2009 Chevrolet Malibu: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Jun 28, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · SC

The power steering keeps going in and out and the vehicle only has 85,000 miles on it. I also keep having weird electrical issues. I had to replace my headlight wiring harnesses as well as my taillights harnesses. But the power steering issue is coming from the rack and pinion. The steering wheel will shake while sitting still and the power steering will completely go out basically every other time I turn the car on.

Filed May 28, 2022 · Electrical · GA · fire

The headlights continually burn out and melt connectors on multiple malibus around this year model, myself, my friends and many online have all been effected, the issue seems to have started as early as 2014 and still continues to this day. I have been fighting this issue myself for many years now. I once had a connector smoke so bad I had to run to turn everything off and make sure it wasn't burning.

Filed Mar 5, 2021 · Electrical, Steering · 130,000 miles · OH

Has a problem with cold start needs a jump alot, service ESC comes on with lose of traction and power steering, sensor in wheels go out often wheels sound weird when turning, headlight goes out often windshield wipers are out ,gearshift linkage has broken while trying to shift gears problem occurs both non-stationary

Filed Jan 20, 2021 · Electrical, Lights · 70,000 miles · VT

I have had recurring and constant problems with the low beam headlights and electrical connections in this car. I've already had the passengers side headlight and drivers side headlight "fixed" between 3 and 4 times. The drivers side low beam is out again as of 2 days ago. As far as the electrical problems, my trunk pop button doesn't work, the rr passengers side door doesn't lock, and I sometimes have trouble getting any of the buttons on my dash to work to change or control anything in the car. I have the same problem with the buttons on my steering wheel. My car has just over 70,000 miles on it. The headlight being out is always an issue when I'm driving. I got pulled over twice the other night because the headlight was out. There needs to be a recall issued for this problem - I've done my research and I know that lots of people have the same problem with this car. Not to mention the labor involved to even access the headlight. It's maddening to have wasted a lot of money to not have this issue fixed. I've had the bulb replaced multiple times, new pigtails installed and even removed the day time running lights connection from the fuse box because I read that having that connected might contribute to the headlight issue. Even that didn't work. Chevy needs to issue a recall. 2 working headlights is a basic need to drive a car. To have this constant issue is ridiculous.

Filed Jan 7, 2021 · Electrical, Lights · 130,000 miles · MI

Power of steering keeps going out I have to turn my car off and back on just to get it to steer again. Usually happens when I'm backing out of parking spots or driving slow or turning. My headlights wiring harness has a short in it and one of my lights cuts off and on this happens randomly while I'm driving.

Filed Nov 13, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 60,000 miles · FL

Passenger low beam bulb repeatedly burns out. Lasts for less than a day.

Filed Oct 4, 2020 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 246,672 miles · TN · crash

I have a 2009 chevy malibu and it's very unsafe to drive. I have a 4 cylinder car with electric power steering and it was not apart of the recall. Yet it's having the same symptoms as the recall cars. I had to have my car pushed out of a ditch yesterday because it's so hard to turn my steering wheel I lost control of my car. My traction control light is on, and pressing the button does not work. I sometimes don't have control to unlock my door and have to call someone to physically open it from the outside. My check engine light is on, also my battery light. And they are all good and up to date. My traction and system light is on too. And my head lights, brake lights, and battery is constantly drained and going out. It's hard to find reasonable price's from auto shops, and the dealership prices are too expensive. I shouldn't have to struggle to turn and work my car because of a computer system that's out. It's very dangerous. I'm going to upload a picture of my car after it was pushed out the ditch. But my steering wheel has been hard to turn and I've been having this problem since january of 2020. And it makes a loud whining noise while trying to turn the wheel.

Filed Sep 16, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · MI

Powersteering keeps going in and out. Headlights go in and out. Ive gotten those replaced three times! I also had some of the wiring replaced for my lights. I forgot what those are called and my lights still went out. Lock buttons not working. Radio wasnt working until I replaced a fuse. Speakers go in and out. Cruise control does not work. My battery went dead ,so I replaced the battery and alternator and my car still didnt work.

Filed Jul 14, 2020 · Lights · MI

I have repeatedly replaced the passenger side low beam headlight bulb. Once I did it 3 times in two months. When they went out they would go out sometimes and then come back on the next day and go out again. The fourth time I took off the entire bumper to change the light (because the ridiculous design of the car requires you to do this) the light came on as I was removing the lamp from its place in to bumper I left it in and put the light back in (and the bumper back on) it worked for one day and went out again. I decided to register this complaint after finding a website where I went to try to figure out what was going on. At that website, I found many people describing the same problem that I was having, all but one were experiencing this problem on the passenger side. I realize it is dangerous to drive with only one lamp, but the frequency of the problem makes it time an cost prohibitive to continually replace the bulb, especially when it goes out soon after it is replaced. It is very frustrating, I felt I had to do this after trying to fix it again last week. The problem has occurred periodically over the last two years with the most recent occurance on july 8, 2020.

Filed Mar 10, 2020 · Lights, Steering · 89,000 miles · LA

Turning right onto highway when power steering went out completely. Ended up in the oncoming traffic lane. Had to have car towed. After 24 hours the power steering was back on....passenger headlight has been changed 4 times in 2 years and out again. Bulb connector was changed and harness was changed.

Filed Mar 6, 2020 · Lights · 113,000 miles · NH

I have replaced 2 low beam front headlights on the passenger side of this vehicle already. I've researched this and it seems that all these cars have the same problem.low beam bulb keeps going out. Something needs to be done about this. As there is no recalls on this issue yet every malibu has the same problem.

Filed Feb 23, 2020 · Driver assistance, Electrical · IL

Post recall repair for breaklights, break lights stay illuminated when not pressing the break pedal. 3rd break light doesn't always turn on. Random episodes of car sputtering and then dash warnings including: service ESC, service traction, service hill start. Head lamps requiring replacement every 3 to 6months.