Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving approximately 60 mph, the steering ability seized and all the warning indicators illuminated. the contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road as the power steering warning indicator remained illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and then to mccurley chevrolet (1325 n autoplex way, pasco, wa 99301) where it was determined that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while operating the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. also, 'power steering' displayed on the instrument panel. the vehicle was driven to billion automotive (600 w. 41st, sioux falls, sd) where it was diagnosed that the torque sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 125,000.

No steering,steering turns around and around without stop turning in either direction,right or left. second time this happened,spent approximately $1200.00 before. car this time ended in a tow pound yard. triple aaa moved my car to a shop called quick stop where i wanted to get my car fixed at only to discover they didn't do electrical work which they discovered was the problem among others. again the towing company triple aaa carried it to webb chevrolet suggested by this shop. webb chevrolet discovered also electrical issues. my insurance notified me after i contact them for a claim report. an estimator was sent to webb chevrolet also they discovered after a tear down diagnosis that it is a recall issues. now you are being notified by me,ruby wells of these problems. this is why im notifying you of the recalls found on this make,model and year 2004 vehicle. not stationary,it was in motion when happened on city street. my son was arrested for no reason $2000 bail times 2 . court judge through case out on april 45th 2019 after discovering bogus tickets writing and arrests they indicated there was no insurance on vehicle and had my car towed to pound within hours. i had to pad towing fees of $1200 approximately to get my car from pound less than24 hours of the towing. money has already been spent unnecessarily money i had to borrow because i'm retired. please take care of this for me asap. please!

The electronic steering assist would fail while driving down the road causing the vehicle to loose steering and have to come to a stop and turn vehicle off to avoid a crash. it is scarey and dangerous. mine isn't the only malibu maxx that has had this dangerous problem.

Steering out of whack. i have had my control arm on both sides changed along with axles and a alignment. no luck its still all over road. i drive from sylvester ga to tifton ga everyday. it does the same thing everytime. also i have had my lights replaced 3 times in the last year. why arent the lasting. gas cap keeps reading error. whole car. i can let someone drive it to see what i am saying.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while turning the steering wheel in either direction, a popping noise was present and the steering ability seized. upon inspection, it was discovered that the steering shaft pulled out of the rack. the air bag warning indicator illuminated after the failure. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. elm chevrolet (301 e. church st, elmira, ny) was notified of the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 157,000.

Steering wheel shakes and power steering won't work

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. when the vehicle was started, the check engine and power steering warning indicators illuminated. once the vehicle was restarted, the indicators went away. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 27,972. *dt consumer stated manufacturer notified and repairs made. updated 12/04/18*jb

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering lost power. in an attempt to make a left turn, another vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the contact's vehicle. the front driver's air bag exploded and struck the driver in the face. the driver sustained injuries that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

Electronic steering failure on recal replacement part, in 2014 replaced under recall steering column and module. 3 years later failed again. replacement parts appear defective not to fix the problem. replaced at dealership indicated recal replaced once, now is owners responsibilty to replace defective parts.

Recall #14116 was in on 04/13/15 to have the recall corrected and it was at that time, but now the problem is recurring. when car is in motion any where when you accelerate the power steering on the car loses electronic assist causing the steering to be excessively hard.

While driving on rough roads or breaking noises rattles an severe shake in steering coming from steering column an an steering binding when first starting car hard to turn wheels strange noises when applying breaks

Steering wheel has numerous problems. had a knocking noise since i brought 3 years ago. steering wheel tightens up and very hard to turn and tightens more while trying to make turns at slow speeds . now happening some times when i put into reverse. been trying to teach my son how to drive and wheel to tight for him to practice turns. a few weeks ago he almost ran into a bush when pulling out from a stop sign because the steering wheel wouldn't turn. had him put the car in park in the middle of the street while on coming cars had to stop and wait for us to switch drivers. getting worse/tighter over time. if the wheel is slightly turned and i put in drive the car jumps ahead with no control over the steering. already took in for recall's for power steering so when i called was told all my recalls had been done and expired. last few days the wheel is shaking the closer i drive to 55 mph. clearly the steering has issues that seems to be a continuous problem and gm not willing to make right. a driving hazard! *tr

Intermittent loss of power steering during acceleration has persisted and continues to get worse after recall (nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000) was performed. this creates a potentially dangerous situation. manufacturer and dealer refused to perform any further repairs at their expense, claiming there was a one year warranty on the repair. however, their remedy for this safety defect didn't fix the original problem and it continues to happen.

