Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering light was illuminated on the instrument panel. over time, the contact began to hear a popping noise coming from the steering column while making turns at various speeds. the contact also stated that the steering wheel would shake whenever the vehicle was shifted into gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were in the process of diagnosing the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 59,000.

Back in april i started having problems with my driver side lock. it would get stuck. sometimes the door wouldn't even open. i would press the button to unlock the door, and that wouldn't work. i would have to use my key, ans sometimes that didn't work either. i am still having problems with the lock, and pretty much everyday i have to use my key to open the driver side door. i was told to use wd-40 and that sill didn't help. the most recent event with my car is this loud vibrating noise that has been occuring off and on for the past two months. i'v had several people check it out and they say they can't find anything wrong. my car makes the noise while sitting in park, sometimes while i'm driving, or sitting still at a light. about a 1-1 1/2 months ago my wheel wou;d move back and forth. i went to have it checked out and was told that there wasn't anything wrong. my wheel moves more and more. it moves sometimes when i first start my car, while sitting a light, and at various speeds while i am driving. when i turn my steering wheel back in a neutral position sometimes it would turn the other way. today my wheel was moving while i was drivng and my car started moving in the same direction. it was hard to control and it was very scary because i was on the highway. i'm so fed up with this car, and i totally regret buying it. i am probably never going to buy a chevrolet again, even if chevrolet's are all that i have ever owned. *tt

The power steering is acting up, there is no warning or engine light signals, i have looked up for recall and all i have found in many other chevy malibu owners 2004 -2009 having the power steering issues. in some cases this has cased some of the drivers to lose complete control of their vehicle power steering an result in a crash. today my wife swerved off the road and just barely hit a guard rail and almost ran into the bridge due to the power steering just going out with out any notice and no warning lights. gm has no recall for this but it has been happening to many of people for almost a decade now, what are they wait for someone to get seriously hurt. gm service personnel tell you to turn of the car and a will work again for a little while, what happens when it goes out again? also they said it runs about 800.00 to fix then there are reports of it going right back to not working, this is unacceptable i don't have 800.00, i spent 24,000 on this vehicle i should have to turn my vehicle off to just postpone a serious problem. *tr

2008 chevy mailbu. the steering wheel shakes and pulls from left to right when the car is in park and first turned on. it also happens when driving on and off the highway. the problem is intermittent. car had 36,000 when problem stated. pulling and shaking is getting worse and harder to control and keep car in lane. *tr

2008 chevrolet malibu power steering faulty .vehicle is hard to control at any speed. happens quite frequently. brought it to the dealer ,it will be very expensive to repair.

Steering wheel starts vibrating on it's own uncontrollably while stopped and moves on its on while driving. there are many many many cases of this on the 2008 malibu and chevy refuses to recall. paid over 1000 dollars to replace power steering motor. pls let me know what my options are to get chevy to recall. car veers into other lanes of traffic on it's own. car steers itself. *tr

The front end makes clunking noises while turning. dealership "fixed" it. started doing the same thing a few weeks later. the steering wheel also shakes while driving. at times making it difficult to control. very unsafe!! *tr

Steering wheel shakes intermittently throughout each day for approximately the past 50 days as of may 20, 2011. sometimes occurs when car is initially turned on (shakes quickly to the left and right as if a little child was playing with the steering wheel). shaking will also take place spontaneously while driving at various speeds. on may 10, 2011 passenger side power locks began to malfunction-would not lock or open when using power button inside car or using remote. locking and unlocking had to be done manually by pulling up or pushing down lock.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu lt. the contact was driving 55 mph when the steering wheel turned independently and the vehicle traveled into another lane unexpectedly. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer but the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 44,000.

Steering wheel jerks and shakes left and right even at a stop without holding wheel. while driving, the wheel moves and seems sticky when turning, jerks left and right causing the vehicle to be difficult to control. this problem was intermittent but is becoming increasingly consistent. vehicle is at service dealership currently, but clearly has become a safety issue.

