How to Remove a Fender and Hood from a Chevy Malibu

Applies to: CHEVROLET MALIBU (2004-2008)

 

Chevy Malibu (2004-2008)

Pull Tip: This part pull guide is general guidance for listed makes, models and/or years. There may be some variances between years or modifications by previous owners - so we recommend removing the part at home before coming to the yard to determine the tools you'll need for a successful pull.

Estimated Pull Time: 15-20 minutes

Recommended Tools

  • Plastic Trim Tool
  • Pliers
  • Phillips Head Screwdriver

Instructions

  • 1

    Starting by removing the bolts in plain sight on the top of the fender

  • 2

    Remove the third bolt that is hidden behind the hood hinge bracket

  • 3

    There are just four bolts holding the hood on, two on each side. Take the four bolts holding the hood (two on each side) and lift off the hood and set it aside.

  • 4

    Then, remove the plastic fender liner in the wheel well by using a trim tool (best option) or screwdriver and pliers to remove the few different styles of plastic trim clips

  • 5

    After the fender liner is off, remove the two bolts connecting the fender to the bumper

  • 6

    Once those two are out there is another bolt hidden at the bottom of the fender - remove the clip holding the lower trim in place and then you’ll be able to pull it back far enough to access the bolt.

  • 7

    Remove the two bolts behind the door seam

  • 8

    Open the door to remove the first one from the inside of the car

  • 9

    The second one is hidden up underneath where the fender liner was – remove the small insulation liner with a tug to get to the bolt.

  • 10

    Once that’s done, lift the fender up and out and you’re finished.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hi, this is Eric from Velocity Labs. We're going to be doing a quick DIY and Drive tutorial with Pull-A-Part Used Auto Parts. We're going to be pulling the fender off this 2003 Chevy Malibu. Fenders are one of those items that are pretty easy to take off with just basic hand tools.

We're going to start up at the front and take the bolts off the top of the fender first. There are two right out in plain sight. Start with those. There's a third that's hidden behind the hood hinge bracket, so we'll need to take off the hood to get to it. There are just four bolts holding the hood on, two on each side. Take them out and you'll be able to lift the hood off. Set it aside, and then we can get access to the other bolts at the top. Next, we'll move down into the wheel well. There's a plastic fender liner here that needs to be removed. It's held in by a few different styles of plastic trim clips. A trim tool works best here, but if you don't have one handy, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers can work as well. Once all those are out, we can pull the fender liner down to remove it. There are two more bolts underneath that connect the fender to the bumper. We'll take those out next. Once those two are out, there's another bolt hidden at the bottom of the fender. Remove the clip, holding the lower trim piece in place, and then you'll be able to pull it back far enough to access the bolt.

Next, there are just two more bolts hidden behind the door seam. You can access the first one from inside the car with the door open. The second one is hidden up underneath where the fender liner was. There's another small insulation liner here. Just give it a tug to remove it. The final bolt holding the fender on is right behind it. You can see it here. This one was covered by big, gross spider egg sack. I prefer to kill it with fire, but since torches aren't allowed on the yard, I had to dispose of it with the longest screwdriver I could find. Then, just remove the bolt like normal. Once that's done, you can easily lift the fender up and out and you're done.

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