2003 Chevrolet Malibu Lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE FOGGED. THE FIXTURES WERE REPLACED AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LENSES AND PLUGS WERE MELTED. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

THIS CAR WAS A GIFT TO MY WIFE AND I AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER DIED.IT HAS VERY LOW MILES AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON WITHOUT THE PRESSURE BEING APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD STOP ILLUMINATING ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 113,000. HAZARD SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED AND SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 11/16/2011 *LN *TR

MY TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK AT ALL AND OTHER TIMES THEY BLINK A FEW TIMES AND THEN STOP. I DRIVE ON MAJOR INTERSTATES AND I'M ALWAYS AFRAID THAT THIS WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CANNOT PREDICT IF OR WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, IF I TAP OR LIGHTLY PRESS THE FLASHER BUTTON ON THE DASH IT SEEMS TO HELP. I'VE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY FLAW. *TR

THE TURN SIGNALS ON MY 2003 CHEVY MALIBU DON'T ALWAYS WORK, I FLIP THE SWITCH AND SOMETIMES THEY BLINK AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. SOMETIMES THEY STOP BLINKING BEFORE THE TURN IS ACTUALLY MADE. THIS IS ANNOYING AND DANGEROUS. I'VE HAD TO MISS TURNS BECAUSE MY TURN SIGNAL WONT COME ON AND TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED I JUST KEEP GOING, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS SEEM TO SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY WERE ENGAGED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ALERT THE OTHER DRIVER THAT SHE WAS MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HER THAT HE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

THE BLINKERS AND HAZARD LIGHTS HAVE SPORADICALLY STOPPED WORKING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. NOW THEY HAVE STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD WHILE DRIVING. IT ALSO WILL NOT MEET THE STATE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF SITES WITH OTHER PEOPLE STATING THEIR CHEVY MALIBU HAS DONE THE SAME THING. GM HAD ONE RECALL ON THIS ISSUE BUT ONLY INCLUDED A SMALL NUMBER OF VIN'S. IT APPEARS THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. *JB

MY 2003 CHEVY MALIBU IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNALS AND FOUR WAY FLASHERS AS NOTED IN YOU POSTED INFORMATION BELOW. ODI OPENED THE INVESTIGATION BASED ON 9 COMPLAINTS OF TURN SIGNALS OPERATING SPORADICALLY ON THE 2000-2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING WITHOUT WARNING AND MAY OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STANDING STILL. GM IDENTIFIED THE HAZARD SWITCH AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO THE TURN SIGNAL PASSES THROUGH THE HAZARD SWITCH. FAILURE OF THE HAZARD SWITCH RESULTS IN LOSS OF TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS. GM REPORTS 318, 184 AND 201 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THE MALIBU, ALERO AND GRAND AM RESPECTIVELY. GM ALSO REPORTS THE FOLLOWING MODELS HAVE THE SAME DESIGN TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD SWITCH AS THE CHEVROLET MALIBU: CHEVROLET CORVETTE, MONTE CARLO, AND IMPALA; OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE AND ALERO; AND THE PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA SHOW THE HIGHEST OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE MY 2000-2001 MALIBU, ALERO, AND GRAND AM. *NM

TURN SIGNAL FAILS TO OPERATE UNLESS I PRESS LIGHTLY ON THE HAZARD SWITCH. OCCURS VERY FREQUENTLY ON WARM TO HOT WEATHER. *TR

BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. *AK

WITH THE INCREASED BRIGHTNESS OF HEADLIGHTS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SPOT FRONT TURN SIGNALS AT NIGHT WHEN THEY ARE PLACED ADJACENT TO THE LOW BEAM LAMP. PLEASE CONSIDER MANDATING THAT SIGNAL LAMPS MUST BE AT LEAST THREE INCHES FROM THE EDGE OF THE LOW BEAM'S REFLECTOR. *LA

HEADLIGHTS IN MY 2003 CHEV MALIBU CONTINUALY STAY FOGGED UP WITH WATER INSIDE THE LENS AND CHEVY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I THINK IT COULD CAUSE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY.

I HAVE A CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THE TURN SIGNALS DON'T WORK AT ALL TIMES. *NLM

THE DESIGN OF THE AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL FOR THE HEADLAMPS SUBJUGATES THE RESPONSIBILITY STATE LAW PLACES ON THE VEHICLE OPERATOR. THE OPERATOR CERTANTLY CAN _CHOOSE_ TO ALLOW A AUTOMATIC SYSTEM TO OPERATE THE LIGHTS IF THEY WANT TO, HOWEVER SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO USE IT IF THE OPERATOR IS NOT COMFORABLE WITH THE WAY THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM OPERATES. ADDITIONALLY, THE AUTOMATIC LIGHTING SYSTEMS CAN ONLY DETERMINE WHEN AMBIENT LIGHTING CONDITIONS _MAY_ REQUIRE LIGHTING BUT _CANNOT_ DETERMINE OTHER SPECIFIC WEATHER-RELATED CONDITIONS WHEN THE LAWS OF MY STATE ALSO MANDATE VEHICLE LIGHTING BE USED. MOST NOTABLY, THE AUTO SYSTEM DOES NOT ALWAYS "KNOW" WHEN IT'S FOGGY, RAINING OR SNOWING DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, APPLYING LIGHTING SOMETIMES IN THOSE CASES, BUT NOW ALWAYS. OR BEGINNING WITH THE LIGHTS ON, THEN THEY GO OFF, THEN ON AGAIN, THEN OFF AGAIN DURING A TRIP WHEN THE LIGHTS SHOULD REMAIN ON CONTINOUSLY. THIS OFTEN OCCURS WITHOUT ANY INDICATION TO THE OPERATOR THAT THESE CHANGES IN STATUS OF THE LIGHTS ARE OCCURING. IN FACT, WITH DRLS LIT IN THE FRONT, THE NORMAL VISUAL QUEUE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE OUT THAT ONE WOULD EXPECT IS ABSENT (THE DRLS LOOK LIKE HEADLIGHTS) AND IT'S TOO BRIGHT OUT TO TELL IF THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON OR NOT. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. GM SHOULD RETROFIT THE MALIBU'S WITH TOTAL OVERRIDE OF THE AUTO SYSTEM (COMPLETE DISABLE OF THE AUTO LIGHTS AND DRLS) FOR THOSE OWNERS THAT REQUEST IT.