2008 chevy malibu with 60,000 miles - i encountered problems with steering- the car was pulling, the steering wheel was moving when the car was stopped. took it to the dealership was told it needed an alignment. had the alignment, the problem got worse. took it to another mechanic was told it was the steering column. when they called the dealer to order the parts, the dealer advised them that they see this problem 3-4 times a week on the malibu, but never told me about it. the steering column was replaced at a cost of $1300, yet the problem is still not resolved. we were also told that this particular part is also the same part used on the pontiac g6 which has been recalled, yet there is no recall on the chevy malibu. *tr

The power steering in the vehicle jumps from left to right going down the road. it is very hard to maintain your lane when this happens. it happens at all different points whether the car has been running or just started, it can last up to 30 min. quit then start again it is very unsafe. my catalytic converter has also gone out in this car. it looses transmission power, doesn't accelerate promptly. when we first got the car we had it in the shop for the back trim leaking, trunk release not working, the car wouldn't start do to the aftermarket alarm the dealer ship placed on it, and the paint peeled. no i am having major issues and it is out of warranty. i will never buy another chevy. this was the worst mistake ever and those car is unsafe to drive. *tr

Steering wheel will "wobble" left to right while car is stopped, in parked position, at idol. event occurs daily and a noise will accompany the motion at times. "wobble" motion seems to increase with slight rev of engine. *tr while driving at any given speed and on any road surfaces the steering will jerk from left to right, causing the vehicle to rapidly swirve from side to side. feels like all control could be lost at any given moment. i have a 60 mile commute to and from work and it is extremely frightening as it occurs while other vehicles are in close proximity to mine. i am surprised that i have not been cited for careless and imprudent driving by law enforcement or ultimately killed in a horrible accident. i first mentioned the event to the service department while there for scheduled maintenance. event did not occur upon mechanic test drive, however, their answer was an unscheduled tire rotation that i was responsible to pay for and the event occurred again the next day. the problem was mentioned for the second time with the next scheduled maintenance which included another tire rotation. the mechanic did witness the faulty steering at this time and evidently some torque something or other was recalibrated and the steering angle was readjusted. upon leaving the dealership, the steering was obviously not corrected. i immediately returned to the service department at that time. the technician and i went on a 20 mile drive and unfortunately it ended without any occurances. the mechanic made a comment that it was more than likely the electronic power steering motor that had been recalled in other chevrolet automobiles and he didn't understand why the malibu was not included. i currently have an appointment to leave my car with them so that they may randomly drive it, "in hopes" to pinpoint the problem. it seems to me that they know exactly what the problem is but want to get as many billable hours of labor out of me in the meantime. not happy!

The front of the car shakes when driven over 45 mph. when the steering wheel is turned the oil pressure light blinks and an alert sound briefly chimes. the car is not easy to steer. the service power steering alert appears randomly and goes away when the car is restarted. i have had the car realigned multiple times because the right front tire always wears quickly. there is an undiagnosed oil leak causing the car to smoke from the front passenger side. *tr

2008 chevrolet malibu with 80k miles has steering issue with steering wheel shaking left to right uncontrollably. i have to fight to keep car straight in my own lane. it also jerks left to right while being stopped and while in park. i have almost gotten into a few accidents. this happens without warning at least every day or every other day. i strongly believe there needs to be a recall on all 2008 chevrolet malibu's due to the potential deadly occurrences that may be caused. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the next day while driving in reverse at a very low speed the steering wheel became very stiff. the driver experienced difficulty turning the wheel. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 62,000. the consumer stated while trying to pull over for an emergency vehicle, he was unable to steer the vehicle as if there were not power steering. updated 10/12/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the steering wheel began shaking and grinding; the power steering seemed to malfunctioned. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving, the power steering failed. the contact stated that the information system light illuminated after the failure occurred. the contact turned the vehicle off and back on; after the restart, the power steering functioned properly. the failure mileage was approximately 68,000 and the current mileage was approximately 75,000. updated 02/09/11*lj updated 02/28/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 30 mph when the steering wheel began to vibrate violently. the power steering light illuminated prior to the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 11,000 and the current mileage is 22,732. updated 12/29/11 *bf the consumer stated the incident happened again while driving 10 mph. the consumer stated she pulled over and parked, shut the vehicle off and waited 10 minutes before restarting it. she then noticed the power steering light was on. the steering wheel stopped shaking. updated 12/30/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving various speeds, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the steering shaft u-joint. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 15,833. updated 12/01/14*lj the consumer stated the failure was caused by a defective plastic type of synthetic which was worn out where the steering column meets the rack and pinion. the consumer has spoken to numerous other malibu owners with the same malfunction. updated 9/14/2015 *js

