This tail light just went out in my car. I've never had so many headaches in my life with replacing and repairing things that are usually a bit easier to do in other vehicles. What a pain in the butt. Thank you for the how-to video.
Thanks for this video. My third brake light went out in my 2009 Saturn Aura, a sister car to the Malibu. I folded the rear seats down and removed the side seat cushions exactly like this video shows. It was very easy. I did not need to take the lower side pillars off, as I just popped the top connector out and it gave me enough wiggle room. The upper C-pillar covers were next and they were easy to pop off. I had bought a replacement light assembly which included the grey plastic hood/tunnel which surrounds the actual light. After I got the rear deck lid off however, I saw that the factory had more or less melted the light assembly/hood into the deck lid, so it was going to take a lot more work (I don't know if that is Saturn-specific). But I remembered to check the plug connection. It didn't seem loose to me, but I wedged a toothpick into the plug to tighten up the play and it worked! I returned the new light and the work took about 1.5 hours total. Putting everything back was fast because I just retraced the steps.
Thank you for this video. It saved me over $300. My 2009 Malibu had this light burned out and needed replacement for inspection. The garage quoted me $450. Around $250 for the bulb and the rest for labor. I purchased the bulb on Amazon for $123 and replaced it myself. It took about 2 hours. I have worked on my own cars in the pass, so I was familiar with removing panels. For a novice, this job might be a little challenging.
Thanks for this. I have a new light on order from Amazon and this will be my next 2008 Malibu project. Leave it to GM to design an LED light that fails and requires removing the rear shelf to replace instead of a simple bulb change. Consistent with having to remove the front bumper cover to replace headlights and turn signals I guess. This car was a gift to me fortunately, waiting for a grandkid. They seem to be pretty cheaply made and there's always something to fix. So far besides this, I've had to replace the e-brake assembly and rear calipers, jerry rig the driver's electric window which stopped working, the sunroof switch, electric driver's seat switch (seat frame broke and had to lower it all the way and disconnect the height/tilt motor), turn signal switch and front sway bar bushings and a cracked and leaking windshield. Also, they don't come with a cabin air filter! Instead, the air box has a dotted line you can cut out to make an opening for one.
To be fair, a lot of the stuff you are complaining about is on a car that's now 16 years old. Of course some things will begin to fail at that point. My mother has an 08 too, but aside from the third brake light going out, a more common thing is headlight bulbs taking a crap too soon. If that starts to happen to you, replace the pigtails on the headlight assembly itself. Like 30 bucks for a new one. You'll get good at taking the entire bumper cover off otherwise :D
HELLO, FOR ANYONE STRUGGLING TO GET THE LIGHT CONNECTOR OFF, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STICK A SMALL FLATHEAD BETWEEN THE LIGHT CONNECTOR AND THE MAIN CABLE... WHERE THAT BLACK PLASTIC PIECE IS... AND PULL IT UP WHILE PULLING THE LIGHT CONNECTOR OUT. BE CAREFUL THOUGH, IT BREAKS EASILY!
Just wanted to say thanks for the video! We had a "flickering" intermittent 3rd brake light. Turns out after following your video I could access the light & discovered the connector on the light unit itself was poorly designed causing too much play from road vibrations etc. I simply braced & secured the connection & now it works great! We saved well over $300 - time well spent! Thanks again for the great video.
This video helped me save myself from having my registration suspended and having to turn my tags in to the DMV due to a faulty connector causing my third brake light to intermittently work so I appreciate the post.
I have an intermittent one too, and am wondering myself if it's the light module itself or the connector. I tapped the top of the trunk under the light and the light suddenly came on. Wondering you could tell whether it was the connector or the light module?
I wouldn’t have known where to start. Thanks for the video. Taking it apart was hard enough, good luck trying to put it back together. Chevy pays engineers way too much money designing cars so that changing a light is harder than performing open heart surgery.
Thanks so much for posting. Saved me a bunch of time. Found 1 LED out of the 6 was burned out and kept the whole light from working. When hooked to a 12v power supply, the 5 lights would work. The car computer probably shuts it off in the event of 1 or more going out. Thanks for sharing!
first off thank you for sharing. I agree 100% with BladeEdge1221 that this is ridiculous as hell but the video kept me from losing it and completed the job in under an hour which included gathering up the tools and watching the video. Now for the price of that light!! I'm in Canada and the price from the GM Dealer is $285!! I ordered one off Amazon for $117 CDN
thanks for the video you just saved me up tp $500.00 dollars and it comes out the light just needed some dielectric grease and recconect it again and BUM!!! it worked again, thank you.
