Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

I have a 2004 chevy malibu. i brought the car to the dealership for its 48k service and had steering trouble ever since. the problem started out easy to turn one way and hard to turn the other, then the difficulty would go away. after a week of this, it went out completely while turning into a parking lot. i had no power assisted steering at all and almost hit a parked car. after shutting off the engine and starting it back up again, it started working. did bill gates help build this car??? searching the web i found many, many complaints with the same type of concern. one person lost control and hit a guardrail. this has to be a safety issue and should be recalled. thank you! *tr

Electric assist power steering unit failed. nearly causing a serious accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering was defective. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering column was not receiving the message to activate and caused the malfunction. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recall. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 81,000.

Driving on the highway i-81 and steering failed completely stop and locked while driving major defect needs serious attention gm really needs to recall or parts manufacturer. chevy malibu is a death trap a bad accident to happen. *tr

Was making a sharp right turn from a full stop and the service engine light came on and the power steering ceased working as we turned into traffic. this is the first time it happened (5/3/2011), but we have only owned the car since 3/11/11. i have a mechanic looking into the issue, but online searches reveal that this is a known problem with 2004 chevy malibu's and was part of the reason for recalls of the 2005 model. huge safety issue as the steering becomes almost impossible and the only known remedy is to shut off the engine and restart after which the power steering comes back. *tr

I bought my 2004 chevy malibu about 2 weeks ago from a used car lot. a day and a half after i got the car i started having problems with the power steering. it would just lock up while driving. it is very dangerous. it is all i can do to get to the side of the road when this happens. i could be killed and so could my kids while riding with me. i had a used power steering motor put on, now i find out that i really should have had the whole power steering stuff replaced. all together the power steering has done this about 6 times since i got the car. after doing a lot of research online, i find that there are so many people with this same problem. how long do we have to wait for there to be a recall. does there have to be a lot of deaths before someone will do something. it is a shame that gm does not care more about their customers than they do themselves. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy malibu and lost power steering on the highway almost crashed into the divider. my pregnant wife was in the car with me at the time. after doing research on the web i find that this is a very common problem with all chevy malibu's why is there no recall!!! someone is going to get killed in one of these cars lucky enough it wasn't my pregnant wife or i !!!! the power steering light came on the dash and lost all steering abilities pulled over the vehicle and shut the car off and then turned it back on and it was as if the problem had gone away drove about another mile and it happened again. this is not the first time this problem has occurred. we have already replaced the steering column once already, now it looks like we will have to do it again. why is the auto maker not required to have a recall for this problem as stated above it continues to be an on going problem in all chevy malibu"s regardless of the year!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering failed sporadically with the illumination of the service engine and power steering warning lights. the contact stated that the power steering would reset once the vehicle was turned on and off. the vehicle was not inspected at the time of the complaint. the failure and current mileage was 128,000.

My 2004 chevy malibu lost power steering while driving. the power steering goes on and off (working some days and not on others). the power steering is currently out and i cannot drive the vehicle. the chevy dealership states this is a problem with the malibu but since it is not under warranty i will have to cover the cost. *tr

I have a 2004 malibu, driving down freeway and steering wheel whould not move. i had no control of my car. my radio displayed power steering. i took to the shop to check issue. the shop stated that the power steering sensor was defective and would have to replace and reset. the car shop did tell me and the warranty that it was not safe to drive. i called gm and car dealer not there issue to fix! this is a defect? please help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering lamp illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle was difficult to steer. the vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer to have the failure diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 23,000 and the current mileage was 32,000.

The electronic steering has failed while turning or accelerating. this has happened several times. the steering returns once the rpm s settle out. the steering systems has been replaced twice and worked on several times. chevy has issues being able to supply replacement parts and resolving this issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the vehicle would experience an intermittent failure in which the power steering would fail while driving at various speeds. during the failures, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. in order to regain power steering, the vehicle would be restarted. an independent mechanic was notified and the contact was informed a module within the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph around a curve and the steering wheel failed to respond while making a turn for approximately five seconds. the failure occurred sporadically. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they replaced the steering shaft. the failure mileage was 129,123.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 5 mph in the driveway, there was a sudden loss of power steering. the contact turned the engine off and restarted it, the vehicle resumed normally for ten minutes before the failure occurred again. the failure continued to occur at various speeds on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the steering column needed to be replaced due to a faulty sensor. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 92,000. the vin was unavailable.

