My favorite thing about this forum..... There are no posts in here! The cars simply THAT good

You just missed some tumbleweed rolling through here a while ago.

I had a small rattle problem 1 day after I bought mine,it was a metal plate rattling on the air filter box down near the front right wheel,it has been fixed NO PROBLEM.No complaints besides that.

What model Malibu do you have?

I had the same airbox rattle. The driver's side door alignment was a little off too, but both problems were fixed asap by the dealer.

Thats a good thing to take notice of. I work at a dealership in Toronto, Ontario. If I have customers come in with that concern i'll know how to address it.

I noticed that my front passenger speaker was rattling. I took it in to the dealer and there replacing it.

My Malibu is a LT2

LT2 with a 6 or a 4?

With a 4 ,I had a HHR 2006 before and this motor has much more pick-up than the other,it is a gearing thing they tell me.I am very satisfied with this set up.Also the dealer said I might not like the gas mileage I would get with the 6 compaired with that of my HHR,so I went with the 4.I have no regrets at all.

I noticed that my front passenger speaker was rattling. I took it in to the dealer and there replacing it.

Well they replaced the speaker but as soon as I rolled out of the dealership, I realized the new one they put it sounds worse then the first one. I turned around went back in. They ordered me a another speaker which they are replacing for me tomorrow. Lets hope this one works

I've got a creak/rattle on the driver side of the car and can't isolate where its coming from. I took it to the dealer and they said they couldn't hear it. I cringe everytime i hear it. Also, I huge rattle from the back shelf when the music is on with some bass. I really want to get it all fixed because my car is barely 2 weeks old.

Yea mine was 3 weeks old when I discovered the first one was blown out. Then I was pretty upset when I found out the new one they put it was also broke. Thank God, the third one they put on today seems to be OK.

Here's one. I haven't brought it back to the dealer yet because it only happens occasionally.

When we use the remote start feature, then enter the vehicle and put the key in and switch it to the run position we sometimes (rarely) hear static coming from the radio. It lasts only one or two seconds, then all is perfect.

Anyone else? Any thoughts?

Haven't had that yet. But I also haven't had much occasion to use the remote start either, and when I have I haven't had the radio on immediately after.

Haven't had that yet. But I also haven't had much occasion to use the remote start either, and when I have I haven't had the radio on immediately after.
I probably should have added that the radio is always left on.

Problem1: Leaking antifreeze
Problem2: Tail lights don't work
Vehicle: 1998 Chevy Malibu 2.4L Four-Cylinder
Location: Indiana

This vehicle belongs to my daughters best friend. He recently deployed and won't be back for a year+ so we are tasked with keeping his vehicle maintained while he's gone.

When he dropped the vehicle off he said it was leaking antifreeze and the taillights don't work.

Antifreeze issue:
The engine looks pretty clean and the antifreeze leak appears to be coming from the bottom of the vehicle. (I haven't located any drip marks higher up.)
Any thoughts on what piece/part would 'most likely' be the culprit?

Taillight issue:
I've checked the fuses, removed the taillights and checked the bulbs but so far the taillights still don't work.

I bought a Haynes manual for it today so I'm reading through that but input from seasoned drivers would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Que,

You may have better luck posting on chevroletforum.com in the Malibu section. This forum appears to be devoted to the 2008 model. By no means am I trying to chase you away - just trying to be helpful.

Que,
You may have better luck posting on chevroletforum.com in the Malibu section. This forum appears to be devoted to the 2008 model. By no means am I trying to chase you away - just trying to be helpful.Thank you.

I was glad to hear those weren't problems with the 2008 Malibu.

I went out yesterday and I noticed the front driver`s side speaker had a buzz in it,I will bring it to the dealer tomorrow.

Blew out a speaker?

I went out yesterday and I noticed the front driver`s side speaker had a buzz in it,I will bring it to the dealer tomorrow.
Hopefully an easy fix, Canuk. Let us know how things work out.

Had the speaker changed ,must have had a problem since I bought it because it sounds great now,much better!I love this car!!!

I've got a creak/rattle on the driver side of the car and can't isolate where its coming from. I took it to the dealer and they said they couldn't hear it. I cringe everytime i hear it. Also, I huge rattle from the back shelf when the music is on with some bass. I really want to get it all fixed because my car is barely 2 weeks old.

I am now hearing a creak from the driver side/rear area. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I'm usually slowing down to a stop. I can't isolate it, so I know the dealer won't be able to. There's also a ticking/rattle on my back shelf, but I don't know if it's the rear sunshade or the speakers. I tried to pull and tug on the shade, and it's in there amazingly well (no extra play at all).

I'm still in love with the car, though!:)

I've got a creak/rattle on the driver side of the car and can't isolate where its coming from. I took it to the dealer and they said they couldn't hear it.
Try talking the service tech for a ride and duplicate it for him.

I am now hearing a creak from the driver side/rear area. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I'm usually slowing down to a stop.
Patrick, do you think it may be related to the braking system?

Patrick, do you think it may be related to the braking system?

No, I think it's mostly related to the suspension or the body. The brakes are quiet.

I've got something that rolls around inside my dashboard when I make corners a bit too enthusiastically. It sounds like a screw, but it must also occasionally get stuck in a crevice, because it's not happening all the time. I've also noticed that the plastic part that runs across the dash closest to the windshield (a separate part from the two-toned face close to driver and passenger) sticks up a bit on the corner at the passenger side, where it isn't firmly fastened. However, my wife was able to push it back into place, and it's stayed there.

Maybe the noise I'm hearing is from a fastener for that?

I've been hearing a thump/clunk sound from underneath the car everytime I exit my car! It sounds more when I tend to rock the car as I'm exiting, and it goes away after a couple "rockings". I'm thinking it may be the muffler or something to do with the suspension! Any one else have this problem?

I am now hearing a creak from the driver side/rear area. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I'm usually slowing down to a stop. I can't isolate it, so I know the dealer won't be able to. There's also a ticking/rattle on my back shelf, but I don't know if it's the rear sunshade or the speakers. I tried to pull and tug on the shade, and it's in there amazingly well (no extra play at all).

I'm still in love with the car, though!:)



I have the same problem with the back shelf. I have isolated it to between the shelf and the lining in the trunk. There is something in there that is rattling when the bass is bumping or if the stereo is off and you hit a rough patch in the road it will also rattle. I would say it is the springs for the trunk lid but it is the new style hinge system so that is ruled out. Any ideas?

The only thing I can come up with is the spring for the sun shade but it does it when it is in or out. Tension doesn't matter so it has to be something else.

I Have An Issue. The Inside Dash Is Hard To Clean I Used Baby Oil And Omg! So Just A Rag And Water? It Took Me Forever To Get It In The Grooves

I have a noise comming from under the drivers seat every now and then. Then soon after a fowl smell....

I have a noise comming from under the drivers seat every now and then. Then soon after a fowl smell....
Interesting, I have almost the same problem. Mine eminates from the back seat, though.

Now that I think about it, it only happens on the way home after taking my mother-in-law out for dinner! :eek::D

I have a noise comming from under the drivers seat every now and then. Then soon after a fowl smell....

With a fowl smell it could be the normal burn in of the catallitic converter or just an oil film burning off from other brand new metal parts. I've also heard some slight ping sounds after stopping following a long ride. The sounds might be from thermal flexing during cooling of the converter, connecting pipes, or heat shield parts. (or it could be that you drove over a partially decayed duck. That would really be a fowl smell.)

DrD

^ Thanks for your help but it was a joke......;) Some times i step on a duck.....Pizza Man got it....Mine happens more after a trip to Chipotle.....

Pizza Man got it.....
Yeah, I got it. But, my response was no joke! :eek::D;)

Yeah, I got it. But, my response was no joke! :eek::D;)
Sorry about your luck....

Don't turn on the heated seats with that fowl smell - otherwise it's goodbye Toledo!

I had a small rattle problem 1 day after I bought mine,it was a metal plate rattling on the air filter box down near the front right wheel,it has been fixed NO PROBLEM.No complaints besides that.

i have a similar rattle when car is in drive at idle coming from passenger area.

I've got some scratches and a problem with a small dime spot of clear coat on the roof. Going to get it all addressed by the dealer on the 1000 mile checkup. Other than that, no compaints.

