Problems with 2013 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would momentarily shut off causing the power steering assist to fail and making it very difficult to control the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 33,000.

Cleaning out the trunk discovered no spare tire. only sealant air compressor. how stupid. was not informed by the dealer, who obviously knew they would lose a deal if customer informed. this is a big time scam and cover up. i can see real trouble if i have a blow out! stupid!!! *tr

When driving on the highway, the car never drives straight, always veering slightly left or right. the steering wheel sticks when you try to correct. it takes a significant effort to move the steering wheel. when the wheel finally moves, it has no resistance and over corrects. i drive 70 miles a day on the highway, and it does it every single day consistently at speeds over 45. the car goes all over the road and is dangerous. i look like a drunk driver and people try to get away from my car when i'm next to them. conclusion: it's dangerous; someone is going to get killed eventually; chevy is aware of the defect; nhtsa is also aware of the danger, but no recall? chevrolet and nhtsa are going to be responsible for that death. get a recall on it. *tr

2013 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering system issues. *smd the consumer was informed by three different dealers, the steering must fail, before it can be fixed. *jb

Letter from congressman jolly on behalf of constituent re an issue with 2013 chevrolet malibu that general motors will not recall (attn: brenda frantz) *smd the consumer received a letter from gm regarding potential problems with the steering. the dealer informed the consumer, it was not recall, rather an extended warranty was being issued on the part, if it the part should fail within the next ten years. *jb

Steering became stiff with slippage when bearing left or right. took it to dealer in savannah where purchased. was told this was an issue for quite a few people. power steering motor was replaced. also had an issue with heater vents blowing hot air even when turned off. happened on start up several times. dealer said computer had to be reprogrammed. had a flat and side of tire had a hole. the kit in the trunk (instead of an actual tire) was no help at all. had to call aaa for a tow. had to buy an after market rim and tire so i would have a spare. the dealers sell them at around $500.00. i am so disappointed with this car.....chevy has lost a loyal customer due to their greed and the dealer in savannah will never get any business from us for selling us a car that they knew had issues. *tr

Steering has a dead spot at neutral as though the steering locks up and a force must be applied to break it loose. discrepancy occurs at highway speeds above 50 mph. problem is intermittent but is increasing in frequency of occurrence. dealer says nothing is wrong. suspect a problem in electric power steering computer programming. *tr

Driving alone in the car on a smooth dry road with hills at 40 - 55mph the steering would pull the car off the centerline and then stick until i pulled it back to center. not a lot of force required to bring back on center but it continued to do it numerous times. it appeared the wander was not due to road surface conditions but something going on with the steering assembly. the sticking condition is of major concern as loss of control was a possibility because it was happening at a higher speeds on a hilly two lane road. it feels like something is allowing the assist to lighten up then something jams until a slight correction unlocks it.there is very little normal road feel through the steering when this occurs. i have driven this route a number of times before without incident and around town at low speeds it is fine.i should mention this model is the ltz with wide tires (19 inch goodyear eagle rsa: horrible traction in snow but very good on dry road surface) that are inflated to the proper 35psi all around per the operators instructions. i should also mention that my previous car was a 2005 malibu with electric steering so i am quite familiar with this type assist and that one never behaved like this. i don't know what the dealer can do for me because it has only done this once so far and appears normal once again. i am very concerned about driving this car at high speeds at this point. *tr

I was driving my son to work and i lost all power to my vehicle. i had no brakes, power steering and my engine light came on and battery light came on as well. i managed not get in a accident and get into a parking lot. thank god. my backlights have had issues as well they have stayed on and have cuased me to get pulled over by the police. *tr

The steering continually locks up while driving on the interstate. it takes a sharp pull to get it unlocked. this could be dangerous and seems to only happy at high speeds. *tr