My wife was driving to work when her check engine light came on and power steering flashed across her information screen. when she was attempting to make a left hand turn, the steering wheel locked up on her. fortunately she was able to get the car pulled into a parking lot. we had to have the vehicle towed to a mechanic, who looked at it and said that the only thing he thought it could be was the rack and pinion. we had that replaced and everything was fine for a few days, and then the same thing happened again. it has been a constant annoyance, and you have to constantly restart the car to get the power steering to come back on. just recently it was taken back to a mechanic who stated he had to replace fluid? i picked the car up from him on 9/19/2011 and today 9/20/11 with my 11 week old daughter in the car it happened again. from what i've read, this is a very common problem on these vehicles, and had i known that at the time i would not have purchased this vehicle. it is unsafe not only for the driver and passenger of the cars, but also anyone that just happens to be around when it happens!! i consider myself to be a strong person, and i have been driving on several occasions when this has happened, and i could barely get the car safely pulled to the side of the road. i cannot afford to spend $600 for a repair when it is a faulty part that the manufacturer should take responsibility for!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering would fail without warning. the contact stated that the vehicle would have to be turned off and restarted in order for the power steering to reset. the power steering warning light would then be illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer advised that they were unable to determine a failure with the vehicle. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 155,069. updated 08-07-12 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle would become difficult to manage, especially when making turns, or simply moving forward. updated 08/09/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver and would not allow the contact to make a left or right turn. the vehicle then started to jerk violently. the contact did not inform the dealer or manufacturer nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current and failure mileage was 50,000. the vin was unavailable.

While exiting parking lot onto highway the driver information panel dinged and complete loss of power steering occurred. car was parked and towed home next morning restarted car and system reset. *tr

My 2004 malibu has a intermittent loss of power steering control. the first time this happened i took it to the dealer and was told " nothing shows up on the computer ". now the problem is occurring every day. a check on line shows that this is a major problem that g.m. will not address. latest failure was this morning at startup prior to driving the car or even turning the wheel ! *ln

My 2004 chevy malibu is having an issue with the power steering assist system. you lose power steering without warning. i contacted chevy over this and they pretty much said there was nothing they could do. but there is numerous issues with this. *tr

The first incident happened driving down the road at 45 mph the steering wheel all the sudden dropped all the way down and the whole steering column slid in causing the car to swerve some. i pulled over and after attempting to lock the steering column back into place was finally able to get it to lock into place. this has happened several times over the past month. it doesn't matter if i'm driving or backing it just all the sudden does it. if you touch the steering wheel while the car is turned off it will drop down. and if it is in a down position it will slide in and out. this is very dangerous and i fear that the next time i might not be so luck to keep control. i almost hit another car yesterday when i was backing out of a parking space because as i was turning to wheel it moved out of position causing the turn to go another direction.

I have a 2004 chevy malibu lt. without warning one day while driving the car the dash tool light came on, chimes started ringing and my dash board read power steering. i lost control of the car. could not steer it any longer. thankfully i was not traveling fast stopped the car. turned it off and restarted it again. the car drove fine for about one mile. i stopped at a stoplight and the steering wheel starting a jerking motion on it own. i finally got the car home and the lights and chimes went off again and i lost steering again. i can not drive the car any longer because i am terrified i will be driving and lose steering again. when i just start the car now the wheel will start the jerking motion again while just sitting there and if i put the car into drive the warning light and chimes come back on and it displays power steering again on the dash. i have read tons of complaints about the same issue and nothing is being done about it. i have contacted our local dealership in town about the problem and just for the part that might fix it is $738 and this morning i was quoted $455 just for the eps, $177 rackon pinion and $115 for the diagnostic. i paid almost $10,000 for this car about 6 months ago. one of the dealerships here won't even touch the car because they have seen too many that have come back 6 months later with the same problem. so i ask gm now, what am i suppose to do with a 2000 lb. paper weight parked in my garage? some one is going to be killed because of this issue and no one wants to do a thing about it!!! how many lives need to be lost before gm or dot does something? my tax dollars bailed out gm and this is the way i am going to be treated now? not only me but the other thousands of complaints i have read on this car? why isn't someone doing something about it? if need be i will file a lawsuit to try to recoup some of my money. i am not a wealthy person by no means and i can't just go buy another car and when i can believe me it will not be ...

