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2008 Chevrolet Malibu: complete transmission failure

5 of the 989 complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu describe complete transmission failure.

owner complaints
5
of this car's complaints
1%
typical mileage
80,000
recalls
2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 75 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Complete transmission failure by model year

What owners say

Filed Dec 25, 2019 · Electrical, Lights · 80,000 miles · CO

I have had the transmission totally lock up and sound like braking plactic,had to replace the transmission. Dashboad lights either do not work or flicker. Fast flashing as if a bulb is out than it fixes itself. Numbers running across the radio screen than stops.

Filed Sep 16, 2015 · Acceleration, Steering · 85,000 miles · NY

Many bulletin's posted #09-07-30-012. My 2008 chevy malibu had about 85k miles on it. I had only owned it for about 2 years and bought it used as a college student and had an outstanding loan on it. I was driving to work one morning and started to notice when accelerating getting on the highway that it was taking more time for my car to shift into gear. As I continued to drive my car was it taking even longer to shift from 3rd to 5th gear then it would abruptly shift into gear delayed. I figured maybe it need transmission fluid since it only had 85k on it, and then when I would reverse it was very loose feeling. Brought in to the shop and they said I needed a new transmission and the car was unsafe to drive. Quoted me 2200 for a used transmission. Looked online and saw several people with the same problem. I am just out of college so don't have that kind of money up front yet and I had a loan on the car still. Chevy said I wasn't under 100k mile warranty bc car was more than 5 years old. I live on my own and need a safe vehicle to get to work everyday and did not have the money for a used transmission up front so had no choice to go lease a car and trade this now worthless car with this transmission issue in that I had a loan on. So car was worth a lot less now than my loan so I went into a new deal with negative equity resulting me taking on huge car payment to get out of this mess. Chevy or gm need to recall this defect and take care of the customers affected and compensate those who were affected and took a huge loss in $ due this problem. I believe gm should be compensating me something for how much money I just lost unless they want to be known as a company who doesn't care about their customers and sells cars that transmissions go way before 100k miles....I will never buy or recommend them to anyone ever again if they do not rectify with good paying customers.

Filed Jul 10, 2015 · Body, Locks · 140,768 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. While operating the vehicle, the wiper transmission failed to work. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who replaced the wiper transmission, but the failure recurred. The contact also stated that the front driver side door lock failed to work. The dealer replaced the door lock mechanism, but the failure recurred. The contact had to close the door with force to get the door to secure. The contact also had to roll down the windows to ensure the door was locked and unlocked. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,768.

Filed Jul 18, 2014 · Transmission · 73,000 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle failed to shift into gear and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

Filed Jan 20, 2011 · Lights, Transmission · 33,000 miles · MD

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu ltz (na). While driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the contact applied the accelerator pedal and the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the vehicle was performing as normal. The failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times where the dealer performed a front end alignment. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer as the failure occurred again. The dealer replaced the transmission line. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop but had not been repaired. The headlights also did not function properly. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 36,300.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmissionReported April 30, 2014 · 1,131,113 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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 vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Risk
If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the ‘PARK’ position, the transmission may not be in ‘PARK.’ If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy
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 at 1‑800‑553‑6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.

Recall number 14V224000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)Reported September 18, 2012 · 426,240 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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 fracture and separate.
Risk
If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Remedy
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 on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑521‑7300.

Recall number 12V460000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu transmission failure

Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu?

5 of 989 owner complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu (1%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2011.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu?

There are 2 recalls and 75 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Power steering loss 100Door locks 92Check engine light 57Jerking 56Headlights 49Steering lock-up 43Loss of power 41Airbag light 31Stalling 26Engine failure 23Won't start 23Adaptive cruise 22Fuel leak 19Steering noise 18Fuel pump 15Pulling 15Fuel smell 14Key fob 13Won't shift 13ABS 11No deployment 10Harsh shifting 10Grinding brakes 9Knocking 9Fuel gauge 8Ball joint 7Fire or smoke 6Hesitation 6Warning lights 6

All model years of the Chevrolet Malibu

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