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint. This rubber molding seemed very rough to me. I brought it to the dealer and we checked all of the other vehicles on the lot. None of them had the same material. Supposedly the dealer just received a bulletin claiming that all first run malibus have the defective molding and that it was scratching the paint. Before this, the sales and service department were arguing whether this was really a problem. The moldings are currently on back-order but was curious how many others have seen this problem? I use the term molding, however it is the rubber piece that sits over the door above the window that creates a seal between the door and the car. All four door moldings need to be replaced and they need to fix the paint.

Other than this, I love the car!

On a side note, I received a compliment the other day from a BMW 5-series owner who said he had been checking out my LTZ... :D

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint. This rubber molding seemed very rough to me. I brought it to the dealer and we checked all of the other vehicles on the lot. None of them had the same material. Supposedly the dealer just received a bulletin claiming that all first run malibus have the defective molding and that it was scratching the paint. Before this, the sales and service department were arguing whether this was really a problem. The moldings are currently on back-order but was curious how many others have seen this problem? I use the term molding, however it is the rubber piece that sits over the door above the window that creates a seal between the door and the car. All four door moldings need to be replaced and they need to fix the paint.

Other than this, I love the car!

On a side note, I received a compliment the other day from a BMW 5-series owner who said he had been checking out my LTZ... :D

Thanks, I'll take a close look at ours.

I've got some scratches and a problem with a small dime spot of clear coat on the roof. Going to get it all addressed by the dealer on the 1000 mile checkup. Other than that, no compaints.

We had a very minor paint defect on the edge of the driver door. It looked like it was dinged at the factory and repaired. The dealer agreed to repaint the door to make sure the repair was done right.

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint. This rubber molding seemed very rough to me. I brought it to the dealer and we checked all of the other vehicles on the lot. None of them had the same material. Supposedly the dealer just received a bulletin claiming that all first run malibus have the defective molding and that it was scratching the paint. Before this, the sales and service department were arguing whether this was really a problem. The moldings are currently on back-order but was curious how many others have seen this problem? I use the term molding, however it is the rubber piece that sits over the door above the window that creates a seal between the door and the car. All four door moldings need to be replaced and they need to fix the paint.




I checked my wife's car and we have the same problem :(

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint.

I checked my wife's car and we have the same problem :(
What are your build dates? Mine was built in January.

January 22nd for us.

What are your build dates? Mine was built in January.

Not sure; could you please remind me where to find this information? Thanks!

Not sure; could you please remind me where to find this information? Thanks!
On my car, there is a grey label on the drivers door jamb down low above the tire pressure label. There is a date listed on that label. Mine says Jan/08.

On my car, there is a grey label on the drivers door jamb down low above the tire pressure label. There is a date listed on that label. Mine says Jan 8, 2008.

I did not know the date was on a label. Thanks, learn something new every day.
Now if I can quit forgetting something every day :D

Now if I can quit forgetting something every day :D
I'm the guy that goes to the Home Depot for three items, comes home with four, and none of them are what I originally went there to get! I'm so easily sidetracked!

Or, I'm the guy in the supermarket on the cell phone asking the wife to tell me again what she wanted.

I ran down to the shop and showed the service manger Debbie's doors.
He said he had not noticed the TSB so far, but would look it up when he went back inside and get the door seals ordered.

My wife came to visit me at work, so I went out to look and yes I do have the same problem with the door seals scratching the paint. :(

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to the dealer I go!

Does anybody have the TSB number for this issue?

My car was manufactured 03/08 according to the sticker. I unfortunately don't know the bulletin #, but it supposedly came out in the last week.

I unfortunately don't know the bulletin #, but it supposedly came out in the last week.
That's ok, Michael. I'm sure the dealer will find it.

After getting a good look on mine, ....damn that's ugly!

Are Lee's "TDS" and Pizza Man's "TSB" the same thing? A Technical Service Bulletin? If so, is there a listing somewhere of these bulletins that are available to us forum members?

Are Lee's "TDS" and Pizza Man's "TSB" the same thing? A Technical Service Bulletin? If so, is there a listing somewhere of these bulletins that are available to us forum members?

Not sure where I came up with TDS :o I meant TSB.
There is not a list on the forum, and so far I have not found a good list on the internet.

I have found these two sites to be a good reference, however I didn't find this latest TSB relating to this issue.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm

and

http://mycarstats.com/

On my car, there is a grey label on the drivers door jamb down low above the tire pressure label. There is a date listed on that label. Mine says Jan/08.

I did not realize the build date was listed there. I was curious as to when mine was built since it was a dealer trade. It was built in Dec07. I also went to check on the door seals rubbing the paint and it seems that I have the problem as well. :(

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint. This rubber molding seemed very rough to me. I brought it to the dealer and we checked all of the other vehicles on the lot. None of them had the same material. Supposedly the dealer just received a bulletin claiming that all first run malibus have the defective molding and that it was scratching the paint. Before this, the sales and service department were arguing whether this was really a problem. The moldings are currently on back-order but was curious how many others have seen this problem? I use the term molding, however it is the rubber piece that sits over the door above the window that creates a seal between the door and the car. All four door moldings need to be replaced and they need to fix the paint.

Other than this, I love the car!

On a side note, I received a compliment the other day from a BMW 5-series owner who said he had been checking out my LTZ... :D

Yep. Same problem here. I'd noticed all the little marks perpendicular to the door edge where the seal seats before, but never though anything about it (dusty area- even non-scratched vehicles look like this until you wash thoroughly around the door openings). Anyway, looks like I'll be visiting the dealership for this one sometime too. The marks themselves look like they should buff out though. I also checked out my build date not long after buying the car. Right now I don't remember for sure, but I think it's 01/08.

Passenger side visor broke, the little flip up cover on the mirror.... thats about it.

<<< I also went to check on the door seals rubbing the paint and it seems that I have the problem as well. >>>

I noticed the problem on my car also. Darn! The 'seals' DO seem a bit stiff.

I have the same problem with the door seals!!! The built date on my car says 4/08!!!

I forgot to mention the 'build date' on my 2 LT is 12/07.

I have the same problem with the door seals!!!The built date on my car says 4/08!!!

Looks like most of us on the site will have the weather seal problem.
Anyone have a build date in May.

Looks like most of us on the site will have the weather seal problem.
Anyone have a build date in May.

I just got around to checking mine since it was just built last month and I figured I was in the clear but after looking mine looks like it has the same problem too. My car was built the week of April 21.

Okay, here's a new one! On my way back to the office from lunch today, the steering wheel starting making noise like something was rolling around inside it. Everytime I turned the wheel I could hear something rolling around. When I got back to the office (about 1 mile away) I looked at the space between the wheel and the steering column and noticed the head of a screw or bolt. That shouldn't be there, so I called the dealer and they told me to use onstar and have it towed. I don't want to drive it and have the airbag deploy or have the steering wheel fall off. I don't know how the new wheels are fastened to the column. It is getting picked up right now to get fixed. Since it is going to the dealer I am also going to get the other noise in the rear package tray fixed too. I will let you know what the result is.

I just got around to checking mine since it was just built last month and I figured I was in the clear but after looking mine looks like it has the same problem too. My car was built the week of April 21.

Looking at this again and thinking aren't any seals going to cause the same problem once they get dirty no matter how soft they are? The dirt on the seal will cause the wear instead of the seal itself. You won't be able to keep the seal dirt free all the time. Thoughts?

You won't be able to keep the seal dirt free all the time. Thoughts?
I think the problem relates to the sealing surface they're using. I've noticed mine is somewhat stiff and rough. If the seal was more compliant it would compress against the door jamb rather than slide under it. Because of the way it functions and the roughness, it can't do anything but scrape paint.

After only 4 months my paint is scraped far more than it should be.

Just my thought.

Looking at this again and thinking aren't any seals going to cause the same problem once they get dirty no matter how soft they are? The dirt on the seal will cause the wear instead of the seal itself. You won't be able to keep the seal dirt free all the time. Thoughts?

I noticed mine a week after I picked up the car (all four doors). Early on the service department at my dealer said the same thing, "oh that's normal wear" (my salesman and I didn't buy that excuse); after looking at all of the other Malibus on the lot, no other car had the same material for the weather seal. They promised me they would order replacements and buff out the scratches. Plus, there is a GM TSB, so GM acknowledges this to be a problem.

Man I'm getting nervous - my Malibu - 2 months old, no noticable noices or problems at 2,000 miles...I can't read this forum anymore!

After only 4 months my paint is scraped far more than it should be.


Pizza Man - is the inside of the door itself scratched or is it the body? Thanks.

Anybody have this happen.

Try "zeroing" DIC fields while the windshield wipers are running. My wipers stop dead in their tracks and sometimes restart and other times not. Simply turning the windshield wipers off and on fixes the minor inconvenience.

Pizza Man - is the inside of the door itself scratched or is it the body? Thanks.
Scott, it's on the body where the upper door moulding contacts the door jamb. I'll try taking a photo later.

no noticable noices or problems !

No problem with your door seals??

Anybody have this happen.

Try "zeroing" DIC fields while the windshield wipers are running. My wipers stop dead in their tracks and sometimes restart and other times not. Simply turning the windshield wipers off and on fixes the minor inconvenience.

That is bizarre!

Scott, it's on the body where the upper door moulding contacts the door jamb. I'll try taking a photo later.


I would report it to your dealer ASAP. It is possible that this will be a problem will all 2008 Malibus, in which case GM might issue a TSB to correct the problem. Then again, yours might be an isolated case of poor robot pathwork or insufficient paint flow during paint application.

I did take the battery cover off of my wife's Bu yesterday, and I'm glad I did so. The battery hold down was not attached at all. The bolt was only started, and the battery was free to "tilt/tip" anywhere it wanted to. Meh...operator error can never be completely corrected. Maybe the battery guy was lighting a smoke when mine rolled by.

in which case GM might issue a TSB to correct the problem. .

A TSB has already been issued.
Take a look at your car, you probably have the same problem.

A TSB has already been issued.
Take a look at your car, you probably have the same problem.


What's the TSB number, and what's the corrective?

edit: I don't think we'll have much wear yet. It's only a couple weeks old.

What's the TSB number, and what's the corrective?

edit: I don't think we'll have much wear yet. It's only a couple weeks old.

We do not know the number at this time.
Here is a copy of post number 42 by Mpoczobut

I noticed a couple weeks after picking up my car that the rubber door molding that covers the area between the A pillar and B pillar was scratching the paint. This rubber molding seemed very rough to me. I brought it to the dealer and we checked all of the other vehicles on the lot. None of them had the same material. Supposedly the dealer just received a bulletin claiming that all first run malibus have the defective molding and that it was scratching the paint. Before this, the sales and service department were arguing whether this was really a problem. The moldings are currently on back-order but was curious how many others have seen this problem? I use the term molding, however it is the rubber piece that sits over the door above the window that creates a seal between the door and the car. All four door moldings need to be replaced and they need to fix the paint.

Other than this, I love the car!

On a side note, I received a compliment the other day from a BMW 5-series owner who said he had been checking out my LTZ... :D
__________________
2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ - Red Jewel

Update: The loose item in the steering wheel; one of the airbag clips came undone allowing the airbag to float freely in the wheel, a safety hazard. It has been fixed. The rattling in the trunk (GM is aware, no TSB yet) was a poorly designed speaker bracket, new parts are on order. The rubber door seal doesn't have a TSB yet, but GM is aware of the issue and will fix it. New seals are on order and should be in on Tuesday. Will update when the other items come in...

On a side note, I received a compliment the other day from a BMW 5-series owner who said he had been checking out my LTZ... :D[/COLOR]
__________________
2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ - Red Jewel

Another side note: He was probably jealous his car cost more than a sweet 08 LTZ and is slower. I raced an 07 525i and was three car lengths ahead at 100mph with my LTZ.

The rubber door seal doesn't have a TSB yet, but GM is aware of the issue and will fix it. New seals are on order and should be in on Tuesday. Will update when the other items come in...

I've only found 13 TSBs for the 2008 Malibu, none of which included abilities not related to driveability.

I took my car to the dealer and they wiped out the door jams and saw that they weren't scratched yet. I've only had the car for 3 weeks but you could see the rubbing in the dust that was there. The dealer told me they will do nothing about it until there are actually scratches in the paint. I said I heard there was a TSB and they said it doesn't matter cuz that isn't a recall so still they will do nothing until it actually scratches the paint. Well I tried and now they are aware that I brought it up so if something does end up happening they know I told them. I guess for now I will just wax inside there when I wax the car and see how it goes.

Build date of 4/08 on mine. Looks like I've also got the scuff marks accumulating on my inner door opening, mainly at the front edges. Just mild scratching of the paint so far. Also have the powdery residue on the door's rubber seal. The seal does not seem overly stiff or rough though, but any grit that might accumulate in there will likely add to the scatching. Adding a tough layer of thin teflon tape over the painted surface might help prevent this.

On the lighter exterior colors this condition might not show up much until the scratching wears down to the primer color. With the darker colors this might become visible more quickly as the lighter scuff marks stand out against the dark color.

Has anyone posted the service bulletin number yet?

DrD

Here are a couple pictures to show the marks made by the door seal.

This is the driver's door back by the B pillar.
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/gallery/images/13/large/1_IMG_0031.jpg (http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/gallery/images/13/1_IMG_0031.jpg)

This is the top of the driver's door opening between the A Pillar and B Pillar.

http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/gallery/images/13/large/1_IMG_0030.jpg (http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/gallery/images/13/1_IMG_0030.jpg)

The car is almost four months old.

Here are a couple pictures to show the marks made by the door seal.
Looks exactly like mine. I could not get a decent photo of mine. Too much glare.

I talked to the service manager today and he has not found a TSB for the door seals. He said sometimes they do not put out the TSB until they have a supply of replacement parts. He figures if he orders seals now they will just get the same original seal.
He agrees the seals are too hard and rough and need replaced.
He will keep an eye out for the TSB.
If anyone else finds a TSB number for this, let us know.

I looked at my car today and noticed there are slight scratches.
My car was built on 4/08 at Orion plant.
I cleaned off seals which has some dirt on them.
I will monitor to see if they get worse over time.
Hopefully a TSB will be issued.
Other than this issue Malibu has no other problems.

I said they didn't have a TSB yet, but GM is aware of the situation and will replace the seals for new ones. They are on backorder and have to be pulled directly from the assembly line.


The car went back in today for the loose airbag retainer clip. (this is the second time now) Hopefully this time it gets fixed.

My car was built 4/21 so it's pretty new. How would I tell if I have the new seals or not? I had marks from the pollen / dust rubbing but no actual scratches yet. I still think that whatever they put in there will rub when it gets dirty. I am just wondering how to tell if I have the newer softer seals.

My car was built 4/21 so it's pretty new. How would I tell if I have the new seals or not? I had marks from the pollen / dust rubbing but no actual scratches yet. I still think that whatever they put in there will rub when it gets dirty. I am just wondering how to tell if I have the newer softer seals.

If it looks porous and feels like sandpaper then you have the bad seals. On my rear door seals, you can actually see two different compounds as you get closer to the bottom of the window (the bad material is around the top and the good material down towards the bottom). With that said, there are no scratches where there is good material.

The scratching actually looks worse than it is until you run a rag along the area; then you see a large number of vertical lines similar to Lee's pics. The white powder must be the clearcoat rubbing off (but that is only a guess). The dealer waxed the area once, but now I am waiting for the call to tell me the new seals are in.

but now I am waiting for the call to tell me the new seals are in.

By any chance would you be able to get the part number for the new seal.
My dealer is willing to oder the seals, but has not been able to find any info showing a new part number.

By any chance would you be able to get the part number for the new seal.
My dealer is willing to oder the seals, but has not been able to find any info showing a new part number.

I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

I'll let you know as soon as I find out.
Thank You.

Just a question, has anyone determined that there is a point in time that GM used new seals?

From the research I have done it appears to be mid April (simply from checking the cars on my dealer's lot)

From the research I have done it appears to be mid April (simply from checking the cars on my dealer's lot)

Good to know.....Have plans to go order mine this weekend and hope that I won't have this same issue.

My seals don't feel like sandpaper so if I got the new seals it looks like anything else that gets in (pollen, dust) on the seal is going to rub too like I thought. There is no way around it that I can see. Due to the design things are going to rub there.

From the research I have done it appears to be mid April (simply from checking the cars on my dealer's lot)

My Malibu was built April 16th. What do I need to check to let you guys know about the seals? Should it feel a certain way in my hands?

My Malibu was built April 16th. What do I need to check to let you guys know about the seals? Should it feel a certain way in my hands?

The seal feels more like a stiff plastic with a rough bumpy texture. A normal door seal is smooth, soft, and a foam like rubber material.