Power steering goes out intermittently without warning when driving. this has been happening for the last 6 months. weather conditions/temperature, the car being warmed up/cold makes no difference. happens when driving on highways, back roads going around corners-road conditions/type of road make no difference. also there has been a rattling sound like something metal is rattling. the power steering goes out with absolutely no warning and there is no opportunity to make preparations. this is extremely dangerous. *tr

My malibu maxx 2004 was bought new. it has the power steering issue ever since it was new. under acceleration on highways (e.g. driving uphill in mountains etc. ) when steering left around a curve, the power steering locks up and jerks, and dash lights flash for a few seconds. this has happened ever since it was new. the issue can't be reproduced by dealership and auto repair stores. gm has a recall in 2014 regarding power steering but the problem is not fixed, the issue is life threatening!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized and there was an abnormal noise. on another occasion, while driving 5 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel required excessive force and another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed and no injuries were reported. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the dealer informed the contact that the parts were not available for the recall repairs for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), 14v153000 (steering), and 14v224000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Electrical system:wiring exterior lighting:brake lights electronic stability control service brakes hydraulic:switches:brake light steering:electric power assist system the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control panic braking assist features. turning signals & break lights not responsive. sudden loss of electric power steering assist that happens at anytime while driving. pictures attached pushing breaks & using turning signals no response. car power steering also shuts down in the middle of driving. contacted dealer will not provide help. problem has happened for the last 16 months. almost crashed 5 times.

My car is in my husbands name but the problems with car started with recalls. i never received a steering column recall until my car was already over 150,000 mls. when taken to the garage they fixed one recall and conveniently 2 more repairs that didn't exist needed fixed they then told me the steering column was bad and needed replaced. i said i didn't have money to fix and they said they repaired it as good as they could power steering problem could happen again but may never. so on june 26th i headed to childrens hospital to be with my son when he was put under anesthesia for an mri(he has down syndrome). car was acting up not turning right but i made it there. i sent kids with their dad the night before because i felt it wasn't driving right. on the way home i was driving north on highway 28 in the right lane when my car stared going towards the passing lane. i tried turning g the wheel back. it turned but the wheels didn't follow. it continued into passing lane, hit the cement wall. the front left tire climbed the wall. the airbags never deployed because same dealer broke module that controlled airbags, they were to replace it free when part came in but never called. i landed in median between highways. thank god i didn't hit anyone. now i have no car. is there anyone that fights for the little guy anymore?

While i was on the interstate this vehicle with a wrench in the middle lit up on my dash board and that's when my wheel locked up i couldn't move the wheel from left to right i had to force it to turn to be able to make turns and get over.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the vehicle remained on after the key was removed from the ignition, the transmission slipped out of gear, and there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering column. the failures occurred without warning. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 51,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering) and the vehicle was repaired. less than a month later, the torque sensor assembly and the eps unit failed. after having the vehicle repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (service brakes), the vehicle began to feel as though the brakes were grabbing. the contact stated that it was difficult to accelerate from a complete stop and the brakes were smoking. the vehicle had not been back to the dealer. the contact felt that both recall repairs failed. the failure mileage was 45,500.

