Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the steering wheel became hard to turn as the power steering warning light illuminated and the power steering warning alarm chimed. the failure was recurring. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 37,000.

I was driving down the road when the power steering went totally out. i heard a chime, saw the wrench light up on the dash and a power steering message appeared on the message panel. i noticed the steering was much more difficult and then went out all together. i turned the car off and back on again and the problem was temporarily resolved only to reappear later again. i know that the 2005 was recalled for the same issue and think this one needs to be also. it is not safe at all to drive. *tr

Power steering malfunction flashed on the instrument panel and within seconds i lost all power steering until i stopped the vehicle shut it off and restarted engine. i have had this happen before but in the parking lot and random malfunction indicators since i purchased the vehicle. this is a malfunction that these cars rolled off the assembly line with. gm chooses not to do anything about it and if i end up paying over $1,000.00 for the repair i vow to never purchase another general motors vehicle again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the vehicle became difficult to steer. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 102,000 and the current mileage was 106,000. updated 6/26/14*cn the consumer stated the part needed to repair the vehicle had not become available. updated 07/08/2014 *js

After several power steering service alarms in the preceding months, that all reset after the engine was turned off, the alarm came on and the power assist failed leaving the car extremely difficult to steer. took the car into the dealership the next week and they reprogrammed the steering and sent me home. the next day the steering failed again. i then looked up the problem on the internet and found out this is a prevalent problem and has no real fix! what do i do now? *tr

On three separate occasions over the past year i would hear a loud chime and my power steering would go out in my 2004 malibu maxx, making it very difficult to drive. each time this has occurred, i would turn the car off and restart it which would resolve the power steering problem. initially, i took the car to a mechanic who said there were no leaks in the power steering system and it must have been an electronic problem. i chalked it up to old age (for the car) and continued to drive the car with care. my wife has not been able to drive the car since this happened because she could not control the car if the power steering goes out. recently i heard of a recall on t.v. regarding my year, make, and model. the recall description fit my experience with this car. i contacted the gm dealer (sweeney chevrolet in boardman ohio) and was told 'there had not been a recall on my car as of yet'. they went on to say that if i wanted it fixed, to bring it in and pay out of pocket. i would later be reimbursed by gm if, in fact, there was an eventual recal. my complaint is that i don't have $500-$1000 for a repair that i may not get reimbursed for. it is obvious that my car should be covered by this recall that was announced nationally on t.v. is there anything that can be done so that gm can be made to fix this car before it causes an accident? additionally, i have been brushed off by them regarding the turn signals since this car has been under warranty. i have replaced over 100 bulbs since this car was new. they overheat and melt the surrounding materials. i have already replaced the entire headlamp assembly, to no avail. i now drive this car without a left front turn signal because it will burn out the bulb within a day or two of replacing it. i'm not sure if this has been brought to the attention of gm in the past, but it seems to be a fire hazard. *tr

The power steering locks up when driving, gets very tight and cannot turn the wheel. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while driving 30 mph the power steering failed. the contact stated that the power steering light illuminated for months prior to it failing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 86,000.

The steering locks up between 2000 and 3500 rpms. the tool, steering and battery light keeps flashing when the power steering locks up or before the steering locks up. chiming sounds go off and a clicking noise from the dash board. i heard many people are having the same issue. it should be a recall because it almost cause me to be in an accident many time. i had to stop driving me car due to the danger. *tr

The above date is approximate because i have had problem with this since i bought the car in 2004. i called the dealership, gm corporate, and nhtsa for years. i always got the same response, "cannot duplicate the problem". gm owes me money for all the aggravation and money for paying service dept. for nothing. my car lost steering on the highway while trying to pass an 18 wheeler, this meant i was in the left lane. by the grace of god, i'm still here!! i still have my car, but i have not received a recall letter! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the check engine and power steering lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the steering column would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact the vehicle was previously repaired under a manufacturer's recall for the steering. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000. *tr