The power steering motor on our 2008 chevrolet malibu has gone out with only 45,000 miles on the car. this causes the car to pull right to left violently while the wheel is trying to center itself. this requires the driver to fight the wheel at times to keep it centered on the road. this type of system failure is unsafe and dangerous for any driver. given gm's history with other vehicle recalls for the same issue, the chevy malibu should be included. *tr

The e-brake stripped out to a unable state after 50,000 miles. now if the brakes fail i have no alternative to stop the car. the steering pops when turning from left to right and from start off after a stop this started at the same time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while traveling 70 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel began to suddenly vibrate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were approximately 39,000. the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired free of charge. updated 02/23/11

The vehicle just recently purchased has had a problem with the steering. the drive shaft was replaced within 2 weeks of the purchase then another problem occurred and another part was replaced. but now one month later the steering wheel starts to jerk and wiggle while i am driving or even when i turn the car off. then 2 days ago the powersteering alert keeps coming on. allow since i bought the car the traction light will come on and sometimes i am just seating at a red light. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph, there was a complete loss of the power steering. the contact experienced extreme difficulty turning the steering wheel. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed the contact that the failure was contributed to the steering column, rack and pinion and control arm. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000.

On august 30th my power steering light came on, i read the manual and discovered this car doesn't have power steering fluid, it has an electric power steering motor. 5 days later my steering wheel started jerking continuously while parked and while driving, it was difficult to drive. i took my car to the dealership and they said the power steering motor had gone out and it happens quiet often on these cars just as the cobalts. the cost was $465, i contacted gmc and they would not help at all, i told them i found several complaints online and that i think the power steering motor needs to be recalled on this model also and they said they do not track stuff like that. the car had 65,600 miles at failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed that the power steering went out, making it difficult to steer. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehilce repaired. the current mileage was approximately 46,000. the failure mileage was approximately 41,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving 50 mph, the contact stated the steering wheel locked, almost causing a crash. the warning light would illuminate intermittently. the dealer diagnosed that the electric power steering was defective and needed to be repaired. the manufacturer made an attempt to assist the contact with the repairs. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 119,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 65 mph when the power steering failed without warning, causing limited steering capability. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. the failure mileage was 38,400.

Steering wheel is having an issue where it will jerk to the left and right by itself and then pulsate while sitting still. i have been driving on the highway when the steering wheel jerks left and then right. when wheel jerks, it is extremely hard to hold it in the correct lane. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph and making a right turn the steering wheel locked causing the vehicle to crash into a fence. the tire was damaged when the crash occurred. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the dealer had not informed the contact what caused the steering wheel to lock. the steering wheel malfunction could have caused a major crash. the failure mileage was 16,000.

