Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that intermittently while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would begin pulling to the left, causing increased difficulty in steering. the power steering warning light would illuminate intermittently a few moments before the failure would occur. he also stated that on occasion, the power steering would be inoperable upon starting the vehicle. the contact also stated that in order to reset the power steering, he would shut off the engine and restart it to reset the system. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and did not make any repairs to the vehicle. the manufacturer had not yet been contacted to report the failure. the failure mileage was 77,270 and the current mileage was 81,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 5 mph the contact stated that the steering wheel became stiff and she was unable to maneuver the vehicle. the engine light came on and there was also an alert that indicated a problem with the power steering. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or a mechanic to be repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 59,000.

As my girlfriend pulled into a parking lot with my 2004 chevrolet malibu and just when i prepared to leave, the steering warning light came on and the alarm sounded. the power assist on the steering was not functioning. turned off the car and restarted it and the problem went away. aprox 2 weeks later, she went to turn into the driveway and the steering failed again. while these occurred at low speed,i do worry that it may occur while in traffic or in town, which may result in an accident. i can see from the reports at mycarstats.com that this seems to be a very common problem with this vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the steering system malfunctioned, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. the contact had the steering column replaced previously but the repair did not remedy the issue. the contact did not call the manufacturer or the dealer. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where the mechanic advised that the steering column needed to be replaced again. the contact was concerned that the failure would result in a crash. the failure mileage was 102,000.

I was driving myself and my 2 year old son home when i lost my power steering and had to stop, i shut off the car and waited ten minutes turned it back on and it started working again. i brought the car to my mechanic and had to have the entire steering column and everything replaced. the day after i picked up my car it was making an awful noise so i had to bring it back and am having another part of the steering replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 45 mph the steering column locked on the vehicle. she was able to safely restart the vehicle, and after 5 minutes the vehicle resumed normal operation. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the technicians could not identify the cause of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 117,000.

The power steering on my 2004 malibu ls failed while making a turn. i nearly had an accident. my local garage diagnosed the problem as a module in the steeringcolumn and said it's a fairly common problem. this is extremely dangerous and should be considered for a recall or manufactures service bulletin. *tr

While driving my 2004 malibu ls power steering will go out it is all you can do to steer car. i can not steer car when this happens. you have to stop car turn ignition off then start car again to get your power steering back. you may have to do this several times steering will quiver as you turn. this is very dangerous and will result in deaths there should be a recall to correct this problem. steering column has been replaced once for this problem. *tr libby b. chaney

Power steering pulls hard one way soft another and can at random quit functioning at all. the problem i experience sounds identical to the recent gm recall and is a known issue. i am adding this because the nhtsa closed the investigation for this car and should reopen it. *tr

I took vehicle into goodyear for oil change and told them more steering noises are happening. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the entire steering column was replaced at 17,000 miles for power steering failure. two weeks ago she paid $1000.00 to replace the steering column. the manufacturer was notified, but because the warranty expired no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 132,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. when the contact turned the steering wheel in any direction, he noticed a grinding noise in the intermediate steering shaft. the contact also noticed that the grinding noise occurred each time he drove over a bump or pot hole. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 78000.

The power steering failed while driving my 2004 chevrolet malibu. a "mechanical problem indicator appeared on the dash board when driving my car and the words "power steering" were displayed on the radio display. a few moments later, my power steering failed and the car became very difficult to drive. i turned around and went home. *tr

Power steering failure due to faulty electronic components in the power steering column. i had to pay nearly $500 to have the power steering column replaced. general motors would not provide any assistance or reimbursement. *tr

I own a 2004; 4 cyl; chevy malibu with electronic power steering. the system failed while i was on the interstate. i narrowly escaped causing a collision because of this failure. when towed to chevy "... their computer shows no problem...". baloney, i have since found out by going on-line that lots of chevy malibus have this problem. chevy will not own up to it because it is a major expensive repair. *tr

I purchased a 2004 chevrolet malibu in june 2009. since i have had the car the power steering light has come on and i have lost all power steering in the vehicle twice. i took the car the dealerships shop and they told me they could not find anything wrong with the power steering. driving today i lost all power steering again. i stop the vehicle and turn it off and it resets itself usually, but today it kept going out. i spoke to a chevrolet dealership and they are very familiar with the problem although there has been no recall. it is very dangerous and needs to be looked into seriously. i am locked into my loan for 3 years on this car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph the "power steering" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, then the power steering failed. as a consequence the risk for vehicle crash was increased. the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility, and a mechanic concluded that the steering shaft needed replacement. as of current date the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 92,000. the vin was unavailable.

