Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Traveling at 45 kph in heavy traffic, power steering warning light came on and power steering assist was lost making vehicle very, very difficult to steer. this is a safety issue and should result in a product recall. after vehicle was parked and ignition turned off and back on again, power steering resumed. *tr

We purchased the car in 2006. its a 2004 chevy malibu. the first time we had a problem with the steering was about 4 years ago when we went to turn the wheel and the horn started honking. the dealer told us to bring it in and couldn't make it happen. it did it again and then they determined it was the steering column and replaced a part. the 2nd time it did it, the car/wrench light came on and the steering locked up and was making an odd noise. they stated they replaced steering component. i was driving the car just last week and all of a sudden my steering locked up, the car/wrench came on and my panel said steering. i am fearful to even drive the car or allow my daughter to drive it and have found thousands of the same issues on line. it gives you no warning and just goes out. *tr

2004 malibu purchased 04/05/04 steering column failure 01/10/05 9,225 miles replaced again 06/16/05 13,430 miles 01/30/06 intermittent shaft needed replacement but no "good parts available" finally replaced 08/24/06 24,636 miles rack & pinion steering gear 04/17/07 31,846 miles replaced intermediate steering shaft 09/14/09 54,841 miles replaced rack & pinion steering gear. car now has 3rd rack gear. on 11/11/10 at 68,209 miles we were told it needs replacement of rack & pinion steering gear. it has only been 14 months and 13,368 miles since last time replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 25 mph, a sudden loss of power steering occurred without warning causing the vehicle to wander into the next lane. the contact was able to gain control and drive onto the side of the road. the engine was turned off and restarted. the vehicle resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed her that the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure mileage and vin were unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at lower speeds, he heard a thumping noise while making a turn. the vehicle was inspected and repaired three times by a local dealer. the current failure was within the rack and pinion component; the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was unknown. updtated 2/17/11 *cn updated 11/30/2011 *ln

2004 chevy malibu power steering randomly goes out. started at under 100,000 miles. *tr

2004 chevy malibu lt 74,000 miles. i have had problems with the remote start not working. the cruise will not work all the time, bearings in steering column, check gas cap and anti theft light. it also will not start unless i give it gas. and when i take it in they find nothing. fuel pump has been replaced and that is not the problem. i did some research and found hundreds of people with the same complaints. there needs to be a recall same yr of cars all with the same issue something is not right. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately between 55-60 mph, there was a complete loss of the power steering. the check engine and wrench symbol warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. the engine was turned off and restarted. the contact resumed cautiously with a permanent loss of power steering. the contact discovered that there was a related defect associated with the nhtsa campaign id number 10v073000 (steering: electric power assist system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 136,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 05/04/11 *bf updated 06/06/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 25 mph, the electronic power steering failed and caused the steering wheel to seize. the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure recurred intermittently at different speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician stated that an electrical module had to be replaced. the contact was unaware of the exact part. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the steering wheel locked without warning. the speed rate was reduced and the engine was turned off. the contact restarted the vehicle and after three attempts, the steering wheel reset independently. the vehicle resumed normal operation yet the failure recurred four separate times. the contact was in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis. there was concern of the potential safety hazard involved with the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

Power steering warning light comes on intermittently. goes off after restart. power steering unit replaced once under factory warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering suddenly failed. the check engine light and the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact pulled and noticed that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. the contact turned the vehicle off and restarted it; the failure continued. the contact drove home. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 143,264 and the current mileage was 143,266.

I've had on several occasions had my power steering light come on as the vehicle locks up. it hasn't happened in a while however after getting my car aligned recently the auto tech said i should get my power steering looked at and i wanted to look into.the recall again. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu. consumer requests reimbursement for steering column recall notice repairs. *smd the intermediate shaft and rack and pinion were replaced. *jb

My 2004 malibu has a power steering problem. i took it in today to see about repair and it is going to cost almost $700 to fix. the power steering just stops working sometimes. it has been doing it for a while now. it is progressively getting worse. it somehow resets when you turn the car off and turn it back on sometimes. i started having problems with this when the vehicle had 50,000 miles on it. i now have 70,000 miles on it and it is to the point where it has to be fixed. i don't understand how it is not a recall situation knowing how important the power steering is on a vehicle. this situation comes after having to have the stereo replaced in the vehicle 3 times and now it is not working again. i am very disappointed in gm for not taking care of either of these problems satisfactorily. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph and attempting a turn when the steering wheel seized. the failure recurred on an intermittent basis and the steering service light would occasionally illuminate. the contact would shut the vehicle off after the failure and upon restart the vehicle would operate as normal. the vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu . while driving 10 mph a chiming sound alerted her that the power steering light illuminated and within a few seconds the steering wheel was very difficult to control. the vehicle was turned off, back on and began to drive normally. after a few minutes the failure recurred. the dealer was not contacted and the failure was not diagnosed. the failure and current mileages were 80,000.

The electric power steering in my vehicle is faulty. the steering wheel will move by its self while driving or in park. also my power steering will go out without warning while driving at any speed. when the steering wheel locks up due to power steering i have a very hard time turning and controlling car. i have barely avoid several accidents because of this issue. i have taken car to dealership to see if can be fixed because when i called gm i was not eligible for the warranty that would have fixed issue but because it was past their recall time they would not assist me and the dealer wants 800.00 to fix and they say that even fixing the steering column and or the assist motor that i will more then likely have the same issues! my car is a 2004 with only 44,462 miles on it. i got the car used february of this year (2010) and didn't know that it would be a nightmare and a death trap for my family! i have video of the wheel moving by its self as well as video showing that when i loss power steering the car is hazardous. i am really afraid that i will not be able to keep up with this issue and will one day loss complete control of the car and hurt myself and possibly others! chevrolet needs to fix this issue for good or replace the cars all together because its really only a matter of time before this issue bites them in the butt! i really like my malibu but i really think that i should have never got it because of all the issues losing power steering, pulls bad to left and right, loose shifter knob, & the remote keyless entry doesn't work right. i hope by filing this complaint with you that maybe it will be resolved. i want to have piece of mind while driving my family in car not worried about the car being a death trap on 4 wheels that will loss control when it feels like it and kill my family and myself. i know that i am not the only one with these issues with the malibu and chevrolet really needs to step up and make these issues right for us the consumers fast! *tr

2004 chevy malibu "electric steering" repeated failure of the steering unit and steering column. steering wheel clunks and becomes loose. chevy fixed it twice or so but now says its up to me. i expect the steering assy of any car to be bullet proof and not have safety problems. *tr

Almost daily, the wrench light turns on and the display in the center reads "power steering." occasionally, this is accompanied by a complete loss of power steering, making it very difficult to turn at low speeds. turning off the malibu usually resets the light and error message; however, this problem usually recurs shortly after restarting the car. i was told by a dealership that the only way to correct this problem would be to have the steering column replaced at my expense. *tr

2004 chevy malibu power steering goes out without warning and frequently. when turning the wheel locks up making turning impossible to do. i almost caused a head on collision due to this. now when i turn the steering wheel tires do not move at all. there are hundreds of complaints on-line about this exact issue and gm wants to do nothing about it. *tr

First time it happened we were pulling out of a parking lot. power steering message came up and steering wheel got stiff and we could not turn the wheel, my husband turned off the car and restarted it and the power steering came back. it has happened more than a few times since. my concern, i am a very small person i do not have the strength to turn the wheel when it happens and eventually i will not be able to get the car pulled over to a safe place to stop it and restart it. the last time that it happened to me was november 5 2012 taking my grandson to school going about 40 miles per hour, i was just driving along and the power steering just went out. i will tell you chevy malibu or any chevy is not on my list for my next car. *tr

2004 chevy malibu standard clunking noise when steering. steering wheel locked up on me when shifted in reverse. power steering displaying on dashboard, vibration coming from steering at 65mph. *tr

Power assist steering problems. *tr

The power steering alarm and the service engine sign in the dashboard of my 2004 chevrolet malibu ls has been going off every time i turn on the car. this has been happening for 3 weeks now. my brothers are having the same issue with their 2005 and 2007 chevrolet cars. however, since i did not get a recall notice, my dealer wants to charge me an upwards of $150 to just look at the issue i am being told that the 2004 malibu's are not on the recall list, hence i have to pay for the diagnostics. i am scared of the safety of driving my car to and from work but i am left with no choice but to take a chance and use my car with the alarm going off. i cannot afford the price the dealership is wanting to charge me, especially if it is a known issue within the chevrolet models. please, please, please... ask the dealers to fix this issue with chevrolet cars before someone gets hurt. *tr

My daughters 2004 steering locked up need to look in to this as i looked it up on internet and there are 200 + complaints just for that reason. *tr

I own a chevrolet malibu 2004 ls v6. recently i have been noticing some repeated incidents of sudden loss of the power assisted steering, and the car all of a sudden becomes very difficult to steer in the desired direction, which makes is scary to drive it. once the car engine is shut down and the car is restarted, the power steering comes back to normal and then this happens again at any point in time. i have definite safety concern with the vehicle right now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while traveling 10 mph and attempting a right turn, the steering wheel suddenly became stiff and impossible to move. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileage was 87,000. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 11/28/2011 *ln

My steering had gone in my 2004 chevy malibu 2 months ago. the column has been replaced 2 times now and is still not fixed. i am also being told that there are no steering columns left in my area. my car is a danger to everyone on a road including myself and i have no idea why chevy hasn't recalled these. *tr

2004 chevrolet malibu steering became jerky while on interstate at 63 mph. steering wheel travel appox. 1 inch left and right with no effect then immediate turn with swerve when steering 'kicked in'. vehicle pulled over to side of road. car was turned off and inspected for possible tire problem. none found. car started and steering was back to normal. after approx. 7 more miles, steering exhibited a 'notched' area of 1/4 inch steering wheel travel with no steering control. turning was normal past the notched area with no swerve. another 2 miles driven under this condition with no change (1/4 inch notch) car driven today to check out steering a total of 15 miles with no problems at all. could not duplicate problem. note: had another car been in the passing lane next to us, it would have been hit by us due to the swerve experienced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, he depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle would not respond. the contact had to use the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the contact also stated that the power steering warning light illuminated and when making a right or left turn the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering); however, the part was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu lsd6. the contact was driving approximately between 15-20 mph, attempting to make a left turn and the electric power steering clicked into the off position unexpectedly. the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and caused the vehicle to bump up against the curbside. the power steering then clicked back into the on position. the failure occurred repeatedly. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing, however a trouble code was not detected. the contact planned to take the vehicle to another authorized dealer for a second opinion. the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj updated 12/7/10 *cn

Sporadic power steering /service engine soon light coming on and no error codes in computer. finally on july 31 i got in the car and service engine light and "power steering" came on but steering was fine until i went to take a left turn at a busy intersection and power steering quit working and had to turn the car by main force !! if my wife had been driving no way she could have controlled it !! gm needs to issue recall on this all too common problem before someone is killed !!! *tr

2004 malibu has intermittent power steering failure. it goes out in the middle of a turn and almost make you wreck. dealer says there is not problem. comes and goes at will. sometime turning the key off then back on fixes it but not always. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while turning left at approximately 45 mph, the contact stated that there was an abnormal rattle coming from the steering columns. the failure continued to recur whenever she would attempt a turn at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the steering column was rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. on a later date while reversing at approximately 5 mph, two loud pop noises were heard and the steering wheel immediately became stiff. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was awaiting repairs to the steering column. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 115,000 and the current mileage was 132,000

While driving at 75 mph on interstate, power steering failed which made vehicle extremely hard to steer. fortunately, vehicle was able to be pulled off the pavement. engine was shut off and vehicle restarted. power steering then operated normally. on second incident, power steering suddenly became inoperative while turning and vehicle came very close to hitting another vehicle while turning. again, after turning off engine and restarting, power steering operated normally. a third incident occurred while driving at moderate speed. vehicle was able to be driven off pavement and engine restarted. after restart, power steering operated normally. vehicle was taken to dealer repair facility and the problem was discovered to be an internal failure of the steering column. the steering column was replaced at a cost of $664. the vehicle mileage was 82,707. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the electrical power steering failed intermittently. the power steering light would illuminate and the wheel would become difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the steering rod was replaced; however, the failure occurred again. the vehicle was in the dealers possession when the complaint was filed. the contact had not spoken with the manufacturer. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 45,730. the failure mileage was approximately 45,365.

