Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX STEERING

2004 malibu maxx has lost power steering. weeks prior the steering to the left is loose and steering to the right is tight. mechanic cannot find an issue. found over 40 complaints in online car blogs of the same issue. several had replaced steering column only to find the issue occurred again. *tr

Power steering keeps going off, for no apparent reason, this should be a recall there are too many complaints about the same issue happening the same way, and at times when driving happy no one has had to loose their life due to a faulty system defect. *tr

I own a 2004 malibu maxx,imy power steering goes out constantly,while driving at a speed of 30 mph or 60 mph.i recently was on the highway with my children and it went out while i was making a turn and i almost went off the road .scared me and my kids to death....something has to be done about this....i have read too many stories about the same problems with various people..does someone have to loose their life to get a recall on this or what!!!!!!!! *tr

I have been having power steering problems with my 2004 chevy malibu for several years. it feels like the steering goes completely out while driving on freeway or other roads and find this to be a safety issue. i originally had dealership check steering and was told it was fine and there was no recall, but i have read where several others are experiencing the same problem. in the last few months, the problem has gotten worse for my daughter, who now drives the car. the power steering light has been coming on and goes off when you park or restart the car. she recently lost all power steering and had difficulty steering the vehicle off the road. today, we took the malibu to the gm dealership where we purchased it, and ouch!...was told the repairs total $900 plus tax. dealership will need to replace steering column as motor has gone bad and also need to replace the intermediate shaft that connects to the column since it is binding up. i don't know whether to get a second opinion and wonder if we can wait to have the shaft replaced? should i also contact gm to see if they will reimburse for parts? *tr

1st incidence on highway, 2 yrs. ago steering tightened up and light with car/wrench came on. it resolved on its own quickly soon after calling on star for assistance. just recently more random incidences of light coming on with no noticeable steering difficulty. today, while pulling out of driveway, steering frozen, car/wrench light came on, stuck in middle of the street. turned car off and restarted. steering loosened up then froze again, could not turn wheel at all, still stuck in the middle of the street. turned car off and on again. it loosened up again and was able to drive it without further light or stiffness. planning on visiting the dealership this week for a check up. this should be covered along with the recall for 2005 malibu since it is the power steering issue. *js

2004 malibu maxx steering failure. vehicle purchased in september 2009. sporadic difficulty with power steering going out, has increased to a daily occurrence. when accelerating into a turn, must hold onto steering wheel tightly and lean heavily into turn to navigate sufficiently to avoid collision with other vehicles/objects/pedestrians. problem also occurs on highway, changing lanes, and when navigating exit ramp when there is a curve. have had steering wheel cleaned and greased, but problem still exists. the column clicks during the turn if the power steering has failed. i see there has been no recall for this failure, and am looking for recommendation for repair, as my research has found little to remedy. a older senior friend with the same vehicle had difficulty navigating a turn in effingham nh a couple months ago, and went off the road, resulting in total loss of vehicle and fortunately, minimal injury to the driver. *tr

My malibu maxx power steering light comes on while driver intermittently. i had the steering column replaced in 2008 for another issue. i know some day the steering will fail at a most critical time. please investigate this and other steering column problems continue to occur. i can not buy another chevy with this kind of workmanship. not looking good for the bailout repayment promise. *tr

I bought this car in 2010. the steering problem has been intermittent since the car passed 33k. i haven't had this happen on the road, but usually after i park and turn the car back on. there will be no power steering making it almost impossible to drive. if i shut it off and turn it back on again, the problem isn't there. quite unnerving. the car also has a clunk sound in the left front under the steering wheel. the warning for power steering is on more than it is off. i wish there was a recall on this. there have been so many complaints on the internet and my mechanic says there should be a recall on this. i haven't had it fixed because i can't afford it. *tr

Driving through a residential district the check power steering message flashed on the dashboard and then the power steering just stopped functioning. car was very hard to maneuver and steer. once restarted, power steering resumed. since that incident, the power steering failed once again while car was in park on 6/20/2011. then once car was restarted the power steering reset itself. very very dangerous!!!

