Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Driving to work at 0615 - temp was 41 degrees. typical winter morning. i was traveling 45 mph due to the time of year on a road i have driven for 27 years. my car had 4 studded snow tires on it for the winter driving. going up a hill and around a curve i lost control and steering seemed to be "gone" i could not gain control at all. my car spun around went over an embankment - flipped over and rolled landing on it's top. the doors were dug into the ground so escape on my own was impossible. the car was totaled. we assumed it was just a fluke and that i must have hit black ice - which i have done before. never had i not been able to gain control again though. this car had problems with steering and "stopping" before. i had it in the shop more than a couple of times to be checked out and was told nothing was wrong. when i heard about the recalls, i called to notify gm that i had crashed my car - in case they needed the information and they asked me if i still had the car. i told them "no" it had been totaled. they then told me that my information didn't matter since i no longer had the car! *tr

While driving, my power steering failed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph when the power steering failed without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised that power steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered to cover fifty percent of the cost of the part. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 64,000. the vin was unavailable.

My power steering has went out on my vehicle on its on with out warning i was driving when it happened. in the beginning i could power the car off and then turn it back on the check engine light would disappear. but now the light stays on. its absolutely hard to make turns and i get stuck in parking lots and turns that are narrow i need space to turn like i am driving a 18 wheeler. i have had my car read and no codes appeared, even though the steering was locked and the service engine light was on. *tr

Beginning my day, i started my vehicle, put the car in reverse, backed up, and put my car in drive. i went approx. 10 feet when my vehicle lost power steering and my car almost went off our steep driveway. there was an orange wrench that illuminated in the dash and power steering alert came on my information display on the radio. i turned the car off and restarted. all warning lights went out and the steering came back. thankfully, i was home, and not hurt, but i am having fears of a much worse situation if this were to occur again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle regained steering on its own. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the tie rod end needed to be replaced. after the repair the failure continued. the driver was traveling approximately 45 mph when she lost control of the steering and crashed into a telephone pole. the driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance. the contact stated that the driver sustained injuries to her neck, head and back. the vehicle was destroyed. the approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving, the power of steering failed and the steering wheel seized. the power steering warning lamp was also illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 44,000.

I was driving home from work and i lost power steering the wheel got so hard and the radio said power steering but i pulled over and turn the car off and when i turn the car backon it goes back to normal..... know i'm at a red light and the steering wheel shakes and it gets hard on me all the time i'm tired of this happening to my car i asked my dads mechanic and told me it would cost me ....1500.00 to fix it i don't have that kind off money and the dealership and said it was something normal ...... what can i do ..... *tr

Purchased vehicle for daughter on 8/17/2011 from asset recovery dealership colorado. while she was driving on a major road (approx. 40 mph), a warning light on dash went on and the power steering went away (almost to the point of feeling like it was totally locked). she was in rh lane, put on flashers, turned off car and restarted car. warning light went off and power steering was back. this happened two other times while pulling out of a parking space. it happened intermittently. took the vehicle it to my mechanic who ran diagnostics and found the power steering assist relay to be faulty and replaced entire steering column at $580 (the relay cannot be replaced without replacing entire steering column). since then i have found a number of websites (www.carcomplaints.com) were 100+ other 2004 malibu owners have had the exact problem. there does not seem to be a recall on the 2004 malibu for this particular problem but some have written there was a recall or bulletin for 2005+ malibu for this problem. this a very serious safety (and scary) issue to loose your power steering assist out of no where and a very costly repair. i also read in some of the posted complaints that their repair did not last and the problem recurred. i purchased this car from a"recovery" type car dealership. i would like to get reimbursement from gm. this problem occurred with people at various mileage ranges some as low as 7,000 which would seem to me to indicate a defect. although the steering column has been replaced, i'm concerned about this problem recurring. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph and suddenly the steering wheel locked with the illumination of the wrench symbol. the contact pulled onto the side of the road and turned the engine off. upon restarting the vehicle, the warning symbol remained illuminated and the steering continued to malfunction. the contact resumed with caution. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact planned to notify the manufacturer of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