I have a 2010 Malibu LS and that light was out and the car wouldn't pass inspection. First thing I looked at was this video (thank you)! I thought I could probably take it apart but I don't know that I could put it back together correctly. Cheapest replacement light I could find in Dallas/Fort Worth at the auto parts stores was $170. I was like really?! I took my car to local shop and the labor was $160. Total cost was $330. Auto mechanics and the car inspection place couldn't believe it would cost this much for a brake light. Sure I could have done it cheaper but I didn't have the time. I needed the car to get to work.
Thanks for posting this. My 2008 Malibu's center light also just stopped working. They want $183.28 just for the replacement light (GM part #15271122). I can only imagine what a dealer would charge for labor.
Did you do any electrical tests to make sure the light was bad? Perhaps you can tell me where the switch is at, where the relay might be & perhaps any of the connectors?
YIKES! What a PAIN! I have a 2010 and was thinking about adding a small 12V RELAY that would allow me to switch a "12V FLASHER" in and out of the 3rd Brake Light wiring? Why? TAILGATERS; a REAL problem in California. After seeing this it's back to the drawing board and I will continue to use my 4-way flashers as needed.
to replace my headlight i had to take off the entire front end of my car. and now to fix my brake light that’s faulty from the dealer i have to take off the entire back end of my car? what the fuck Chevy
Once you remove the three screws that hold the third brake light just bring the whole light down through the hall and then you can unplug it I can’t quite remember how I unplugged it but it’s not hard I just did one today
There are two clips under the speaker cover, one on the high mount brake light itself with a wire leading to the c pillar where it connects with the female plug going to the wiring harness back to the computer. It's the same clip for both connections. It's very awkward to access, but to disconnect the clip, you must gently pry a small screwdriver underneath the thin flap (it has a channel in it with a little hook that is part of the male plug) and then twist it so that the little hook can slip out of the grove as you gently disconnect the clip. These clips are NOT user friendly at all. Poorly designed in my opinion.
I have a question. I hope it can be answered quickly. I'm currently pregnant..just paid for my starter to be replaced. Pissed that now i gotta replace this light and I've only had this car for a year. Anyway. Is there anyway I could check fuses or anything like that first to see if that would be the cheaper route. Really wish I would've kept on with mechanics after high school lol. I found on vehicle manual there is a fuse that says "center high-mount stop lamp"
I don’t have a wiring diagram in front of me for that vehicle. So I can’t say for sure. It is always a good idea to check for proper power and ground on any electronic device before replacing. But failure of the led center brake light is a very common fault for this vehicle.
There’s a A easier way to change this without tearing nothing apart all you Gotta do is lay on your back in the trunk drill three holes half inch drill bit in line with the three screws that holds the third brake light in slide the quarter inch socket through the whole I don’t do this cruise and then slide the third brake light out through the big hole in the middle no need to tear nothing apart
Par for the course on this car - just to replace the front turn signal light, you need to remove the bumper skin. It's a nice looking car, but the engineers were either sadistic or stupid... or both.
Mario Castro yeah. I stuck a small flat head between the tiny latch that holds the connection to the light's connection. Be careful. It break super easily
I regret buying this car. To change even the front bulbs, to get to the head lamps you have to disassemble the entire front bumper just to access the head lamps. The car is a nightmare to change the head lamps or third break light
This tail light just went out in my car. I've never had so many headaches in my life with replacing and repairing things that are usually a bit easier to do in other vehicles. What a pain in the butt. Thank you for the how-to video.
I’m telling ya its ridiculous
Thanks for this video. My third brake light went out in my 2009 Saturn Aura, a sister car to the Malibu. I folded the rear seats down and removed the side seat cushions exactly like this video shows. It was very easy. I did not need to take the lower side pillars off, as I just popped the top connector out and it gave me enough wiggle room. The upper C-pillar covers were next and they were easy to pop off. I had bought a replacement light assembly which included the grey plastic hood/tunnel which surrounds the actual light. After I got the rear deck lid off however, I saw that the factory had more or less melted the light assembly/hood into the deck lid, so it was going to take a lot more work (I don't know if that is Saturn-specific). But I remembered to check the plug connection. It didn't seem loose to me, but I wedged a toothpick into the plug to tighten up the play and it worked! I returned the new light and the work took about 1.5 hours total. Putting everything back was fast because I just retraced the steps.
OP is a hero for posting this. God forbid GM gave us a video for taking apart our own vehicles
Thank you for this video. It saved me over $300. My 2009 Malibu had this light burned out and needed replacement for inspection. The garage quoted me $450. Around $250 for the bulb and the rest for labor. I purchased the bulb on Amazon for $123 and replaced it myself. It took about 2 hours. I have worked on my own cars in the pass, so I was familiar with removing panels. For a novice, this job might be a little challenging.