I recently just bought a 2013 chevy malibu and i was excited, now i am just having regrets. i have noticed that my steering wheel locks up at or around 45 mph and over. my car starts to drift towards the yellow or white line, and i will try to make the minor adjustments (just like i would in any other vehicle) and i find myself tugging pretty forcefully to break it free, which then results in my car jerking over quickly in the other direction and then i have to try to correct my direction again. it also happens while i'm on the highway going around a corner at 55 mph. i can't take it on the freeways either knowing that i can barely handle my car at 55 mph, let alone how i would manage at 65-70 mph with a lot more traffic and barriers without possibly hitting something. i even had passengers make comments about my driving, saying they feel like they are a ping pong ball and that i need to learn how to drive. i assure you i have been driving for a long time and have drove many other vehicles, including my mother's chevy avalanche, and i have never had this problem. i can't enjoy driving the only newest vehicle i have ever had and i certainly can't have anyone in the vehicle with me anymore, especially my 1 year old niece, because it is not safe and now i'm taking it to my dealer later this week. while on the phone with my dealer, they were trying to say that there probably isn't a problem because i never owned a chevy previously and that i was just not use to the way the newer vehicles handle. i even mentioned that my brother has a 2013 chevy malibu and is having the same problems so it's not just a random occurrence. i am not a vehicle expert, but i know this is a serious problem and now i dread driving my vehicle for fear of causing an accident and/or injuring others. general motors definitely needs to look into this issue before serious injuries or fatalities occur. *tr

While driving, the power steering abruptly ceased working and a service warning came on. there was no prior warning or problem. after pulling over, stopping the auto and a wait of 90 minutes, the problem went away. the dealer "reprogrammed and initialized power steering module, cleared code and confirmed repairs". *tr

The steering continually locks up while driving on the interstate. it takes a sharp pull to get it unlocked. this seems to happen when i go over 40mph. *tr

Steering wheel seems to lock and needs a hard pull to turn wheel, i have noticed this issue on other trips. i came home checked on line to see if this problem is something other owners experience and i see it is. this issue should be addressed for safety reasons! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the power steering assist became inoperable. the vehicle was able to be driven after the failure occurred. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 10,000. ..updated 03/18/14 *bf the dealer was unable to replicate the problem. however, they were aware of the issue. updated 03/21/14

While traveling primarily at interstate speeds, i notice the steering lightly "sticking" or "locking" causing the car to veer off center, mainly to the left but occasionally to the right. when i make the correction i can feel a "catch" and the steering wheel jerks in the direction of the correction. at times the problem occurs frequently and at other times infrequently. *tr

Hard steering at 55-65 mph speed when going around curve. *tr

While driving at approximately 60 mph the steering gets stuck and i have to pull it back to the right. this has happened several times. i took it back to the dealer and there is no recall on the power assist at this time. i feel that with the steering getting stuck i may have a hard time getting it back so as to cause an accident. please look into this steering mechanism. *tr

While driving stretches of straight road, the steering seems to almost lock into position. when attempting to make a very slight correction, there is resistance that must be overcome, in my case, only when turning the wheel to the right. *tr

While driving at interstate speeds, particularly after more than 30 minutes of continuous travel, my 2013 chevrolet malibu's steering becomes extremely dangerous. the car will "wander" left or right even though the steering wheel is held straight. when i attempt to correct the "wander," the steering wheel does not react. after applying continuous pressure to the steering wheel for approximately 2 seconds, it then "gives" too much in the corrective direction. it is as if the steering response is dead and then over-correction occurs. if the wander occurs to the left first, over-correction will occur, and then the car will wander to the right, and then over-correction will occur again, etc. as a driver, it feels as if traveling in a straight line is no longer possible and a zig-zag pattern is the new straight. this over-correction of the dead steering wheel varies in level of intensity. however, there have been several occasions since initial failure that have resulted in near accidents. my local chevrolet dealership was not able to recreate the issue (they would not drive the vehicle for 30 continuous minutes at interstate speeds of 70 mph). the dealer rotated my tires and checked alignment with no issues identified or causes for concern noted. the date of this service was 12-31-2013. this issue appears to getting worse as the mileage accumulates on my vehicle. please address this issue. someone could be very seriously injured or worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the steering wheel exhibited a slight delay and a jerking motion. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where they informed the contact that the failure was contributed to a computer glitch. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 7,000.