I own a 2008 chevy malibu with electronic power steering. while driving or at a stop, the steering wheel will either shake or suddenly pull to the left or right. i had it in the dealership for repairs and they replaced a steering column that needed to be replaced but that did not fix the steering. the dealership believes that it is the electronic power steering itself even though nothing is saying that it is defective. with the problems with electronic power steering in chevy cobalts for 2004 to 2009, i'm concern that the issues with electronic power steering may not be just in one model car but the component itself. *tr

My son's 2008 chevy malibu is having problems with the steering column suddenly shaking and jerking back and forth while driving and occasionally while in park. the brake lights will also come on without him pressing on the brake and disengage the cruise control, if it is on. we have had a switch replaced that was faulty, but it did not fix either problem. now we have been told that the steering unit needs to be replaced. *tr

I have a 2008 chevy malibu with a power steering problem. i went on vacation so the car was not driven for a couple of weeks. i washed the car and then started to have problems with the steering wheel shaking and felt like the power steering would work off and on. it continues to be a problem off and on. sometimes the problem is there and sometimes its not. *tr

2008 chevy malibu with 4700 miles, began having problems with the steering. when driving vehicle would be hard to handle as if someone had taken possession of the steering wheel. then when in idle the steering wheel would vibrate back and forth. took in to dealership and they stated the electronic power steering module had to be replaced. first trip to the dealership they could not locate the problem. researched online and ask if they were aware of any issues with this model answer was no. not until i told them to google the problems that were being reported did i feel we received a response. *tr

I own 2008 chevrolet malibu with a little over 50k miles on the odometer. recently while i was driving the vehicle on the highway i noticed that the steering wheel started to jerk left and right pulling the vehicle in both directions. i drove to the dealer to have them look at it. as i was waiting at a stop light i then noticed the steering wheel make slight turns to the left and right by itself. i arrived at the dealership and explained what happened at which point they took the vehicle for a test drive but could not duplicate the problem. while talking to the mechanic and explaining he said it sounds like the vehicle was trying to center itself to zero calibration and suggested that i get it calibrated which i did. i then drove home and noticed that it was doing the same thing again. returned to the dealer and they then stated that i need to have the column control module replaced at the price of $700. this is a serious problem that needs to be looked in to before something really tragic occurs. the frequency the steering wheel jerk while driving was very concerning to the point that i thought i might be involved in a crash. thank god that did not happen. *tr

2008 chevrolet malibu power steering issues. issues began occurring at approximately 32,000 miles. problem will appear and disappear at any speed, including while stopped, without warning. while stopped, the steering wheel will rapidly oscillate left and right on its own approximately 20 degrees. the best analogy is that it is "shivering or shaking" uncontrollably. also, while driving at any speed the steering wheel will suddenly go from a smooth range of motion to a range of motion with only a few very distinct and segmented directions. typically the two choices are left of center or right of center with no smooth motion in-between. these issues can last anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds to 30 minutes. if the problem does not correct on its own, it can be corrected by turning off the car and then restarting the car. car now has approximately 37,000 miles and the power steering issues described above are occurring more frequently and lasting for longer periods of time. *tr

2008 malibu with 41k miles has steering issue with steering wheel shaking left to right at hwy speeds. have to fight to keep car straight in own lane. no noticeable incident leading up to issue, just felt like there was no steering assist. happens on a daily basis. nothing done as of yet, but will be calling dealer tomorrow. after searching the internet, this seems to be an issue with the electronic steering assist. remedy appears to be to replace the steering column module. at a cost of $800+, this is no cheap replacement. *tr

Difficult to turn at low speeds, steering wheel shaking and shimmies left, clunking or rubbing noise. had steering column lubed, new rack and pinion installed and still doing it. *tr

