Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

(1) none (2) loss of steering at 65 mph: car catapulted rightwards into 2 vehicles, van and semi, and ultimately off freeway personal injuries sustained. (3) recovered fractured part of vehicle at site of collision 2 days later.part identified by chevrolet dealer as engine mounting bracket belonging to my make and year of car.

The consumer complained about a power steering problem. which malfunctioned intermittently. the owner took the vehicle to the dealer, where it is currently being serviced. *ak the steering column was replaced. *sc *jb

Install jumper harness per pip3098a neck, fuel tank filler replace tie rod end and/or adjuster sleeve right replace panel, seat back of back passenger r&r or replace receiver, radio remove, repair and replace radio. *nm

There has been a continuous grinding noise when turning the wheel of my car even if turning only slightly. my girlfriend has the same car and has had to bring her vehicle to the manufacture three times in the past 5 months to be fixed. the problem is that it is wearing down the brakes. my car is only 6 months old and the brakes are already squeeking. also the rear door latch gets stuck and will not allow the door to close until a screwdriver is taken to it. this is for a 2005 chevy malibu. *nm

Picked up new fleet vehicle at dealership 10 11 04 and drove home approximately 35 miles. began appraisal route 10 12 04. it became immediately apparent that the steering wheel was loose on the steering shaft and was becoming increasingly loose with each movement of the steering wheel. in less than 40 miles of total driving since picking up the new car, the steering wheel had so much play (rocked 3/4 of an inch front to back at either side and could be pushed in and gently pulled back at least 1/2" on splined shaft) the car was not safe to drive. since i did not have nearby access to dealer, i had a body shop owner at my first stop look at the problem. to get right to the point, after removing the plastic steering column covers and adjacent cover on column side of steering wheel, the retaining nut for the steering wheel could be turned with a finger and was nearly off the end of the steering shaft. the shop owner was able to access the nut with an open end wrench and made at least 4 full turns on the nut before it began to offer resistance. the nut was tightened 1/8 turn at a time due to limited access, but corrected the problem. however, my concern is the speed at which the nut backed off initially while driving. i noticed no such free play on my trip home from the dealer on 10 11 04. most of the loosening of the nut seems to have occurred within the next 5 miles of driving, which was mostly stop and go residential with lots of turns. clearly,if the average consumer were presented with this situation, he/she may have elected to try to return to the dealership with the car, which could have been catastrophic. i mean, the wheel became so loose the car was undriveable in less than 40 miles from new. *nm

As of this date, feb. 17, 2009, the part in question has not failed, causing any crashes or injuries. shortly after i purchased the vehicle, i noticed a thumping whenever the steering wheel was turned sharply to the right or to the left. while under manufacturer's warranty, i had it checked out at least 3 times, and each time the dealership service department assured me there was no recall on the part, the boot of joint somehow connected to the steering. since that time, i have had my personal mechanic check out the problem and he has diligently checked for a recall or a corrective measure from chevrolet, but there has been none. the mechanic has greased this joint several times, and it helps the thumping, but eventually it returns over time. i have read where others have experienced their steering totally going out because of this issue. i am afraid for my family's safety due to this problem that chevrolet has constantly refused to address. component #2: i was constantly having to replace the front turn signals as the bulbs were constantly burning out. component #3 the fan which controls the inside air flow has constantly rattled unless the fan is turned on the highest setting. the dealership even replaced that fan, telling me a broken part had fallen down into it. i returned the car to the dealership at least 3 times, but they finally said they could not find anything else. it still rattles horribly. *tr