While driving approximately 70 mph on the freeway, the steering wheel become stiff. when trying to make a steering adjustment to the right, the steering wheel become tight and had to force steering wheel to make the movement. it was like the feeling of a torque wrench reaching the required torque, then the steering wheel jerked to the right. this continued the entire time driving home for approximately 180 miles. almost every time i was driving straight for a period of time, then had to make an adjustment to the right, this would happen. *tr

When driving straight (most notable at highway speeds) the steering feels stiff on center. minor steering corrections are becoming difficult due to the resistance felt. *tr

When driving in a straight line one has to correct to keep on going straight and in doing so there is a slight bump in the steering, almost as though the steering wheel doesn't want to turn but with a little mote effort it gets over the bump. *tr

Erratic steering when traveling at highway speeds, when in the left lane the car will always drift towards the ditch after a few feet. when in the right lane the car will always drift into the left lane within a few feet. also have issue with a 'lock' in the steering wheel, when driving for a couple of miles, when turning left or right, have to give steering wheel extra push to make it move, it feels like the steering wheel is locked in place. extra push is given then i over steer into another lane and need to correct into my lane. looks like i am swerving when this happens. *tr

Steering became sticky stiff in 12 o'clock postition, making steering corrections difficult with overcorrecting. there is definitely a problem that could be a sever safety hazard. i was traveling on i-75 at 65-70 mph when malfunction occurred. i contacted a dealer in tampa and they did not seem too concerned, hard to communicate due to it being a holiday weekend. the tampa dealer advised if there was a problem, i would have received a recall letter. i am concerned, being on vacation, for the long trip back to knoxville. also, i have experienced transmission shutter at low speed, intermediate problem. *tr

Dead spot at dead center. takes extra force to make very small adjustments to push through the force - making a much larger output than normal input. feels dangerous. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when driving various speeds, the steering wheel failed as the power steering warning light illuminated. on another ocassion, the contact attempted to drive out park and the steering wheel failed. the failure would occur on numerous ocassions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on several ocassions for the failure where it was diagnosed that the power steering gear needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired twice but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 4,692 and the current mileage 11,246. dr..updated 08/11/14 *bf updated 08/19/2014 *js

On the first incident i was driving home from work. it had been raining earlier so i was going slower than usual. while driving the steering would veer to l or r and act as if it were stiffening. i took it into the dealer who said they could find nothing wrong that it was probably "just the rain". the following week it did the same thing, no rain! this has progressively gotten worse and i have taken in for a repeat trip to be told the same thing, tires are fine, etc.......yet while traveling down highway/interstate the steering tends to lock/stick and require force which is dangerous! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle hesitated and powered down as the engine over speed and service power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle restarted but the failure recurred approximately thirty times. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred only at 70 mph or higher. the contact also stated that when the failure occurred, the doors failed to unlock. the vehicle was taken to a dealer but the failure could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 16,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 55 mph or greater the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. the technician replaced an unknown part however, the failure persisted after the repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 3,500. js

I was going about 65 mph on the freeway and the steering wheel suddenly becomes stiff causing me to jerk the steering wheel a little bit harder. that is dangerous because it causes the vehicle to swerve and potentially getting into an accident. i am not sure what the issue might be if it is a brand new car fresh off the lot. *tr

In about september my steering started sticking at freeway speeds since then it is getting worse have not taken it to the dealer yet, i plan to do so a little worried with reading what issues other owners have had with the dealership. i feel this is a huge safety hazard and chevrolet needs to look into what is causing this problem before there are several fatalities! *tr

As i am driving either on the highway at over 70 mph or in the city i have lost all power to the vehicle. loss of power steering, power breaks everything. the car shuts completely down and just before all the check engine and service lights flash through. this has happened 4 times and the last time i was pulling into apple valley motors in martinsburg wv parking lot, lost power and hit the curb and blew out a tire because i lost power steering. the dealer will do nothing about it there are many of the same complaints for the same problem on chevy malibu forum. com finally someone suggested that we should report the problem here. i have had to put 3 batteries in the year that i owned it. not only this but the transmission and engine both went bad at the same time. i only have 86k on it. i contacted both gm and chevy and explained the situation and neither one will assist me. they gave me a case number but in the end they said there is nothing they can do because all warranties have expired. ( they expired because of the date, i am still under the mileage portion of the warranty) as of right now my car is at the dealership because i can't afford to have it fixed and the dealership, gm/chevy or the third party warranty that expired 8 days after they replaced the transmission will not help either. luckily i only hit a curb at a very slow speed. i could have killed someone. this has happened both on the highway and in the city while i am in motion. the dealership that i purchased it at had to change the battery in the trunk during the first 30 days that i owned it. that fixed the problem for a while. but i don't know if that is the cause of this problem or not. the first time this happened was app 4 months ago and has happened a total of 4 times since then. and still the no one will help or look into the issue. the most recent was last week.

