general problems of the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu - part 2

While driving the car the service traction/esc light comes on and startes jerking the rpms shoot up to 4000 and makes a rattle noise. When doing this the speed does not change to reflect the rpms. When at a idle the rpms rest at about 2200. The car doesnt fully want to stop when coming to red light or when breaking. I have had the car a diffrent speeds and tends to stall and shack no matter what.

Engine power reduced and car cranks but wont start. It also slowed down when that engine power reduced came on almost had an accident and my family was in the car.

There is something faulty in the system which is causing the battery to become completely drained if the car sits 2/3 days without being started. I have replaced my 3 times and still something in the car is continuing to drain the battery. There is hundreds of people all over the internet that are having this same issue. Not even the dealership could fix the issue. I am not physically leaving anything on in the car but it continues to keep dying. This is definitely a defect with this car that needs to be fixed. My car is a 2009, and it has been dying 2011.

My car stopped being able to shift. I pulled over and lost the ability to reverse as well. The mechanic confirmed it was my transmission, and recommended I take it to the dealership b/c chevy consistently has problems with transmissions and there was a "special coverage adjustment". My particular VIN did not qualify to be repaired by chevy/gm although it was the exact same issues that the "special coverage" paperwork described. Do not buy a chevy or gm vehicle. They refuse to own up to any issues with their parts. Their poor quality standards don't stop at the assembly line, they go right on through to customer service as well.

My door locks are locking and unlocking while I'm driving and also while the vehicle is parked.

When parked or when driving, doors randomly lock and unlock. Have seen several other complaints online from consumers around the country with this exact same problem. They all say that Chevrolet dealerships refuse to repair at their cost and that cost is too high for most consumers ($300/lock). I also believe this is a safety concern, my grandchildren often ride with me, what if they open the door on the freeway?! locked inside the car while it's on fire?! to say that this is not a safety concern is simply gross negligence! negligence case law has shown that failure to act with prior knowledge is complicity of/to manslaughter, and this turns an accidental death into manslaughter. Gm! wake up, get into gear here. Does your new ceo really want to deal with another recall cover up??!!!!.

There was a recall for the wiring harness related to these problems. . Rk Chevrolet in vineland,NJ repaired it supposedly. Days after the warranty on socalled repair the problem persisted yet again and I returned to dealership they said there was no problem with it. . . Gave me codes for something else which did not relate to what is wrong. . . I'm getting nowhere with this and it is not safe to drive this vehicle which is needed for family transportation and work. Esc light stays on,traction control stays on,brake lights come on while driving but not when braking.

I parked my car and turned off the ignition and the key would not come out. I had to continually re-start the car and put it in park and jiggle until for some reason it worked and the key finally came out.

There have been multiple repairs done on this car because of recalls and potential recall items. I still owe $7,000 on this vehicle! I feel like the manufacturer owes me money as well as the dealership who fixed the recalled items and the items that are not yet in recall that need to be repaired are going to cause a complete accident if this is not handled promptly. I have two small children and organize volunteer work in my area and do not have the money to fix it. I feel like this is entitled to me and I should not have to have a faulty car when I am also paying on it. I can offer more details when you contact me.

While driving on city street going maybe 35 mph my 3year old who was strapped into his car seat in the backseat began to choke. I immediately pulled over and got out to go to his aid but I couldn't unlock the back door. I panicked and had to try to climb through the small space from the front seat to the back but could not quickly get my choking child out of the car. Later that day I checked the door locks after calming down and I am not able to lock or unlock the doors. I noticed clicking noises but never paid any attention to it as it was not a concern until I could not free my chocking child from the back seat. I just purchased the car used last month. After review the locks on this car is a know'n common problem that is a safety concern . My helpless child was locked in.

Door would not open. Tried every means to open door. Passenger had to climb over center console and in doing so injured knee.

Power door locks do not work . Will not open or close using the interior switch nor the key fob. Malfunction of locks occurred after a repair of the recalled faulty body control module (bcm) connection; which results in fluctuations in the brake apply sensor ( bas). It mentions other possible electrical problems may occur. Cruise control,traction control ,ecs may be affected also. It does not mention that it may cause electric lock issue .

Door lock malfunction. Door locks randomly do not work with remote or button in the car. In an emergency, this could be a problem trying to get my children out of the back seat. Online forums suggest this is a very common issue that the manufacturer should recall and repair.

The two back tires keep going on flat I purchased the car in February I have to replace the tires every other week and I have to put air in the tires on a daily basis since I purchased the car.

