How do you replace a headlight bulb on a 2003 Chevy Malibu?

The procedure below is WRONG ! You do not have to remove any bolts on a 2003 Malibu. There are two (2) black tabs in-line with the adjustment knobs PULL UP on them to loosen the locks(you may have to pull hard on them but do not use a tool just your hand pressure will do) then pull forward on the headlight assembly careful and it will come all the way out but still attached by the wiring, but you can the change any of the bulbs you need to replace.

First, you will need to identify the bolts holding the headlight assembly in place. Lift the hood, and find the two bolts securing the housing. You will need to remove those. You may see another long bolt running behind the light assembly, and you may need to loosen that bolt in order to remove the headlight assembly. Then, the whole headlamp assembly (including all 3 bulbs) comes straight forward out of the grill area, giving total access to the back of the headlamp assembly. Once that is out, the black ring must come off first. There are three tabs,or clips, that need to be released.Then take the bulb out. DO NOT TOUCH THE ACTUAL BULB PART ON NEW OR OLD BULBS (may explode or just break).

NOTE: You do not need to remove the black ring. There are 3 slots on the back of the black ring. Rotate (counterclockwise, as I recall) the grey bulb assembly (with the wires coming out of it) which has three "tabs" that will lift out through the 3 slots of the black ring.

If you want to, you CAN take off the black ring, but it's not necessary and you risk breaking off the little black tabs, which would be a bad thing.

Once you rotate the grey bulb assembly to align the tabs & slots and then and lift out the bulb, it is easy to remove the wires and "socket" from the bulb - there is just one grey tab that you must lift to remove the bulb. That will be obvious when you compare the plugged-in grey assembly with your replacement bulb.