My car too has the door seal problem. I went to the dealer and showed it to the service manager. He was not aware of the problem till then. He said he will look out for a tsb and notify me. While in for an oil change today, I looked at 3 new cars on the lot and on all four doors noticed teflon tape where the seals make contact with painted surfaces. My build date is 11/07.

Checked the door jambs on my 2LT silverstone metallic yesterday. Yep, some rubbing going on there. Not enough to damage the paint, yet, and I'll be sure to keep the seals wipped down. The seals seem to be a little stiffer than needed. Let us know if TSB comes out guys. Thanks for the heads up.

Let's hope they solved this problem in 09'

has anyone had a problem with 2008 malibu classic steering wheel locking up when car is on

has anyone had a problem with 2008 malibu classic steering wheel locking up when car is on

Ohh....I hope not, this sounds pretty serious. Have you talked to your dealer yet?

has anyone had a problem with 2008 malibu classic steering wheel locking up when car is on
Wow. No. Is your classic a 4 cylinder with the electric power steering? Our 2004 had to have something in the EPS system replaced because it kept being disabled while driving (leaving us with Muscle Power Steering, okay at speed, not so hot at low speeds / stopped). Definitely get it checked out!

Hey guys my husband and I took the Malibu to a local dealer, not where we bought it so that may be why the instant attitude from the guy we talked to, this morning I looked at my doors and have the same thing, well as he said thats normal, well we too have the rough on the top, where the scratches are, but it is smooth toward the back with no scratches!He said it was normal and how he had never seen it before, if he's never seen it how does he know its normal???? "Oh I got that on my hummer" he says well your a dumb #@$% spend even more on a hummer and happy with the scratches? Anyways stay in touch and see if enough people find it and maybe they will fix it before it gets too bad, I am taking it down to where I got it and maybe they can fix it.

I just had my rear door seals replaced yesterday... What a difference! Unfortunately the right front is still back-ordered and the left front was the same defective door seal (so they reordered). The dealer said that GM has no TSB # but is admitting there's a problem.

So, 'mpoczobut', did you have 3 of the 4 door seals replaced?

Also, . . . what IS the difference?

Yes I did, although when the service manager checked the doors after the technician changed them, he noticed that the left front was still the defective door seal so they left it on and ordered another one. He called his GM rep and they said there must have still been a defective door seal on the shelf. No date as to when I will be getting my front door seals.

The difference is the compound/construction. The new door seals are completely smooth with no visual coarseness; the old ones appeared and felt coarse (it appears to have a texture versus a smooth piece of rubber). I will try and take a picture today to showcase the difference.

Defective Seal
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn142/RedJewelMalibu/IMG_0314.jpg

Replaced Seal
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn142/RedJewelMalibu/IMG_0313.jpg

WOW - What a difference, just from the looks you can see a HUGE difference. Thanks for the pictures I am sure it will help out a lot of members.

Atleast your service guy seen a problem! My husband wants to go shove the seals up his "nose" cause thats "NORMAL" he says. Do you have or can you get the part number

I don't have a part number, but will see if I can get one.

Great pictures. I tried to take pictures of the bad seals and it did not work. Your pictures will really be helpful to other members.

I too have this same issue. Build date of 4/08. I will take it to the dealer when I have the oil changed. I also have noticed that there seems to be quite a bit of noise coming from the drivers side ceiling by the pillar bar. I removed the gasket around the moon roof and it seems to be the foam like material that casues the tapping/ticking noise.

I took Betty in Tuesday and after viewing the marks to the roof area, four new seals were ordered. They will call when they arrive, and will paint and clear coat when they do the seals. So far I am the only one to bring it to their attention. I spoke directly to the service manager and the dealer owner and showed them the affected areas. The response was immediate. Made my day!!

I took Betty in Tuesday and after viewing the marks to the roof area, four new seals were ordered. They will call when they arrive, and will paint and clear coat when they do the seals. So far I am the only one to bring it to their attention. I spoke directly to the service manager and the dealer owner and showed them the affected areas. The response was immediate. Made my day!!

WOW - Great story, and nice to see they fixed it right away! Nice to see some people still know what Customer Service means.

I finally had all of my door seals replaced. It took ordering 3 of the left front seals before we got a non-defective one; I had better luck with the other three. The invoice is a little confusing because they ordered the same molding 3 times.

I have the following part #s

25947381 - RR DR MOL
25947380 - RR DR MOL
25811538 - x 3 - MOLDING
25811537 - FRT DR MO

Still no TSB yet.

mpoczobut - WOW - This is great information....I am sure others on the forum will welcome the part numbers.

Thanks For The Part Numbers I Took My Car Down This Morning To Where I Purchased It And They Were Awesome! New Seals Will Be Here In A Couple Weeks And My Rim Recall Will Be Replaced Tomarrow, I Am So Glad They Were Not Butts Like The Other Dealer, So Future Car Buying Will Go To Them, Instead Of Local And Being Female They Didn't Bull@#$% Me. Thumbs Up. Thanks Again For Bringing The Seals And Rims To Our Attention. Later Guys

My dealer called yesterday, seals are in and got an appt for Wed morning to replace them and do the paint. They said a rental will be for me as well. Will let you know how it all goes.

Took the LTZ to the dealer this morning - I hit a really big Michigan pothole and the wheel is out of balance. I got the news I didn't want to hear - the wheel is bent. So they'll have to order another one. I'll keep the old one to see if I can get it straightened later.

While the car is in there - I had this low rumbling/rough idle problem for them to check out. They did detect an occassional misfire in the cylinders. I didn't think that should happen with the ticker just over 9,000 miles. After some consultation with GM, the diagnosis was "normal". Apparently at idle the computer wants to run as lean as possible to save fuel, so it borders on misfiring from time to time. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but apparently no one else detected in their 3.6 engines.

Amge63 - Good information to know, and heck it makes sense also!

Well, I mentioned over on the mpg topic how well I like my car, but that it has a couple of minor niggles that I hadn't listed here yet, so let me get things up to date.

The first thing I'm noticing now, at 4 months of ownership / 6000 miles, is that the chrome trim on the passenger side rear door lip (lower edge) seems to be coming away from the door. Not enough to actually peel off, just enough that it's easy to see that it doesn't line up properly with the trim that continues on up the front door.

The second thing is that the plastic trim covering the lower interior part of the driver's side b-pillar has a 'melted' looking spot on it now. The area in question is the corner of the part that extends the driver's door armrest onto the pillar, specifically the corner where it meets the rear edge of the armrest. Since it's never in direct sunlight, and since I'm not in the habit of putting a heat gun on any of my interior parts, I'm a bit at a loss as to how it happened, unless it was that way when I bought the car and I just now noticed (entirely possible I suppose, but unlikely).

Anyway, I'll be having the dealership check both out the next time it goes in for an oil change. I'm fairly sure they'll replace the plastic trim piece inside and remove then reattach the chrome window trim on the outside. No biggies.

While I was at the dealer. I looked over a 2009 LTZ same as mine. The paint is still bare on the gas cap. So I checked out some of the others. The silver and champagne colored ones looks fine, but the blue and black ones are most visible. My black one is only missing some paint on the hinged edge, the blue one I saw was missing paint all around the edges. I showed it to the dealer, they just shrugged and said this is not the worst they've seen. Probably need to do a little better than that for an import fighter.

I finally had all of my door seals replaced. It took ordering 3 of the left front seals before we got a non-defective one; I had better luck with the other three. The invoice is a little confusing because they ordered the same molding 3 times.

I have the following part #s

25947381 - RR DR MOL
25947380 - RR DR MOL
25811538 - x 3 - MOLDING
25811537 - FRT DR MO

Still no TSB yet.

Could you specify which part numbers are for the GOOD seals? The Shop Manager at my dealership has not seen this complaint from any other Malibu owner! I could pass this information to him so he could order me the Good seals!!! thanks!!

jr_78 - The numbers listed above are for all the trim. If you have the issue it should be reflective of all your moldings.

Cheers.

I have a 4/08 and I think mine looks like the new molding but I can t be sure. Mine rubs and only has 225 miles. I think the new or old will still rub off paint if they are too tight.

OK, I looked again and mine seems to have the new molding. 4/08 build. I noticed a little white powder dust on the drivers door molding towards the front where it slopes down. Don t know if that clear coat rub or not. I guess time will tell.

cerbomark - Keep an eye on it, they suspect there may be a service bulletin for it sometime soon....at least than you may be in a better position to get them changed.