One week ago i noticed my steering wheel would shake back and forth when idling. i thought the fluid may be low and looked to fill it only to find out the car has electric steering. i drove it to work without issue but now the shaking has begun to appear when driving at all speeds. it is an uncanny shimmy that can be controlled but requires constant attention and a firm grip. it happens frequently enough(every 10 min or so) that it has become worrisome. a call to the dealer evoked the response of , "yes, that happens sometimes with this model and it can be fixed in a day or two and cost is around $1000". my car has 75,000 miles on it and is not under warranty. this is not the type of issue that should be a consumer problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated when driving a various speeds and attempting a turn, the vehicle would make an unusual clunk noise. the dealer advised the steering shaft would need to be replaced to correct the failure. the manufacturer stated the vehicle was outside of warranty and would not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 51,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving at any speed, the steering wheel would involuntarily jerk to the left and right. the failure persisted intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were in the process of diagnosing the failure. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 59,600.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) steering keeps messing up. when i am driving at low or higher speeds (35-60) the steering wheel shakes from let to right. it does this at least once a day. no light on dash showing there is a problem. i have 47,000 miles on my car. i am afraid i will be in the middle of a turn and my steering will go out. i am really scared for my children's safety. this is our family and my work car. please look into i have done some research and show over 100 complaints on the steering also the 2006 gm cobalt has same steering and the same problems. please please help for my and my children's safety. [xxx] *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when driving 65 mph the steering wheel locked abnormally. the failure would occur intermittently and also when accelerating from a complete stop or attempting a left turn. the dealer performed a diagnostic test but was unable to locate or duplicate the failure. the manufacturer advised taking the vehicle back to the dealer for them to run a diagnostic test. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 67,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, the steering wheel locked up and began to shake and shimmy. the contact notified the dealer and was told that any repairs would be at his expense. current and failure mileages were approximately 50,000.

My 2008 chevrolet malibu lt will shake violently from side to side and becomes virtually uncontrollable. the first time it happened was in april 2009 with about 2 k miles. i took it to the dealer, they scanned it but no codes were present. the mechanic found a service bulletin where a brake pad problem was referred to regarding this shaking problem, so he replaced the front pads and resurfaced the rotors. the problem recurred in feb. 2010 with approx. 40 k miles. i again took it in but they said there was nothing wrong. yesterday 4-10-10 on my way to work it happened again at approx. 70 mph, i thought i was going to crash ! what am i to do ? *tr

2008 malibu the power steering goes out with out warning sometimes on the highway it is very scary this is a big concern to me because this is my wife and kids only transportation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while traveling at approximate speeds of 35 mph, the steering wheel exhibited continuous movement without warrant. the contact had to forcibly hold the steering wheel to keep the vehicle from veering off the road. she was able to drive the vehicle to her residence without incident. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where she was advised not to drive the vehicle until repaired. the failure was contributed to a defective steering column. the vehicle was left at the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were approximately 25,000.

I am at about 45k miles on my 2008 chevrolet malibu. my console warning of "power steering" came on and with it my steering wheel shakes when i start the car. i don't drive or put it in gear it just shakes! after being told i do not have power steering fluid a gm service dealership told me it sounds like my "electronic motor for power steering" sounds like it needs to be replaced. the cobalt was just recalled for such a problem. i called gm to see if there was a recall for the malibu and was told .....at my expense, i need to have the problem diagnosed, then call them back with the ref# they gave me, and then they will put it in their records!!!! calling and requesting that a recall be put in place was basically ignored. i have explained that if they were to investigate just the blogs about the malibu they would see thousands of people are having this problem, but are told to fix it themselves. this is really dangerous on so many levels. i have not had an accident, because i am scared to drive most of the time,but i am recording every one of my complaints, because god forbid i get hurt, or worse yet, one of my children, then my lawyer is ready to rip gm apart! i lost my job about a year ago, and for a company who just got bailed out with my tax money, they should think twice before smacking their customers with such arrogance and stupidity. *tr

I have had my 2008 chevy malibu in the garage now 3 times for the same recurring problem. my steering wheel shimmies and then locks up and it's very hard to steer. if i weren't as strong in my hands and arms, i would be dead! it comes and goes but it is a persistent problem that they cannot or will not fix. i was told that they cannot fix something that they didn't diagnose as "broke" and was told it would be too expensive to just start replacing parts randomly that might be the problem. i am very scared to drive my car but have to make a living and am a single mom. i feel this is putting me and my sons life in danger!!!!!!!! there needs to be a recall on this problem in the steering! *tr