At different speeds the steering will have some form of a dead spot in it. this started around 13000 and i now have over 20000 miles on it.you will attempt to go left or right and have to corrected the steering with alot more force than normal. this has occurred at highway speeds as well as in city traffic. on 2 different occasions so far in city traffic, i have almost caused wrecks from the correction. my wife and i both have experienced these dead spots every single day that we drive the car. took it in to the dealer to try and resolve the issue. but they were unable to recreate the issue. the dealer reprogrammed the steering angle and position sensor calibration. and no change. the dealer told me the vehicle is equipped with an electric power steering system and is far more responsive to driver input. it appears to me that chevy has a big issue with this yet will do nothing about it. on the chevy forum we have a thread that is over 10 pages long and growing with this same issue. http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26489. *tr

Steering was great up to about 7000 miles, then gradually seem to lose its centering capability. steady driving, especially highway cruising, began to require constant corrections and each correction became an overcorrection because the steering wheel seemed to be stuck in position. the jerk from being stuck causes another overcorrection the other direction. driving the car has become very annoying, and i suspect will even become a hazard very shortly. i now have 12k miles. my second visit to the dealer (about 10k miles) resulted in not being able to find the problem. will try again next week. *tr

When driving on the interstate the steering seems to lock up and then the car will slightly drift and then you have to pull on the steering wheel to break/ unlock the steering wheel. it makes a very jerky movement that can be unsafe. *tr

While driving my car shot off temporaily causing my steering to lock nearly causing an accident. it has happened a few times in the last week. the only warning is the radio shuts off. very dangerous and reported in many forums.

The car engine stalls, locks go up and down, panel lights go out, power steering is disabled, rpm gauge revs up to 7000+, then engine comes back on. this has happened multiple times nearly causing crashes and causing extreme anxiety. the service department says no error is stored on the car computer and they cannot duplicate the incident. after 2 days in the shop, i got my car back, drove 378 miles and the incident happened again. it has occurred with every member of my family. i want to be taken seriously or i will contact an attorny before someone gets injured not afterwards. *tr

When driving at highway speeds, there is a stiff or sticky spot in the steering. steering must be pulled harder than what would be normal to right or left giving a clicky or bumpy feeling in the steering. problem is continuous when driving at highway speeds. *tr

My son was driving down the road when the cars steering drastically pulled him totally off the road !!!! lucky there was no one to the right of him they would of bean killed .this is a very serious problem! the dealer is trying to brush it off like nothing happened. niles sales & service key west florida ! its a new car. please call me [xxx]5/13 /13 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering failed. the contact stated that the electrical system also failed simultaneously. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection and repair. the contact was not aware of the exact repairs made to the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 8,000. ...updated 11-18-13 *bf

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, he approached a turn and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the contact applied excessive force to the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice where the steering module was replaced each time. the failure recurred after each repair. the manufacturer had not been notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 4,000. updated 9/23/13 *cn

The car appears to have no center. sometimes it pulls left and sometimes it pulls right. when i go to correct the issue the car doesn't respond right away, then it over corrects. the car never rides in the center anymore. i am constantly having to move the steering wheel to keep the car going straight. i feel like someone is going to report me for drunk driving or that i am going to get pulled over for it. i have taken it to the dealership twice for it and they "cannot duplicate" and tell me that it's normal for the car to drive that way because its all electric now. the car did not drive like this when i bought it less than a year ago. if it did, i would have not purchased it. *tr

While driving on long straight stretches of smooth road (i.e. interstate) the steering system appears to take a "set" when making small steering corrections. this manifests as a slight bump or resistance when attempting to turn the wheel to the right. it is an intermittent problem, and never appears during periods of much steering activity (i.e. lots of turns, town driving, etc.) in my case it usually appears on long trips, and at speeds above 60 mph, on roads where very little steering input is needed. this is a common problem with malibus as attested to by the chevrolet owners forum. extremely hard for dealers service to duplicate due to the intermittent nature of the problem. *tr

This vehicle steering wheel becomes sticky/stuck at interstate speeds and trying to correct the problem creates oversteer and overcorrection creating a swerving of the vehicle. the car was taken to the dealer and was not corrected. i'm set to take it back because this is becoming a safety issue. *tr