The passenger front seat went to adjust it and it started going up at an angle. it got tilted and loose, the only way to correct was to put it all the way down to the floor but can feel it rock. all i can think of is i am screwed in an accident. also the power steering indicator comes on all the time and when you get an oil change, then it disappears for a little while, then comes on again everytime you start the car. *kb

I've received 3 letters in the last approx. 8 months. first was recalling power steering, then one for brakes,and then transmission. as soon as car was paid off i literally had to buy another trany twice in two years . the last letter said i can definitely crash because of this recall problem specially said i would it is in the letter. i couldn't believe my eyes. every letter said sorry parts aren't available we will notify you. never has contacted me and it has been half a year. i'm driving a very unsafe vehicle written by chevrolet company. please advise me soon. also there was no trany listed above so we put other. and there wasn't any accidents however going off ramp at 30 mph i spun in 3 circles another time driving slow in town around a easy turn it just spun for no reason. please help its only transportation[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My power steering on my 2004 malibu maxx locks up at random times, throws the car to the left, i was getting the battery light and a ding when this would happen. i had the serpentine belt changed in march 2011 then the tensioner in june 2011. i was told that this would cure the problem, as these components are linked to the alternator and the power steering pump/motor. this problem is still happening, however now, i do not get the battery light, just a ding when the steering locks and the car veers to the left. *tr

I have a 2004 malibu maxx and i was driving on the freeway and lost my power steering in the vehicle while exiting on a ramp that turned 360 degrees... i suddenly had to fight with all my might to keep the car on the road and nearly crashed. i've been researching this issue and it is a highly known issue on the internet. if i turn off the car and restart it moments later it will work for a while then fail again unexpectedly... dangerous!!! very dangerous! i'm in the process of contacting a gm service department for a fix... but please help the tens of thousands of drivers on the road who are unsuspecting of this known issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact was driving 35 mph when the power steering failed. the steering wheel became firm and the vehicle was uncontrollable. the engine was shut off and when restarted, the power steering was reset and the vehicle resumed normal operation. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted in regards to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 70,000. updated 03/24/11*lj updated 04/07/11*lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving 5 mph, the power steering locked up suddenly. the engine was turned off, restarted and the steering reset itself. the contact planned to have the vehicle inspected by an authorized dealer. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 65,000.

Power steering column is about to fail for the third time. first time at 45,000 miles, second time at 83,000, now at 169,000. *tr

The power steering went out last year and i had the steering column replace (that's what they said was wrong) now here it is 14 months later and it's out again. i am afraid to drive it even to the shop. it has to be some kind of defective part by chevy based on the massive number of complaints i see on the web about this. i should not have to shell out money to have this fixed again. this is a dangerous problem and should be addressed by the factory! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the steering wheel would seize when driving 5 mph and above. the contact would shut the vehicle off whenever the failure occurred and the vehicle would operate as normal upon restart. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 57,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. consumer seeking reimbursement for previous repairs, prior to recall. *cn the consumer stated the steering wheel was noisy, the wheel was loose, the vehicle pulled to the right. an alignment was performed twice, she experienced steering problems during the entire year of 2013. there was a recall on the steering issue, but she continued to experience problems. the intermediate shaft and rack and pinion were replaced. also, the turn signals and shifter cable were replaced. *jb

Steering column failure, lack of control over vehicle. *tr

I was driving on highway at 35mph and i changed lanes. upon steering to the right, the steering wheel locked up completely and a noise like the ding an open door makes sounded twice. i was able to make it to the side of the road. i turned off the car while i tried to catch my breath from being frightened. when i restarted the car everything was fine. i decided to drive through the parking lot making turns to see if it would happen again and it didn't. i am just very lucky that traffic was light today and i wasn't hit!

I own a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx vin [xxx]. every time i accelerate during a turn, the steering wheel locks, making it near impossible to turn the wheel. the lock stops when i let up on the gas. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My 2004 chevorlet malibu maxx has had repeated failure of the electronic power steering. the power steering has failed at both low and high rates of speed. the power steering assist goes out and makes the vehicle nearly impossible to steer. *tr

Approx. on 11-06-2011 while pulling into a parking stall the power steering went out. 11-17-2011 while driving at 30 mph the power steering went out. 11-23-2011 while driving at highway speeds the power steering went out. all three times i was able to get the power steering back after parking and turning off the engine. *tr

I have had my 2004 malibu maxx since november 2007. i have never had any issues with the power steering until today (november 1st, 2010). i was trying to make a left turn when the check engine light came on, a few "dings" sounded, and the steering locked up. i was able to steer it to the shoulder to get out of the way of traffic. i had absolutely no idea what to do after that. i turned the car off, then on again, and the light was no longer on and the steering was fine. about 15 minutes after that when i was trying to make a slight right turn to exit the highway, it happened all over again. thank god i wasn't going that fast both times. the second time, i turned the car off again and the car was fine after i turned it back on. i decided to research the issue and i am amazed that there are so many issues with the steering with this year, make, and model and nothing is being done about it. i am scared out of my mind to drive that car now. *tr

