2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic Latches, locks and linkages Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 19%of 21 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 49,600miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, 19% of the 21 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 49,600 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“A safety hazard exists due to power door locks not locking/unlocking consistently on three out of four doors of the vehicle. The problem could cause occupants, particularly children in the rear seats, to become trapped during an emergency.”
NHTSA complaint #10608366, filed 2014-07, 100,000 miles“Door locks are failing to lock and unlock, with the key fob or, with the inside switch, from the drivers side or from either one of the three other doors. This is a major safety issue as, if someone is about to get robbed, raped, beat up or a car jacking is about to occur and, the door locks fails to lock or unlock then, someone could get raped, injured or even killed. Please pay attention to this message and take action against general motors to get this issue resolved. …”
NHTSA complaint #10526001, filed 2013-07, 57,200 miles“In this 4 door vehicle, the door lock actuators appear to have a defect that has affected numerous vehicles of the same make and model. The door lock actuators either completely fail or become intermittent. There are two primary safety concerns with these actuators failing. The first being that not all the locks automatically lock when vehicle is placed into drive, giving women or men a false sense of security against car jacking because they have no indication that all the locks are working or not on all four doors. …”
NHTSA complaint #10441941, filed 2011-12, 35,000 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. The contact stated that the rear driver and passenger side doors could not be unlocked. The locks on the doors were broke. The contact stated that she attempted to open the doors from the exterior but to no avail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the locks needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified and offered to cover half of the repair expenses. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 08/07/12 updated 08/15/12”
NHTSA complaint #10462535, filed 2012-06, 42,000 milesLatches, locks and linkages: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 | 19% |
| 2004 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic
11 complaintsSteering
6 complaintsElectronic stability control
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology