Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

2 months after i purchased my car i noticed a popping noise in the front end. i took the vehicle back to the dealership, trenor motors, inc. to be fixed. they told me that the steering rack was bad and according to their work order/invoice they replaced the steering rack. on august , 2009 i had the car back into trenor motors for the same problem and again according to their work order/invoice they replaced the steering rack. in october, 2009 the problem resurfaced and again i took the car back to trenor motors where according to their work order/invoice they replace the steering rack again. after we picked the car up i got roughly 1 mile down the road and i noticed the same popping/clunking noise in the front end that occurred all other times. i turned around and took the car back to trenor motors where they lubed the i-shaft. around august of 2010 the same noise returned and by this time the car was out of warranty and trenor refused to fix the vehicle without charging me. i felt that since this was an ongoing problem with the car from the time i purchased it i should not have to pay for this. i then contacted general motors and spoke with a man by the name of john and explained my situation. he did some research and called me back leaving a voice mail. he and i were unable to connect because of our schedules. i finally wrote a letter to gm asking them to contact me in writing, but didn't hear from them. i then contacedt the bbb who could not help me because of the age of car. i finally contacted the ohio attorney generals office who contacted gm. a lady named frances from gm contacted me at which time i explained the situation after a week or so she contacted me back to tell me she had contacted trenor motors and that they were unwilling to fix my car without charge and that gm was unable to give me any restitution. *tr

2005 chevrolet malibu recall customer states that the rack and pinion was replaced and it should have been covered under the bumper to bumper warranty**cc the consumer stated the second gear was slow to engage, there was a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and the brakes made a noise when they were applied. the dealer cleaned the front brakes and applied treatment to them. the consumer was informed the tires were cupped. *jb

Power steering failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the left and right the vehicle made a very loud thumping noise. the vehicle has been diagnosed by the dealer on numerous occasions. the mechanic replaced the steering rack and pinion and corrected the failure for 2 years; however, it recurred. the second time the steering column was replaced and failed after 8 months. the steering shaft was also replaced on two occasions. the contact is aware of the safety risk involved due to frequent failures. the failure mileage was 12,000 and the current mileage was 27,927. updated 09/11/09 *bf updated 09/15/09.*jb

I have a 2005 malibu with 50000 miles on it and the power steering randomly shuts off. the car is equipped with electronic power steering and sometimes the steering is real tight and sometimes its really loose. it becomes very dangerous when this happens and the chevy dealership i brought it to doesn't know what is wrong. i know what is wrong - my steering doesn't work 100% of the time. i have a safe driving record and drive resposibly and do not beat on my cars. i know it is not my driving stlye, rather it is a flaw in design and construction of the power steering.

In 2006 i bought an 2005 chevy malibu. before 49600 the power steering went out. i took it to the shop 8 times before they could tell that it was the steering column. it goes out without warning. we have almost wrecked several times. it has gone out going down the interstate. i started to replace it, but before i did that i researched the matter. it appears that a lot of people are having the same problem that i am having, from the 2005s to the 2008s, from the malibu to the malibu maxx. i have not replaced it because many people have had them changed three or four times and they keep breaking. i don't have that kind of money to just throw away. i can't afford to sell it either or trade it in. i am the one who drives it most of the time because i am afraid it will go out when my wife is in a curve, and she could wreck and die because she is not strong enough to control it when it goes out. *tr

Chevrolet malibu 2005. driving on a local street, i made a right onto another street and the steering became stiff, hard to make a sharp turn and i had to pull the steering wheel hard and use an extreme amount of effort to completer a turn, a bell went off. i was unable to steer to the left or the right. the car was still running. i turned the car off and then restarted the car and then i was able to turn the wheel freely for about 15 seconds then the wheel became stiff again. if i had reached the highway to get to my destination driving 50 mph and i had to suddenly quickly steer to the left or right to avoid an potential problem, i may have gotten into a potentially serious accident injuring myself & others. i purchased the car used & only had it 10 months. i am financing the car. i am very concerned about the safety of this vehicle now because it's only a 2005, only 2 years old with a possible major safety problem. i want to know if there are other 2005 chevy malibu's with the same problem who have serviced the vehicle and if they continue to have the problem and if there are more owners with this complaint. i am taking this car to the dealer where i bought it, have them inspect it a get more information about this problem. *jb

2005 malibu had steering clunks, rack&pinion replaced twice, steering shaft replaced,tie rods replaced,still clunks and bangs . general wander in steering even after all this. service manager informed gm after a complaint that they could not find anything wrong this was after warranty expired. *tr

Thumping sound in front wheels when turning steering wheel all the way in both directions. problem repaired under extended warranty plan, repair technician stated that this problem was common for both 2004 and 2005 chevrolet malibu. steering gear replaced and toe was reset. e9740 gear assembly, power steering replaced 124cexwv, 1 15858368 gear. extended warranty plan required $200 deductable, i would like to get this back if manufacturer was responslible.*ak

2005 malibu,have had both tie rod ends replaced,struts etc. makes a loud clunking when driving at low speeds and turning. sounds like wheels coming loose. sound,sounds like it is coming from steering column,check engine light comes on when i fill gas tank and stays on until approx 1/2 tank. *tr

Pulls to the left, broken struts, broken brake calipers, rear turn signal broke! anytime i mess with tires or brakes the car pulls more and more to the left, haven't had steering checked but its driving me nuts. i thought it was from the front right strut being cracked and broken but the dealership says it shouldn't effect the pull to the left. got new tires last week and new brakes, still pulls. tail light quit working, changed bulbs then quit again. car is driving me nuts, worried about driving it across country this summer! recall it soon - please!!! *jb

The vehicle has a district clunking noise when steering to the left or right and is pronouned when going over bumps. i am very concerned about the safety of the vehicle and have researched the problem on the internet and it appears to common to the 2005 chevrolet malibu. *nm

Back in january 2007, i was having a popping sound that was made whenever i made a left or right turn. i took it to the dealer. they changed the steering column and right strut. i am now having the same problem on the left side and will be going in again sometime this week. i've only had the car for 4 months with 24,000 miles at the time this first happened. i now have 27,000 miles on my vehicle. *tr

Sudden loss over power steering while turning. feels like someone is pulling the wheel in opposite direction. does not happen all the time happens at random times. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 55 mph when the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering became extremely stiff. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence at less than 40 mph. the dealer advised her that the failure was related to the electrical system. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure recurred within six months. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that the failure could be related to the rack and pinion. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated she received an unknown recall for the rack and pinion and when taking the vehicle to the dealer, she was advised that the recall would not be honored due to the mileage of the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 28,000 and the current mileage was 230,000.

Steering had a clunking noise and was hard to pull away from curb. while driving steering would tighten up car was unsafe to drive on freeway took to dealership replaced steering column.. july of 07 started having same issues took to dealership replaced shaft kit.april 2010 was driving on freeway in heavy traffic when steering tightened was lucky to get to off ramp safely. took to dealership replaced shaft kit. january 2010 lost power steering while driving could of been another dangerous situation. took to dealership replaced steering column. september 6 2013 started clunking took it to dealership $1000 to supposedly fix it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they determined that the power steering gear assembly failed. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $1,000. three years later, while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the mechanic determined that the rack and pinion was failing. the repair would cost $500. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed that a complaint was filed and that he would receive a follow up call on the next business day. the failure mileage was 35,748 and current mileage was 103,000.

Dt*: the contact stated there was a clunking noise while turning at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the rack and pinion was replaced. two months later, the problem returned and the dealership replaced the rack and pinion a second time.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevy malibu. while driving 25 mph she heard a clunking noise coming from the left wheel when she made a left turn. the mechanic stated that the power steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. approximately six months after the repair, the failure occurred again. as of august 10, 2007, the mechanic has not repaired the vehicle. the current mileage was 45,484 and the failure mileage was 33,653.

