2004 Chevrolet Malibu Steering

FIRST STARTED AS AN OCCASIONAL STEERING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEEDS. THEN PROGRESSED TO MORE FREQUENT STEERING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEED. NEXT A BAD VIBRATION STARTED IN THE FRONT WHEN BREAKING. NOW A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. DIAGNOSIS BY MECHANIC IS DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION, STEERING BOX, AND POSSIBLY POWER STEERING FAILURE. RESEARCH INDICATES THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, AND THAT THE 2005 MALIBU WAS RECALLED FOR EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM LAST SUMMER.

2004 MALIBU MAXX STEERING FAILURE. VEHICLE PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2009. SPORADIC DIFFICULTY WITH POWER STEERING GOING OUT, HAS INCREASED TO A DAILY OCCURRENCE. WHEN ACCELERATING INTO A TURN, MUST HOLD ONTO STEERING WHEEL TIGHTLY AND LEAN HEAVILY INTO TURN TO NAVIGATE SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES/OBJECTS/PEDESTRIANS. PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS ON HIGHWAY, CHANGING LANES, AND WHEN NAVIGATING EXIT RAMP WHEN THERE IS A CURVE. HAVE HAD STEERING WHEEL CLEANED AND GREASED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE COLUMN CLICKS DURING THE TURN IF THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED. I SEE THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE, AND AM LOOKING FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR REPAIR, AS MY RESEARCH HAS FOUND LITTLE TO REMEDY. A OLDER SENIOR FRIEND WITH THE SAME VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY NAVIGATING A TURN IN EFFINGHAM NH A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND WENT OFF THE ROAD, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE AND FORTUNATELY, MINIMAL INJURY TO THE DRIVER. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CONTACT TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE POWER STEERING LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE STEERING RESET ITSELF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

POWER STEERING FAILURE. WARM STARTUP, AFTER REST STOP ON HIGHWAY TRIP, VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING AND THE "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION" LIGHT CAME ON DASH. PULLED OVER AND CHECKED FUSES - ALL OK. RESTARTED, PROBLEM STILL THERE. RESTARTED AGAIN IN AN HOUR, PROBLEM WENT AWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, SHE NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING COLUMN. THE POWER STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 46,000.

2004 CHEVY MALIBU STEERING LOCKS UP TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART CAR AND POWER STEERING COMES BACK WHEN IT LOCKS UP IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL,HAD POWER STEERING MOTOR AND SHAFT REPLACED WHEN CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CHEVY MUST RESOLVE. HAVE NOT HAD E RESPONSE FROM CHEVY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND MY STEERING SYSTEM IS INOPERABLE AND MAKES IT VERY HARD FOR ME TO STEER IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TO TURN MY CAR OFF TO RESET IT. THIS IS VERY SCARY WHILE DRIVING AND COULD BE A HAZARD. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 MALIBU, 6-CYLINDER, WITH 97,000+ MILES. RECENTLY, THE SERVICE VEHICLE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON WITH A COMPUTER DISPLAY INDICATION OF A POWER STEERING PROBLEM. THEY HAVE SINCE APPEARED ESPECIALLY IN WET WEATHER, WITH LOW RPMS (ABOUT 600) AND ON MAKING SLOW-SPEED RIGHT TURNS. MY NOT-YET-YEAR-OLD, 75-MONTH BATTERY ALSO JUST GAVE OUT, BUT REPLACING IT DID NOT STOP THE FAULT INDICATIONS. TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM USUALLY DID, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. TWO DAYS AGO, WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, FAULT INDICATIONS WERE NOT DISPLAYED AND STEERING RESPONSE WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER, ON NEGOTIATING AN S-SHAPED EXIT RAMP, THE POWER ASSIST FAILED AND THE INDICATORS CAME ON. STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND I ONLY MANAGED TO STAY ON THE ROAD AT THE EXPENSE OF A WRENCHED SHOULDER. THE 2004 MALIBU HAS AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM (EPS) - WHICH WAS THE SUBJECT OF NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA4018. THE DOOR STICKER ON MY CAR SHOWS A MANUFACTURE DATE OF 5/04. SO, ACCORDING TO YOUR REPORT, THE "NEWLY DESIGNED TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR" IN VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER 2/4/04, SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. (I'LL BE EMAILING GM TO CONFIRM WHETHER THAT'S THE CASE.) IN ANY EVENT, JUDGING BY THE SPATE OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER MALIBU OWNERS, IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED'OR THAT GM HAS EVEN CARED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO IT. PLEASE SEE CAR COMPLAINTS LINK FOR A SAMPLING: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CHEVROLET/MALIBU/2004/STEERING/POWER_STEERING_GOING_OUT_INTERMITTENTLY.SHTML I ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH YOUR REPORT THAT DRIVER IMPACT WOULD BE INSUBSTANTIAL AS THE CAR IS RELATIVELY SMALL AND LIGHT. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, THERE IS A CLEAR SAFELY HAZARD. THE MALIBU OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A CAR FOR 20-SOMETHINGS. PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DRIVE IT WOULD NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO STEER WITHOUT THE POWER ASSIST TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AS ALLUDED TO AT THE END OF YOUR REPORT, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT CIRCUMSTANCES NOW WARRANT FURTHER ACTION. *TR

DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC. POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ENGAGED SUDDENLY. POWER STEERING NOT EFFECTED. CAR SHUT OFF. RESTART AND DRIVES NORMALLY THEN LIGHT GOES ON AGAIN. I HAVE FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY GOING OUT, SO I AM ADDING MY VOICE TO THOSE TO REQUEST CHEVY RECALL. *LN

IN A TURN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES STIFF, HARD TO TURN, AND THE BELL ALARM GOES OFF. *TR

WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2006. ITS A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU. THE FIRST TIME WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL AND THE HORN STARTED HONKING. THE DEALER TOLD US TO BRING IT IN AND COULDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN. IT DID IT AGAIN AND THEN THEY DETERMINED IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN AND REPLACED A PART. THE 2ND TIME IT DID IT, THE CAR/WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND WAS MAKING AN ODD NOISE. THEY STATED THEY REPLACED STEERING COMPONENT. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR JUST LAST WEEK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING LOCKED UP, THE CAR/WRENCH CAME ON AND MY PANEL SAID STEERING. I AM FEARFUL TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR OR ALLOW MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE IT AND HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF THE SAME ISSUES ON LINE. IT GIVES YOU NO WARNING AND JUST GOES OUT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE TRYING TO AVOID A CRASH. THE POWER STEERING LOCKED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A GUARD RAIL AND ROLL OVER. THE CONTACT SUFFERED AN INJURY TO THE ARM. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. BEFORE THE CRASH OCCURRED THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT STEERING COLUMN CAUSED THE CRASH TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU AND RANDOMLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND A POWER STEERING WARNING WILL COME ON. THE POWER STEERING IS USUALLY OKAY AND I CAN CONTINUE DRIVING, BUT ONE DAY WHILE I WAS IN A TURN LANE IT WENT OUT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR TURN WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE POWER STEERING. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP BUT BECAUSE IT IS INTERMITTENT, IT WAS NOT HAVING THAT ISSUE WHEN I TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I'M WORRIED MY POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AGAIN AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WE HAVE A CHEVY MALIBU MAXX, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE. I KNOW THE CAR HAS ELECTRONIC STEERING AND THIS IS WHAT I,M WORRIED ABOUT. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN THE POWER STEERING SOMETIMES GOES OUT AND OTHER TIMES IT SEEMS LIKE YOU LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING ALL TOGETHER.THE STEERING ALSO BECOMES VERY TIGHT AND THEN VERY FAST IT BECOMES VERY LOOSE ALMOST CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL. A FEW DAYS AGO ON THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND BEGAN PULLING FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR MANY MILES, WE HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THIS DID NOT HELP THE STEERING PROBLEM ANY.THE CAR WOULD ALSO START PULLING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER ON ITS OWN. WHEN I WOULD TRY TO CORRECT THE STEERING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IT WOULD THEN PULL TO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WRECK. EVEN WHEN GOING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLES STEERING IS BECOMING A REAL PROBLEM. IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE ABOUT TO LOSE CONTROL AT ANY MINUTE. I HAVE READ THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE ARE AND THAT WORRIES ME VERY MUCH , BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE OFTEN. IS THIS ISSUE SOMETHING THAT CHEVY IS LOOKING INTO OR WILL IT TAKE A COUPLE OF ACCIDENTS OR EVEN A DEATH FOR THEM TO RECALL THIS CAR FOR REPAIRS. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY BEFORE SOMETHING VERY DEADLY HAPPENS. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT CHEVY DESPERATELY NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT. *TR