Cheers!

With 3,500 miles, on my 2008 LTZ, the fake wood moulding has come loose from the dash, drivers side, near the mirror adjustment switched.

It looks as if it has a push in plastic tab which nolonger holds it in place.

OK, I looked again and mine seems to have the new molding. 4/08 build. I noticed a little white powder dust on the drivers door molding towards the front where it slopes down. Don t know if that clear coat rub or not. I guess time will tell.
My LTZ has an 4/08 build date also from the Lake Orion Plant with no problems with scratching, they look like the new seals as they are soft and foamy, I use a vinyl/rubber dressing on all the door seals to keep them soft and pliable as well as waxing the top part of the door frame that the seals come in contact with :D

My LTZ has an 4/08 build date also from the Lake Orion Plant with no problems with scratching, they look like the new seals as they are soft and foamy, I use a vinyl/rubber dressing on all the door seals to keep them soft and pliable as well as waxing the top part of the door frame that the seals come in contact with :D


Well aren't we fancy shamsy! LOL - Just a whole lotta love right there! :D

A little anal I know but it's the little details that I sweat over ;), I should have been a Detailer :D

I'm new but i got some issues with My LT1...The ECM burnt out after the first 1800 miles. The dealer had my ride for almost two weeks trying to find the part, that was fixed. Then last week my power ports weren't working...took it back and it was fixed. Now, the threads on my driver seat are coming apart in a patch where i sit...Just checked my door sills and yes, I have the scratches. I have a build date of 2/08

See my issue in this post:

http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480

Anybody have this happen.

Try "zeroing" DIC fields while the windshield wipers are running. My wipers stop dead in their tracks and sometimes restart and other times not. Simply turning the windshield wipers off and on fixes the minor inconvenience.

The first time I used my wipers they had some weird intermittent thing going where they'd wipe, pause mid-stroke, wipe more.. etc... I've noticed since that the wipers speed appears to be tied to ground speed and so I think that it was 'learning' the ground speed and how to respond???? That's my guess. It hasn't done that since.

The speed sensitive wipers are one of the features. I'd personally rather have had Rainsense II wipers, though some folks have complained just the opposite- that the RS wipers didn't run when they should or ran when they shouldn't. I got spoiled with that on the Avalanche, and find myself adjusting the speed far more often with my Malibu than I did with the Av.

I just had new door seals installed to replace the old ones. However, they seem to be made of the same material as the previous ones. I'll see what happens with these. If they continue to scratch the paint...back she will go.

I have the door seal problem, too.

Hello Everyone,

Went to the dealer yesterday, and they're ordering new seals. Hope they're not back ordered for too long!

They also had to order a new turn signal canceling ring for the steering wheel. My left turns don't self cancel, so I look like an idiot when I forget....luckily my 'Bu reminds me!

With 3,500 miles, on my 2008 LTZ, the fake wood moulding has come loose from the dash, drivers side, near the mirror adjustment switched.

It looks as if it has a push in plastic tab which nolonger holds it in place.


I just noticed this molding coming off on mine too. And yes, I have the door seal rubbing on paint too.

The chrome step plates in the front door opening are coming loose on mine now. They started bubbling up a bit a few weeks back, but I was able to simply press them firmly back in place (backed with adhesive or something). Lately I've noticed them bubbling again, and they pop back up almost as soon as I try to smooth them down. This is another on my minor nitpick list to be addressed when my car's in the dealership next time.

A not-so-minor item going on the list is that the parking brake pedal is doing something weird. I know it's spring-loaded to return to the unlocked position, but the spring appears to 'slip' sometimes when setting the brake. There's a fairly loud 'bang' and the pedal moves easier than usual to the locked position. There is still resistance, and pushing it again still works the way it's supposed to, but with less force. It's not consistent though- the pedal feels as firm as ever once the brake is released, at least until the 'pop' happens again. The brake itself DOES get set or release as it's supposed to, so the cable itself isn't to blame.

The newly installed door seals are still scratching the paint. Does anyone have the correct part numbers to the correct door seals. I'm sure that the dealer would like these since they will have to replace them again.

The chrome step plates in the front door opening are coming loose on mine now. They started bubbling up a bit a few weeks back, but I was able to simply press them firmly back in place (backed with adhesive or something). Lately I've noticed them bubbling again, and they pop back up almost as soon as I try to smooth them down. This is another on my minor nitpick list to be addressed when my car's in the dealership next time.

.

We had one of ours replaced a couple months back for the same reason.

We had one of ours replaced a couple months back for the same reason.
I noticed the same on ours this weekend. :(

I noticed that lid for the storage area in the top center of the dash is faded different than the rest of the dash. The dash is black.
The car goes in for a oil change tomorrow and I asked the service manager to check on replacing it.

The newly installed door seals are still scratching the paint. Does anyone have the correct part numbers to the correct door seals. I'm sure that the dealer would like these since they will have to replace them again.

Here is a copy of a reply by mpoczobut on 6-26-08
I do not know if the part numbers are correct.

I finally had all of my door seals replaced. It took ordering 3 of the left front seals before we got a non-defective one; I had better luck with the other three. The invoice is a little confusing because they ordered the same molding 3 times.

I have the following part #s

25947381 - RR DR MOL
25947380 - RR DR MOL
25811538 - x 3 - MOLDING
25811537 - FRT DR MO

Only prob im having that ,,im soo used to drive a Truck, i dont realized the malibu bumper is 6'inches low in the front ..and i keep hitting the under body, some straches here and there but nothing major....anyone having the same issue?

Nope. I'm pretty aware of how low the car is most of the time, so I'm cautious with it. In fact, I tend to be careful pulling up because it's also hard to judge just how far out the sloped nose actually extends.

Only prob im having that ,,im soo used to drive a Truck, i dont realized the malibu bumper is 6'inches low in the front ..and i keep hitting the under body, some straches here and there but nothing major....anyone having the same issue?

I keep doing that, too.. this car just seems lower than others.. at least at the front bumper. I've never had such a problem with this happening on any other car we've owned.

I noticed that lid for the storage area in the top center of the dash is faded different than the rest of the dash. The dash is black.
The car goes in for a oil change tomorrow and I asked the service manager to check on replacing it.

noticed this on mine, too.

I noticed that lid for the storage area in the top center of the dash is faded different than the rest of the dash. The dash is black.
The car goes in for a oil change tomorrow and I asked the service manager to check on replacing it.
I forgot to mention, my dealer has ordered a new plastic door. The new door will probably do the same thing, but thought it would be worth a shot.

Sounds like a dashcover might be a good solution. It will keep the sun off of the dash surfaces, and since the different color is fading, that should be protected. Not to mention that some of them are good looking accents in the interior.

Sounds like a dashcover might be a good solution. It will keep the sun off of the dash surfaces, and since the different color is fading, that should be protected. Not to mention that some of them are good looking accents in the interior.

The dash is a beautiful design and I hate to cover it. I'll try to keep it treated and use a sun shade more often. I've noticed my wife is using the sun shade most of the time since we noticed the fading.

the door must be made somewhere different or of a slightly different material cause I have the brown dash and the top door its slightly different. Doesn t really bother me. PS/ Dont think it was in the sun long enough to cause this.

the door must be made somewhere different or of a slightly different material .

It's a different material. The door is a hard plastic and the dash is soft.

Yep. I noticed the difference during the first week. But the brown colors still seem to match on mine. I started out using the sunshade religiously here at work, but lately have given up, hoping that maybe the heat will cure the interior 'outgassing' sooner, so my windows stop getting so fogged.

I also refuse to use any alcohol-based interior cleaner / protectant if I can avoid it. In the past it seemed to accelerate problems such as cracking of the dash. Who knows if it will have the same type of effect with these new materials. Not that it matters, since I don't like to make my dash glossy where it was originally matte finished. Usually plain 'ol water to clean, then a dry cloth to finish up are what I use now. I do wonder if the non-glossy Armor-All interior cleaner / protectant has alcohol (have to look next time I'm in the store), and whether it would help preserve the color of our different materials though.

. I do wonder if the non-glossy Armor-All interior cleaner / protectant has alcohol (have to look next time I'm in the store), and whether it would help preserve the color of our different materials though.

I'll take a look. I usually use non-glossy products because I don't like the shiny look.
For cleaning the dash I use a California Duster. This works good on the texture.