Intermittently, over the last few weeks, a mechanical warning light came on indicating a power steering issue on my 2004 chevrolet malibu. i took the car to my local mechanic. he hooked it to the computer analysis and found no issues. he did indicate that after doing a little research that chevrolet had provided a customer satisfaction campaign # 04050a to address this issue. i had never been notified by chevrolet. i called my chevrolet dealer and the service manager indicated there has been no recall on my car so i would have to pay for any repair. after doing a little research, this seems to be a fairly common problem on the 2004 chevrolet malibu. the power steering system on this model is electrical, not hydraulic and seems to have a high number of complaints. i am hoping that chevrolet recalls and repairs this defect. *tr

Wife started up her car after work on june 30th, come to find out, the electronic power steering failed and, good thing, she wasn't driving when it went out or else there could have been an accident. now, it fails every once and awhile, still steerable, but very hard to steer. if you shut the car off, then, it goes a way for a while but then power steering fails again later on. we were driving down the interstate and it did the same thing while going 75mph. we're trying to research on if this is a recall or what the problem could be. something needs to be done, i've seen a lot of complaints on the chevy malibu about the electronic power steering failing. *tr

Power steering frequently cuts out - has been happening since the car was new. constant crunching sound when turning - most often when turning to the right. steering replaced once under warranty - when questioned again later - vehicle was out of warranty (36,000 mi). shortly after i purchased vehicle warrant offered was 100,000 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering failed while driving various speeds. the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver when the failure occurred. the failure occurred six times in the last two months. the check engine light started to illuminate before the steering failure occurred. the dealer had not been notified. the contact stated that there were numerous complaints related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 30,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while traveling 65 mph the vehicle lost power steering. the contact stated that after regaining control of the vehicle and starting the vehicle, the power steering began to function normally. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated that they could not find a problem with the vehicle. the contact stated that this was the only time the power steering failed. the failure mileage was 100000 and the current mileage is 117,000. updated 12/22/10 *bf updated 12/29/10*jb

Power steering failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph the contact lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a crash. the power steering locked causing the vehicle to crash into a guard rail and roll over. the contact suffered an injury to the arm. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact was taken to the hospital for further examination. before the crash occurred the steering column was replaced twice. the contact was concerned that steering column caused the crash to occur. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 83,000.

power steering light has been coming on in car every time driven since 2010. i have lost power steering multiply times while driving in the city and highway. it has been taken to the dealership twice about this problem, and i was told there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. now, it is making a terrible squealing noise. my husband called the dealership and was told they didn't have the part to fix it. we did not receive the recall information until june 7th. my husband has spoken to the dealership and gm because we feel it is not safe to drive. we feel they should supply us with a rental car until they are able to supply the part to fix the problem. we received no satisfaction from gm. *tr

Chevy 2004 malibu. constant warning concerning power steering, but it goes on and off and on and off. have checked and nothing found wrong, but they do not really know. suggest replacing elect pump, but then off the record say they would not. on line at least 100 or more people have experienced the same. some have replaced, but warning still comes on. i do not know who to trust. i guess since chevy has no real answer i will just take my chances. this needs to be looked into more seriously. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving, the contact stated that the power steering failed and it became difficult to turn. there were warning lights before the failure occurred. the contact planned to take the vehicle to an authorized dealership to have it inspected. the failure and failure mileages were approximately 83,500. updated 8/9/10 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle has electric power steering. updated 08/11/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving at speeds of 25 mph, the power steering locked up and it became very difficult to maintain control of the steering wheel. the contact shut off and restarted the engine and the vehicle resumed normal operation. within a few traveled miles, the failure recurred. the contact stated the failure recurs intermittently and he had experienced the failure at least ten times. the manufacturer would not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. the failure mileage was 41,596 and the current mileage was 41,600.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while traveling at speeds of 30 mph, the contact heard a chiming in the vehicle and within seconds, the power steering failed and became increasingly difficult to steer. the vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 54,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu lt. the contact stated there was an abnormal clicking sound sporadically coming from the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times but the dealer was unable to diagnose or duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where he was advised the failure was within the power steering. the mechanic replaced the power steering column and the air bag sensor at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the currentmileage was 79,000.