Door actuators (GM calls them door latches) generally die slowly over time one-at-a-time. Getting weaker & weaker as time progresses. That does not sound like your issue in your brief post.

(Rant warning) Door actuators are a weak point of all US (& many, if not most, foreign) car makers. Could they make them last ten years? Easily. Could they make them easy to replace? Of course. Where exactly is their incentive to do so? It's part of a business model. The Remington shaver business model specifically. It's applied almost universally in manufacturing.
FWIW: GM dealers will charge around $300 per each door to replace them. No different for the other makes. The phrase "cash cow" comes to mind.

 

Is there going to be a GM recall on the door lock actuators?

If it does not affect safety or emissions.......they are not "required" to do a recall.

If enough people complain, however.............

I suggest that you contact the "warranty help department" listed in your owner's manual, even if it is OUT of warranty.

And if you stretch it, maybe door latches could be a safety issue so contact any government agency you can think of, like your Attorney Generals office or the CPSC or NTSB.

Those people who are actually HAVING the trouble MUST take some action.
"Outsiders" can't really help much.

 

Are they covered under the extended warranty (GM Major Guard)?

 

Dear douglas92000,

I have read your post about your situation with your Malibu. You can read the information from the GM Protection Plan site that I have included.

http://www.gmprotectionplan.com/majorguard.html

However, I would have to agree with greenman and be sure to talk with your dealership to verify if this is something that is covered under the Major Guard program.

Sincerely,
Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

This reply makes no sense whatsoever. I have never had the electronic door locks fail in any car I've owned and I'm not a young woman. Clearly there is a fault here and once again General Motors is refusing to accept responsibility. This is a safety issue. Are they waiting until a child or an elderly person is injured or killed because they can't get out of the car in time? Many complaints but no action. Seems like that's how General Motor operates.

 

A person thinking their doors are locked when they are not is a huge safety problem & liability issue for General Motors.

If someone pulls up to a red light & some thug enters that (so called) locked door & assaults, kills, or plunders then that seems to be a safety issue to me!

I'm currently going through this problem with 31,600 miles on my 2008 Malibu LTZ 3.6L V-6 but warranty expired last month. Checking the doors after parking or having to roll down the window to open the lock has removed some of my pleasure in owning my Malibu.

This problem is well documented & General Motors should take this opportunity to prove what kind of company they are going to be.

 

This problem is well documented & General Motors had better take this opportunity to prove what kind of company they are going to be.

I hope YOU have registered your complaint with the proper Corporate office at GM.......or else the problem is not documented well enough.

And I cannot emphasize this enough:
YOU CAN ***NOT*** RELY ON YOUR DEALER TO REPORT THIS TO GM.
YOU MUST DO IT YOURSELF.

All the dealer cares about is getting YOU fixed at the max. profit for them.....or at the least cost......whichever situation it is.

Even the best service department on the planet doesn't really give a crap about all the rest of the owners out there. They really don't.

 

Yes, I agree with you Redeye about the "thug neigborhood" being a safety concern. But why did GM and all the other car companies start having the door locks go down when you put it in drive and unlock in park? Perhaps....SAFETY? I'm sure that was the rationale when they started doing that. But now that there is is a problem with it is it no longer a "Safety issue" just a "convenience issue"?

 

Redeye would you happen to remember the rep's name that called you back? I'm going to try the same thing.

 

I called Chevrolet Repairs (800-222-1020) about my problem. A General Motors representative called me back the next day to get more information. I was called back the next day with their resolution -- replace both rear locks in return for me paying a $100 deductible. Due to me being about 60 days out of warranty (but only 31,600 miles), I gladly accepted their offer.

Sorry, but I did not get names of the Chevy Rep's I talked with.

Although I purchased my 2008 Malibu LTZ at Henderson Chevrolet, I booked my rear lock repairs at Don Moore Chevrolet in Owensboro, KY (I reside in Owensboro) for the next day. Luckily, the service consultant stated repairs where under warranty & charged me nothing.

I was delighted & gave Moore Automotive an excellent rating in their follow-up survey.