While driving the vehicle the power steering failed completely as has been noted by thousands of other 2004 chevy malibu maxx owners. the steering becomes difficult is not impossible to operate or it locks up completely as was the case today and will not allow the steering to be turned. as a 30 year law enforcement veteran i recognize this as a very serious life safety issue. this vehicle needs to be recalled since gm is fully aware of the problem but does not want to step up and fix this issue that has caused accidents and injury to owners. the fault indicator comes on and a beeping occurs and the display in the center of the dash says "power steering". *tr

I started the car, put the car in drive and accelerated. when i went to turn the wheel, a light appeared on the dash (looks like a wrench) and on the radio display said power steering. i lost all power steering. this has now happened multiple times in the last month. i pulled out on to another road and while in the process of turning, i lost my power steering. i had to pull over into a parking lot, which was very difficult to do since i did not have power steering. turned the car off and restarted the car. the light went away and my power steering came back. the car is very unsafe because the failure happens while driving. my husband called chevy dealer and they stated that this car is not covered under the service recall notice!! *tr

Power steering fault light on yellow wrench light intermittent. steering shake. *tr

I was driving on the highway and an engine light came on and it said power steering across my radio. i thought that meant i need power steering fluid but after doing google searches, i find that means i lost my power steering control. luckily, i was going straight and at a high speed so i didn't lose control based upon what i read. however, i have two little girls and will sue in a heartbeat if anything happens to them as a result of this issue. especially, since this is a known issue since 2004. why the heck haven't you forced chevy to recall these vehicles. i don't care that in most cases steering is not affected and that it can be reset by turning the car off and on. i have read about so many incidents of near crashes and some injuries. this is ridiculous and needs to be fixed before someone dies. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering assist failed. the contact had to use excessive force to turn the steering wheel. the vehicle was shut down and restarted but that was only a temporary remedy. the contact also mentioned that the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the steering column and interior module need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 88,700 and the current mileage was 92,400.

Stopped and put vehicle in reverse. check engine light came on and power steering stopped working. returned to normal after turning vehicle off and restarting. *tr

Driving down straight section of road. power steering alarm comes on and steering wheel goes stiff. slowed and stopped before next turn (would not have been able to negotiate turn). this has happened on an often enough basis (usually before being on the road) and using fix described in other often reported issues with this type of steering, stopped car, turned off, adjusted position of steering column and restarted. steering returned to normal. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned making the steering wheel very difficult to turn. the contact indicated that the lost power steering warning message display on the instrument panel. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but no solution was offered. the contact indicated that he received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number 14v153000 (steering). the dealer and manufacturer were contacted on several occasions the contact the was informed that the parts were not available and no estimated availability date could be provided. the failure mileage was 250,000.

Power steering went out while idling at drive thru window of fast food(first incident). 2 more after that while idling. the message center said power steering and chimed every incident. is there a recall for this? *tr

My pregnant wife was driving when the power steering just went out this is the second time and from reading multiple complaints and they do nothing to solve it. *tr

I've had my car for five years and the power steering has went out and replace 4 times!! i am a mother with three kids driving is very difficult i cannot afford to pay to replace the same part over and over there needs to be a recall on this steering problem there are to many complaints for is not to be an issue! *tr

Tl*t he contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while driving 35 mph, the power steering malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become very hard to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the steering wheel torque and sensor failed. as a result, the power steering column unit needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 36,327. the current mileage was 44,258. updated 08/11/14*lj the consumer stated the technician found the fault code c0545 (steering wheel torque in the past sensor failure). the steering wheel column unit was replaced. updated 08/13/2014 *js

After backing out of a parking space, drove forward a few feet, turned right at a stop sign and proceeded forward when the car's warning chimes sounded, the "power steering" came up on the dic, the service vehicle light came on and all power steering was lost. it was late at night so i continued driving home which was about 2 miles away but it was very difficult to make turns. have not tried to drive car due to difficulty and since it is sunday was not able to get assistance from mechanics or dealer. have been reading online and seems to be a common and dangerous problem. no recalls or notices received by dealer. this car was bought new and maintained. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering warning light illuminated as the steering became hard to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic, which located the failure at the steering column. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure and current mileage was 86,200.

