Owners of other related GM vehicles such as the Buick Regal, Buick LaCrosse, Saab 9-5, 9-3, Opel Insignia, Saturn Aura, Cadillac BLS, Fiat Croma, Opel Vectra, Signum, Pontiac G5, G5 and G8 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

Replacement tail light bulbs for the 08-12 Malibu include the following with their part numbers: Brake / Turn Signal # 3157, Reverse Light # 921.

The only tools needed to replace either of the two tail light bulbs is a flathead screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers.

Locate the two black plastic cargo net anchors on the rear wall of the trunk and twist them off in the counter clockwise direction.

Twist off the thumb nuts in the counter clockwise direction.

Turn the tail light housing face down on to the bumper to access the combination brake and turn signal dual filament bulb.

To help prevent scratching the plastic tail light lens or the bumper, place a rag in between them.

Push a new # 3157 dual filament brake & turn signal light bulb straight into the socket.

Insert the new bulb and the socket back into the tail light housing. Rotate the socket 1/4 turn clockwise to lock it in place.

Then line up the screws on the rear of the tail light assembly with the holes in the corner of the vehicle.

Move to the inside corner of the trunk and twist on the three thumb nuts until they are just past hand tight.

Replace the carpet over the rear of the trunk.

The reverse or "back up" light is located inside the trunk lid.

Rotate the socket 1/4 turn counter clockwise to unlock it and pull it straight out of the trunk lid.

If you would like to have brighter reverse lights, install some compatible replacement 921 LED bulbs.

Insert the bulb and the socket back into the reverse light housing in the trunk lid. Rotate the socket 1/4 turn clockwise to lock it into place.

You can easily test the new bulb by pressing the Lock / Unlock buttons on the key fob remote control.

Please check out my other 2008-2012 Chevy Malibu Repair & Maintenance Guides.