 

I have the same issue. Driver side door started to not work intermittently by using the keyfob.. then worked okay with the door side lock button. Then did not work at all.. You can see it "try" move slightly when you hit the door lock button , but does not lock. Have to lock it manually. THEN a few months later the back driver side door has begun the same thing intermittently. What I have noticed is it will not work in anyway if the car is hot. - sitting out in the direct sun during the summer.. If the car is in the shade or after it has cooled off by driving it a bit, it will work. This issue began within a year of having the car. Its not the friggin' old to be having that issue. I have finally taken the time out of my day to have GM service look at it, but I will not be happy if I have to pay for fixing it. The service man did say they have seen many cars with actuator issues and now they are selling the whole assembly - cant just replace the actuator.. REALLY?? then it seems it is a bigger issue.
Anyone learn anything more in regards to getting theirs fixed?

 

Here is why they fail:
http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8200

At some point I plan to make a how-to R&R them with pictures. A dealer charges (more or less) $300 per each for R&R, IIRC. The latches can be bought online for $75. The bad news is all four will fail in time with use.

 

Does anyone have instructions on how I could actually get to this part or assembly to change it myself? I'm having the same problem, the rear passenger door lock stopped working, and now the front passenger door has started to have the intermittent problem, I can see it trying to lock but it acts like it doesn't have enough energy to lock....I'd much rather change these myself than pay $425 to have it fixed at a dealer....I was hoping maybe someone had pictures of how to actually get to the part

Thanks in advance

CK

 

If you are going to do the job yourself you might want to consider getting an aftermarket lock actuator kit. They don't require you to remove the latch. All you have to do is install the new motor parallel with the lock rod, then install a clamp to it and hook it to the new motor. Last is your choice of using the kit's central module or just moving the stock wires over to the new motor (that'd be my choice) so it works as designed.

The kits are inexpensive and come with either 2 or 4 motors. The worst will be having to figure out where and how to mount the new motor. If you can't find a convenient location to mount it in line you might have to use a bellcrank (L-shaped lever) to relocate the motor.

 

Add my tothe growing list of owners who are having their rear door locks fail a few thousand miles after 36,000. My rear driver's side one and been bad for awhile and now the passenger one is failing. I am at 43,000 miles now.

I have taken the door panel off and can see how to remove the actuator so I guess I will be ordering from GMPartsdirect.com. The driver's rear part number is 20760509. Anyone know the passenger rear?

 

I have taken the door panel off and can see how to remove the actuator so I guess I will be ordering from GMPartsdirect.com. The driver's rear part number is 20760509. Anyone know the passenger rear?

Then it's 20760508. Could be superceded with a new part number by now but the old numbers generally will pop up under the new numbers.

 

I'm happy to say that I just finished replacing my front drivers side door lock mechanism and it works perfectly. No doubt there is VERY little room to work inside the door. I spent a few minutes trying to get the old part out of the door cavity when it slipped out of my hands and fell to the bottom inside the door. Then I just reached in through the other hole and pulled it right out. go figure.
Don't forget to have a T25 and T30 torx screwdriver or bit handy. I had to borrow a T30 from a neighber. Now I'm going to order the rear driver lock and replace it soon. Good Luck....and thank goodness for forums like this and it's awesome members.

Just to recap part numbers that I got directly from GMpartsdirect:
22785608 (was 20772312) Front Side Driver Door Lock
20922228 (was 20772311) Front Side Passenger Door Lock
22785610 (was 20760509) Rear Side Driver
22785609 (was 20760508) Rear Side Passenger

Also add to cart promo code SX3111 (as a part number) for a free gift. My last free gift was a GM baseball cap. free is free. exp. 10/31/11

 

mrkriz- Did you have a repair manual (chiltons or haynes) or did you just kind of figure it out? I haven't taken a door apart before but I would consider myself capable of mechanical stuff. Fairly easy once you've done one? I think i have to do 3 maybe 4 of them.

 

Fairly easy once you've done one? I think i have to do 3 maybe 4 of them.

There are several other threads where this has been discussed. Please search a little.

Space is severely limited. Having LARGE hands might be a major problem.

 

UPDATE -= I called Chevy customer service as suggested in another post. Ihad 3 door locks failing and began failing around the same time frame. After reviewing this with customer service, they contacted me back and paid for the replacement of the locks. Thank You Chevy for stepping up.