In a turn at higher speeds, the steering wheel becomes stiff, hard to turn, and the bell alarm goes off. *tr

Loss of power steering. was leaving a parking lot and pulling out onto street when power steering stopped working. steering wheel then abruptly felt seized for a moment causing me to go straight into opposite lane. then was able to regain control however steering with great difficulty to nearest dealer. when at dealer asked about recall or bulletin. dealer said there was none, however they offered a fifty /fifty split to repair. strange if they didn't think it was a defect. refused service and contacted manufacture, they said my vehicle didn't qualify for "special recall" . my car was an 04 "special recall" is for 05, i asked for an exception stating that it is the same part, they refused. one month later my car is totaled and it no longer has power steering. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy malibu maxx that i bought in may, 2006. about a year ago, while driving, the power steering went out. i searched for recalls and called a chevrolet dealer. in my research i have found that i am not the only one with this problem. not long after this, gm recalled the chevy cobalt and some pontiac models for the same thing. everything that i have read says that you can still steer at the speed consistent with being on the interstate. my problem is, i live and work in a small town. it has now done this on me several times and at the slow speeds for a small town, i have trouble steering. two of these times that the power steering went out i was at an intersection. trying to take off and cross the intersection when this happens is very difficult. this is going to cause an accident. i want to know what gm is going to do about this problem. *tr

Failure of power steering while accelerating vehicle. steering direction becomes impossible to change until acceleration ceases. this has supposedly been fixed by the dealership two times previous to today. the last time it was fixed was only two weeks ago and while i was driving the kids into school this morning, the steering locked up, the dinging sound turned on, and the message board read power steering along with a tool that lit up on the dashboard. *tr

I was driving back home at night after work a hour away to bowie tx i work in fort worth. going on hwy 287 which is a big hwy for traveling rigs, i was going 65 mph and i came to a turning the hwy and my power steering just goes out with any warning. i slammed on my brakes tapping the wall in the median. looked on the information board and it said power steering. the next morning i looked on the internet and found around 10 to 15 websites that had this complaint with the chevrolet malibu maxx. i called gm chevrolet in north richland hills and the on in decatur and they both told me that the know this is a big deal the know about it but at this time there is nothing they can do for me. this is my wife's car and lucky this day i took it instead for her and my 3 year old son. *tr

Electric power steering suddenly fails resulting in loss of power steering assistance. *tr

Upon acceleration using the gas pedal, the car loses total control of its steering. all engine lights and failure lights go on.sometimes just making a simple turn at an intersection, the car loses complete steering capability. this has happened at various speeds, including on the highway at 50 mph accelerating over a slight incline or at 10 mph at an intersection while making a left or right turn. i noticed trouble with the steering when i first bought my car under warranty but it wasn't as severe. just when backing out of a parking space the steering was tight, but the dealership could not find the problem. i have had the short rack steering gear, steering rack, intermediate shaft, and serpentine belt replaced but to no avail. on the website www.lemonlawclaims.com there have been at least 42 steering complaints of similar nature regarding the same year make for the malibu. an nhtsa investigation was performed pe04-031 based on eight reports of alleged power steering failures. the preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis based on the report i printed up in 2010, however i am not certain of the current status of this investigation. i'm sure there are a lot more failure reports that have been opened, though i cannot find a recall regarding this failure. as a side note, sometimes the car has trouble starting - it always has and the dealership could not determine the failure. when trying to start it up, hitting the gas pedal will cause the engine to kick over and not stall. there is always the smell of fuel. i am not sure if this is part of the failure. in addition when the steering fails or the steering wheel jerks upon acceleration, a clicking sound can be heard. the origin of this clicking in unknown. i really don't understand why there hasn't been a recall on this or better yet a class action lawsuit. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact was driving at approximately 35 mph when the power steering failed. the power steering warning light was illuminated as the vehicle independently veered off to the right. the contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and drove up a sidewalk, barely missing a mailbox. the contact shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation. the vehicle was not yet taken to the dealer for a diagnostic of the failure. the failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000.