The intermediate shaft on this vehicle (steering) locked up making the car unsteerable thus causing an accident. it is unpredictable when the intermediate shaft locks up. prior to the accident the vehicle experienced shaking at highway speeds and premature tire ware. part was replaced 2 years ago through warranty but failed again. according to the dealership this is a common problem with most gm vehicles however no recall has been issued. this part will be replaced again and old part will be available upon request. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 72 mph, the power steering light came on and then the steering wheel locked. he was able to safely drive onto the emergency lane and shut the engine off. approximately 5 seconds after restarting the vehicle the failure recurred. the dealer was not notified. a local mechanic stated that the main gear in the steering failed. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure has occurred 6 to 7 times. the failure mileage was 101,000 and the current mileage was 149,000.

Driving the 2004 chevy malibu in a parking lot when power steering turned off. power steering will reset after restarting the car but will subsequently turn off again. looses power steering more frequently since the initial loss of power steering. *tr

Electric power steering goes of suddenly w/o advance notice of any kind. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact's vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). the contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while operating the vehicle and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was unavailable.

I own a 2004 chevy malibu and the electronic power steering quit. the wrench light came on and the display said power steering. it has happened several times. the last time it happened was right after i had picked my son up from day care. i was on my home and the power steering went out. i could barely steer the car. i had to pull hard on the steering wheel to get the car to steer. it started working again on my way to work, but now it over steers to the right. if the power steering had come back on while i was pulling on the steering wheel i would have went into the other lane and caused and accident (with my son in the car). i took it to the chevy dealer and they said the steering column was already replaced due to a recall. the dealer said they could replace the steering column at my expense. if the steering column was already replaced, then why is the same problem still happening. i will not pay to have a new one put in when it only temporarily fixes the problem. i have read many complaints on this same issue. some have caused accidents. i will not drive the car with my son in the car. i cannot believe that gm does not admit that there is a problem. what will it take for gm to correct the problem a "death". *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph at night, the power steering failed unexpectedly. the driver had to exert greater effort to turn the steering wheel. the vehicle has not been repaired and is currently not being driven. the failure and current mileages were 70,520.

I was driving my 2004 chevrolet malibu this summer when the steering wheel column locked up and wouldn't let me turn the wheel thankfully i was on a county road so i was able to pull my car to the side. i took it to the dealership and i had to get my steering wheel column replaced and then it happened again this time it only partially locked up, but when i took it to the dealership the steering wheel column had to be replaced again and i fear that something like this could possible happen again. *tr

This car is terrible. not only did my brakes not work which made my car crash through the front of my house the steering has been replaced twice and the problem still exists. the electrical system has major problems. the blinker burned a hole through the lens cover and makes the horn, doors and lights not work. i have contacted gm several times over the last 5 years and they don't care because the warranty is out. then you read how many people have the same problems. they got their bailout how about a bailout for the people who bought gm products. there seems to be no help for the consumer. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated until the engine was turned off. there was a slight loss of power steering for a few seconds. on a separate occasion, the engine warning indicator illuminated and a message displayed on the instrument panel indicating that the fuel cap was open. the failure would occur sporadicly. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic three different times for diagnosis however, they were unable to locate the problem and the failure persisted. the failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving less than 3 mph, the power steering failed. the contact drove forward out of a parking spot, but the steering wheel would not turn. she had to exert great force in order to turn the steering wheel. in addition, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the manufacturer would not assist because there were no recalls for the steering. the manufacturer referred the contact to nhtsa. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were less than 128,000.

