AND THE "ANTI-THEFT" LIGHT WAS ON, ALONG WITH THE OTHER 2 WARNING MESSAGES FROM ABOVE. AFTER OTHER LIGHTS TURNED OFF, THE "ANTI-THEFT" AND "SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT" REMAINED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. ODOMETER: 101844

  Jan 2, 2016 · 101,844 miles
• Fuel/propulsion system

  VEHICLE IS STRONG GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE REAR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY CONFIRMED THE FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUES BY GM TO FIX THIS ISSUE ON THE CHEVROLET MALIBU.

  Oct 1, 2015
• Latches/locks/linkages

  THE LOCK WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK AS YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OR WHEN THE KEY ARE NOT IN IT. *TR

  Jun 16, 2014
• Electrical system

  FIRST SUMMER OF OWNERSHIP, HOT DAY, AIRCONDITIONER ON. CAR STARTED FLASHING ALL KINDS OF WARNINGS. PULLED OFF ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE PULLING INTO LOT AND THEN CAR SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AT FIRST SERVICE, TOLD DEALERSHIP WHAT HAPPENED BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. THAT SAME YEAR OR NEXT YEAR THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HYBRID BATTERY AND IT WAS REPLACED. THOUGHT MAYBE MY PROBLEM WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN BUT EVERY SUMMER HAD SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH CAR PULLING INTO STOP AND SHUTTING OFF. WAS ABLE TO START CAR AGAIN AFTER SITTING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. DIAGNOSTICS SHOW NOTHING WRONG AT DEALERSHIP. JULY 23 2013 ON A RAINY HIGHWAY (AIR CONDITIONER…

  Jul 24, 2009 · 3,000 miles
• Steering

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE STEERING SUSPENSION WAS RECALIBRATED BY THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AFTER THE MALFUNCTION FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,580.

  Jul 10, 2013 · 70,580 miles
• Power train › DrivelineCrash

  STORMY ,WET NIGHT,I STOPPED AT CORNER IN MY 2008 MALIBU HYBRID-STARTING FORWARD,MY CAR SURGED AND LANDED ME IN A BROOK-NOW SOUNDS LIKE SUA. ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SORT. WATER TOTALED THE CAR-THERE WAS NO INVESTIGATION. I AM NOT SURE OF COMPONENT AS I HAVE NO MECHANICAL EXPERTISE. THERE WAS A DEFINITE LOUD SURGE. *TR

  Jun 24, 2009

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.