POWER STEERING CONTROL I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX V6, I BOUGHT NEW A FEW MONTHS LATER I HEARD A FAINT KNOCKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL EACH YEAR IT BECAME MORE NOTICEABLE. NOW THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WITH THE MESSAGE OF POWER STEERING. I HAVE COMPLAINED AND HAD A NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS THAT ARE DIFFERENT RESULTS. CHEVY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. MY POWER STEERING FAILED ON ME GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BEHIND AN 18 WHEELER, I STRUGGLED JUST TO GET ACROSS 1 LANE AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. I WAS TOO SCARED TO TURN THE CAR OFF BECAUSE I WAS 10 MI. AWAY FROM HOME. SO I SLOWLY DROVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY ONCE I MADE IT HOME I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LATER TURNED IT BACK ON WITH POWER BACK IN MY STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TOYOTA CARS. THERE NEED TO BE A FULL INVESTIGATION THIS IS ONE OF MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE POSTED WITH NO RESULTS!!!!!!!! *TR

TL* CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK. HE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE POWER STEERING RESET ITSELF AND WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF AN ALIGNMENT DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED ONE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED SLIGHT DIFFICULTY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT REQUIRE SERVICE REPAIR FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A MINOR DEFECT. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 25000.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND PULLING OUT ONTO STREET WHEN POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. STEERING WHEEL THEN ABRUPTLY FELT SEIZED FOR A MOMENT CAUSING ME TO GO STRAIGHT INTO OPPOSITE LANE. THEN WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL HOWEVER STEERING WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO NEAREST DEALER. WHEN AT DEALER ASKED ABOUT RECALL OR BULLETIN. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NONE, HOWEVER THEY OFFERED A FIFTY /FIFTY SPLIT TO REPAIR. STRANGE IF THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A DEFECT. REFUSED SERVICE AND CONTACTED MANUFACTURE, THEY SAID MY VEHICLE DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR "SPECIAL RECALL" . MY CAR WAS AN 04 "SPECIAL RECALL" IS FOR 05, I ASKED FOR AN EXCEPTION STATING THAT IT IS THE SAME PART, THEY REFUSED. ONE MONTH LATER MY CAR IS TOTALED AND IT NO LONGER HAS POWER STEERING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS, HE HEARD A THUMPING NOISE WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED THREE TIMES BY A LOCAL DEALER. THE CURRENT FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE RACK AND PINION COMPONENT; THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDTATED 2/17/11 *CN UPDATED 11/30/2011 *LN

TRAVELING AT 45 KPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND POWER STEERING ASSIST WAS LOST MAKING VEHICLE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD RESULT IN A PRODUCT RECALL. AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IGNITION TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, POWER STEERING RESUMED. *TR

MY 2004 CHEVORLET MALIBU MAXX HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH RATES OF SPEED. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST GOES OUT AND MAKES THE VEHICLE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH EXTREME DIFFICULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE ENGINE RESTARTED THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WILL BE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 35MPH AND I CHANGED LANES. UPON STEERING TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP COMPLETELY AND A NOISE LIKE THE DING AN OPEN DOOR MAKES SOUNDED TWICE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OFF THE CAR WHILE I TRIED TO CATCH MY BREATH FROM BEING FRIGHTENED. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THROUGH THE PARKING LOT MAKING TURNS TO SEE IF IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT DIDN'T. I AM JUST VERY LUCKY THAT TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT TODAY AND I WASN'T HIT!