2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS STOPPED AT A FOUR WAY INTERSECTION. AS SHE PROCEEDED TO TURN, SHE LOST HER ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR. SHE WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR AND GET HER CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE NOTICED THERE WAS A YELLOW DASH BOARD LIGHT THAT CAME ON WHEN SHE LOST THE STEERING BUT NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY ISSUES OR WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO LOOSING THE STEERING ON THE VEHICLE. ONCE SHE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HER FOUR WAY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WOULD NOT WORK. MY HUSBAND WENT TO PICK HER UP. HE RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WORKED FINE FOR HIM. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING ANY PROBLEM ON THE DASH BOARD. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC HE COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO RESURFACE. HE DID NOTE THAT THE DIRECTIONAL TURN SIGNALS SEEMED TO BE "MESSED UP" AND HE CHANGED THE LIGHT BULBS. WHEN SHE LOST HER STEERING A SECOND TIME WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC WHO TOLD US THIS WAS A CHRONIC DEFECT ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/BRAND OF VEHICLE AND THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ELECTRONIC COMPONENT IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH WOULD COST US $900.00. I RESEARCHED THIS INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. IT OCCURS AT DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF MILEAGE. IT OCCURS ON THE VEHICLES WHEN THEY WERE PURCHASED BRAND NEW AND PURCHASED USED AS IN OUR CASE. THIS IS NOT YOUR NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR TYPE OF VEHICLE ISSUE. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WHICH IS AN ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CALLED THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. OUR CASE # IS 71-127-262-2441. WE NOW HAVE TO BRING THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT IT COULD COST WAY MORE JUST TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THAN TO REPAIR IT. UNBELIEVABLE...PLEASE HELP LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS MY DAUGHTER COULD OF BEEN KILLED HERSELF AND OR COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURY TO SOMEONE ELSE WITHOUT ANY FOREWARNING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN VARIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS, SPEED AND WITH OUT WARNING HIS VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER STEERING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION UNTIL THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 46,000 MILES.

I'VE HAD MY CAR FOR FIVE YEARS AND THE POWER STEERING HAS WENT OUT AND REPLACE 4 TIMES!! I AM A MOTHER WITH THREE KIDS DRIVING IS VERY DIFFICULT I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE SAME PART OVER AND OVER THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS STEERING PROBLEM THERE ARE TO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR IS NOT TO BE AN ISSUE! *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN THE VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT IN A CURVE AND WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING STRAIGHT. DUE TO THE INABILITY TO EASILY TURN THE VEHICLE, GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE RAMP SAFELY WAS CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE. THIS MAKES THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 2009. THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I HAD A NEW STEERING COLUMN PUT IN ON 7/14/2009 (AT 69,000 MILES AND OUT OF MY OWN POCKET). IT WAS PRE-OWNED WHEN I BOUGHT IT, SO I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED SINCE 2004, BUT I AM GUESSING THIS IS WHY IT WAS TRADED IN. *TR

DRIVING AT 55MPH OUT OF NOWHERE POWERSTEERING LOST POWER. HAD NO CONTROL OF STEERING AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE. FINALLY POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. CHECKED FOR ERROR CODES AND FOUND OUT THE CODE IS FOR A SENSOR FOR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING FOR THIS VEHICLE. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WHY HAS NO RECALL BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. WILL BE GOING TO SEE AN ATTORNEY TOO FILE A LAWSUIT. YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE STEERING OF THE CAR WOULD BE A NUMBER 1 PRIORITY FOR ANY CAR MAKER . *TR

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND STEERING WHEEL VERY HARD TO TURN, NEXT TIME VEHICLE STARTED PROBLEM WAS NOT THERE, HAPPENED AGAIN TWO DAYS LATER AT STOP SIGN, ALMOST TURNED INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. 2005 AND UP RECALLED WHY NOT 2004? *TR