Car is having electrical issues locks going up and down without pressing power button car also alarming off also have taken care to be serviced for misfiring and jerking when driving.

When driving, service esc and service traction show up on dash. When that appears the brake lights come on without applying brake and when brake is applied the brake lights don't come on. I spoke to Chevrolet and they said it was under recall but I had to take it into a dealer and have it checked to make sure that was the problem at a cost to me and anyway they can't fix it because they don't have the parts. So what are they waiting for? I am afraid to drive it and it is my young daughters car she drives to school. I don't want her to drive it but it is the only means of transportation for her. This is rediculous knowing that it is recalled an nothing to be done about it. Until when, when its to late or someone gets hurt.

Driving in traffic, vehicle suddenly lost power and I had to pull out of traffic, nearly causing an accident. Engine revved, rpms were high. Shut car off, restarted and car would not get out of second gear. I had the car towed to a Chevrolet dealer, who told me my transmission failed due to a wave plate issue. Although 6t70 transmission warranty was extended to some 6 speed 2009 Malibus, I was told mine was not, even though the problem is known to exist in all gm 6 speed transmissions. This transmission is a definite safety hazard and the 10 year 120k mile extended warranty should be offered to every automobile with this transmission.

Problem with ignition switch car will not start now, they have recalled up to the 2008 mailbu but not the 2009 mailbu (ltz) for this issue. Resolution to the issue would be replacing the switch with a new one not what they are doing now drilling a hole in the key, really. Chevrolet has a massive issue with a lot more cars that need to be recalled which have no been yet. If they want to keep there customers they need to repair correctly and recall and fix it the right way. My call needs a recall for this now.

Beginning on April 15, 2014 my car flashes esc off, service esc, service traction. This happens often and it turns off the traction control in my car and causes the cruise control to cease function.

While idling with the vehicle in gear at a drive-thru window, the ignition turned off without any input (intentional or unintentional) from the driver. Because the vehicle was not listed as being impacted by the ignition switch recall, I had not removed the many keys that I keep on my key ring. No report made at the time, anticipating the the ignition switch recall would eventually be widened to include my vehicle, but it has not. Decided it's time to finally file a report in case my vehicle is part of an as yet, undetected problem with the ignition. (currently following the suggestion to minimize what is kept on the keyring that holds the key to the vehicle. ).

Rear right door (rear passenger) lock failing to open. Started to randomly open and now it's totally dead. If the door fails to open getting my kid out of the car in an emergency can be impossible even for other passengers sitting on the back. This needs an urgent investigation. A lot of owners have the same issue and surprised to see a lot of complaints here as well regarding the locks/actuators. Gm is aware of the issue about actuators failing consistently too, in some occasions they have made the replacements free of charge or at a discounted price.

I did not have an accident yet. There was a recall for my car. The information I provided above on March 13, 204 I took the car back to the dealer to have it fixed. But the problems are still happening. . I took it back and they said it was just some water leaking on the electrical wiring and would need replaced. I did not have the money at the time but did take it to my local mechanic where he also put it on the computer and advised that there is no water leakage. I have another incident the other day where I lost power and almost got in an accident. My taction got disabled as well. I have an appointment at kenny ross in irwin to take it back so they can look at it again, but I don't trust them. The car was bought with low mileage and I go no where as I work from home, still has low mileage. . I should not be having problems. The original recall repairs were never done. . . Can you please advise what I should do in this ase.

I was traveling wb ih-30 west of e. Grand Ave in the hov lane. A car was stopped in front of me due to heavy traffic. I was coming to a stop. A truck rear ended me due coming into the hov lane very fast, made contact with me from behind knocking me into the car in front of me. When the truck hit me, he smashed the whole back end forcing the back windshield to break and my face hit the steering wheel causing severe bruising around my left eye. My air bags did not deploy when the truck crashed into me.

While driving the car at any speed the vehicle will accelerate on its own and the rpm will increase to 4 or higher as if I am smashing the gas. During this time of the rmp fluctuation you can hear the engine sound louder and feel the acceleration almost like a jolt. At night when driving the car you can see the brake light illuminate without ever touching the brakes. I've taken the car to the dealership several times regarding this matter they claim it has been fixed, however I'm still having the same problem. When it is warm/hot outside, when using the keyless remote to lock/unlock the car all locks will stick. The only way I can get into the vehicle is to use the key to open the doors and if I have groceries in the back seat I will have to crawl from the front to the back to open the doors.

Both front speakers, in the doors, do not work. I cannot hear chimes from turn signals being on too long, from keys being in the ignition when the doors are open and other such warning signals. It has caused confusion at times when the warning signals are not alerting me to problems while driving.