Vehicle was recalled in gm power steering recall . car still has the same problem after being fixed by dealer . contacted chevy and they are uncooperative at best . *tr

When coming to a stop, i went to make a right hand turn when a signal and a dash light went off and the power steering just went out, no previous warning. i had the car towed and when it was hooked up to have the diagnosis done, the power steering just reset itself. however it was noted that there was a recall for the power steering and i should take it to a dealer. i was charged $44.99 for that information. i took the car into the dealer near me about a week later which was the very first appointment i could make. there were actually 3 existing recalls (two unrelated) on my car and all three were addressed on march 24. i left believing that my car was now fixed and safe to drive. on april 16th i drove over 30 miles one way from my home with the false sense of security because on april 18, the power steering just went out, again when making a right turn. i took the car back on april 20 and after charging me $59.50, (they were going to charge me $118!!!) i was told the issue was "unrelated to the recall" and was not covered. i did not have it fixed due to the high cost (quote of $889.estimated) and i feel strongly that it is all related! my personal mechanic recommended i report the issue to gm and feels that gm should fix the power steering issues. the recall issue caused a "trickle down effect" with the whole steering column. he is willing to fix the car but noted that if he does i would have no recourse with gm and that i should try getting it covered before he does anything to the car. now, not only is it extremely difficult to drive, it is unsafe. not driving the car as it can cause a major accident where either myself or someone else could be injured or killed and cause extensive property damage. i don't have the funds to fix it, a car to get to work and i am making payments and paying insurance on a car that is not safe to drive. *tr

I lost power steering and got a message in the driver information center telling me that there was a problem with the power steering. i was driving on route 1 in new jersey and going about 45-50 mph. i pulled off the road and restarted the car, hoping it was just an electronic glitch. that solved the immediate problem. however, i learned reading the nytimes that this is a common problem with the maxx and in fact there had been a safety recall on the car. i called a local chevy dealer to have it fixed and found there are three outstanding safety recalls on my car. in addition to the power steering problem, there are also problems with the transmission shift cable and the brake lamp. all these recalls were made in april and may of last year after all the bad publicity about covering up defects that resulted in deaths. i have an appointment to take care of all three problems, but this is my larger concern: i don't know why, but i received only one recall notice (not three) and that one notice (which was about the transmission cable) said that the parts weren't available and they would notify me when they were available. i was never notified, but apparently the parts are available and have been for some time. my question for you: what is nhtsa doing to make sure that individual consumers receive accurate information about safety recalls? i was lucky. i was driving on a straight road in an urban area -- and not taking a curve on a mountainside -- when my power steering suddenly stopped working. why wasn't i told about this problem earlier? why did i have to wait till reading about it in the nytimes? and why didn't i receive a followup letter when the part became available for the transmission cable? thank you. *tr

July 18 - driving to work, heard and felt a clunk. on the radio display power steering was now displayed and the mechanics symbol illuminated on the dashboard. july 28- mccluskey is unable to duplicate trouble with car, they do not have parts anyway. aug. 6 - vm car is ready. when we arrived told us there is a problem, they have used non-approved gm parts, they need to take those parts out and put in approved gm parts to be paid. rear quarter of the car was damaged. aug.14 - passenger side lower front bumper is now damaged aug. 21 - picked up malibu from the body shop, realize seat is broken call the body shop back within 5 min. of leaving the lot, i went around a corner and i am thrown into the door. in oct. received the recall letter again, dealerships now have parts, take your vehicle in and have the repair completed. if this was done in august why did i just receive a letter? nov. 27, while my husband was driving the car the power steering would not work again, making a turn at slow speed the car would not respond and acted as if he had his foot on the brake and the accelerator at the same time, as if he was power braking, the car would not move, the car was not drivable, completely unsafe. dec. 3 borcherding buick calls me and tells me the recalls are not the issue and cannot be completed until the steering column issue is fixed.the car had 57635 miles on july 18th the day the car was towed to mccluskey chevrolet, on august 22nd the morning after i picked up the car from mccluskey chevrolet the car has 58135. the car became un-drivable with 60890 miles. i have a receipt the power steering was replaced in 2005 under a recall/warranty and then again the power steering was repaired in 2009 with gm paying half we paid half due to the low miles on the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. during the failure, the power steering sensor and service vehicle sensor illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 76,531.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact received recall notices for nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering) and nhtsa campaign number: 14v224000 (power train). the dealer stated that the parts were not available for repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the delay. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while reversing from a parking space, the power steering warning indicator flashed on the instrument panel and the power steering assist immediately failed. the contact was unable to engage the brakes on time and as a result, crashed into a parked vehicle. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries. the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). however, the parts were not available for repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 220,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 mph and going around a curve, the steering wheel seized. as an result, the contact lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle rolled down an incline and crashed into a fence line. the contact was air lifted to the hospital and sustained broken ribs, shoulder injuries, a concussion, memory loss, and cuts and bruises that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 14v153000 (steering), but the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