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph the power steering failed, which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a parked vehicle. the driver was not injured. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who confirmed that the steering column was faulty and had to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 70,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 to 50 mph the steering wheel would suddenly lock without warning. in order to unlock the steering wheel he had to stop and restart the vehicle on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected; yet, after speaking with the dealer they advised him that the sensor in the electric steering column failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 128,000. the vin was unavailable.

The power steering intermittently goes out and when turning there are loud clunking sounds. this has happened numerous times and has almost caused multiple accidents. currently we do not drive the car often because of the safety concerns. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 5 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated suddenly. the contact turned the vehicle off which reset the warning indicator. the failure occurred at various times and was more frequent when making a turn. the vehicle was in the process of being taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the failure mileage was approximately 72,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel turned independently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. after diagnosis, they were unable to determine any failures. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take to the vehicle to a dealer. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 70,000. ...updated 04/25/13 *bf the consumer stated the power steering sensor failed. the was a recall but, the consumer's vin was not included. the vehicle was repaired. *js

My 2004 malibu sedan with only 29330 miles on it had the power steering go out suddenly while driving and became almost impossible to steer it. the gm dealership i took it to said it's been investigated but not recalled although they have corrected the problem in newer cars because of the problem. i was fortunate to be in town and moving slow but this could have been a major problem if i had been going 50-60 mi per hour down the highway. it's a $600.00 repair to have it fixed. i think if cars with low use like mine have this problem then gm should recall and reimburse the repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel became very stiff and a steering light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was pulled over and shut down. upon restart, the contact was able to operate the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 77,300.

The car had been driving fine for the whole day. i maybe have put about 15 miles on when i went to make a turn going about 30 - 35 mph. the steering wheel tightened up. i drove about 3 miles straight with no turns and the steering wheel went back to normal. this has been happening to me on the freeway also. once i get over 60mph the steering wheel tightens up on me. i pulled over once before and it returned to it normal self again and started acting up when i got back on the freeway. this is very dangerous and gm should look at fixing this problem. it almost caused an accident here once. nothing has been done to fix this problem yet. i just bought the car a week ago with no warranty and it was not happening when i test drove the car. i don't have the money to fix this problem right now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering column would become loose while driving at any speed and the wheel would sporadically shake when driving over 50 mph. in addition the power steering warning light was illuminated when the failure would occur. the contact stated the failure was the second occurrence and the steering column was replaced in 2007. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the recent failure. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 115,000. the consumer stated the vehicle made a clunking, knocking and rattling sound when driven at a low grade speed and when the steering wheel was turned. the vehicle also shook violently. the driver seat didn't to stay on track and was difficult to adjust forward and backward. the horn and cruise control were inoperative. the brake and accelerator pedals no longer adjusted. the safety locks did not latch at times when the button was pushed and the gas cap continued to open after it was locked causing the engine light to illuminate. updated 02/01/12

I have a 2004 chevy malibu (new body style). i have been have problems with the power steering. last week i was driving and about to turn and the steering wheel locked up on me. i was in the middle of the road and had to turn the car off and restart it to unlocked it. then today i started the car and the steering wheel would not move i have to turn it off and restart it to unlock it. this is a major safety concern and my dealer says their is nothing wrong with my car. i have as on today 45484 miles on this car and never been in a wreck. when i am driving straight on a road the power steering message displays on the dic. this is the same problem that the owners of the 2005 and later models are and have had. *tr

The power steering stopped working while i was driving on a highway at 60miles and hour. has been intermittently lossing power steering since 1/11/11. *tr

Power steering pump fail i didn't know that this cars have the power steering problem and there is no liquid or pump i am not sure if there is any so i guess is electric but is not functioning right. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 45 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis but they were unable duplicate the problem. the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable. updated 03/29/11*lj updated 03/30/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 45 mph the power steering locked and the vehicle became difficult to control. after turning the vehicle off and then back on the steering reset itself. the contact was able to control the steering wheel and drive the vehicle home. the dealer nor manufacturer were notified. the failure mileage was 150,000.

