general problems of the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Tl the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. Whether the vehicle was turned on or off, all the doors unlocked intermittently without warning. The dealer was not contacted. The failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving various speeds, the gear automatically changed and the engine stalled. The electronic stability control, service traction, and check engine indicators illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, restarted the engine, and the vehicle returned to normal. The contact also stated that the door locks automatically locked and unlocked while driving. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.

2009 Chevrolet Malibu. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle door locks actuator problems. The consumer stated shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the door locks began locking and unlocking by themselves continuously. It started after a month. However, recently the problem returned. It would happen when the vehicle was on, off or while driving. An inspection revealed, all four locking actuators were bad and needed to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the rear interior power door locks failed to unlock when the key fob and power lock module were activated. The doors failed to unlock manually. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the doors would sporadically lock and unlock independently in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 61,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that three of the door locks failed. As a result, the contact had to manually lock the doors. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated that the door actuator for all three doors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the steering wheel seized. The contact also mentioned that the door locks were unlocking and locking independently several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was aware of a NHTSA recall number: 14v153000 (steering) and stated that the vehicle was included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the rear passenger door failed to lock and unlock on the interior and exterior. In addition, as the failure progressed, the front passenger door experienced the same failure. The contact and various passengers were unable to exit the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failures and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided no remedy. The failure mileage was not available.

The Malibu my wife and I own have had problem with the left passenger door lock not being actuated when commanded. For example, when the door was commanded to lock, it would stay unlocked. But more seriously, it would stay locked when commanded to unlock. I took it to neuville motors in waupaca, WI, a gm/chevy dealer, to have it fixed. According to a service manager at the dealership, door lock actuator malfunctions in Malibus from that model year is common and he sees many of them come in with exact same problem as my car's. I believe a door staying locked when commanded to open is a serious safety hazard if a rapid evacuation out of the vehicle becomes necessary. Also, if the vehicle rolls on the side of the opposite side of malfunctioning door, evacuating passengers occupying rear seats can be a challenge as the only door available may stay locked when commanded to unlock. I have contacted gm, but they insisted that they are not responsible as the vehicle is out of warranty and a recall was not issued by your administration. The reference number of my complaint with gm is [xxx]. I believe this is a serious safety issue if children/elderly/pets are occupying the rear seat, or the passenger in the back seat becomes unconscious in case of a crash. Please consider issuing a recall if the problem is a common one. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the rear interior power door locks failed to unlock when the key fob and power lock module were activated. The doors could only be unlocked manually. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

In these Chevrolet Malibus, when the car is put into drive the doors lock automatically, when placed into park the doors unlock. Without warning the door lock actuators quit working and leave your car either locked or unlocked. In case of emergency you will be scrambling to unlock the door manually.

Driver side and passenger side automatic door locks have failed. Intermittently, opening any of the four doors at any given time will cause all locks to engage.

My rear driver door lock will not activate. Only manually. Very dangerous. It seems to be a very common thing with these cars. They have bad actuators. This should be a recall by general motors. . .

Both passenger side doors locks only stopped working electrically and only work manually, I began to notice this about two weeks ago, they were only working about half the time. I took it to the dealer and they told me the car is out of warranty, and even its a common problem they want me to pay roughly $500. 00 dollars for the repair. I think this is a safety concern because in the event of a traffic collision I will not be able to get my kids out of the vehicle quickly since you cannot unlock the rear doors through the outside of the vehicle manually with a key. I contacted gm customer service and addressed my concern to no avail. I don't think it is right for a 3 year old car to be having such problems, I also own a 1996 Honda civic whose doors still work properly?? thank you. . There are a lot of unsatisfied customers on this forum. . . . Read more...

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the doors would sporadically become locked and unlocked independently. Additionally, the contact noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection and the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 90,000. The current mileage was 100,000.

The power locks on the car would not unlock the doors, leaving the passengers trapped inside. We were unable to open the doors manually, electrically or even with inserting the key into the door. Passengers had to crawl out of the windows. After trying the key and remote numerous times the driver side door unlocked but would not relatch when the door was closed or even after starting the engine and placing the transmission in gear. The locks sound like they engage and disengage leaving one to think every thing is okay but, it is not. This a serious safety hazard and one that could be life threatening.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the rear passenger and rear drivers side door do not lock or unlock properly. Sporadically the doors would not respond when the contacts vehicle was in the park position. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined to provide the contact with a remedy. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000.

The lock actuator is broken on one door.

In March, 2011, I began having problems with the doors not opening from the inside. I unhooked the battery terminal to reset the computer then the windows started working again. In April my driver's window would not go up. I replaced the 30a fuse and got the window to go up. Once I tried to use one of the other windows, the fuse blew again. Now my windows will not go up or down without blowing a fuse. The switch in the driver's door was replaced and the relay was replaced with no resolution. My windows will not work at all and yesterday, July 19, my doors began acting up again and will not open from the inside. I feel like I'm going to get trapped inside this vehicle.

My new 2009 Chevrolet Malibu does not provide for disabling the auto door locking feature. Having worked in law enforcement and been involved in accident investigations, I know that rescuers have a more difficult time of removing someone from a vehicle involved in an accident if the doors are locked especially if that person is a good samititan with no heavy tools. Both the dealer and gm have refused to acknowledge this problem or do anything to remediate it. I would like to see this changed before an accident occurs where the occupants cannot be removed from the vehicle.