Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Just go over my 36,000 mile warranty, and the power steering problem indicator came up on my dash. the steering wheel starts moving frantically on it's own, whenever it wants to, even if you are driving the car. this could be a big hazard. i call the dealer, and of course it's not included in the power train warranty, even though the power steering is electric in my 2008 4 cylinder malibu. the dealer also stated no recalls on my malibu, but this should definitely be a recall, since i see chevy cobalt is being recalled for the same thing. please help. i have to take the car in for service, the dealer states it is the power steering electric box or in the power steering column. *tr

2008 chevy malibu 4 cyl motor. 56,000 miles, steering wheel shakes at high and low rate of speed while driving. steering wheel shakes while car is idle with no one in auto. steering assist gives out and then engages while car is in motion causing car to jerk from side to side causing loss of control of auto. *tr

Problem with my 2008 chevrolet malibu power steering. was driving and suddenly the steering had a mind of its own, pulling slightly to the right and then left. became somewhat lethargic in responsiveness.

Steering wheel locking up while driving at 50 - 55 mph. trouble light on dashboard indicating steering problem. lock-up same as when car is stopped and transmission lever placed into park position.

Steering problem with 2008 chevy malibu. while driving the steering wheel will go back and forth and hard to control steering. also, sometimes when engine is on and car not moving the wheel will shake and go back and forth on both sides. have had the car to a chevy dealer and they say there is nothing wrong with the car and everything is solid. also had a wheel and tire check it out and they said the same thing but they say it may be in the rack and pinion system. it is very scary when you have trouble controlling the vehicle. *tr

2008 malibu chevy has major clinking noise in steering and steering is shifting to the left just bought it preowned and hyundai of 112 in long island is giving me a run around even though the car is under a 90 day warranty . and they don't seem to wanna keep to there end of the bargain. they have ripped me off and are doing illegal actions against consumers like me they. have taken advantage of me and i don't have the type of money to fix these problems when the dealer should have taken care of this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving at the speeds of 25 mph, the power steering was very hard to control when making a turn. other times whenever the vehicle is being parked it will shake and jerk. the dealer was contacted and they stated that he will need a new electronic motor and a control module for the power steering. there have been no diagnosis and no repairs. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 51,800.

The steering will suddenly vibrate and cause me to lose control of the car and as a result i have almost gotten into a few accidents.. it happens without warning. the manfacture has a bulletin about this problem but refused to fix it. i then went to a local mechanic who was able to download the correct information into the power steering module. i believe this should be a recall and force the manfacture to correct all effective cars and not get away with refusing to fix it and thus make it look like there is no problem

2008 chevrolet malibu steering free wheels at times jerks side to side at times at any speed. brakes fade at times rumble .this week i contacted general motors waiting to hear what i should do. did search on internet and i seen hundreds of people that have same problem .and they say dealer cannot repair .has anyone investigated malibu steering problems it scares me when it stops working .all at once the steering jerks side to side .hard to turn at low speed .car has 27000 miles and has had intermittent problems with steering and brakes since i bought it afraid to take it to dealer they say nothing is wrong with it but i say there wrong . *tr

I am hearing a "knocking" when i turn the vehicle left or right. this vehicle has had many internet reports of steering problems. i will be taking my vehicle in today march 10,2010 to see if this is in fact the problem. i am just being precautious due to the high volume of complaints before mine. the problem occurs everytime i turn. *tr

2008 chevy malibu power steering failure. *tr

2008 chevy malibu power steering failure. *tr

My 2008 chevy malibu 1lt has several problems, let me explain. first the problem was a slight clicking, popping in the steering column when turning the wheel, then it starting doing it every time i slightly turn the wheel you can feel it through the steering column, nothing bad but its annoying, then suddenly within a couple months of that my power locks suddenly started going up and down by themselves periodically whether it's parked or being driven, locked me out two times, i was late for work because i had to call door unlocking service, also the manual locks on the door used to lock and unlock won't work at all, you have to manually use your hand, then to beat it all my seatbelt wont lock i tried to click it but it wont even go down hardly at all, this is only the seatbelt in the drivers side. this is a real bad safety issue and the law in ky (click it or ticket) so far that's all i can say is going on for now. i do know this for a fact i will never buy a chevrolet. *tr