After being at a full stop i slowly entered onto another road taking a left turn. a powering steering message showed up on my radio screen and my steering was extremely difficult! on about 5 or 6 other occasions the same message appeared on my radio screen and my power steering failed. one time was while backing my car up, other times where when i turned my car on. after all incidents so far i was able to turn off my car, wait a minute, turn the car back on and the problem fixed itself. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 60 mph the power steering failed and the check engine lamp illuminated. the contact was able to merge onto the side of the road. when he restarted the vehicle, the power steering began to function normally. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the power steering sensor was defective and as a result the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 49,150 and current mileage was 49,200. updated 11/10/11 *bf updated 11/16/11 updated 11/18/11

Steering wheel locked up. could not turn the wheel. second time this happened in 3 months. *tr

Making a right turn power steering chimes went off no power steering. it has happened multiple times. when it happens it is very difficult to steer the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 20 mph when the power steering light illuminated, and the power steering failed making it difficult to make a right turn. the steering wheel became hard to turn. the failure occurred on three previous occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed there was condensation in the wiring. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 70,502 and the current mileage was 71,000.

Power steering recall 04050 and replaced in 2005 with 9,296 miles under warranty and need it again at 26,000 miles today. front bracket replaced in 2006 with 19,217 miles and needs it again at 26,000 miles today. fuel leak twice once in 2006 at 19,102 miles and replaced tank in 2007 at 20959. *tr

The service steering warning light/chime illuminated while driving the car. no loss of steering. drove the car to the local chevrolet dealer the next day without incident. they replaced the steering column at a cost of $777.22. the owner (my mother) was responsible for the bill. i'm reporting it now on her behalf as it appears general motors might finally recall the 2004 models given their renewed focus on safety in light of the current cobalt/g5/ion fiasco. ***why was the 2004 malibu exempt from the 2005 and up recall when it uses the same electric steering unit?*** thank you. *tr

This car is operated by the original retired female owner who drives it 3 times per week to perform local errands. at 13,265 miles the intermediate steering shaft was replaced to eliminate, unsuccessfully, a rattling from the front suspension. at 15,520 miles, the service engine soon and service power steering warnings appeared on the dashboard and dic respectively. researching the internet showed clearly that failure of the electric power steering boost was imminent in thousands of cases. the next day, the local chevrolet dealer replaced gm part #25933396, the steering column, and charged for shop supplies and 4 hours of labor. the total, $777.22, was solely the responsibility of the owner, with the dealer stating, "we've never heard of this problem. the car is seven years old, you know." the car is operating properly for now. *tr

The power steering went out on my 04 malibu while driving, almost causing an accident. took it to two different repair places. spent over $600 for it to not be fixed. i google my car and find a website with hundreds of people who are having the same problem. i don't understand why the 05 has been recalled for the same problem, yet not the 04. i'm a single mother with two kids, i can't afford to spend money on a maybe fix or a new car. will it really take one of us dying before the problem is taken care of? and why is gm not being held responsible for it's quality issues? *tr

One morning last month, i was driving my kid to school at speed 30 miles per hour, when suddenly the electronic power steering problem light turned on again, and the steering power was gone and the steering was totally locked, i could not make any turns. because this is the 4th time it happened, i knew what to do. i stopped the car at the middle of the road ( i am lucky it is happened during local not highway driving). i turned off the engine, then turn on the engine again, and everything back to normal. so far it happened at least 5 times to me. the current mileage of my car is 116000. *tr

Bought this veh. brand new 2004. had steering issues from the beginning. the vehicle had less than 65k on it. always had vehicle serviced at the dealer or dealership i worked for. had steering shaft replaced, had steering shaft bolt replaced,had rack and pinion replaced.. son drove the veh., making a left hand turn in the outer left turning lane left him with lots of room to turn, wheel locked up and he crashed ! veh. is totaled, notified insurance company that too many issues with the steering and locking up situation..even gave them the web site to look for themselves. the way i see it is it is one less very dangerous veh. on the road. to bad gm doesn't handle this...one yard either direction and my son would have hit solid concrete poles or heavy reinforced intersection lighting and electrical box and i would be filing wrongful death suit. why does it have to go to this extreme? *tr