It's a different material. The door is a hard plastic and the dash is soft.

that s the reason for the color difference , it s not that noticeable if you don t point it out.

that s the reason for the color difference , it s not that noticeable if you don t point it out.

When you look at a new car the color is the same. Also ours is turning white or grey along the outer edges.

I have the same issue with the bumper, I cant even pull out of my driveway without scratching the bumper it is 10x lower than normal cars If you find something to put on to help prevent let me know I thought about gatorback stuf but dont know if colors will match?????

anyone has a buzzing sound coming from the drivers foot well, left side? i don't think it's the speaker, the speaker is pretty snug and it is not related to whether the radio is playing or not.
sounds like something simple, like a wiring harness having a paper sticker touching the body.

I went out yesterday and I noticed the front driver`s side speaker had a buzz in it,I will bring it to the dealer tomorrow.

Was that a buzz when playing music or all the time? I have a buzz too, can't quite locate it....

In case anyone cares - the buzzing was coming from the front part of the driver's side armrest (where the power window switches are). The front of the soft plastic part that surrounds the switch meets the door and is not attached to the door, I could cause the sound bu gently pushing the armrest at the front. A few drops of silicone windshield sealer fixed the problem.

I have the same issue with the bumper, I cant even pull out of my driveway without scratching the bumper it is 10x lower than normal cars If you find something to put on to help prevent let me know I thought about gatorback stuf but dont know if colors will match?????

I have repeatedly scratched the center of the front bumper, just below the line of sights where the hard black plastic comes in to support the fascia itself. To prevent the black plastic from eventually being rubbed away and the the fascia getting the blunt, I did a do-it-yourself job.

I went to autozone and bought a two-dollar chrome (aluminum, not plastic or any byproduct) door handle cover for a truck tailgate (I believe it is the late 90's Silverado one :D) and took a drill and drilled a hole the size of the bolt holding the fascia and black support together. After the hole was drilled, I unscrewed the bolt and placed a washer so it would hold the door handle.

I got it just tight enough to where it will not turn on the axis, and so far has taken the scratches from asphalt very well with no damage to the body.

Could you post pics of the finished mod? I'm having a bit of trouble visualizing, other than that it protects the lower front bumper area..

I have repeatedly scratched the center of the front bumper, just below the line of sights where the hard black plastic comes in to support the fascia itself. To prevent the black plastic from eventually being rubbed away and the the fascia getting the blunt, I did a do-it-yourself job.

I went to autozone and bought a two-dollar chrome (aluminum, not plastic or any byproduct) door handle cover for a truck tailgate (I believe it is the late 90's Silverado one :D) and took a drill and drilled a hole the size of the bolt holding the fascia and black support together. After the hole was drilled, I unscrewed the bolt and placed a washer so it would hold the door handle.

I got it just tight enough to where it will not turn on the axis, and so far has taken the scratches from asphalt very well with no damage to the body.

This sounds like a great solution, could you post pics?

Thanks in advance

I will when I get home later tonight. It's nothing special, but it does not look trashy either. If you look at my gallery, you'll some shots of the front end, but you can not see the little guard I installed. It does the job very well, though. I have noticed that the bolt is also taking a bit of the hit, so that's something I think I'll have to live with.

I don't get it up tonight, I will tomorrow :D

Here are the links to the pictures I took tonight. Do not judge my care practices by that bug splat and the dirt...I just made a trip back from Knoxville (240mi trip both ways) and have not had the time to wash it yet :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04376.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04377.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04379.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04380.jpg

Here are the links to the pictures I took tonight. Do not judge my care practices by that bug splat and the dirt...I just made a trip back from Knoxville (240mi trip both ways) and have not had the time to wash it yet :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04376.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04377.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04379.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/DSC04380.jpg

Nice job....It doesn't look trashy at all! Don't worry about the bugs it's that time of year! LOL

Thanks for the info, and thanks for the pics....Really gives a better idea of what it is and how to do it.

Cheers!

Agreed. Whodathunkit- a car with skid plates! :D

looks pretty discreet, well done.

Hey, if I could, I'd run sheet metal down the bottom of the car, too, to prevent salt and other little minions from getting up there :D

That sounds like a good idea Truitt!

In case anyone cares - the buzzing was coming from the front part of the driver's side armrest (where the power window switches are). The front of the soft plastic part that surrounds the switch meets the door and is not attached to the door, I could cause the sound bu gently pushing the armrest at the front. A few drops of silicone windshield sealer fixed the problem.
I heard a buzzing sound coming from my armrest too, but found out that i had my cell phone sitting in it.:D

Something weird happened to me on the way into work this morning. For some reason while I was driving my TRACTION CONTROL light turned on on the dashboard and then it said LOW TRACTION in the digital display. Then just like that....it was gone and it never came back on. I dunnu what that was about but at least now I know that the car will tell me when I have low traction.

Something weird happened to me on the way into work this morning. For some reason while I was driving my TRACTION CONTROL light turned on on the dashboard and then it said LOW TRACTION in the digital display. Then just like that....it was gone and it never came back on. I dunnu what that was about but at least now I know that the car will tell me when I have low traction.

Thats a cool feature, didn't know the Malibu could do that.

Well yeah it doesn't want you to panic when you notice an immediate loss of engine power! I see that on a daily basis during the winter and god do I hate it LOL

Has anyone had any problems with dashboard creaks? I have a creaking noise coming from the dash near the drivers side A-Pillar. The dealer claims they can't hear it but its driving me nuts. It only happens when accelerating from a stop and just sounds like something rubbing somewhere.

No creaks, but two new observations (one was a problem):

The tire pressure monitoring system works great. We ran over a screw on the way back out of Asheville Tuesday morning, thought it was a rock. Realized differently right after getting onto I240/I40 east, as the tire pressure warning light came on, and a "Check Tire Pressures" message came up in the DIC. When I cycled it to the pressures, I saw ~20 for the LR tire (versus the 32 it WAS at..). I made a beeline for the next exit, and a parking lot (was hoping for a service station / tire center, but none that close) while keeping an eye on the display. It dutifully (and thankfully, slowly) showed the drop in pressure as it was happening. By the end of the offramp I was seeing 14, by the left turn light I needed to take to get to the BP (could see the station from the offramp!) it was at 11, and it was at 10 when I parked and began swapping the wheel for the mini spare. A local tire store removed the ~1" long screw from the center of the tread and plugged / patched the tire up for less than $20, and we were on our way again.

Unfortunately, this is where the problem issue came up. We took our exit in Old Fort, turned right at the end of the ramp (leaving town southbound), in a 35mph zone. I glanced down at my speedometer on the ~1/2 mile stretch of 35 left, realized I was going a bit slow (25), and accelerated a little. That's when I discovered that the tach and speedometer WEREN'T changing. I also noticed that the tire pressure warning light was back on, but with no DIC messages (scrolled through quickly to be sure that the readout still showed the right pressure too- which it did). So I pulled off the road, turned off the car, got out to visually check the tire, got back in, noticed the reading was 25 mph / 2000 rpm / 5/8 tank of fuel, roughly middle temp guage readout, WITH the key OUT of the engition! Nothing changed when I restarted the car, so I went home and called my dealership's service department to see if I could get it in during the afternoon, to which they replied, "bring it on in", along with telling me that they expected to have to replace the cluster, because for some reason a number of recent GM vehicles have had defective cluster issues.

When I restarted the car to leave, the guages sprang to life (the pointer sweep happened), but the guages didn't settle back to the "correct" / "normal" positions. They were all off by however far from the "Off" position they'd been stuck in- ie. speed started at 25, tach at 2000, fuel guage showed 1.25 - 1.5 tankfull (yeah, cool!), and the temp guage was near Hot. When I got to the dealership and turned the car off in the service department checkin area, the guages dropped back to the "stuck" positions. Once the service manager got in, started the car, then turned it on and off several times, it reset to normal. Of course, this was 2 hours after I got there, so.. They still wanted to take a look at it, and because I'd been there that long already, I let them. The tech that checked it out found a bulletin (didn't say for sure a TSB) about "erratic" guages, which called for a "reprogram", then had to Force the reprogram (car wouldn't accept the initial attempt, so called someone higher and got an override code).

So.. around 4:30 I got to take the car home, with everything working normally again. I don't really know whether to expect anyone else to see this issue, and it's the first my service manager had ever heard of with the 08+ cars. Though he DID say that *someone* must've seen it before, or the bulletin wouldn't have existed. This is more of a problem / resolution / FYI post than a gripe. On the other hand, being able to say I was doing an indicated 100mph with the cruise control set and no worries about state troopers sounds pretty cool too..