Thanks for this. I have a new light on order from Amazon and this will be my next 2008 Malibu project. Leave it to GM to design an LED light that fails and requires removing the rear shelf to replace instead of a simple bulb change. Consistent with having to remove the front bumper cover to replace headlights and turn signals I guess. This car was a gift to me fortunately, waiting for a grandkid. They seem to be pretty cheaply made and there's always something to fix. So far besides this, I've had to replace the e-brake assembly and rear calipers, jerry rig the driver's electric window which stopped working, the sunroof switch, electric driver's seat switch (seat frame broke and had to lower it all the way and disconnect the height/tilt motor), turn signal switch and front sway bar bushings and a cracked and leaking windshield. Also, they don't come with a cabin air filter! Instead, the air box has a dotted line you can cut out to make an opening for one.
To be fair, a lot of the stuff you are complaining about is on a car that's now 16 years old. Of course some things will begin to fail at that point. My mother has an 08 too, but aside from the third brake light going out, a more common thing is headlight bulbs taking a crap too soon. If that starts to happen to you, replace the pigtails on the headlight assembly itself. Like 30 bucks for a new one. You'll get good at taking the entire bumper cover off otherwise :D
HELLO, FOR ANYONE STRUGGLING TO GET THE LIGHT CONNECTOR OFF, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STICK A SMALL FLATHEAD BETWEEN THE LIGHT CONNECTOR AND THE MAIN CABLE... WHERE THAT BLACK PLASTIC PIECE IS... AND PULL IT UP WHILE PULLING THE LIGHT CONNECTOR OUT. BE CAREFUL THOUGH, IT BREAKS EASILY!
Just wanted to say thanks for the video! We had a "flickering" intermittent 3rd brake light. Turns out after following your video I could access the light & discovered the connector on the light unit itself was poorly designed causing too much play from road vibrations etc.
I simply braced & secured the connection & now it works great! We saved well over $300 - time well spent!
Thanks again for the great video.
Thank you for the video. Those 4 bolts were 13mm. Everything took me about 10 mins with your help. Much appreciated and easy to do.
This video helped me save myself from having my registration suspended and having to turn my tags in to the DMV due to a faulty connector causing my third brake light to intermittently work so I appreciate the post.
I have an intermittent one too, and am wondering myself if it's the light module itself or the connector. I tapped the top of the trunk under the light and the light suddenly came on. Wondering you could tell whether it was the connector or the light module?
I wouldn’t have known where to start. Thanks for the video. Taking it apart was hard enough, good luck trying to put it back together. Chevy pays engineers way too much money designing cars so that changing a light is harder than performing open heart surgery.
Like they want you to take it to a certified Chevrolet dealership.
Thanks so much for posting. Saved me a bunch of time. Found 1 LED out of the 6 was burned out and kept the whole light from working. When hooked to a 12v power supply, the 5 lights would work. The car computer probably shuts it off in the event of 1 or more going out. Thanks for sharing!
This...is...ridiculous as hell. Thank you for the video though.
COMPLETLY!
first off thank you for sharing. I agree 100% with BladeEdge1221 that this is ridiculous as hell but the video kept me from losing it and completed the job in under an hour which included gathering up the tools and watching the video. Now for the price of that light!! I'm in Canada and the price from the GM Dealer is $285!! I ordered one off Amazon for $117 CDN
thanks for the video you just saved me up tp $500.00 dollars and it comes out the light just needed some dielectric grease and recconect it again and BUM!!! it worked again, thank you.
Excellent video. Thanks. Our connection was loose, so we didn't even have to replace the taillight
great work and great explanation
That was a Really Really Nice and A Very Good Sharing knowledge to Us , thank you Mr.Gentleman, GOD Blessed You,Thanks!
I have a 2010 Malibu LS and that light was out and the car wouldn't pass inspection. First thing I looked at was this video (thank you)! I thought I could probably take it apart but I don't know that I could put it back together correctly. Cheapest replacement light I could find in Dallas/Fort Worth at the auto parts stores was $170. I was like really?! I took my car to local shop and the labor was $160. Total cost was $330. Auto mechanics and the car inspection place couldn't believe it would cost this much for a brake light. Sure I could have done it cheaper but I didn't have the time. I needed the car to get to work.
Gotta love these engineers! 😅 solid video Sir
Thanks for the video. I needed the help today.
This video saved me a little time and money, thanks!!
Worked great on a 2011 as well. Thank you!