The car became very hard to steer. turning the steering wheel was difficult to turn. this has happened several time since august. this has almost cause two accidents. *tr

While driving down the street approaching the corner preparing to stop lost the ability to steer the wheel, could not continue to drive had to stop the car. on saturday may 17,2014 while doing 65 miles on the highway a car lit up on the left corner of the dash and the power steering words appear. i immediately pulled off the highway in fear. several times while backing out or pulling out of a space the steering wheel tightens. every month i'm constantly changing light bulbs and the fuses for the interior and the exterior of the car. *tr updated 12/9/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the driver was driving 40 mph when the steering wheel seized. the power steering light and check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel when the failure occurred. the driver stopped and shut off the vehicle. the steering wheel functioned as normal upon restart. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Driving approx 20 miles per hour when turning left at an intersection and the vehicle service light came on, power steering message displayed on the information console and the power steering stopped working. the unexpected loss of power steering caused the vehicle to enter into the shoulder of the road. the power steering system worked after turning the car off and then back on. however the power steering light continued to show on the information panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for repair and the steering column was replaced. no further information message concerning the power steering has been seen since the repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving various speeds, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. the contact attempted to have the vehicle repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number: 14v153000 (steering), but the parts were unavailable. the contact felt that since the failure occurred in march of 2014 that a remedy should have been provided before june of 2014. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The power steering warning light has been coming on for some time now, but 3 different times the power steering has failed when leaving from being parked. turning off the car and restarting fixes it but for how long will that continue to work. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 malibu maxx. the contact stated that while turning at 3 mph, the steering wheel seized and was difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was stopped and shut off. the steering wheel functioned as normal upon restart. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where they stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 89,000 and the current mileage was 89,050.

I just exited the highway and was turning into a parking lot and heard a loud clunk and the steering failed. the dealership informed me that the steering rack and gears to the steering column needed to be replaced along with the spring and sensor for airbag on the steering column. the steering column would then have to be re-centered and the car realigned.

While traveling in a school zone going approximately 25 miles per hour, i was in an accident involving a school bus. i could not stop, or steer the car to avoid a collision with the rear of the bus. my car went under the rear of the bus, where it was crushed in the front end. the car seemed to just shut down, had no power steering and braking control. the air bags never deployed., even though they should have with the type of impact that the car received. we would like to make this complaint, on behalf of ourselves and any other motorist that might have had similar circumstances. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact was driving 55 mph when the steering seized while making a turn. the power steering warning light illuminated after the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 59,843.

Turned left at an intersection when the a chime sounded and the service light on the dash appeared. then the power steering went out and the car veered off the road and onto the sidewalk. the car was placed into park and the ignition turned off. the ignition was immediately turned back on and the power steering was restored. this happened last winter, then three times already this winter. *tr

I was driving home from work going about 30 mph when power steering went out on me. it was very difficult to steer and freaked me out since my 2 year old daughter was in the back seat and there was a lot of traffic. thankfully i was only 4 blocks from home. got home turned the car off and then back on and it reset, but then my husband took it for a drive around the block and it happened again. after all the research, it ticks me off that gm is not taking responsiblity for this problem. *tr

While my wife was crossing the verranzno bridge between brooklyn and staten island the electrical steering failed. this created a extreme safely issue since my wife did not have enough strength to control the steering. this forced her to slow to a stop while other cars were going full speed creating a safely issue. when she turn the car on again she managed to get the car off the bridge and to the dealer for replacement. my wife was lucky that is wasn't in a condition that she was making a turn or some other position that could had cause an accident. there were two other people in the car and in no time should a steering failure cause almost complete lost of control because you not have strength to turn the wheel. *tr

As i was coming up a hill to a stop light . steering was lost . since i do not drive this car often , i did not know this happened before . my wife said she stops the car and restarts the problem goes away .. not a good situation as one drives . wondering if there is a recall on this problem . *tr