 

Great news! What was your mileage/month situation? My warranty expired at the end of January (I was a couple thousand under the mileage limit) and within a few weeks the LF door lock started having problems. I just lived with the inconvenience since I could open with the key. A few months later the LR started failing, which is a bigger inconvenience because if you need in that door when it is locked you have to either crawl into the back seat to unlock it or roll the window down. Now all doors (except I just replaced the front driver's side a few weekends ago) work about 10% of the time.
I now have about 37,600 miles on it. So, I am out of warranty both by months and miles. I'm going to call the "GM Repairs" number and see if I can at least get the parts for the other 3 doors, if not a dealer fix. It seems that Chevy might be a little more sympathetic about these issues now and looking to keep brand loyalty.

 

@indymalibu2009, That is so cool! I am so glad that you were able to get this resolved. I hope that you have a great weekend!

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

Well, I am having problems with my door locks now, too. I had to have one of the key fobs replaced a couple of months ago, and this was covered under the GMPP.

Today, all the locks started unlocking willy nilly. It was very upsetting. I'd lock the car with the key fob, and then a couple minutes later, the car would unlock itself. The first couple of times this happened, I thought that maybe I was accidentally pressing on the key fob when it was in my pocket--but then I noticed that when I had the fob out of my pocket and nowhere near my fingers, the same thing would happen.

When I was driving this afternoon, the car would unlock itself at random intervals. The driver-side lock actuator in the door is not working at all. The one on the passenger side still is, though. After locking the doors with the fob or the passenger-side door actuator, the doors stayed locked for a few minutes but then eventually would unlock. I finally got so sick of this that I stopped trying to lock it. Lo and behold, I continued to hear the clicking of the locks at random intervals, as if the car was still trying to unlock itself.

I consider this to be a major safety issue. Sure, the doors stay have closed when they unlocked so far, but what if a door suddenly swings open? It's extremely unnerving to think that the doors could come open while I am driving on I-95. I take the highway everday to get to work.

The car has 41K on it now. I have the CPO warranty to 48K and then the GMPP. Considering the nature of this problem, I don't feel that I should have to page the $100 deductible for the GMPP. It is reasonable to expect that Chevy could design a car whose doors remain locked while the car is in motion. Would it be best to contact my dealer first, to discuss the issue with them, or should I call customer service before calling the dealer?

Advice appreciated!

 

Would it be best to contact my dealer first, to discuss the issue with them, or should I call customer service before calling the dealer?

You have two DIFFERENT problems.

One is the well known latch problem. If you can get them to replace ALL 4 of them for a $100 deductible, I'd say that is not a bad deal. You HAVE noticed all 4 of them failing to operate occasionally, right...wink, wink.....RIGHT !!

The random unlocking is a whole different problem.......and could pose a safety and security problem under some circumstances.

I think I'd give the dealer a shot first......unless they have treated you badly in the past.

 

You HAVE noticed all 4 of them failing to operate occasionally, right...wink, wink.....RIGHT !!

Actually, I have noticed this. I was going to wait until my next oil change to have the dealer look at them. I did have to have the key fobs replaced because one of them had a broken connecter inside it; whenever one of the doors didn't work, I figured that maybe the programming on the new fob was failing. I didn't realize there was a known issue with the door latches until I found this thread.

Today, however, when the car started randomly unlocking, I had assumed that the problem had gotten worse. So it is unconnected to the door latch issue, huh? Wow.

A little while ago, I had another annoying thing happen in the supermarket parking lot. As I approached the car, I could see that it had unlocked itself again while I was shopping. So, I just opened the door. Makes sense, right? Why use the fob when the door is already unlocked, right? Well, then the horn started screeching and several people in the lot threw dirty looks my way. It's no fun to be looked at as if I am breaking into my own car. I did eventually get the blaring horn to stop, but it seemed to take an eternity. It seems that even if the door has unlocked itself already, I need to use the fob to "unlock" it before getting in or I set off the horn.

Ayyyyy!

My dealer has been pretty good to work with, on the whole. I guess I've read about people on the forum having real struggles with their dealers, so I am a little worried about how it will go.

Thanks for the advice!