Anyone get high a pitch sound coming from top vent at slower to middle fan speeds. Of course no noise when air is directed by your feet

Anyone get high a pitch sound coming from top vent at slower to middle fan speeds. Of course no noise when air is directed by your feet

Yes, I have noticed this as well. Very noisy HVAC system.

Anyone get high a pitch sound coming from top vent at slower to middle fan speeds. Of course no noise when air is directed by your feet

mine's ok...

Here's one. I haven't brought it back to the dealer yet because it only happens occasionally.

When we use the remote start feature, then enter the vehicle and put the key in and switch it to the run position we sometimes (rarely) hear static coming from the radio. It lasts only one or two seconds, then all is perfect.

Anyone else? Any thoughts?



This may have been addressed already (im late to the thread) but it comes from the Onstar. You may hear it for 60seconds after the car shuts off to. Happends in some gm's. Can also happen when the car sends an update to onstar aka a diagnostic report.

Anyone get high a pitch sound coming from top vent at slower to middle fan speeds. Of course no noise when air is directed by your feet

Mine seems to do it as it slows the fan speed and/or switches zones from the windshield to the feet. It only happens then, and if I take the fan speed off Auto it's gone. Not sure what types of "flaps" or "doors" it uses to switch zones, but to me it seems like something is barely open causeing the high pitched whistle, like air blowing through a small crack :confused:

I have had very minimal issues with this car. I am very impressed with my 08 LTZ V6. I have 9000 miles (purchased in 2/08). The two issues I have had include 1) Dry cleaning hook on Driver side (back seat), was very loose and was actually broken. Dealer fixed same day. 2) more serious problem; driver side, rear lower quarter panel kept "flexing" outward. Dealer said panel is missing a couple of clips and parts would have to be ordered. After a week, parts arrived, dealer fixed panel (body shop at dealer did actual work). No problems since.

I've had a number of problems with my 08 LT. Have had the car for 1 yr now & problems started about a month after getting the car.
First problem was when driving the car, suddenly the instrument panel was gone... everything to 0 and every message you could think of came up on the dash. Car would shift really hard (lost speedometer too so had no idea how fast I was going). Problem ended up being a wire with a short in it.

Next, a few months later, the car just suddenly wouldn't start. Then suddenly it would start - no reason whatsoever. Took it in to read the codes several times but the it didn't show what the problem was and the dealership didn't know what to fix. It was spuratic so you couldn't make it not start. When it did finally start, again, it would shift very hard (obviously have an automatic). Problem seemed to go away on it's own then suddenly during the summer it happened again while in the mountains. Car wouldn't start for an hour. On Star doesn't work in "remote locations" and finally when I could connect with On Star, they couldn't seem to get my location. The car finally started and once back in town, back to the dealership it went. They still couldn't find the problem. Car came back home. In September, this happened again. First they replaced the ignition, seemed to work & sent the car home again. A week later, still the problem of not starting. Finally they found that there was a short in the steering column that was causing all the problems (and they found it by accident). But now, no problems with it not starting.

Third problem.... winter hit which means snow. Well, the poor design (or lack of design) causes the trunk to freeze shut. With the rear defrost on, snow/ice melts, runs down the back window & then freezes again & freezes the trunk shut! Any accumulation of snow freezes the trunk shut (a real pain some days!! Makes the trunk useless during the winter).

Fourth problem... again during winter. Wipers sit so far down the windshield that the defrost doesn't melt ice off the wipers & they are useless cleaning off the windshield.

Fifth problem.... happened December 08 (almost after a year of owning the car). We had a bit of a warmer day around freezing. I was at work all day & at 5pm got in the car to drive home (which is a 10 minute drive). Started driving & suddenly there was a mini river pouring out of the map lights and as I turned the corner, the river was pouring onto my lap! There was a good pile of water that poured out. 10 minutes later when I arrived at home, it was still dripping out. Just took to the dealership & they said it is condensation... no way there could be that much condensation inside the vehicle. I live in a dry and windy climate.

Earlier in the year, also had the drivers sill plate that was peeling off.
I'm not impressed with all the problems I've had with it.
Can hardly wait to see what else happens (good thing I got extended warranty... I'm sure I'll need it)

I've had a number of problems with my 08 LT. Have had the car for 1 yr now & problems started about a month after getting the car.


That's too many problems and not consistent with anything else I've been reading. Should have used your state's Lemon Law and tried to get a new one.

Totally unacceptable.. your dealership/GM definitely needs to replace your car.. and if they won't accept that then you really do need to contact the state.

Anyone get high a pitch sound coming from top vent at slower to middle fan speeds. Of course no noise when air is directed by your feet

Just picked up our 09 LTZ v6 on Sat last week. Noticed it the first night driving it home from the dealership. It does it periodically and it's always on fan-auto mode. The vent location is not always on auto though when the high pitch shows up. I can just switch the fan to high for a moment and it goes away. Put the fan back to auto and all ok for an undetermined amount of time.

I've noticed the fan's high pitched sound but it's not worth me getting it checked out.

When I look in the driver's side mirror at the chrome underneath the windows, the rear side's chrome is coming up and is not level with the driver's door chrome.

My dash storage door is also fading around the edges as mentioned in previous posts. I have the cocoa dash for what it's worth.

The trunk freezing issue as hit me a few times and there's not much I can do about it.

I ordered mud flaps and when I pick them up, I'll have them check out those two issues and put the flaps on for me.

I noticed today that the center seam on my ultralux seats are seperating. Anyone deal with this before? Is it covered under warranty, only 1500 miles.

mpoczobut, did replacing your door seals seem to fix the problem? My dealership ordered new ones today off of your part numbers, but I was wondering if it made a difference or not?

mpoczobut, did replacing your door seals seem to fix the problem? My dealership ordered new ones today off of your part numbers, but I was wondering if it made a difference or not?

it did on 3 of the 4 doors but the driver's door was so bad that it continues to scuff/ scratch the paint.

it did on 3 of the 4 doors but the driver's door was so bad that it continues to scuff/ scratch the paint.

Silicone grease might help.

Thanks Yury

Actually Yury I'd suggest a Sillicone spray on the door seals instead of a grease, you don't really want the mess from a sillicone grease it will collect and trap dirt and debri.

WEIRD "cold start" problem:

When the car has been sitting for say 12 hrs or more i get a weird throttle surge problem. When i stop the car (for a stop sign) the tach dips to 400 rpm or so, like its going to die. Then the engine revs to 2000 rpm (like stomping the gas) and the car lurches forward. All this happens with my foot on the brake. It is unnerving.

This only occurs within a minute or so of a "cold start" after the car has sat for 12 hours or more. Outside temp was 72 degrees.


It only happens once or twice during the 1st few minutes after start-up.

When the car is warmed up it runs perfect.

Going back to dealer next week. Anybody else have this problem?

WEIRD "cold start" problem:

When the car has been sitting for say 12 hrs or more i get a weird throttle surge problem. When i stop the car (for a stop sign) the tach dips to 400 rpm or so, like its going to die. Then the engine revs to 2000 rpm (like stomping the gas) and the car lurches forward. All this happens with my foot on the brake. It is unnerving.

This only occurs within a minute or so of a "cold start" after the car has sat for 12 hours or more. Outside temp was 72 degrees.


It only happens once or twice during the 1st few minutes after start-up.

When the car is warmed up it runs perfect.

Going back to dealer next week. Anybody else have this problem?


My engine shudders and feels like its misfiring or off-balance somewhat on a cold start. It smooths out after the motor warms up.

The car only has 500 miles on it and the dealer told me initially it was due to the vehicle sitting on the lot and to wait. Now I don't think that's the case.

Ever go to carcomplaints.com? Enter the Malibu then the new Accord and Camry.... WOW. Has the tables turned?

I have a 09 LTZ, and I have a slight squeak from the radio trim, right above where the temperature controls are. If I hold it with my finger, it will go away when I go over bumps. My wife hasn't noticed it, she drives the car mostly, so I think I'll wait to get it fixed. The car has 1200 miles on it, and I'm worried if the dealer starts taking the dash apart,

1. they will either scratch something, or
2. something else is going to start squeaking. Theres a lot of plastic there.

The last thing I need is someone to scratch the dash, say it was already there, and be stuck with a new car with a blemish like that.