Steering problem: steering wheel oscillates while car is idling, also has a catch at or near center point while driving. it tries to lock and then release. will also oscillate while traveling. happens at different speeds but is mostly driven in the 35 to 55mph range. also is affected with brake pressure. dealer could not find anything wrong. it seems to be happening more often but with no pattern. *tr

A recently purchased 2008 chevy malibu lt has some serious steering issues, (this car has electric steering) when driving at low or high speeds the wheel feels like it is fighting against you, it feels like there is a lot of resistance there. also at idle with your foot on the brake the wheel will pulse back and forth, left and right without touching the wheel. i informed the dealer who said it is out of warranty (44,000miles) and couldn't do anything even though he acknowledged there are some issues with the car. scared to drive. please help! *tr

There was a clunking noise in the steering mechanism, especially at low speed. the dealer stated that it was the intermediate steering shaft. it was replaced at a cost of $371. *tr

-2008 chev. malibue 2lt 2.4 4 cylender with power electric steering. problem: when you 1st strup the vehicle the steering wheel shakes back and forth. you have to shut down and re start the vehicle to stop the problem. the dealership has completely ch

I have a 2008 chevy malibu, with 42,000 miles and it has electric power steering and it seems that the power steering is about to go out. a message has only appeared once on the indicator screen in the dash about the power steering, but the steering wheel continuously shakes and it steering feels like it wants to lock up. now my check engine light is on. the diagnostics says it has to do with the cam actuator sensor???? *tr

I drive a 2008 malibu. 95% of my driving is done on the freeway. i have 55k miles on the car and the steering started to shake and get stiff for no apparent reason. i live in ohio and the winters get cold. i first thought that this might be the cause of it but, after reading some blogs on the internet i found that this seems to be a problem no matter where you live. i went to my car dealer and he told me that it is not covered because of my mileage. i do not consider this to be the normal wear and tear of a car and i am afraid that if i don't get this fixed i will be injured from failure to control my car. sometimes i will drive down the road and all of a sudden the steering wheel locks up to where i have to pull on it hard to free it up. the only coarse of action that i see that i can take to correct the failure is pay gm to fix their problem that was not a result of abuse or natural wear and tear since they have not issued a recall. if who ever reads this would simply just google this topic you will see that this is becoming a growing problem that will result in injuries if gm does not recall it. *tr

2008 chevy malibu steering seems to be entirely too lose. car loses control for quick instances. chevy cant seem to find the problem. *tr

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph the steering wheel exhibited a jerking motion. the vehicle began to pull to the right direction. the vehicle was driven to the side of the road. the engine was turned off and restarted. the vehicle resumed to normal. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the electrical power steering and front wheel bearings were replaced. the identical failures occurred five months after the prior service repair was performed. the vehicle had not been repaired art the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 07/14/2010. *lj

My 2008 chevrolet malibu has the same electric power steering motor problems that gm issued recalls for the cobalt and g5 today. the car sporadically has tremors that happen mainly at low speed but has happened at highway speeds. will the recall be expanded to include malibus? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while attempting to turn the steering wheel in either direction, there was a hesitation in the vehicle responding to driver input. the dealer replaced the power steering motor in an attempt to correct the failure. later, while turning the vehicle in either direction, he heard a clanking noise coming from the steering wheel. the dealer added grease to the steering wheel to correct the failure, however the repairs would only last temporarily and he would have to continue having grease added in order for it to function. the dealer stated that the failure would persist for the life of the vehicle and once the vehicle reached 32,000, the repairs would be at the owner's expense. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was approximately 32,000. the vin was not available. updated 08/13/10. *lj updated 08/23/10*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving 60 mph the steering wheel began to shake and it became difficult to control it. the steering wheel also locked. there were no warning lights prior to the failure. he took the vehicle to the dealer five times. the dealer replaced the intermediate shaft and the computer was reprogrammed, but the failure was not corrected. he will take the vehicle back to the dealer to replace the steering column rod. the failure mileage was 31,000 and the current mileage was 40,000.

