NHTSA Complaint #10285899 — 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX (1) FRONT PARK/TURN/DRL LAMP INOPERATIVE AND OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. (2) REAR STOP/TURN/TAIL LAMP INOPERATIVE PROBLEMS. THIS CAR CURRENTLY HAS 41,000 MILES. THE LAMPS FOR THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVER SIDE)HAS BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES AND RIGHT FRONT 3 TIMES. THE REAR LAMPS HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES EACH SIDE. MY MAJOR CONCERN AND CAUSE FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS THE OVERHEATING OF THE FRONT LAMPS (ITEM #1 ABOVE). THE UPPER SIDE AMBER PLASTIC HOUSING FOR THE LAMPS ON BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT HAS MELTED THROUGH AT THIS TIME. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST DETECTED, THE AMBER HOUSING SHOWED SOME DISCOLORATION, BUBBLED PLASTIC. THIS SUGGESTED THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM EITHER HAS INTENSIFIED AND/OR THE PLASTIC HAS DEGRADATED OVER TIME. VISUAL INSPECTION SHOWED THE CHARRED/BURNT THROUGH AREAS ARE ADJACENT TO THE LAMP SOCKET. THIS INDICATES EXTREME SOCKET TEMPERATURE AND ALSO THE RISING HOT AIR AFFECT THE CEILING OF THE AMBER HOUSING. ALL THE BURNT OUT LIGHT BULBS SHOWED VARIOUS DEGREES OF CHARRING/MELTING/DEFORMATION ON THE PLASTIC BASE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE EXTREME HIGH TEMPERATURE AND ELECTRICAL ARCING. THE REAR IS NOT AS SEVERE AS THE FRONT BUT NEVERTHELESS, SLIGHT ARCING CAN STILL BE OBSERVED ON THE BASE OF THE BURNT OUT BULBS. THE LEFT FRONT LAMP WAS SERVICED BY A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER ONCE ON DEC. 16 2009 UNDER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 06-08-42-004. DEALER DEEMED ONLY THE BULB NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT NOT THE SOCKET. PRIOR TO THIS, THE PROBLEM ALREADY EXISTED AND BOTH FRONT AND BACK BULBS REPLACED. THE FREQUENCY OF THE BULB REPLACEMENT AND SIGNS OF ARCING TRIGGERED THIS VISIT TO THE DEALER. THIS REPAIR BY THE DEALER HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. SIGNS OF OVERHEATING AS EVIDENCED BY THE MELTING PLASTIC SHOWED THE PROBLEM HAS WORSENED. FEARING THE EXTREME HIGH TEMP CAN CAUSE FIRE, I VISITED THE DEALER YESTERDAY FOR REPAIR UNDER GOOD WILL REPAIR WAS DENIED. THEY SIMPLY SAID THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS IS NOT A FIRE HAZARD. *TR