2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL CHIME AND WITHIN SECONDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

REGARDING MY 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU: VEHICLE IS USED AS PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM WORK IN TOWN ERRANDS AND VACATIONS OUT OF STATE, OVER THE LAST 4 WEEKS MY WIFE AND OTHER FAMILY HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE TURNING CORNERS AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEED. ON THE DATE OF THIS WRITING MY WIFE REPORTS HAVING TO STOP 3 TIMES ON THE WAY TO WORK BECAUSE OF DEAD WHEEL STEERING. IT SEEMS THAT THE SYSTEM WILL OPERATE AFTER A SHORT PERIOD WHERE POWER IS SWITCHED OFF BY THE IGNITION SWITCH. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO CHEVROLET CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE (REF# 71-833386371 MADE 25MAY2010) AND TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL ORDER FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE INTERNET THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS VERY OCCURRENCE ON THIS AND OTHER YEAR MODELS OF MALIBU. YOUR AGENCY IS, I'M SURE, AWARE OF THE RECALL OF 2005 - 2010 COBALT FOR STEERING PROBLEMS OF A SIMILAR NATURE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE THE MALFUNCTION BELIEVING THAT THE FUSE WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND REPLACED IT WITH A FUSE OF RECOMMENDED SIZE. THE STEERING WENT DEAD SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE REP AND AM MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE PROBLEM ANALYZED THERE. HOWEVER I'M NOT EXPECTING THEM TO FIN D ANYTHING THEY CAN WORK ON BEING AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I AM FEARFUL FOR MY WIFE'S WELFARE IN THAT VEHICLE AND PRAY YOUR AGENCY BEGIN PROPER INQUIRIES INTO WHAT LOOKS LIKE GM'S KNOWLEDGE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS IT. *TR

THERE IS A POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT LOW SPEEDS. ALSO, POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND FAILS. IT BECOMES HARD TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT DURING ANY SPEED. *TR

CAR IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR STEERING SHAFT. LOUD SLAMMING CLUNKING NOISE WHILE TURNING. GREASE BEARINGS BREAK DOWN AND THE SHAFT SLAMS AROUND. HAD IT ALL REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO ALSO. TALKED TO GM, THEY VERIFIED WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE AS BEFORE . I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO RECALL BECAUSE CUSTOMERS DO NOT PERSONALLY CALL GM AND REPORT THE REPAIR. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? IF THEY SEE A TREND WITH REPORTS BEING MADE DIRECTLY TO GM FROM THE CUSTOMER (NOT THE DEALERSHIP), THEY TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION. IF YOU HAVE A REPAIR DONE TO YOUR MALIBU, CALL GM EVERY TIME AND REPORT IT. THIS IS THEIR WAY OF ESCAPING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE IN MY AREA ONLY. SINCE WHEN DO CARS KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE?? GM NEEDS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

CLUNKING NOISE AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL- EITHER DIRECTION. POWER STEERING FAILED TODAY - IN REVERSE. MANAGED TO PARK CAR IN DRIVEWAY AND (PER PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS I GOOGLED) AFTER 20 MINUTES I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR & THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SOMEWHAT NORMAL BUT I FELT A SLIGHT CATCH WHEN I TURNED WHEEL EITHER DIRECTION. NO SERVICE HAS BEEN DONE ON THE STEERING YET BY ME. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY - COVERS THE POWER STEERING PUMP - BUT NOT THE SHAFT. *TR

THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL WON'T TURN AT ALL. THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN I TURN. IT WAS FIXED ONLY TO START AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER. GM WON'T REPAIR CAUSE THEY SAY I'M OVER THE MILEAGE. THE GAS HAND JUMPS UP AN DOWN. *TR

I OWN A 2005 CHEVY MALIBU AND HAVE HAD CONSISTENT ISSUES WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON ALMOST EVERY CHEVY MADE FROM 2005-2010 FOR THE SAME REASON EXCEPT FOR THE MALIBU. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ESPECIALLY IF YOU READ ALL OF THE BLOGS AND POSTS OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF CHEVY OWNERS DEALING WITH THE EXACT SAME THING, MANY OF THEM GETTING IT FIXED MULTIPLE TIMES ONLY FOR IT TO GO OUT AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM ALMOST CAUSED MY WIFE AND SON TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

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

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVY MALIBU, BOUGHT BRAND NEW, I'VE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE START WITH THIS CAR. THE RACK & PINION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE HUB BEARINGS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE REAR STABILIZER BAR NEEDS REPLACING. I HAVE A GAS CAP ISSUE, NOW TO TOP IT ALL OFF, I'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WHERE I AM DRIVING AND I START TO ACCELERATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, I HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, GM WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS. THEY KNOW THAT THE 2005 MALIBU IS A DANGEROUS CAR BUT WILL NOT RECALL AT ALL. *TR

MADE A "PIT STOP" ON WAY TO WORK MY CAR MADE A SOUND ALERT AND "POWER STEERING" CAME ON OVER MY RADIO MESSAGE WINDOW. 2 WEEKS AGO STEERING FELT LOOSE TURNING LEFT BUT A LITTLE STIFF TURNING RIGHT BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS IT WAS FINE. THIS MORNING IT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT TODAY WAS THE ONLY DAY OF THE ALERT SOUND AND MESSAGE. FOUND IT COULD BE THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED COST ($600 - $1500). POWER STEERING ELECTRIC MOTOR / CONTROL MODULE / STEERING RACK / FAILING SENSOR IN STEERING COLUMN / VOLTAGE PROBLEM BETWEEN THE ALTERNATOR & IGNITION COIL ASSEMBLY. I HAVE PRINTED OUT 11 PAGES OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND NOTICED THE CHEVY COBALT & OTHER CHEVY MODELS HAD OR ARE HAVING A RECALL FOR THE SAME COMPLAINTS AS THE CHEVY MALIBU BUT THE MALIBU IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THIS PROBLEM CAN CAUSE COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE OR JUST VERY HARD STEERING (UNPREDICTED) & CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I'M STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHICH EXPENSIVE REPAIR MINE WILL BE. I DID FIND THAT IF MY VIN IS BETWEEN 5F100001 - 5F250216 THAT I NEED TO CALL CHEVY IF MY MILEAGE IS UNDER 70,000 & THEY COVER THE COST OF REPAIR. I DON'T HAVE MY VIN AS MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW. *TR