Power steering on vehicle temporarily fails while driving. also steering wheel often shakes from side to side while sitting idle. *tr

I was driving approx 45 miles per hour on a one lane road. my car dic displayed power steering the wheel began to shake, pulled to the left and became very hard to steer, almost making me hit the car in oncoming traffic, the lady driving the other vehicle swerved onto the shoulder which prevented the accident. i shut the car off. a mechanic friend of mine came to my location and could not find any issues with the vehicle because apparently the electric assist power steering resets once the vehicle is shut off. this incident could have been tragic and by the grace of god it was not. after checking on the internet my understanding is i am not a sole individual experiencing this type of problem with the 2005 and newer chevy malibu. please prevent these type of occurrences from continuing before someone is killed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact noticed that every time he drove the vehicle, he experienced a loss of power steering. before the failure, he noticed that the power steering warning light was illuminated. he had to pull over, turn the vehicle off and restart it in order to reset the power steering and it would function properly for a period of time. the contact called the dealer who advised him that he would be responsible for all of the repair costs. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. the current mileage was approximately 49,000. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000. updated 11/11/10 *bf updated 11/18/10

2008 malibu 2lt 2.4l steering wheel would jerk left and right on its own. this would happen when the vehicle was in motion and parked. definite safety issue when in motion. dealer stated that the steering mechanism was looking for center. dealer reprogrammed steering unit and said should be fixed. the same problem recurred 5 miles down the road after leaving dealership. took car back same day and dealership called gm. gm had dealership replace the power steering control module assembly. the problem is fixed for now. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel pulled to the left and then to the right. the contact had to slow down and grip the wheel tight in order to gain control of the vehicle. the failure occurred intermittently but had become progressively worse over time. she also noticed that the door locks had malfunctioned. the wheel bearing was replaced but the doors locks were not repaired when the complaint was filed. the vehicle had not been inspected for the steering failure. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the current mileage was approximately 72,000.

I have a 2008 chevy malibu that has some steering issues. the steering wheel will jerk back and forth while driving or while sitting still, steering wheel makes a popping noise when turning. 2 of the 4 door locks completely quit working electronically. so many more problems, this car is a lemon and gm and the government should be ashamed for making this vehicle car of the year. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering column abnormally shakes as if was loose. she took the vehicle to the dealer on three occasions, but because they could not locate diagnostic error codes, or duplicate the failure they could not provide a remedy. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 5,000. the current mileage was 27,000. updated 10/21/09. *lj the consumer stated for the past 6 months, when the brakes were applied, it felt as though she was loosing steering ability. the steering wheel would shake violently from time to time. updated 10/23/09

Steering becomes erratic and 2 hands are needed to control the steering wheel. steering wheel will shake on it's own at a complete stop. upon moving forward, car becomes difficult to keep in a straight line. car has been brought back to dealership several times to repair, only to have problem come back every few months. *tr

According to witness, my son was stopped at a red light on a two lane main road (on each side). his 2008 chevy malibu was on the outer lane when all of a sudden veered to the left as if heading towards a driveway ( when he originally was going straight to pick up a co worker). the car immediately jerked to the right, crashing into a tree, where parts of the vehicle became embedded into the tree. my son passed away instantly. the speedometer registered 66 mph at impact. his original speed was approximately 35mph especially since he was just stopped at the light. the witness was coming from the opposite side and stopped his car when he saw my son's vehicle crossing into his lane towards oncoming traffic. *tr

Steering wheel jerking left and right while at low speed and setting still. *tr

Electronic power steering problems causing steering wheel to jerk to left and right. *tr

I have a 2008 chevy malibu lt. in march of this year the steering wheel started to jerk left and right while driving. it would also jerk while being stopped and while in park.there is also a popping sound or a clunking sound like a bad universal while turning and/or backing up. i noticed this about january of '09. the dealer replaced the brakes and rotors on the front,but the problem did not go away. on 5/12/10 the dealership replaced the left front strut and mount and the intermediate steering shaft. this did not correct the problem. the jerking in the steering wheel comes and goes,it will run fine for a while they itwill start up for a while. there is no warning when this will happen. on 5/30/10 and 5/31/10 the power steering light came on in the information center. i called gm to see if there was a recall on this and there is not. i told them that this is a safety concern and should be looked at. they said that they were looking into it. i went to the consumer affairs web ste and seen that this has been a problem since the '05 malibus (ps control module).there were at least 7 complaints for the '08's on this site that i noticed. about a year ago there was a problem with the door locks not working properly,they would not unlock when the car was put into park nor would the remote work on them. when the left rear door outside handle was used to open the door the door would lock. the dealership could not duplicate the problem. this concerns me because the power steering is electric in this car. *tr