 

Why use the fob when the door is already unlocked, right? Well, then the horn started screeching

It seems that even if the door has unlocked itself already, I need to use the fob to "unlock" it before getting in or I set off the horn.

That only happens when you use the FOB to LOCK it.

I've gotten in the habit of using the door switch (twice) to lock it for short stops in low risk areas. That allows me to unlock with the key without embarassment.

Be sure to tell the service department the above too. And then have them read back to you what they put on the actual repair order. It continues to amaze me how what I say and what they type ends up being two different things.

 

Did you recently have the windows tinted, or clean them with a spray cleaner, or have the door open while it was raining? There have been reports of the rubber boot not sealing properly and being a cause of the doors locking and unlocking randomly. Since it is the internal switch doing the job the BCM is apparently not getting the message that the alarm also needs to be turned off. But that's good for you. If it's parked at home and unlocks itself, and then someone opens the door (a thief, for instance) the alarm will sound.

Locally we actually had a thief steal from cars in their own driveways recently. They felt their cars were safe, or they forgot to lock them. He would just walk down the street and try the doors. When one opened he'd rifle through it and steal stuff. But in one driveway he was caught on camera!

The door not staying shut is a latch failure, but since the latch and lock are combined into one device, replacing one replaces the other as well. That will likely solve the door not staying shut. But it might not solve the random locking/unlocking.

 

recently. They felt their cars were safe, or they forgot to lock them. He would just walk down the street and try the doors.

Some guys make a pretty good haul that way.......as people also "forget" and leave purses, billfolds, keys, cell phones, GPSs and cash laying out in plain site.

I don't feel too sorry for them. I think they have just paid their "stupid tax".

 

Glad I remembered this forum. I have an 08 LTZ Mailbu with about 30,562 miles on it. I was wanting to fix this problem with my front doors not locking or unlocking with the key fob. I looked online and saw this forum, after calling the GM 800 number they told me to take it to the dealership and pay the $99 diagnostics fee and once the problem was identified they may be able to do something to help me with fixing the problem. My car was out of warranty four months ago, and due to me being in the military I have been TDY four months of the year, so getting that fixed wasn't a top priority. Now that I'm looking into this I'm not looking forward to almost $400 or $500 of repairs. My dealership in my town was of no help. Seriously thinking about trading in this car today. It sucks because my other car is a Traverse and I think i will run into a similar problem with that vehicle also.

 

Sounds like GM is dealing with this issue pretty good. After I fixed the front driver door locks myself, I too called GM 800 number and they told me the same thing. After talking to the guy on the phone for a little while, I was not worried about the $100 diagnostics fee when taking it to the dealer. GM knows the problem and seem willing to fix it. My car was out of warranty 7 months and had over 36k miles on it. My dealer confirmed what I told them about the other 3 doors and they fixed it for free. they waive the diag fee when they find the problem. Although I've had some problems with the car, so far Chevy has stepped up every time. I just recently bought the daughter a Cruze, and that was my 3rd consecutive new Chevy. I'm going to buy a new Colorado when they bring over the new trucks from overseas.
Good Luck.

 

@sexyredd, first let me thank you for all the sacrifices that you make for us here at home. I am greatful for your time, sacrifices and bravery.

I can confirm the information that the agent from General Motors told you is correct. In order for us to see what avenues might be available to assist you with the door locks on your Malibu, it will have to be diagnosed by a General Motors service department.

I have also read that you do not feel confident in the Chevrolet dealership in your town. I wasn't sure that you knew that you can contact any General Motors dealership's service department within your area to see if they will diagnose and work on your vehicle. If you need assistance with finding other dealerships please, provide me with your zip code and I can look them up for you and provide you with a list.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

Thanks Michelle, I bought my Malibu in Bellevue 68123 and my Traverse from a dealer in Omaha 68127. I haven't contacted the dealer in Omaha to see if they had similar issues with Malibu's but that's my next step in the next few weeks. I don't have very good experiences with the dealer's service shop in Bellevue though.

 

I can't begin to soften the blow, but at least let me let you know you are in my prayers!

 

When I was driving this afternoon, the car would unlock itself at random intervals. The driver-side lock actuator in the door is not working at all. The one on the passenger side still is, though. After locking the doors with the fob or the passenger-side door actuator, the doors stayed locked for a few minutes but then eventually would unlock. I finally got so sick of this that I stopped trying to lock it. Lo and behold, I continued to hear the clicking of the locks at random intervals, as if the car was still trying to unlock itself.