Purchased vehicle in oct, 2006 at which time we found the steering rack needed replacement, the replacement lasted until june of 2007. at which time it was replaced again. now it is october 2007 and the rack is bad again and needs to be replaced . i want to know what chevrolet is going to do about this problem? *jb

Email (in) requesting an investigation of general motors re their dangerous & defective products. *ts *nm updated 2/15/2007 - the consumer smelled antifreeze coming through the air vents. the driver's side headlight had to be replaced. problem with brakes. a steering gear associated with the rack and pinion was replaced. the transmission hesitated. the consumer heard a knocking noise when turning the steering wheel. passenger side front turn signal failed. the dash light and tail light failed. *nm

I bought a 2005 chevrolet malibu april 6, 2006 with 17,000 miles. in october of 2006 with 31,500 miles the steering was making terrible popping noises. the dealer replaced the steering rack and the problem went away for a few months. at 41,000 miles i again had to have the steering rack replaced, this time gm covered it as a "goodwill" gesture. now, at 54,000 miles, the steering is making the same noise again. it can't be safe to drive. three steering racks in 20,000 miles is pretty excessive. *jb

Car, makes loud knocking noise when turning left, loss of tightness in the steering wheel, rack and pinion replaced. *tr

Three steering component events: power steering rack and pinion assembly replaced @ 13,765 miles power steering rack and pinion assembly replaced @ 15,515 miles steering shaft replaced @ 23,011 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. on several occasions, the power steering failed. while driving 25 mph, the contact lost control of the steering and it became very stiff. he was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to his destination. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they determined that the steering column failed. the vehicle was repaired for free. four months later, while driving 20 mph, the steering failed again. the dealer made the repairs for free once again. the steering column continued to fail over the next three years on five occasions. the vehicle was recently repaired in january of 2009 for the steering shaft. the steering shaft was repaired at the cost of $100. the contact had to pay a deductible for this repair because the steering column was not included in the warranty. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed that they were going to offer him a seven years or 70,000 mile warranty for the steering column. the failure mileage was 14,838 and current mileage was 31,000. updated 3/16/09 *cn updated 03/20/09.*jb

Rattle in steering while driving down road sounds like something loose in steering & makes you think its coming apart dealer has installed new rack & pinion but i think its something in the electric steering box under dash and its still makes noise. *tr

The brakes lights on my vehicle come on without pressure applied to the brakes resulting in the cruise control to kick off. the brake lights will go off once the brakes are pressed. this presents an unsafe situation as it is never known when it will happen. this resulted in my vehicle being rear ended while at a stop sign coming off the off ramp from the highway. i have had to have this issue fixed several times and it keeps reoccurring. the power steering goes completely out on the vehicle while driving at random times. i have had to have this fixed at least two times. i know that there have been recalls on both issues for my make, model and year however i keep getting told that my vehicle is not on the list. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. while turning the steering wheel at 5 mph, the contact heard a thumping noise coming from the steering column. the dealer stated that the steering gear failed and made the replacement. three months later, the failure recurred. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. three months later, the dealer inspected the vehicle again and stated that they tightened it up, but did not state what they tightened. the contact stated that the thumping sound continued to occur and was louder than before. as of october 29, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage was 28,000 and current mileage was 42,000. there was a noise when the vehicle was going into 2nd gear. u[dated 11/21/07. *jb

The steering has a clunking in it when u tern. they fixed it 3 times and it keeps coming back every time. they said its in the gears and other components of the steering. im just sad that gm has not found a way to solve this problem. my warranty is up and cant replace it anymore. it gets tired of hearing the clunk. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 2 mph, the front end of the vehicle began to make a loud clanking noise. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was repaired for the related defect under the manufacturers voluntary recall. the specific repair performed was unknown. on a separate occasion there was a loss of the electric power steering with a chime tone, followed by the power steering warning light illumination. the failure occurrence was intermittent. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on three different times for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable to detect a problem. recently, the contact received a notification from the manufacturer offering an additional protection for the electric power steering. the manufacturer required that the mileage not to exceed 100,000 to repair the vehicle of a free remedy. the contact stated her vehicle exceeded the mileage requirement. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 30,000. the vin was unavailable.