2004 chevy malibu maxx 60000 miles- power steering failure while driving. dealer had replaced the steering column twice already as well as the steering rack twice. car is now out of warranty and steering froze up again and almost caused major accident. dealer says its $700 to repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact was driving 25 mph when the steering wheel froze and would not respond. the contact was unable to control the vehicle as it abnormally pulled to the left across several lanes and crashed into a ditch. the contact sustained bruising on the shoulder and neck from the seat belt. a police report was available. the vehicle was towed to a local auto body repair facility where the steering column was ruled as the cause of the crash. the steering column was replaced. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 122,000. updated 12/09/10 *bf according to the police report, the consumer stated the power steering failed. updated 12/13/10*jb updated 4/29/14*cn updated 05/15/14

Driving down the highway and power steering warning and chime start, then power steering goes out. after stopping for a while and starting the car it worked. brought it to a chevy dealer and they said the steering column needed to be replaced to the tune of $650.00. after researching this problem i discovered hundreds of malibu owners with the same issue. an obvious design and engineering flaw from gm. i can't understand that this has not been a recall item due to the number of complaints. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu steering:electric power suddenly lost all electric power steering assistance without warning making the vehicle difficult to steer. there is no allege to this issue it happens without warning. this is unacceptable. does someone have to die before this is addressed? i am hoping it is not my daughter. *tr

2004 malibu max power steering fails with no warning! it hasn't happened just once, but many times in the past few months. took car to the dealer, they can only find 1 of the components to do the repair. said it could take up to 3 months to get the part. then the repair is going to cost a total of $1200.00. i have read hundreds complaints about the same thing happening. when are they going to do a recall? how many people have to die first? i don't want to be one of them. when is someone going to do something about this. i see that the nhtsa closed the investigation of the matter in 2004. what's that? open it up again. *tr

We have a chevy malibu maxx, we have had numerous problems with the steering on this vehicle. i know the car has electronic steering and this is what i,m worried about. when driving the vehicle on the highway or in town the power steering sometimes goes out and other times it seems like you lose control of the steering all together.the steering also becomes very tight and then very fast it becomes very loose almost causing the driver to loose control. a few days ago on the highway the steering wheel became very loose and began pulling from side to side for many miles, we had to pull over and turn off the vehicle. this did not help the steering problem any.the car would also start pulling from one side to the other on its own. when i would try to correct the steering in the opposite direction it would then pull to the opposite direction almost causing the vehicle to wreck. even when going at low speeds the vehicles steering is becoming a real problem. it feels like you are about to lose control at any minute. i have read that many others are having the same problem that we are and that worries me very much , because we have two small children who ride in this vehicle often. is this issue something that chevy is looking into or will it take a couple of accidents or even a death for them to recall this car for repairs. i hope you will take this matter very seriously before something very deadly happens. it is a very dangerous mechanical issue that chevy desperately needs to take a look at. *tr

Most recent incident was sunday march 21. noticed the steering problem for the first time about 2 weeks ago, but the double click sound has been going on for about 5 months. while turning left from a stop light the steering stopped working. i started from a stop, accelerated thru the intersection turning left. about halfway thru the turn my steering wheel tried to go back straight. it nearly jerked the wheel out of my hands. i took my foot off the gas and a second later the steering came back. i have since been able to reproduce the effect several times. i also noticed that it is accompanied by a double "click" sound coming from somewhere under the steering column, and is usually accompanied by a bing bing and either/or the battery light and the car with a wrench light. this also occurs when accelerating up hill on the freeway. *dt

Chevy malibu maxx 04 steering catches in hard left or right turns with shifting and grating sounds. complain since new with steering shaft replaced (about 40,000) and other work. numerous complaints about this issue. car has 90,0000 now and the noise and steering issues have been getting worse. dealer says about $300 to replace with no guarantee that it will fix the problem. i feel it is a safety issue and am afraid to drive the car. *tr

First started as an occasional steering problem at low speeds. then progressed to more frequent steering problem at low speed. next a bad vibration started in the front when breaking. now a loud clunking noise. diagnosis by mechanic is defective rack and pinion, steering box, and possibly power steering failure. research indicates there have been many, many complaints about this, and that the 2005 malibu was recalled for exactly the same problem last summer.

My 2004 chevy malibu maxx is showing the power steering needs fixed. i took it to a dealer and they said that i need to replace it right away. i am getting fixed now so that i do not have any more problems with the power steering. *tr