I have a 2004 chevy malibu and the power steering light comes on and my steering system is inoperable and makes it very hard for me to steer in traffic. i have to turn my car off to reset it. this is very scary while driving and could be a hazard. *tr

I have a 2004 malibu, 6-cylinder, with 97,000+ miles. recently, the service vehicle light started coming on with a computer display indication of a power steering problem. they have since appeared especially in wet weather, with low rpms (about 600) and on making slow-speed right turns. my not-yet-year-old, 75-month battery also just gave out, but replacing it did not stop the fault indications. turning off the car and restarting to reboot the system usually did, but the problem recurred. two days ago, while driving on a highway, fault indications were not displayed and steering response was normal. however, on negotiating an s-shaped exit ramp, the power assist failed and the indicators came on. steering became extremely difficult and i only managed to stay on the road at the expense of a wrenched shoulder. the 2004 malibu has an electric power steering assist system (eps) - which was the subject of nhtsa action number ea4018. the door sticker on my car shows a manufacture date of 5/04. so, according to your report, the "newly designed torque and position sensor" in vehicles produced after 2/4/04, should have been installed. (i'll be emailing gm to confirm whether that's the case.) in any event, judging by the spate of complaints from other malibu owners, it does not seem that the problem has been resolved'or that gm has even cared to seriously look into it. please see car complaints link for a sampling: http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2004/steering/power_steering_going_out_intermittently.shtml i also take issue with your report that driver impact would be insubstantial as the car is relatively small and light. based on my experience, there is a clear safely hazard. the malibu obviously is not a car for 20-somethings. people who actually drive it would not have sufficient strength to steer without the power assist to avoid an accident. as alluded to at the end of your report, i firmly believe that circumstances now warrant further action. *tr

12/24/2010 while driving a 2004 chevy malibu my engine light came on and then the steering wheel locked up while driving and it made a sudden jerking stop. this was the first time this happened but it scared both my daughter and i. then in addition to keep replacing my headlights and tail lights pretty much every other month they blow out and need to be replaced. for both incidents a local mechanic was consulted and he recommended that i contact a gm dealer ship to check for recalls. i did that and received information that there has not been a recall for the current situations but there has been many similar complaints with the same make and model car and was referred me to the nearest dealership to be checked. *tr

Driving in city traffic. power steering warning light engaged suddenly. power steering not effected. car shut off. restart and drives normally then light goes on again. i have found other complaints about the power steering suddenly going out, so i am adding my voice to those to request chevy recall. *ln

Power steering failure. warm startup, after rest stop on highway trip, vehicle lost power steering and the "power steering malfunction" light came on dash. pulled over and checked fuses - all ok. restarted, problem still there. restarted again in an hour, problem went away. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 20- 60 mph when the steering wheel suddenly locked and then releases independently within seconds. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they advised her that the steering column would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. the vin was unavailable.

Twice in the last 3 weeks power steering failed while making a right turn at the bottom of a hill. fortunately i had not yet pulled out into traffic or i would have been forced into oncoming traffic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle lost powering steering making it difficult to turn. the dealer was not notified. the contact did not inform the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 139,000. the vin was unavailable.

This in regards to nhtsa case # [xxx] 2004 chevy malibu. power steering is cutting out intermittently with no warning. my daughter was driving to school and while making a turn on school grounds near buses and kids walking, the steering cut out. she almost hit a number of kids as the sudden unexpected loss of power steering caused her to lose control as the car jerked in the other direction and almost winding upon the sidewalk. this is a major safety concern and not only should gm take care of this at their expense, i am also worried that gm has not come up with a 100% proven fix for this problem. someone is going to be killed if something isn't done right away. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).*tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was attempted to exit a parking space when the steering wheel locked abnormally. the power steering warning light illuminated following the failure. the contact turned the vehicle off for moments and when restarting, the steering returned to normal. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed. the dealer located the failure at the steering computer and advised that it would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 115,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, she noticed that the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrumental panel followed by a loss of power steering. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that she needed to replace the power steering column. the power steering column was replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 5 mph, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. the wrench warning light illuminated on the instrument panel accompanied by a warning chime. the steering resumed normal function after shutting the engine off and restarting the vehicle. the failure also occurred while parked and caused the vehicle to stall. the failure recurred five times. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel locked and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. the contact continued to turn the steering wheel with extreme difficulty. the vehicle was driven to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. when the engine restarted the steering wheel unlocked and functioned properly. a diagnostic test will be performed on the vehicle by an independent mechanic. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.