I might see if I could just take the bezel off and maybe put a bit of felt there to stop the noise. I know I'll be more careful than the dealer because it is my car. I had them replace the driver's side seat cushion, and in the process I could tell where they had scratched and rubbed the armrest storage while trying to get it in. Its not bad, or that noticeable, but it just really sucks on a new car. If it had 20000 miles on it, I don't think I'd care as much.

Has anyone else noticed any squeak from the same area, right where the radio and temp controls meet?

How about spraying a little silicone where the squeak or rattle is. Worked for me on the steering wheel radio control buttons.

I have a 09 LTZ, and I have a slight squeak from the radio trim, right above where the temperature controls are. If I hold it with my finger, it will go away when I go over bumps. My wife hasn't noticed it, she drives the car mostly, so I think I'll wait to get it fixed. The car has 1200 miles on it, and I'm worried if the dealer starts taking the dash apart,

1. they will either scratch something, or
2. something else is going to start squeaking. Theres a lot of plastic there.

The last thing I need is someone to scratch the dash, say it was already there, and be stuck with a new car with a blemish like that.

I might see if I could just take the bezel off and maybe put a bit of felt there to stop the noise. I know I'll be more careful than the dealer because it is my car. I had them replace the driver's side seat cushion, and in the process I could tell where they had scratched and rubbed the armrest storage while trying to get it in. Its not bad, or that noticeable, but it just really sucks on a new car. If it had 20000 miles on it, I don't think I'd care as much.

Has anyone else noticed any squeak from the same area, right where the radio and temp controls meet?

This is the first complaint like this I have seen here on this site.

I argee on not trusting the dealer to do the job perfectly, I find that a lot of techs are either short on time or do not care enough to do this kind of job well.

In your case it's worth looking into it yourself. Here's a video of radio removal, I think that should help : http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1570&highlight=radio+removal

I have a feeling that it really doesn't need any felt. It's more likely that there's a small assembly error such as not property engaged clip or just general dryness of some surface in which case,as KURLY said, silicon spray should help. In my experience with this car it's either one of those, I am yet to find any bad design choices (which was typically the source of squeaks and rattles in my car before this one - an Accord).

Hmm, I'll have to try the silicone. I'm baffled, I've tried pushing down firmly to see if it will click in to place or what, but have had no luck. Does anyone know how that trim is connected to the radio; is it glued down or snapped in?

It almost seems like it is not rubbing against anything, but flexing it self. If you push the bottom trim of your radio, it will probably make a slight plastic noise, but mine makes it when I go over bumps. I don't think it is rubbing against the hvac controls, there is a gap there.

I've noticed, it won't happen right away when the car is cold, I'm assuming the heat from the radio gets the plastic all loose and ready to go (squeak on me).

Oh well, I'll have to find some time and see what I can do. I'm just worried if I take the appropriate parts apart, some other plastic will start squeaking. Not to mention, there are a lot of plastic clips there, and I'm worried about breaking one.

I wish they would release the Helm for the 09 Malibu, but it is still not available yet. I wonder if they are just going to release an update for the 08 instead for the 09.

Thanks for the silicon suggestion.

Yury, what year was your Accord?

My Accord was year 07.

If you're careful you should be able to take it apart and put back together, it seems quite straightforward. I have done it several times in Accord, and it's trickier there, the parts laid out more awkwardly than in Malibu and clips are flimsier. Clips in Malibu tend to be pretty beefy.

That trim shouldn't really flex itself, but who knows. I'd still take the radio out and examine it in details, maybe there's a wire stuck somewhere. Also it will give you a chance to apply silicon spay more precisely.

I think have a tech do that is actually riskier than doing it yourself (if you are willing to take the time to do that carefully and with proper directions). Most of them just don't care about little things.

My '09 Malibu has only two issues so far.

One issue is the dashboard center storage lid. It's now bowed and looks like the cheap piece of hard plastic it is. Actually, now that I think about it I have it wrong. It's the padded dash material that's actually bowed down at the center to the rear hinge area, leaving the perfectly straight lid sticking up a bit. I can only see this getting worse with time, as the car is only 4 weeks old and hasn't seen any serious heat from the sun yet. No way I can be putting a shade over it because I'm in sales and in & out of the car constantly.

The design is fundamentally flawed. With my wife's Nissan Sentra, it has a similar storage bin. When Nissan designed it, they ran a hard plastic "rim" around the bin where the cover/door meets the dash. The cover could get all out of shape but you'd never notice.

Issue #2 is a equally-common No.3 button on the radio not liking to work. I may take it back for that one. Other than those two things, good car.

BTW, I noted the post about an LTZ owner beating a BMW 525i. Fair enough. A 3.6l V-6 should beat a 2.8l inline six. Consider that the BMW owner could've bought TWO LTZ's for what his car cost, but does have a lot a features we don't, some of which are safety related. Every car has it's up & downs. Straight line speed isn't everything. I know my old BMW has no torque steer at all. ;)

My Accord was year 07.

If you're careful you should be able to take it apart and put back together, it seems quite straightforward. I have done it several times in Accord, and it's trickier there, the parts laid out more awkwardly than in Malibu and clips are flimsier. Clips in Malibu tend to be pretty beefy.

That trim shouldn't really flex itself, but who knows. I'd still take the radio out and examine it in details, maybe there's a wire stuck somewhere. Also it will give you a chance to apply silicon spay more precisely.

I think have a tech do that is actually riskier than doing it yourself (if you are willing to take the time to do that carefully and with proper directions). Most of them just don't care about little things.

I agree with this, which is why i've always installed my own sound systems in my cars and my friend's cars. if i get it done at the dealer and something breaks or they scratch something, they could easily say it was already like that, or just wave it off as being acceptable.

i think what i'll do is when my wife says something i'll look into it. no use in taking stuff apart in a car that only has 1400 miles.

I'm pretty sure its not a wire; when i hold the trip piece down it stops. if i push firmly, it will silence for a bit. which makes me wonder, if it is glued down, when i push it, am i forcing the glue to hold the trip piece for a bit longer?

i'll have to put a post in the modifications forum and see if any one has installed an aftermarket radio and can take a look at the trip piece on the stock one.

i bought my car in august of 08 and not 4 months later I had a problem with my door sensors. Actually I had a problem with 3 of the door sensors. I would lock and arm my car from the d-pad and the alarm would go off telling me that my doors were opened. I had to disconnect the battery for the night and bring it to the dealer the next day. they said it looked like all three short circuited and that it would take a while to get the parts cause they were all on back order because a lot of other people were having the same problem... Anyone else have this experience?

Anyways the parts came in and the doors were fixed and everything worked great. UNTIL lol My left rear door decided that it no longer wanted to lock/unlock or open and when it was opened it didn't want to close. So i brought it into the dealer and they said they couldn't duplicate this issue. To make a long story short, I finally convinced them to order a new locking mechanism for the car with a new electrical component. Now it works great. Anyone else deal with this before?

Other than those issues I love my car!!!

love my brand new 2011 malibu (upgrade from 2008). Have noticed intermittent problem with my automatic start feature. I have to press the remote button VERY hard to activate & sometimes that doesn't even work. Has any one else had this problem??

love my brand new 2011 malibu (upgrade from 2008). Have noticed intermittent problem with my automatic start feature. I have to press the remote button VERY hard to activate & sometimes that doesn't even work. Has any one else had this problem??

May I suggest you replace the battery on the fob. Could be the culprit and may be a very easy fix.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a TSB out on that remote start problem now. IIRC, it's not the key fob, it's a communications problem.

Decker711,

I agree with elcompaLalo; checking your batteries would be the firs place to start with your situation. If you have already don this and you are still experiencing the issue, you can make a call to your dealership for further information about this.

If you have further questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Michelle P., Chevrolet Customer Service

I have to add, when you check your batteries be careful! The cradle that holds the battery in place is very delicate.... I don't know why they used such weak solders. On both my remotes, I've broken both the cradles, and have had to resolder them into place. The guy at the dealer told me they break all the time.

I just reread the post and noticed he said it was new. Do you have to press as hard on your other fob? If not, I'd just take it to the dealer and have them look at it and diagnose, if its the battery, then let them replace it, if the dealer is close to you, and let them break the battery holder (if it breaks). If you break it, they may not replace it for you. But your call, a new fob shouldn't have a weak battery.

Just a side note, you are pressing lock first and then holding down the automatic start, right? You do have to hold it down for a few seconds...