Hi Forum:

I wanted to report back on my attempts to get these problems resolved. My dealer is going to fix the driver-side lock button at no charge, because that is covered under the Certified Used Warranty. Right now, I am waiting for them to order the parts. They did not find any issues with the other door latches. Also, they said that they could not diagnose the random unlocking issue unless I bring the car back in while it is actually happening. So, I need to wait for a huge downpour again. I am glad about the one thing being fixed, but I am definitely annoyed about the other stuff. Why can't they diagnose the problem when it's not raining? I don't understand. The random unlocking is the most serious issue of all, IMO, and I am not thrilled about having to wait for it to happen again.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

PS to Sexyredd: My condolences on the loss of your wife and daughter. I am sending healing energy your way.

 

...Also, they said that they could not diagnose the random unlocking issue unless I bring the car back in while it is actually happening. So, I need to wait for a huge downpour again. I am glad about the one thing being fixed, but I am definitely annoyed about the other stuff. Why can't they diagnose the problem when it's not raining? I don't understand. The random unlocking is the most serious issue of all, IMO, and I am not thrilled about having to wait for it to happen again...

The answer is pretty simple. Dealer's don't "do" intermittents when a car is under warranty because GM won't compensate them for the labor time (which can add up fast) it takes to track them down. So the dealer would end up eating that expense. Also, the compensation GM does pay for warranty work is way below what you would have to pay for the same work post-warranty, so it's simply not a very profitable part of their business even without spending many labor hours daily tracking down intermittent issues. Whether or not this is good for customer retention is another topic but I won't go there.

@ sexyredd:
I am very sorry for your loss. That certainly puts my life's petty difficulties in perspective.

 

I agree that the warranty issue shouldn't be my concern. Heck, the reason the customer has a warranty is to save money. I do intend to purse this issue with the dealer, though. I paid a lot of money for this car.

 

@JudyBuGirl, I have read your post about the warranty situation. Please, keep in mind that this is something that you can talk with to the agent that is on you case too.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

Add me to the list of currently less-than-satisfied. My 2008 Malibu LTZ had it's driver's rear door lock actuator fail at roughly an oil change out of warranty (over by 3,500 miles / 3 months). I ate the whole bill because GM doesn't feel the need to step up and fix an under-designed part that causes a safety issue. I obtained a case number and appealed to the regional service manager to no avail. I've purchased two brand-new Chevrolet's in my short lifetime (one a $40k+ Suburban) and this experience has left an extremely sour taste in my mouth -- to the point where this may very well be my last GM vehicle.. which is sad for me: I've always been a GM fan and have owned nothing but GM. Their $200-$300 they "saved" will cost them dearly in the long run. It's short-sighted and just plain lousy, IMO.

 

Add me to the list of currently less-than-satisfied.

There should be a mailing address in your warranty book or owners manual.
May I suggest that you write them an actual letter saying pretty much exactly what was in your post ??

It summarizes the situation nicely and makes your point firmly without being overly nasty......and I think an actual letter carries more impact than a phone call or email.

It might even help you in the near future.......as the collective experience posted here seems to indicate that your other 3 locks are likely to fail in a similar manner in the not too distant future.

 

I have had to replace 2 keychain FOB's on my 2009 Malibu 2LT. How much would this cost me if it was out of warranty? To have one go bad is understandable but 2?

Also the latch on the passenger door was not really "latching" very well. It would feel like it was not even closing the door, it would like just "fall" open once you pulled the handle up.

I will need to check my locks closer now, it had been a while shince I have been on this forum.

 

Interesting you should mention that.. One of my FOB's is failing too! The dealer wouldn't cover it under warranty -- even though the car was in for the problem well within the 3yr/36k warranty period. The FOB looks pristine/has not been abused. They wanted me to pay $175 to replace and reprogram. I bought a new one off of ebay for $22. I have yet to drop by and have the car learn the new FOB.. hoping to find a garage that will do it for cheap. I'm VERY disappointed in Chevrolet and the dealership in how they've "handled" my issues to date.