For several months, i have both heard and felt a "creaking" in the front end of my vehicle as though metal parts are loose when the car is put in motion both backing and forward, turns in either direction. i did bring this condition to the attention the local chevrolet dealership where i bought this car and where i have had it serviced since then. they indicated to me, they could not find a problem, could not hear or feel any condition, and further stated there was "no fix" from gm. however, this condition appears to be getting worse and not recognized by the service people at the dealership. my concern is, at some point, could or will the front end fail when the car is in motion which is a clear safety issue. the dealership did point out that the tires have some wear on them and it is my feeling the tire wear may be caused from this condition. *nm

While driving along, steering tightens up, can barely steer or keep in road. no warning! also, steering wheel will start to gyrate by itself, moving on its own. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated on june 5, 2006 while driving at 30 mph the steering wheel and vehicle began jerking to the right. an attempt was made to pull the vehicle to the left, but the steering wheel continued to pull to the right, and the vehicle end up in the ditch. injuries were incurred; bruised ribs and a strained back. a police report was filed at the scene of the accident. there were no pictures taken. the vehicle was towed from the scene.

Steering locked up at speed and while accelerating. been to the dealer once, dealer could not find problem. ready to bring to the dealer again because this is potentially dangerous for us. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the steering rack pinion clunks when turning to the left or right regardless of speed. the vehicle was never in an accident. the service dealer determined the problem was the rack and pinion within the steering. the dealership installed a new steering gear. updated 10/04/06. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering column makes random knocking noises. he discovered tsb number 1973984, which is identical to the failure he is experiencing. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on three occasions and the recommended solutions in the tsb were heeded; however, the failure persists. the contact is concerned that his steering column will eventually fail completely. the failure mileage was 18,000 and current mileage was 48,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when first starting the vehicle, the steering wheel would seize and there was a severe resistance in the steering wheel. the failure occurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. a few months later the contact received notification of a manufacturers voluntary recall for vehicle with 100,000 miles or fewer. the contact stated that the vehicle was over the mileage limitation and when contacting the manufacturer, no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

At approx. 7:30 am 04/06/2006 i was heading westbound on i-290 on a clear, dry road, 40 degrees temp(about) when the power steering failed in my 2005 chevy malibu, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. my vehicle impacted with (1) one other vehicle, both of our respective vehicles spinning out of control.i was transported to a hospital, and have been in touch with my insurance company, which informed me that they(my ins. co. ) would not subrogate , in fact to get my car looked at by gmc , the insurance co. finally decided to hold the car in salvage, instead of sending it to auction, which they were in the process of doing, due to the fact that no recall on the power steering(eps), or steering column exists. this is a courtesy(it, the car was a total loss)to me, as i have started the process of calling gmc and am trying, unsuccesfully to complete my report to their claim dept( cannot get through).my auto will be held, as i stated for 60 days for gmc to come and inspect it. however, i have been told that when the motor vehicle is restarted(as it was after the accident i was involved in) the power steering can reset itself. my insurance co. has assured me that, had there been a recall that they would do "everything within their power" to file and pursue a claim against gmc for all costs involved, and this is why they are willing to hold the vehicle for inspection. all i know is that i found this site after having relayed what happened to me to a gentelman in a local grocery store, if not for this complaint page, my car would have been auctioned off by now. i am in considerable pain, and not only out the loss of my vehicle, but i will be surcharged for3 years 4 mo. in, (for a problem that gmc is aware of, and on your /this complaint page all gmc does is ""replace the steering column".) (2007) when my policy renews.this is unfair, and i have searched the internet, and found similar complaints on msn.com/autos/chevrolet/malibu/2004/2005 personal reviews.

Knock, clunk or rattle noise at low speeds with suspension input - intermittent shaft steer steering,...*nm

Dt*: the contact stated there is a knock in the steering when turning the steering wheel. this started two weeks after purchase. the dealership determined a new intermittent steering shaft was malfunctioning. updated 3/9/2006 - the check engine illuminated and the technician found a leak at the sender hose to the canister and purge valve leaking. *nm

Bought the car used in january 2006 with 30,000 miles. within a month, it started making clunking noises when i made tight turns. the dealership first said they could find nothing wrong. my husband took it back, and the dealership admitted having steering problems with this year of malibu, and replaced the steering knuckle. the problem was fixed for about 6 weeks, then the noise returned. this time the dealer replaced the steering rack. this time, the problem was fixed for about 6-8 weeks, and the noise returned. dealership replaced the steering column, and, so far the problem has not returned.*jb

