2008 Chevrolet Malibu recalls

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Between them they involve electrical system, power train and steering. The most recent was received on May 14, 2014.

May 14, 2014Electrical system

Brake Lights may or may not Randomly Illuminate

NHTSA campaign 14V-252 · 2,440,524 vehicles potentially affected · Electrical system

The defect: 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…

The risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

The remedy: 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.
April 30, 2014Power train

Transmission Shift Cable may Fracture/Rollaway

NHTSA campaign 14V-224 · 1,131,113 vehicles potentially affected · Power train

The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.

The risk: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the PARK position, the transmission may not be in PARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other…

The remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
March 31, 2014Steering

Sudden Loss of Electric Power Steering

NHTSA campaign 14V-153 · 1,373,177 vehicles potentially affected · Steering

The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

The risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from…
September 18, 2012Power train

The Transmission Shift Cable May Detach

NHTSA campaign 12V-460 · 426,240 vehicles potentially affected · Power train

The defect: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.

The risk: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.

The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Check by VIN

A campaign rarely covers every Malibu built in 2008. Enter your 17-character VIN to find the recall campaigns filed for your make, model and model year. The VIN is on the driver’s side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb label, and on your registration and insurance documents.

Is a recall still open on your vehicle? Only NHTSA’s official VIN check can say whether a campaign applies to your exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been done.

Your VIN is decoded with NHTSA’s public vPIC service to identify the make, model and year. It is not stored and is not added to any page address.

What 2008 Chevrolet Malibu owners should do

Check your VIN on NHTSA’s lookup to see which of these campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether any are still open.
Call a Chevrolet dealer and book the repair, quoting the campaign numbers (14V-252, 14V-224, 14V-153, 12V-460).
If you have bought the vehicle used, the recall still applies: the repair is free whoever owns the vehicle now.
Make sure your current address is on file with the manufacturer so the owner letters reach you.

Other Chevrolet Malibu model years

Common questions

Does the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 4 campaigns for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu: 14V-252 (Brake Lights may or may not Randomly Illuminate); 14V-224 (Transmission Shift Cable may Fracture/Rollaway); 14V-153 (Sudden Loss of Electric Power Steering); 12V-460 (The Transmission Shift Cable May Detach).

How do I know if my 2008 Chevrolet Malibu has an open recall?

Enter your VIN in NHTSA’s recall lookup. Most campaigns cover only part of a model year’s production, and the lookup also shows whether the repair has already been done on your vehicle.

Will the dealer charge to fix the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu?

No. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge by Chevrolet dealers. Quote the NHTSA campaign number when you book.