The 1st time it happened was about 11 months ago. i was driving on a busy avenue when i lost all steering control of my vehicle. no warnings just the inability to steer my vehicle at all. i figured it was a fluke and dismissed it for the moment. until it started happened again. this time i ended up in a ditch on the side of the road, terrified! i bought 2004 chevy malibu new from the dealer so i brought it to them. after they ran a diagnostic test on the vehicle and didn't find anything i felt relief, assuming the dealer knows best and their was nothing wrong according to them. i continued driving the car when it happened again. this time i took it to an outside mechanic who did yet another diagnostic test and found the steering shaft was bad. it was replaced and again i assumed the problem was cured. until yet another incident occurred. i had absolutely no steering control of the vehicle while turning left at an intersection and just barely avoided an accident. i brought the car back to the outside repair shop who explained that we should try changing the steering motor and see if that works. try was not a satisfactory answer to me so i did a little research and found out that a alot of people shared similar stories. i called gm and asked for there assistance. they denied even being aware that anyone else had reported such a problem before me, but since their was not a recall and my warranty was up, they could not help me. i am terrified to drive this vehicle, so i am somewhat of a prisoner in my own home if i can not borrow another vehicle, and i can't even think of selling the vehicle since i feel it is such a danger. this is a serious problem that seems to be overlook by the nhtsa for the fact that no one has been killed as of yet. it that what it takes for a recall? to date their are over 650 complaints filed for this specific problem with this vehicle. when will it be addressed by gm as an ongoing problem. this vehicle should have made the recall list. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the driver stated that his power steering failed whenever he drove the vehicle. the driver stated that the wheel became difficult to turn. the failure began in 2004 after he purchased the vehicle. the failure also caused him to drive into a ditch and crash into a fire hydrant while driving 15 mph. there were no injuries. he has notified the dealer. the failure mileage was 5,000. the failure mileage when the crash occurred was 120,000. the vin was not available. the current mileage was 130,000.

Power steering in 2004 chevy malibu goes out on a daily basis. *tr

I have been having problems with the power steering just going out for no reason at all. there is a slight clacking noise and the steering wheel fights with you to make a turn. some days its fine and other days you fear for your life. i see online thousands of complaints about this ongoing problems. no recall!!! what do we have to do to get a recall....blood shed! there has been tons of wrecks, near wrecks, and money out of pocket to fix this problem and money out of pocket on damage to the auto because of this! what do we as a customer do??!!!????!!!!!!!! right is right! its general motors that should fix this before someone has to die!! *tr

I have reported two previous incidents regarding noise in the front end of my 2004 chevy malibu ls. the same noise is again occurring in the front end of my car which leads me to believe it is a steering issue. when i took the car to jack phelan chevrolet, they did not find a problem with the front end/steering. i believe they aren't telling me because this will be the 3rd complaint regarding steering parts. *tr

At least 3 or 4 times in the five years i've owned my 2004 chevy malibu my power steering failed during driving on the roadways causing me distress and danger to myself and others. even though i got this "repaired" at the dealers, i feel like the power steering is about to fail again any day now. i'd like the dealer to pay for the repair instead of me paying for it. i feel like the dealer didn't repair the problem properly while under warranty but just put a band-aid on the problem. now it is out of warranty and needs the expensive repairs. please advise. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 40 mph when the vehicle started to decrease in speed without having her foot on the brake pedal, the power steering light illuminated and the steering wheel became very hard to turn. she turned the vehicle off and it was towed to a dealer who stated that there were no recalls or warranties. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who repaired the power steering. the failure mileage was 163,184 and the current mileage was 175,000.

We have had problems with the power steering on our 2004 malibu almost from day one. after filing a complaint with the bbb a chevy rep contacted us, got the column replaced and some other things and gave us an extended warranty. several times since then we have taken it in because the power steering failure came up again but no problem was ever found. evidently these were not logged in because when we talked to chevy about these did not show up. now, every afternoon when she gets in it to come home the ps goes out. the car just turn over 100k but to me this is an ongoing problem and chevy should take care of it. *tr

Power steering assist fails - causes a msg to appear on info center and steering is difficult while driving at any speed. *tr

Loss of power steering while driving 2004 chevy malibu. no accident resulted as going down a straight road. heard a noise when turning the vehicle for the past week and now no power steering thought it had to be a bad ball joint but after research it turns out to have to deal with the electronic power steering. shut vehicle off and started again and the power steering was normal. will need to replace the entire steering column. very dangerous if i wasn't going down a straight road as i most likely would have been unable to turn. *tr

My car was diagnosed as needing a new motor put in my steering column. this is a known issue and i have spoken to chevy about it. they do not care because i am not the original owner and their "customer satisfaction campaign" to replace this part for free expired at the end of january 2005. my power steering light comes on almost every time i start the car and i have had problems with it. luckily my husband was driving when the power steering went out. if i had been driving i might not have been able to make the turn and i would have gotten into an accident. maybe that would get chevy's attention! under the report for odi's investigation into this matter they said that the driver's ability to steer this "relatively small" and light car was not impacted greatly. that's completely untrue. i'm an average-sized female who has a 16-month-old daughter. every time my daughter gets into my car, this becomes a safety issue, despite what everyone else has decided thus far. i'm taking this problem to my local news channel. how can gm wonder why they're in bankruptcy when they don't back their faulty product?? *tr