Going 20 mph out of a tunnel....while turning right (wrench signal came on) i stopped at the traffic light. when i went to proceed the steering wheel would not steer. i was able to struggle with the wheel to drive until i could pull into a parking space. what a frightening experience. i waited 1/2 hour turned the car on and the steering was normal. i went on line and found that on march 31, 2014 there was a recall for my car and it's problem was with the power steering. when can i expect gm to starts sending out the parts that they are out of at this time to my car dealer service center? it is unfair that because gm is out of the parts i am unable to drive my car for fear i would be in a crash and be killed or someone else injured or killed. *tr

Suddenly lost ability to operate the power steering when making right turn at approximately 15 mph. the warning light was present on dashboard and indicated power steering problem. i was able to drive straight only and then put the car to stop. after turning the engine off and on again the warning light was no longer present. (this car was twice before at the dealer repair shop for steering problem in the past - under warranty. it was because the steering will locked when i was parking the car and this required me to turn the steering wheel all the way to the left and right for about 3 to 4 times. there was no warning light on the dashboard what so ever. then i will have to turn off the engine and wait one minute and start the car again to unlock the steering and drive the car. the car dealer's warranty repairs did not fix this problem.) *tr

Since 1/2012, intermittent malfunction of power steering and engine operation at highway/street speeds occurs. vehicle since has been inspected for incidents by certified dealers/auto repair shops. problem continues forcing the driver to veer off the road without steering and/or power, putting the driver and anyone in the path at risk of injury/death. my research due to the most current incident led me to information released from the national highway traffic safety administration dated april 1, 2014 stating that 1,340,447 cars affected with this problem. nhtsa campaign # 14v153000, gm recall #:n140115. gm knew this information. on 4/23/14 i submitted a complaint to the nhtsa, and gm. 2 gm employees denied the recall/services, yet eventually admitted that they knew about the recall which would be made public 4/28/14, yet notices to vehicle owners will go out after 4/28/14. gm continues the practice of not informing the public. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the steering wheel made a loud noise. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who stated that the power steering needed to be replaced. the contact was also informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 14v153000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 98,517. the vin was not available.

Power steering light came on and ringing sound sounded and power steering went completely out in the middle of a busy intersection as i was making a right hand turn. i managed to get it to the curb and call for help. after sitting a while it became normal, but i am afraid this will happen again. there have been many complaints from other about this. see nhtsa action number ea 04018 and lots of gm service bulletins. my dealer cannot help because the recall was for 2005 malibu max electronic power steering and not the 2004, but it is the same power steering unit. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver and the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage 44,000. the vin was not available.

Driving down the road and the steering wheel loses power and locks up, my daughter is 19 years old and i'd like her to see her 20th birthday, please help, this is ridiculous the amount of chevy customers that have had this issue and it is being ignored by gm, this needs to be recalled, asap!!!!! *tr

Power steering simply went out and at such a slow speed, it was very difficult to maneuver car... all the bells and whistles did go off, a second or two before it failed. not sure what would happen if i was on the highway - not sure i want to find out. turned off the car, then back on and steering returned to normal. went to chevy dealer and was told it is out of warranty and they will not cover the cost of repair, and wants an additional $100 just to tell me what is wrong.... not sure why there is no recall on this critical element of the car. it seems gm and the nhtsa are playing "russian roulette" with our lives.... *tr

I turned my car on, and the power steering light came on. couldn't steer. turned car off and on, then my steering wheel jerks like crazy for a week. now driving home from work my steering died completely. reading about this and i see this is a huge problem for the malibu and malibu maxx. chevy needs to do a recall!!! *tr

A slight pull to the right on the steering wheel causes the power steering to pull back to the left in a random pattern. it clearly happens at a stop if you pull slightly to the right on the wheel. you can feel the steering fight you randomly (multiple pulls within a few seconds) when driving at speed on a road that has a crown to the left. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while driving in various weather conditions, speed and with out warning his vehicle lost all power steering. when the vehicle was restarted the vehicle resumed normal function until the failure recurred. the dealer was notified and stated that the steering column needed to be replaced at the contacts expense. the manufacturer was not contacted. the approximate failure mileage 46,000 miles.