The electric power steering will quit with little to no warning making the car extremely hard to steer safely. the problem only seems to happen when moving, i've never lost steering in say a parking lot, it has been on the road every time. usually the light on the dash will light up and warn you and most times noting happens, other times you'll lose all power steering almost immediately. twice i have lost steering first, then the light came on later. no rhyme or reason to when it happens, it can be when making a turn and i once a few weeks ago lost it 4 separate times while on a freeway not making turns. turning the car off, then back on has fixed it almost every time though twice it took more than one try. the second time this happened i did run off the road as it was after a large turn and i was unable to get the wheel straightened up in time to not run both right side tires off the road, this was the first time i lost steering and did not get a warning light. when the steering is off it is much, much worse that a car without normal power steering. i have driven old cars that had no power steering and can handle those fine, i would say the effort required after loosing the electric steering is over twice what is needed for normal cars. i am a large man and it is quite a struggle for me, my wife cannot hardly move the wheel at all and certainly not safely. this appears to be a pretty widespread problem, see this link for a few examples. http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2004/steering/power_steering_going_out_intermittently i feel this is a definite safety issue due to the times it happens, and the severe impact on drive-ability with little, to at time no warning at all. thanks so much for your time! *tr

My car has always had little quirks that didn't seem right about it since i purchased it from my chevy dealer. it was under warranty at the time so my level of concern wasn't as high as it is now. things like a sporadic start to the engine while trying to crank the car and the car shimming or quivering when driven faster then 70 mph (highway). i have taken the car back to the dealership for assessment which all came back inconclusive. this last experience merits this complaint. i stopped at a red light taking my hands off the wheel to adjust my seat belt. i glanced over to my steering wheel and it begin to dance/rock right to left and left to right. my hands were clear of the steering wheel and my foot firm on the brakes. when i proceeded to drive once the light was green, i put my foot on the gas that is when my warning signal chimed, and the power steering message flashed on the message center screen. simultaneously the steering wheel locked up and it became extremely difficult to steer. i begin to maneuver the vehicle into a nearby parking lot. i realized that turning the vehicle took a great amount of effort. after getting in to the parking lot and turning the engine off i waited for about thirty minutes then i proceeded to restart my engine to see if the same trouble would occur. i drove around in the parking lot for about fifteen minutes to see the i would encounter the same issue. the car seemed fine considering, i drove it home. i have not had any problems since but it was a horrifying ordeal. *tr

The first time the power steering intermittently went out i was just parking. the malibu has electronic steering so there is no warning when the steering is about to fail like with a normal power steering pump. i checked some connections and thought i had it fixed because it worked when i started the car again. a few weeks later i was in the city and the steering quit working again if i wouldn't have had a good hold on the steering wheel when i was turning i could have easily ran into someone or even worse hit a pedestrian! this problem is well documented in malibu's of this age and a common problem. it is only a matter of time before this causes a death if it hasn't already! *tr

Power steering quit while driving. went on line and saw lots of similar complaints for the same vehicle-2004 chevy malibu. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while the contact started the ignition, the power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the warning light remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 164,000. the vin unavailable.

I have a 2004 malibu and the power steering will stop working and be extremely hard to handle.i went online to see if anyone else had a problem also, to find multiple owners of the same vehicle complaining of the same steering issues.we have been pleased with our malibu and have had this problem for the past 6 months, i certainly would hope gm would recall this problem,i am a gm buyer, now owning a 2010 silverado,and have preferred gm products since my first vehicle , a 67 impala in 73. i would appreciate a response back to me so i can determine what to do next. thanks for listening and anything you can do. *tr

Heavy snapping sound (hard enough to be felt) upon turning wheels in either direction. it has been noted to me that this is a "quirk" of the steerng for this model and can not be remedied. the car was bought used and told that the rack and pinion steering had been replaced but did not remedy the situation and was not a safety consideration. in my opinion, when something makes a snapping sound and can be felt, this is surely a safety factor. can you advise if this is a safety factor or not? i'm not really comfortabe driving this car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, there was an unexpected loss of power steering, followed by an illumination of both the power steering and engine warning indicators. the contact drove to the side of the road where the engine was turned off and restarted. the vehicle resumed with the steering malfunction. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that the failure was contributed to the electric power steering motor. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when driving at any speed, the steering wheel seized and became difficult to maneuver. the failure recurred several times and after the vehicle was shut off and powered back on, it would operate as normal. the dealer did not offer any assistance and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the contact was awaiting diagnosis. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileages were 120,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 10 mph and turning, the vehicle made clunking noises. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and the steering shaft was lubricated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with nhtsa. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a yellow light would illuminate on the instrument panel and the steering wheel would seize. after shutting the vehicle off for a few moments, the steering would resume as normal. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 170,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 chevrolet malibu; steering problems; i had electrical power steering replaced 8/2011. did ok until spring 2012, when weather became warmer. from spring to late fall, i have no power steering. this is dangerous. i never know when it will be going out. my car only had @45000 miles on it when it happened. this is just uncalled for. i have a young son; this is my only means of transportation; and it is dangerous. my car only has 64,000 miles on it now. i have contacted every agency i am aware of, and cannot get a recall in place nor any advice on how to fix the problem. please...need a recall! *js