Same problems with the steering... intermittently the power steering will not work. *tr

2004 chevy malibu. numerous dealership visits on 'noisy' steering. after warranty goodyear found $610.00 intermediated steering shaft problem. noisy again in steering : steering column went out! another $900.00 bill. i want reimbursed and a recall on this problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 35 mph the steering wheel began pulling to the right. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the steering rack had excessive play and needed to be replaced. the failure also caused the driver and passenger side front tires to become worn which needed to be replaced. the repair cost was $657 since there were no related recalls or valid warranties. the wiring in the horn was also defective and it was repaired at the owners expense for $200. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure and current mileages were 23,800. updated 11/15/10 *cn updated 11/24/10

Electronic power steering system failure with no warning. i started up my 2004 chevy malibu and as i was backing up off the drive way, my steering wheel started to lock up. no warning lights came on. this is a safety problem, what if this happened while driving at high way speeds! here is a link to this particular concern that i found online. http://www.lemonlawclaims.com/malibu_brake_and_steering_problem.htm i hope you guys can be able to check it out and make it safe for the driver and the public to drive in peace. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving at an unknown speed, the power steering stopped working. the failure occurred intermittently. the contact had to exert force in order to maneuver the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they test drove the vehicle, but could not locate the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 83,000.

Mileage 31,610 replaced the steering gear ass'y., mileage 37,018 installed new steering column, mileage 39,565 replaced new gear, mileage 40,167 replace rr str intermediate shaft lowr ujoint and now at 86,333 03apr09 need to replace intermediate steering shaft. when will this stop? a customer at the dealer ship was told by a salesman that there has been trouble with these steering units since 2004 and now gm dev. a new electric steering system. now what about all these older cars like mind? why should the consumer keep paying for this mess up. *tr thank you tom stanich

My power steering had to be replaced within the first year - at 7800 miles. now, at 46,688 miles, it has to be replaced again. i have called gm, and the representative stated they have no recalls on the steering, and in fact would not even admit to the investigation that went on about the steering in these cars. gm will not replace the steering. my husband has the same model care as i, and his steering has been replaced twice, and now he is getting a warning light again, so we are left having to replace 2 steering columns? why do consumers have to pay over and over again. *tr

I own a 2004 chevy malibu when starting vehicle the service engine light engages and the console indicator chimes reading power steering. this occurs every time i start the car now. i have replaced the steering column 2 times since taking ownership of vehicle in february 2008. both steering columns were genuine gm parts installed by a certified technician. work performed in 5/08 and 10/08 totaling some $3000.00. paid another dealer $51.56 to adjust and calibrate sensor. it was ok for the summer. late fall 2009 began coming on intermediately again. now it comes on each time you start the car and yesterday i actually lost power steering while driving the car. i had lost the power assist steering a total of 4 times now. this is very dangerous. someone could get hurt here. *tr

On march 9th, 2009 my husband was pulling out of our driveway in our 2004 chevy malibu when he turned the wheel there was a loud pop and the steering wheel could be moved like a second hand on a clock. thank goodness he was not on the highway going 65 mph when this happened he could have been killed and as well as anybody within his path. i have done my research on this and i know this is a safety issue however it is not on the recall. 3 different mechanics estimates have been $1,200.00-$1,800.00. meanwhile our car sets in the drive way indefinite, yet we are still making payments and carrying insurance for a useless vehicle that do to manufacturer default is undrivable. there are a ton of people that have listed complaints on the same or similar situation as mine dating back as far 2004 and nothing has been done to help us with the cost of repair. we have families and want to feel save in our vehicles! i feel this should be investigated and repaired. enough already!!!!! do something..... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 35 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle and was unable to shift gears. she was unable to stop the vehicle and shift into park. she drove to the dealer and they assisted her in placing the vehicle into park and shutting it off. there were no warnings prior to the failure. while at the dealer, a technician determined that the shift lever assembly failed. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $206. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 22,378 and current mileage was 22,382. updated 03-30-09 *bf updated 03/31/09. *jb updated 11/22/11*lj the consumer stated the steering wheel was difficult to turn. the dealer stated the steering column was defective and needed to be replaced. updated 03/05/12

Started the car and the power steering locked up could not turn the wheel check engine light came on and message displayed on message center [power steering] turned car off and restarted, steering was ok at that time. this has happened 3 times since jan. 13, 2009. *tr