I was driving my car to work when the power steering went out. it was extremely hard to turn the vehicle. i was driving the car at approximately 70 mph on the interstate when this occurred. there was a sudden loss of power. the wrench light came on after the power steering went out. there was no warning before the power steering went out. luckily, i was not in a curve and was on the interstate going straight. due to the inability to easily turn the vehicle, getting off the interstate ramp safely was close to impossible. this makes the second time this has happened to me. the first time was in 2009. the same thing happened. i was driving to work when the power steering went out. i had a new steering column put in on 7/14/2009 (at 69,000 miles and out of my own pocket). it was pre-owned when i bought it, so i have no idea how many times this has been replaced since 2004, but i am guessing this is why it was traded in. *tr

I had just gotten into town and passed my road i needed so i pulled into the next road to turn around and it was extremely hard to turn. i thought i lost my power steering so i turned the car off only to realize it was still running. i started it back up and it seemed to loosen up so i pulled back out on the main road and again could not get the wheel to turn either way at all. if this had happened at a speed higher than 20mph, there would be no way to avoid a wreck. i was stuck on the main road with nowhere to go and was completely blocking traffic in not great road conditions. if this had happened on my way to the destination, i would have had no control and would have went off the road and probable death on the road i was traveling. after reviewing several sites online, this is a common problem with this car. i feel it should be a priority 1 recall. there were a couple of people who wrecked because of it. if this cannot be fixed, we will have no other option than to get rid of the car and warn others of this safety risk. please consider looking into this as i really do like my car but i have a family of 4 to consider and one child that will be getting his license in a few months. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact was driving approximately 15 mph and completing a turn when the power steering assist suddenly malfunctioned, making the steering wheel extremely difficult to maneuver. the contact indicated that the power steering failure sensor was also illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 101,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while making a u-turn the steering wheel seized. the problem recurred while pulling out of a parking lot. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque input sensor was defective. the steering column was replaced and the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000. an

While driving, heard warning signal, saw warning light (wrench i think), then digital read on radio said "power steering." tried to change lanes to exit freeway, steering wheel very difficult to move. realized i had no power steering. very dangerous situation. this all happened very quickly. *tr

I was driving slowly in a parking lot and the power steering failed completely. the check engine light also came on. it was very dificult to naigate in the parking lot at such low speeds. when i left the parking lot and accelerated, i was able to manage steering with some force. after turning off the vehicle and restarting, the power steering worked fine and the check engine light went off. i was concerned for my safety and worried i would have an accident due to difficulty steering. *tr

I was driving down the road heading to work, and went around a curve and all the sudden the service engine light came on and i completely lost my power steering. i managed to pull over and shut my car off, turn it back on and went on my way. the power steering came back at this point. the next morning, i was driving to work, and was getting ready to make a right turn. as i rounded the corner, i lost my power steering yet again. i once again killed the engine and it came back. both times, i later drove the car home from work with no incidents. this is very dangerous and could cause serious accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering accompanied by a warning chime. the engine was turned off and restarted. in addition, an unknown fuse was removed from under console and cleaned. the vehicle resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the steering column and module were both replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 51,000. ...updated 11-18-13 *bf updated 11/26/2013 *js

Started my car after work and my power steering was suddenly gone after working fine for 2 days (just bought the car). i took it to my mechanic and he did a trouble code search. the computer kept displaying torque sensor error. took it to gm and found out that they will not cover the cost to replace it because i have a v6, not a v4 engine. apparently gm extended the warranty on the v4 steering columns, but not the v6. drove back home and let the car sit for about 4 hours. went and started it up and the power steering was back. turned the car back off and it overnight. started again this morning and the power steering is gone again! very unhappy since i just bought the car! *tr