IN JUNE THE DRIVERS SEAT BEGAN LISTING TO THE RIGHT AND ROCKING. THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT IS A BROKEN WELD AND QUOTED ME $800.00 TO FIX IT. THEN IN SEPT OF 2012 I WAS TRYING TO MANEUVER OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. IT WAS REALLY SCARY, IT TOOK ALL MY MIGHT TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE. WHEN I RESTARTED IT WAS OKAY AND MY MECHANIC DID NOT SEE ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH IT. ALSO THE CD PLAYER NO LONGER WILL LOAD UP CDS ALTHOUGH THE OTHER FUNCTIONS AND INFO ON THE LITTLE SCREEN WORK. ALSO THE SIDE MIRRORS NO LONGER CAN BE ADJUSTED IN THE VERTICAL PLANE ALTHOUGH THEY STILL MOVE HORIZONTALLY. *TR

I HAD JUST GOTTEN INTO TOWN AND PASSED MY ROAD I NEEDED SO I PULLED INTO THE NEXT ROAD TO TURN AROUND AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. I THOUGHT I LOST MY POWER STEERING SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF ONLY TO REALIZE IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND IT SEEMED TO LOOSEN UP SO I PULLED BACK OUT ON THE MAIN ROAD AND AGAIN COULD NOT GET THE WHEEL TO TURN EITHER WAY AT ALL. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT A SPEED HIGHER THAN 20MPH, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO AVOID A WRECK. I WAS STUCK ON THE MAIN ROAD WITH NOWHERE TO GO AND WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKING TRAFFIC IN NOT GREAT ROAD CONDITIONS. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO THE DESTINATION, I WOULD HAVE HAD NO CONTROL AND WOULD HAVE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND PROBABLE DEATH ON THE ROAD I WAS TRAVELING. AFTER REVIEWING SEVERAL SITES ONLINE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I FEEL IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY 1 RECALL. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WRECKED BECAUSE OF IT. IF THIS CANNOT BE FIXED, WE WILL HAVE NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO GET RID OF THE CAR AND WARN OTHERS OF THIS SAFETY RISK. PLEASE CONSIDER LOOKING INTO THIS AS I REALLY DO LIKE MY CAR BUT I HAVE A FAMILY OF 4 TO CONSIDER AND ONE CHILD THAT WILL BE GETTING HIS LICENSE IN A FEW MONTHS. *TR

FIRST OF ALL I DON'T REALLY EXPECT THIS ISSUE TO BE FIXED AS IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 10 YEARS NOW WITH NOTHING HAPPENING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION FROM EITHER THE GOVERNMENT OR CHEVROLET,IM DOING THIS LIKE OTHERS IM SURE TO BRING THE PROBLEM TO THE FRONT DOOR AND TO MAKE MYSELF FEEL A LITTLE BETTER,THIS CAR WAS MEANT TO BE A FIRST CAR FOR MY DAUGHTER AND STILL IS .WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS AT LEAST NOTIFY BUYERS THAT THE MALIBU HAS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING BEFORE THEY BUY IT AND THAT EXPECT TO PAY AT LEAST 700.00 DOLLARS ONCE IF YOUR LUCKY.BUT MOST LIKELY AT LEAST THREE TIMES THAT AMOUNT ACCORDING TO OWNERS AND THAT CHEVROLET HAS CREATED A POWER STEERING SYSTEM THAT WILL FAIL AND HOPEFULLY NOT ONLY KILL THE PERSON DRIVING IT BUT OTHERS AS WELL, AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE OR DO ANYTHING, WHAT'S REALLY BAD IS EVEN IF ITS FIXED,THE PROBLEM WILL LIKELY OCCUR AGAIN AS THIS PROBLEM ISN'T EVEN FIXABLE BY THE SAME COMPANY THAT CREATED IT WELL I HOPE SOMEONE READS THIS BUT I DOUBT IT AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOMEONE WITH MORALS STILL OUT THERE THAT HAS MORE POWER TO DO SOMETHING THAN THE AVERAGE CONSUMER CAN WHO KNOWS THIS PROBLEM IS THE MOST OBVIOUS CASE OF CORPORATE GREED AND LARCENY I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE YET THEY ARE STILL GETTING AWAY WITH IT.GO USA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FRONT WHEELS WOULD NOT RESPOND OR TURN IN RESPONSE TO STEERING ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.