To the NHTSA person reviewing this: please assist on this issue, we depend on you escalating this issue. The problem contained here is a major saftey issue potentially catastrophic condition wating to happen. We (owners of chevy Malibus of years 2008-09, and 10') need an investigation to be initiated. Summary of problem: the Chevrolet Malibu 2008,2009, and 2010 has a manufacturing problem with the door lock actuators (which open and close the locks on the doors). For the Malibu year 2009, at approximately 35k mile mark all power locks of all four doors randomly open and lock at any vehicle forward speed at random times. An unprecedented amount of lack of safety concerns have been brought up from countless customers through different websites and are beginning to come in a more formal manner such as this public tool. Safety flaw: since the opening an closing of the locks on doors is of random manner and of rapid frequency (opens and closes very fast) it poses all occupants to remain inside the vehicle unable to escape in the event of a fire, vehichle crash, or any other emergency. Likewise, when the intent is to have the doors locked it poses the issue that the door locks will become open at unexpected times. Solution: avoid causalities, incidents, and keep the safety of our loved ones in mind. We need the NHTSA to launch an investigation on this issue.

While driving the vehicle, the service light came on for esc/traction control and also my brake lights came on while my foot was on accelerator, I applied the brake and the brake light turned off, but when I accelerated again the brake light came back on after a few seconds. On different occasions while driving on the freeway the same thing happened and I was unable to engage the cruise control. When I turn off the car and restart it, the service light turns off but only momentarily. It eventually comes back on. Extremely irritating, inconvenient, and dangerous!.

Hello, my car's service traction and service esc light turns on intermittently. The brake lights behave in the opposite way, I. E. They stay on during normal driving, turn off when I press on the brake pedal, and turn back on when I release the brake. The cruise control does not work whenever this happens. I do not experience anything different while driving and I believe this is a sensor/circuitry issue. I read through the forums and news websites and found that this is a common problem in a lot of chevy vehicles. There is a TSB on this issue and recalls for a few cars. This is a serious issue as it might lead to accidents when someone driving behind my car sees that the brake light turns off when I press the brake pedal. I would like gm/Chevrolet lo help me out here and fix this issue without making me pay for it but they have not responded positively. The dealership charges $110 just for doing simple diagnostics. But this issue is something pretty common to a lot of Chevrolet cars and is not a wear related issue. Gm or Chevrolet should take responsibility to fix the issue. My car is out of 3-year warranty but is still within 5-year warranty (bumper-to-bumper). I hope that an action will be taken and my car will be repaired and/or I will be reimbursed for the repair expense. I found many articles on this issue and a few of them are copied below. . Read more...

I purchased a used 2009 Chevrolet Malibu in 2011. On February 21, 2013, I took my car to ourisman Chevrolet in marlow heights, MD due to a recall notice related to the transmission. My invoice says they repaired the cable kit. On July 29, 2013 I pulled into a service station for gas in north carolina. All pumps were taken. I waited. A car pulled out so I put my car in reverse to back up in order to get to the pump. When I tried to put the car in drive, the gear shift would move, however, the car remained stuck in reverse. I had to back up to the side of the gas station to move out of the way. I put the emergency brake on because the car would not go into park. I turned off the ignition, then tried to restart it. The car would not start because is was not in park. I called my brother for help. He noticed the shift cable had come apart. He used a twist tie, a washer, and a rubber cap that he found in his vehicle to repair the shift cable so that I could hopefully make it back home. It worked. The next day I made an appointment (07/31/13) to take the car back to ourisman to fix the cable. That invoice states that I need a shifter cable. According to ourisman, this part is not covered under the initial recall. The shift cable adjustment clip broke off somehow. The cable is still intact. That's why my brother was able to fix it enough to get me back home. I was told by the customer service technician that the part broke due to normal wear and tear. In the past, I've owned a Chevrolet cavalier for 12 years, and a Chevrolet beretta for 8 years. Neither car had this problem of "normal wear and tear". It's a defect. The 2/21/13 invoice says replaced cable kit. The 7/31/13 invoice says "needs shifter cable". The bottom line is the shift cable adjustment clip broke off the shifter cable. Why is this not covered under the recall? it's a piece of the same part.