I think i found the fastest way without taking out too many things.... I can't tell if that was sarcasm or not lol
Thanks for posting this. My 2008 Malibu's center light also just stopped working. They want $183.28 just for the replacement light (GM part #15271122). I can only imagine what a dealer would charge for labor.
Ronny Risinger mine told me $797. I said no.
Just came from the dealership and they told me it would be $800.
Did you do any electrical tests to make sure the light was bad? Perhaps you can tell me where the switch is at, where the relay might be & perhaps any of the connectors?
YIKES! What a PAIN! I have a 2010 and was thinking about adding a small 12V RELAY that would allow me to switch a "12V FLASHER" in and out of the 3rd Brake Light wiring? Why? TAILGATERS; a REAL problem in California. After seeing this it's back to the drawing board and I will continue to use my 4-way flashers as needed.
to replace my headlight i had to take off the entire front end of my car. and now to fix my brake light that’s faulty from the dealer i have to take off the entire back end of my car? what the fuck Chevy
Should this not be a recall item because a defect is causing a safety item to fall?
Thank you for skipping the engine removal.
Hahahaha!! I have to do all that crap!!
How did you disconnect the electrical clip...is having a hard time...I got the white clip out but can't get the black part out
I'm dealing with the same problem. Have you figured it out? If so please let me know
Once you remove the three screws that hold the third brake light just bring the whole light down through the hall and then you can unplug it I can’t quite remember how I unplugged it but it’s not hard I just did one today
There are two clips under the speaker cover, one on the high mount brake light itself with a wire leading to the c pillar where it connects with the female plug going to the wiring harness back to the computer. It's the same clip for both connections.
It's very awkward to access, but to disconnect the clip, you must gently pry a small screwdriver underneath the thin flap (it has a channel in it with a little hook that is part of the male plug) and then twist it so that the little hook can slip out of the grove as you gently disconnect the clip.
These clips are NOT user friendly at all. Poorly designed in my opinion.
Thanks for the video, I can reach to the light, but When it comes to connector of 3rd brake light, I cannot remove it completely.
andy savdt same, it’s a pain in the ass
Thank you for the help. I'm giving this pain in the butt car to my 19yr old!
I have an 08 malibu and this light is the rediculous.
This was very helpful
I have a question. I hope it can be answered quickly. I'm currently pregnant..just paid for my starter to be replaced. Pissed that now i gotta replace this light and I've only had this car for a year. Anyway. Is there anyway I could check fuses or anything like that first to see if that would be the cheaper route. Really wish I would've kept on with mechanics after high school lol. I found on vehicle manual there is a fuse that says "center high-mount stop lamp"
I don’t have a wiring diagram in front of me for that vehicle. So I can’t say for sure. It is always a good idea to check for proper power and ground on any electronic device before replacing. But failure of the led center brake light is a very common fault for this vehicle.
Thanks! I will save $490 from the dealership! 😊
I meant to say unscrew the three little screws that holds the third brake light and then slide the third brake light out through the big hole
Mine went out last night, my first thoughts. OMG 😤
Bro I did all that just for the light not to fit😂
Thank you for your help
My latch only drops one seat I can’t get the other to drop down
Does anyone know how to remove to electral connector I can't seem to get it off
Might be melted. Try a small flat blade screwdriver and gently pry the tab up and wiggle it apart.
Hey man thank you 👋🏾😇
Very helpful Thanks!!!
u for real all for a stupid light LoL
There’s a A easier way to change this without tearing nothing apart all you Gotta do is lay on your back in the trunk drill three holes half inch drill bit in line with the three screws that holds the third brake light in slide the quarter inch socket through the whole I don’t do this cruise and then slide the third brake light out through the big hole in the middle no need to tear nothing apart
how do you know where to drill the three holes? thanks in advance, need to replace that s light.
Thanks so much
All of that to change a light bulb? Damn!!
Par for the course on this car - just to replace the front turn signal light, you need to remove the bumper skin. It's a nice looking car, but the engineers were either sadistic or stupid... or both.
My wife's light went out on her 2010 Malibu. Figured I could replace it easily. Hell no.
how do you disconnect the stupid connector?
Rolly Alvarado did you figure this out
Mario Castro yeah. I stuck a small flat head between the tiny latch that holds the connection to the light's connection. Be careful. It break super easily
Looks like a big pain in the ass for a light bulb
This looks extremely complicated for the average person
Hey man next time take videos while doing the job!!!!
F that.
fucking rediculous
Hi
I regret buying this car. To change even the front bulbs, to get to the head lamps you have to disassemble the entire front bumper just to access the head lamps. The car is a nightmare to change the head lamps or third break light
Fuck that..lol thanks anyways...
lmao
Stupidest car ever built!