2005 chevy malibu 3.5 l v6 steering locks up on left turns every once in a while. could be very dangerous. *jb

I purchased a car september 1, 2005. within the first 20 days of owning the car, the steering wheel locked up. it has been duplicated by bob brown in ankeny multiple times. the steering column has been replaced multiple times, and this has been documented and i have the copies. my concern is the vehicle still has issues with the steering wheel locking up. gm is not willing to do anything further with my car. i have some serious safety concerns. i am afraid this car will kill me and my son. *nm

05 chevy malibu 43,000 miles have had rack & pinnion replaced 2 times because of clunking noise when turning ,also intermediate steering shaft has been replaced 3 times. right front hub over heated at 1500 miles because it had no grease in it . this caused problems with the brakes & cv joints a retired timkin bearing worker told me that there was several problems with the computer line of putting grease the hubs because of the wt. of the hub varying there has been many, many, many complaints of the same things on 05's on car complaints why hasn't there been a recall on this problem ? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. since purchasing the vehicle, the anti theft device has failed repeatedly, the engine makes a ticking sound, the steering wheel is slipping or loose, and oil leaks from the engine. while driving 45 mph, the dashboard . vibrates. the contact hears a noise in the radio when the vehicle is turned on, the engine service light is illuminated on the instrument panel, the interior lights failed, the remote start would not start the vehicle, and the engine shakes roughly. the current mileage was 12,030 and failure mileage was 100. updated 09/24/08. *lj the consumer stated there was a problem with the entire suspension. the shocks and bearings made a noisy. the hazard lights failed. updated 09/30/08.*jb

On 8/25/2008 my steering locked up on my 2005 malibu classic. o lost control if my car and crashed into 2 telephone boxes. after researching this incident on the internet i find that there are many complaints about this electronic steering problem. *tr

Have had numerous warranty work done. purchased car 4 months ago with 24,000 miles now has 28,000. 6 warranty replacements. around 25,000 started car and steering wheel was turning violently. shut car off and it was fine. later noticed steering was looser and thumping noise. chevy replaced steering gear. now at current mileage did the same thing has happened and replacing another component in steering. this is very dangerous. when driving around turns it felt like i had no control over car. now that my warranty is out my when i put my car into d half the time it will jump into gear and sometimes it gets stuck or wants to stop at r. a car with 28,000 miles should not be having this kind of trouble. i can only imagine what it will be like with 75,000 miles on it. *tr

Vehicle intermittently wants to steer on its own. this happens for only a short time when it occurs. primarily it wants to go left. once i tried to go into the left lane of a freeway quite gradually...it wanted to go left alright...although it wanted to go quickly into the lane! car has been to the dealer 5 times for this problem. the dealer has never been able to duplicate the problem. they have replaced the steering column twice. the last time was this past friday (7/30/05). hasn't happened since then (tuesday, 8/2/05)...but...again this is a very intermittent problem. my mileage has dropped from 33 miles per gallon to 29 miles per gallon. dealer says that nothing they have done should have caused this problem. they say that the 29 miles per gallon is within specifications...this drop is very significant. have requested a buy back direct from chevrolet. the vehicle well exceeds the requirements for a buy back according the ohio lemon law. chevrolet says that they will not buy back the car...even though it exceeds the requirements for the ohio lemon law! my biggest concern is that the steering will go totally out and the car will go wherever it decides to...i don't want to be injured and don't want to injur any one else. *jb

Dt: the contact stated this was the second time that the steering column has to be replaced. the steering column was replaced the first time in september 2005. when the steering wheel was turned there was a popping noise. the contact stated the steering wheel was binding. the vehicle was taken to dealer seven times this weekend for the popping. the dealer said there was nothing wrong with the steering column. the manufacturer was contacted, and they offered no free remedy. *ak

Have had the same popping sound in the steering since i bought the car that everyone else seems to have. dealer told me that it would cost over three hundred dollars to fix. i feel that it is apparently a manufacturers defect and i am not paying to fix it. car now has 99.000 miles on it. getting rid of it in december of 06, can't keep a turn signal bulb in the car either. last chevy i will buy. *jb