Failure of electronic power steering. luckily happened at low speed and no traffic. internet shows this be a problem with other malibu owners. gm has recalled other vehicles with same problems, but no recall by nhtsa, only investigations. loss of steering is one thing that should not be acceptable. *tr

Driving home from work making a right hand turn the power steering went out completely, service vehicle soon light chimed and came on, power steering failure illuminated on the driver information center. after pulling over into a parking lot with no power steering i turned off car waited a few minutes restarted car and power steering was fine all warning lights had gone off. i have researched this problem and have found that there are numerous complaints regarding this issue with chevrolet malibu's. i just purchased this used car and am very concerned with this safety issue, as this needs to be addressed. not only am i jeopardizing my safety and well being, but jeopardizing those close to me. *tr

While stopped at a traffic signal, the car made a clicking noise. a yellow light/wrench appeared and the display showed power steering. all power steering was gone. after arriving home i turned the vehicle off. awhile later i started the car and the power steering was working and all indicators were gone. i'm concerned that this could happen while i'm moving. *tr

Power steering keeps failing while driving. i have read many complaints on this issue. the car has 105,552 miles. my mechanic has talked to chevy mechanics and they say you can fix the sensor motor and steering column but cant guarantee that will fix the problem. how is it gm can get away without doing a recall on this problem if its unsafe? the chevy dealer told my mechanic the best thing i can do is trade it in. i am almost done paying for the car and don't want to purchase a new car. i want this one fixed and not be scared that i'm gonna get killed in it or kill someone else! *tr

While driving my power steering went out. it felt like wet cement in the steering column. i have driven a car with out power steering before this was much harder. i pulled over opened the hood to see if anything was loose. could not find anything. once i restarted the car it was fine. 30 mins later making a left turn it goes out again, turn car on and off and it works again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving 20 mph, the power steering failed. after turning the engine off and then on, the steering had independently reset. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure nor was the vehicle inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was 44,765. updated 10/14/11 *bf updated 10/28/11

Power steering failed today completely and i ran off the road when entering the highway. i almost crashed into a semi-truck and could have easily been in a large crash if the truck was only a few feet closer. i have researched this problem online and found that this is a common problem with this car. i am not surprised how slow the government works. i assume that nothing will come from my complaint. my power steering has been faulty for a couple years now, but this is the first time it has failed completely. i feel bad if i sell this car because it might kill the person i sell it to, because there is no telling when the steering will fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the vehicle became difficult steer. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed and the column and steering module would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 45,653 and the current mileage was 53,000. updated 7/1/13 *cn updated 07/17/2013 *js

In the middle of making turns, right and left, the electronic power steering will deactivate causing car to jerk, then steering will be extremely difficult. car can be turned off and then restarted and the issue will stop for a short time. there has been recalls for this issue on other gm models but not my model. this issue first occurred while my 16 yr old daughter was driving and almost resulting in an accident. i am extremely concern for my daughter safety will driving this vehicle. i took the car out shortly after this happen to her and within 3 turns the steering wheel jerked, light on dash light, display showed power steering and steering reverted to what can best be described as prepower steering x 2. i am a muscular 300 pound male and i had a difficult time getting the car to turn safely into the lane and later off the road. this is a safety issue that was no covered by gm and should be addressed before someone is injured. please reopen your investigation into this issue. thank you for your time. *tr

Knocking noise in the steering column, noise and difficulty turning. noticable play in the steering of the vehicle. occurs several times a week, i refuse to drive my car on the freeway or at high speeds in fear of electric power steering going out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated the vehicle stopped in the middle of an intersection while making a turn, the power steering warning indicator illuminated and the there was a sudden loss of power steering. the vehicle was driven into the median cautiously and turned off. after restarting the vehicle the steering wheel began to function normally. the failure occurred intermittently. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact there was no recall related to the defect. there was a technical service bulletin nhtsa item number 10018531 (steering: electric power; assist system). the approximate failure mileage was 52,000. updated 09/21/11*lj updated 10/03/11