Bought vehicle new 01/09, 3 mon. Later received letter from gm citing recall for transmission shift cable, took vehicle to dealer and they replaced. Recall id # 78844 - power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift no problems with vehicle until 12/12 driving on interstate at approx. 50 mph vehicle began to shift hard/eratic with rpm gage going to 6-7 before vehicle would shift/accelerate, check engine, abs, check tire pressure lights all came on. Called onstar was told there nothing indicated on diagnostics report and to contact gm. Contacted gm was told there was another recall on my vehicle for recall id # 94402 - power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl). Took vehicle to dealer, dealer said they could not replicate problem I was having and would not have parts until late Jan. To fix recall if that was in fact the issue. Told by delear that eratic shifting is a normal problem with those vehicles. On 4/2/13 car will not go in park completely and ignition will not turn to "off" position, cannot remove key from ignition. Contacted gm was told there were no active recalls on my vehicle because original recall from 2009 fixed the shift cable and replacement part was only covered by gm for 12 months. Gm said second recall was not attached to VIN# and therefore my vehicle was not affected although gm rep and dealer verified it was in Nov 2012. Gm said to take to dealer and get diagnostic report and they would go from there but issue would probably not be covered if it has something to do with shift cable because warranty of 12 mon. On replacement parts has expired. If gm knows there is a continuous problem with this make/model and this component then it should be covered regardless. How many times should you have to take vehicle in for same set of issues. If gm does not own this problem I will never buy a gm vehicle again!.

I have a chevy Malibu 2009 last year one back passenger door started not locking or unlocking, later after that another one and now none of the doors lock/unlock automatically. I did a search this online and it looks like they are thousands of complains of this same issue. I contacted the chevy service department and they stated that this is not something that is cover under warranty nor they have the responsibility of repairing it because is not a hazardous or a safety issue. For me I believe that is a safety issue. The car is suppose to automatically lock the doors when you move into drive and unlock when is moved back to park, also if a car is equip with a security system and I press the lock button all doors should lock. Chevy service department chargers $300. 00 per actuator plus the cost of labor this is a heavy price to pay, I understand if one goes bad but having all 4 doors go bad within months of each other for me this is a manufacture defect.

The door lock actuator on both rear doors fail to unlock the door. Apparently this is very common in 2008 and 2009 Malibu's. Considering that my children (as I am sure many others), it is unsafe to have vehicles doors unlock from the outside. Further, given the placement of the physical nobs (in the far rear) it is impracticle to allow someone in the front seat unlock the rear doors quickly.

I have had problems with the battery, wiring problems and lock problems. I am hoping that the wiring repair took care of that problem and the battery problem, but the lock problem persists, and it is a safety issue! I had no luck getting the dealer to fix the lock problem. It needs to be a required recall to fix. Recently I heard of another recall for my car, called the dealer, they said no there wasn't any, but then I got a letter in the mail saying there is a recall. What is a consumer supposed to do????.

First brand new car I ever purchased for myself- a beautiful 2009 Malibu. Within less than 2 years of purchasing the vehicle, the drivers side door started locking/unlocking when it wanted to. It wasn't long before it stopped un/locking all together and I was stuck having to crawl across from the passenger side. I paid a pretty penny to have it fixed at the dealership where I purchased it. After fixing the same problem but on the passenger side door this time which the door was rarely used because it was just myself and my daughter who rides in the backseat and paying out of pocket again and it happening a 2nd time that my passenger side door would not even unlock to open again. All of my passengers have to ride in the back seat or crawl across from the drivers side and now my back passenger side door is starting the same thing. One time ,my husband got the passenger side door unlocked and it flew open while I was driving and wouldn't close or lock for sometime. If I am in an accident and the drivers side door gets crushed in, I will have no way of getting my young children out of the car safely! this is a huge safety concern not to mention a costly burden!.

I bought this car in June 2010 and the first thing to happen was the battery exploded in 09/2010. A few months later a my car was broken into because I did not realize that when I lock my doors that all locks but 1. The next thing that happend was the front head light shorted out, not the actual head light but the socket that the light goes into and that happend around 03/2012. Around January 2013 I was stopped beside my daughter school and a man pulled over and told me that my brake lights had been on for a few miles. I did not realize this and could not see this unless I was driving at night. I rarely drive at night but when I was driving at night I noticed when you get to a certain speed the brake lights will come on and and then go off if you tap the brake and then come back on and stay on until whenever they decide to go off. Sometimes they will be on when you crank up the car. It concerns me because what if they brake light fail all together. It seems like there is some kind of eletrical malfuntion with this car. I have researched online and find many people have the same issue with lights coming on in the care at sporadic time times as well as the brake light issue. I called gm, they took the info but offered no assistance. I really believe a recall or some type of investigation should be done on this. I know people that have gotten behind the same car I drive and they see they brake lights continously on like my car. This is very dangerous.