While traveling on route 128 in wellesley, ma at a steady unacceleration speed of 65 mph, i experienced a near total loss of steering control, accompanied by an annunciator light on the odometer display, a repeating bell sound, and a "power steering" message displayed on the radio. with great effort i was able to control the vehicle. it is my opinion that had my girl friend or an elderly person been driving that the outcome could have been a fatal one. using significant strength i was able to steer to a safe area. i reviewed the owner's manual which advised going to the dealer. after about 12 minutes, i started the vehicle and everything appeared normal. i then drove to the dealer (banks chevrolet in concord, nh) from whom i purchased the vehicle and recounted the experience to them. they were very responsive and assigned a technician to obtain the (obd-ii) error codes, if any had been recorded. the readout obtained was code 545, which they researched and, although it did pertain to the power steering, it referred to an "intermittent" loss of power steering assist, not a full and continuous loss. since it was nearing closing time, an appointment was made for the following thursday, 3/4/10. on that date, the banks technician (jim wathen) researched the issue further and made some electrical adjustments. the vehicle has performed normally since. i am reporting this heart-stopping event because i believe that a vehicle should have a fail-safe steering system. i hold an airline transport pilot certificate and a lot of our training, both in airplanes and helicopters, is dedicated to the proper response to a total failure in the hydraulic system. this event required more strength than any i have experienced in aviation and decidedly could have been fatal, especially if the road conditions were slippery or the roadway itself twisty (as in the mountains). a hard turn to either the left of the right just could not have been made. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy malibu maxx, on seven times now the power steering goes out (inoperative with a chime and amber light) this has only happened below 15 miles an hour and while in a sharp turn. the car becomes very difficult to turn especially for my wife and impossible for my daughter. chevy could not find any faults, i had the shop replace the electric motor at a cost of $700.00 and two weeks later it happened again. i now any having the steering column with a sensor replaced for another $600.00. again chevy refuses to help. they have a service bulletin about this exact scenario but still they refuse. there have been many complaints that i have found on the internet. *tr

2004 chevy malibu maxx ls. the power steering goes out when traveling at slow speeds or stopped. this has happened 3 or 4 times. no acc or injury. power steering goes back on after turning off the ignition and restarting the car. this appears to be the same problem as the other gm autos that were recalled today, march 2, 2010. tsb's have been issued, but no recall. the incident date listed is approx the last time this happened. *tr

The power steering locks up for approximately 5 to 10 seconds. it occurs at slow speeds on surface streets, high speeds on the interstate, going forward and even when i'm in the midst of a turn. the check engine light will flash, the lights flash on and off and the notice bell rings "ding, ding, ding." when it finally stops the, if its summer the ac will stop functioning until i stop and restart the car. it is a very scary 5 to 10 seconds and i'm very fortunate to have not caused an accident as of yet. this has also compromised the ease of the power steering when it has not locked up. parking is very difficult as the turning radius and not good and its just difficult to maneuver the cars steering. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet- malibu maxx lt. the power steering kept on going out with out warning. first time it did it, it almost caused an accident. i pulled over. i shut off the car and turned it back on. i was thinking maybe it was just a one time problem. it didn't happen again for 2 weeks. then the second time happened. it was without warning as well. so, i did the same as before shut it down and restarted it. it worked for a minute. right when i was getting ready to drive it did it again. so, shut it off then turned it on. it happened about 5 times in one day. so, i took it to a drive train place since i was told that my power steering was in my transmission. they said that it was my power steering and told me how its not like it was before. that my power steering was in my steering column. so, it quit doing it for about a month and then all of a sudden i couldn't even get it reset when i was shutting it off and back on. so, i took it to a place i always go and they looked at it and knew the exact problem. i spent $643.65 getting it fixed. they told me to look online and see if there are other complaints. here are a few sites http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2004/steering/power_steering_going_out_intermittently.shtml , http://carblog.classifieds1000.com/recall_issues/20090114-133923-power_steering_problems_on_chevy_malibu_seeking_recall , http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2004/investigations.shtml there are so many complaints about this problem that it needs to be corrected before it takes someones life. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy malibu maxx. on jan. 26, i got into the car. my check engine light came on and the information center said to check power steering. the steering was a little hard. my friend was going to check it when i got home. by the time i got home that night, the problem was not occurring and the lights were off. this has happened a couple times since. then today, 3/2/2010, i got in the car. it was very difficult to steer until about 15 mph. it was less difficult between 15 and 30 mph, and o.k., but not normal, over 30 mph. when i got to work, i had to move my car after a few minutes. when i got into it and moved it, the steering was fine. i am reporting this because of the similarity with the cobalt steering issue that has caused a recent recall. the symptoms sound exactly like the news reports, but the malibu isn't on the list yet. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. electric power steering failure. power steering has failed multiple times, especially under acceleration. vehicle extremely hard to steer. lights and warning bells go off on dash of vehicle. vehicle was taken to hudiburg chevrolet two times and they said there is nothing they could do to repair problem and did not even look at car. wanted to charge me just to look at it. vehicle was still under warranty at the time. *tr