2008 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,525 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 62/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 85,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“I was driving my car and my power steering light came on while on the highway and the wheel became hard to turn”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Malibu
“Brake lights randomly illuminate! While driving down the interstate the brake lights are illuminating. This has been an issue for a while now.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Malibu
“I was driving down the road and stopped at a stop light and my power steering went out.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Malibu
“2008 malibu ltz.on jan 22 2015 the car failed to start had to be towed to langs.dealer.the shifter cable to the transmission fractured and broke. Had to be towed to car dealer, replaced the cable and charged me $278.90. Then i learned the malibu was on recall list from nhtsa.. The dealer told me…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Malibu
“I will be driving down the road and my esc light comes on and it causes my brakes to engage by there selves it has happened several times now”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,162 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 82,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 121,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010…
Fix: Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and…
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available,…
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on…
Technical service bulletins
1,075 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu drew 1,525 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 62/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu are steering (469 complaints), electrical (349), and other (135).
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 82,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 121,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.