Power steering goes out during summer months; paid to repair 8/2011; works ok during winter, but power steering goes out in summer months. this is dangerous. almost had several accidents. *tr

Steering wheel will lock up driving down the road almost caused head on crash. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering would deactive while the vehicle is in motion. the dealer was notified, but did not diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 92,850 and the current mileage was 93,000.

In july 2011 the power steering went out. about a week later it started going out while driving. had the steering column, and racket and pinion replaced, and the then the radio stopped playing cds, and the seat belt light constantly stays on even if you have the seat belt on. *tr

I was driving down the highway around 11 pm i went to make a right turn and all of a sudden the steering wheel locked up and the car started beeping about the power steering. the next day i go to have the car inspected and it drives normal no power steering lights on. i have called to find out if there are any recalls and there are not this happens too often to just be ignored my father was the previous owner and it was happening to him as well. i have replaced the rack and pinion, control arms and tie rods and still nothing is working. *tr

Power steering went out in my 2004 chevy malibu. contacted dealer - they wouldn't do anything. very dangerous the power steering is very intermittent, locks up and stays frozen/locked up until you cut the car off. when i cut the car back on it is unfrozen/unlocked and the steering works - however it goes out intermittently and always happens while driving. multiple complaints on this vehicles steering, which is very expensive to replace. i have heard that there were recalls on some of the 04 malibus, but not all of them for the power steering motor. *tr

Since last year 3 or 4 times i have the dci warning and message power steering, its hard to drive,stop the car turn off and turn on again and the power came back, the warning comes when i start driving.every day i drive worry because i dont know when it will happend again,specially when im driving in the highway over 50 miles an hour.thank you for recomend me what to do. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became stiff and the steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. after restarting the vehicle, the power steering functioned normally. the failure recurred intermittently. the contact inspected the vehicle and replaced the electronic power steering motor. after the repair the failure continued. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 260,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, the vehicle would suddenly lose power steering without warning. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 85,188.

Power steering went out summer 2010; replaced power steering @40,000 miles. now at 45,000 miles having same problem. power steering goes out..no warning; have almost had several accidents because of it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering would intermittently fail while driving 45 mph. in order to correct the failure, the contact would pull the vehicle over and restart it. the vehicle was never taken to any mechanic for inspection on the steering. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 87,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated and the steering became extremely resistant. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer and they advised him that the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted nor was the vehicle repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000. the vin was unavailable.

While driving, the service warning light would come on and the power steering assist would go away. i am left with no power assisted steering. this is a very scary and dangerous problem to have. most of the time i have been able to pull over, shut off the car, and then steering would come back. this morning, the steering went out while driving on a curvy road. first the steering wheel shook while entering a turn, then i almost lost control and hit another car head-on with my kids in the car. as i searched the internet i discovered this problem has been reported thousands of times. how can this not be a recall? is it because enough people haven't died yet? *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 55 mph when the steering wheel locked abnormally and the contact was unable to maneuver the steering wheel. he also mentioned that the check engine light was illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer but the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance, stating that there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 113,000.

On tuesday, june 7, 2011 the power steering on my 2004 chevy malibu ls suddenly went off while using the turn signal to change lanes at 5-10mph. a power steering problem was posted on the digital display and the car icon with a wrench lit up. steering was very difficult, worse than manual and felt locked. i was terrified and immediately drove to the mechanic and left the car for them to inspect. they reported that the car started up properly and there was no problem with the power steering that they could detect. they drove it several times during the day but did not experience the power steering failure. their research indicated that there were complaints on this model and the steering column may be defective. i also checked on the internet and found many complaints with the same problem. i believe that this problem is potentially a serious accident threat with possible death occurring and should be recommended for recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu max. the contact stated that the steering wheel failed and could not be turned. the failure was experienced numerous times. the steering wheel returned to normal function after the engine was shut off and restarted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. updated 07/16/13*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering stopped functioning with the illumination of the power steering warning light. the contact was able to apply extreme force to the steering wheel and maneuver the vehicle into a parking lot. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics and was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.