2008 chevy malibu. steering becomes jerky, hard to control at different speeds. the steering will freeze causing unwanted lane change, when trying to steer back it will unlock and cause the car to jerk back. when stopped, with the engine running, the steering wheel, at times, jerk back and forth. *tr

2008 chevy malibu, makes thumping sound turning at lower speeds, wheel feels mushy and shakes. told by dealer its the intermediate steering column. concerned about potential danger. car out of warranty, they want over $200 to fix it. should be a safety recall, as i have talked to other gm owners who have the same problem. *tr

Appears to be a problem with the electric power steering/steering assembly. steering will be smooth then all of a sudden the steering wheel will jerk to the left and right and become very loose like you have no control of the steering. when this happens the car tends to steer left. this happens frequently during driving and while stopped the steering wheel will move left and right. have taken it to dealer one time but the problem still persists. *tr

2008 chevrolet malibu 260 miles purchased on 7-21-08 on 7-22-08 received warning light "service traction" and "service sce" pulled to the side and look in manual description of problem. manual said service as soon possible. car was running very sluggish and abs brakes were chattering when applied. car seemed like it would not shift gears. took to dealer asap. dealer said the problem was from a low charge on the battery. dealer had car for 2 days. did not drive car again until 7-28-08. drove 4-5 miles and "service traction and service sce" warning lights came on. drove to dealer approx 2 miles. when i got to the dealer, the left front abs brake was smoking was very hot, almost seemed like it would burst into flames. hubcap had wilted on wheel. left car a dealer, received call from dealer saying the problem was probably due to steering wheel being adjusted to the lower position, causing the steering assembly to press against the brakes. if this is the case it sound as like a design flaw. since people always lower the steering column to a lower position. dealer was ordering parts and would car for 4-5 days. parts to be ordered was a pad for the steering column (band aid) new hub cap. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the steering column spontaneously locked up. the contact lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle was completely destroyed. the air bags failed to deploy until minutes after the crash. the contact has pictures and a police report was filed. the dealer and manufacturer did not assist. the failure and current mileages were 88. updated 10/14/08 *bf updated 10/16/08. *jb

When accelerating aggressively, the steering wheel suddenly veers right and the car veers. happens on some, but not all such starts. similar thing has happened a couple of times in "panic" stops. *tr

The electric steering on my 2008 chevy malibu lt 4dr. sedan(2.4l-4cyl)is not right. it seems to over steer for every correction the driver makes and thus creating a constant moving of the wheel to keep a straight line. the electric steering needs some fixing. the dealer said i need to get used to it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving the vehicle at various speeds, the contact heard strange noises when the brake pedal was depressed. he stated that there appeared to be an issue with the electric power steering/steering assembly. the steering wheel was smooth in the beginning and then suddenly jerked to the left and right. the wheel became very loose as if he had no control of the steering. the dealer repaired the failure approximately five times, but could never determine the exact cause of the failures. the failure mileage was 1,500 and current mileage was 13,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while test driving the vehicle at an unknown speed, the contact noticed that the steering wheel shook and the vehicle may have been misaligned. the dealer balanced the tires and stated that the manufacturer may have just "thrown tires" on the vehicle. the failure recurred a week later and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer approximately 6-7 times, and 12-14 tires have been placed on the vehicle. after retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, she noticed that it functioned properly for approximately a week before the shaking recurred. the service managers from the dealers as well as the manufacturer stated that the impala and malibu models had a vibration that was standard while driving between 40-70 mph. the current mileage was 8,149 and failure mileage was approximately 308. updated 11/17/08 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle has a vibration and alignment problem. gm informed the consumer the problem could not be fixed. updated 11/24/08. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. while driving between 55-60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a noise when the brake pedal was depressed. there was a decrease in the brake line pressure and the stopping distance increased. in addition, the steering wheel exhibited excessive wobbling, which made steering difficult. the failures occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the computerized system failed. the technician reprogrammed the computerized system, but the failure recurred on eight separate occasions. the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer six times without any resolutions. the failure mileage was 700 and current mileage was 16,000. updated 03/18/09. *lj the consumer stated if felt as though the brakes were locking up. the traction control light illuminated. updated 03/20/09. *jb