2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

DRIVING DOWN THE NJ TURNPIKE THE WARNING BELL CHIMED AND A MESSAGE STATING "POWER STEERING" CAME UP. AT THAT POINT MY POWER STEERING FAILED. ONCE I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING ONCE AGAIN ENGAGED. HOWEVER ON THE RETURN TRIP, WITH MY 82 YEAR OLD MOTHER IN THE CAR THE POWER STEERING ONCE AGAIN FAILED. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE/MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND ELECTRICAL. CHEVROLET HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING IN THIS MODEL, THIS YEAR AND WITHIN THE RANGE THAT THIS VIN FALLS. HOWEVER THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ONLY APPLIES IF THE FAILURE IS WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. ACCORDING TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER I SPOKE WITH, THE CHEVROLET WARRANTY DEPT. FEELS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS JUST ONE OF THE ISSUES YOU WILL FACE WHEN OWNING A CAR!!! TOTAL AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM WITH NO WARNING AND NO MAINTENANCE EVER IS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS??? *TW *TR

I OWN A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. I HAVE HAD A "CLUNKING" OF THE "I" SHAFT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND WAS TOLD "NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT". "WON'T HURT ANYTHING." "YOU CAN HAVE IT REPLACED IF IT BECOMES ANNOYING." "IS NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY." I HAVE MY CAR AT A DEALERSHIP RIGHT NOW TO GET THE "I" SHAFT REPLACED. THE SHOP FOREMAN JUST CAME IN AND TOLD ME HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE THIS ON "SEVERAL" MALIBUS AND GM HAS INCREASED THE COST OF THE "I" SHAFT BECAUSE OF SO MANY REPAIRS. IT USE TO COST $90-$125. NOW HE TELLS ME IT WILL COST $150 JUST FOR THE "I" SHAFT. HE EVEN RECOMMENDED I FILE THE COMPLAINT AND SEE IF GM WILL ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COSTS. IF A DEALER REPAIR SHOP IS SAYING THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM, THEN GM SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS ISSUE AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER 5 YEARS AGO. PLEASE HELP! I AM A RETIRED WORKER AND THIS IS KILLING MY MEAGER BUDGET. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT COVERS ARE SHOWING FOGGING AND DISCOLORATION DUE TO HEAT DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL COVERS MELTING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT COVERS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET AT ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN THE CHIMES SOUNDED, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON, AND STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. I HAD TO STOP, TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTART IT BEFORE I COULD STEER AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MY MODEL CAR (2005 CHEVY MALIBU) AND THAT CHEVROLET HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (#07126) ON THIS ISSUE, BUT MY CAR IS OUTSIDE THE MAXIMUM MILEAGE TO BE COVERED UNDER THIS TSB. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE SOME NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THIS ISSUE (PRIMARILY THE 2004 MODEL), BUT THEY HAVE SINCE BEEN CLOSED BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF REPORTED FAILURES WAS WITHIN AN "ACCEPTABLE RANGE". I GUESS MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS, HOW MANY ACCIDENTS DO THERE HAVE TO BE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO DIE BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY? WHILE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WAS NOT LIFE-THREATENING, IF THIS HAD OCCURRED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS IT VERY WELL COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. I SAW TODAY THAT FEDERAL REGULATORS HAVE OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO COMPLAINTS THAT POWER STEERING SYSTEMS IN THE CHEVROLET COBALT CAN FAIL, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR. I'M SURE THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS STILL OCCURRING ON THE MALIBU. I IMPLORE YOU TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION ON THE MALIBU (A SIMPLE GOOGLE OF "MALIBU POWER STEERING PROBLEMS" WILL SHOW THAT IT IS STILL A MAJOR ISSUE) AND DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVY MALIBU. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, USUALLY WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN. I FIRST NOTICED THIS AROUND TWO YEARS AGO AND COMPLAINED TO GM, IN WHICH THEY STATED THAT OTHER CARS LIKE MINES HAD, THE SAME ISSUES, BUT MY CAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR A FIX SINCE I HAD ALREADY HAD TOO MANY MILES ON IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED AS SHE IS DRIVING THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAS TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, TURN IT ON AND OFF AND IT WILL RESET ITSELF. THIS HAPPENS CONTINUOUSLY. THE CONTACT CALL THE MANUFACTURER AND SHE WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO SEE WHAT REPAIRS CAN BE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT THE CONTACT MAY BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WILL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,504.

2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU STEERING ISSUE. THERE IS A THUMPING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING. OUR DAUGHTER'S 2006 MALIBU WAS DOING THE SAME THING WHICH SHE TOOK IN UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. THEY SAID THE COLUMN JUST NEEDED TO BE LUBED WHICH THEY COVERED FOR HER. OURS WAS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH WAS GETTING READY TO EXPIRE WITH A $200 DEDUCTIBLE. THE AMOUNT THEY WOULD CHARGE FOR LUBING THE COLUMN WAS $90. WE HAVE NOT HAD IT DONE YET, BUT AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I AM NOT SURE THE LUBE WILL ULTIMATELY SOLVE THE PROBLEM, EVEN ON OUR DAUGHTER'S 2006. *TR

12/2006 I PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. ON THREE OCCASIONS IN 2007 I EXPERIENCED A "LOUD KNOCKING NOISE" IN THE STEERING COLUMN OF MY VEHICLE AND THE FIRST TWO TIMES, IT WAS NOT COMPLETELY FIXED AND FINALLY AFTER THE 3RD TIME THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED. UNTIL 12/11/2009 WHEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING, MY "POWER STEERING" WARNING FLASHED ACROSS MY CLOCK SCREEN AND MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY VEHICLE. THEN ON 12/21/2009, I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND AGAIN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN AN HOUR. I FOUND OUT FROM AAA THAT CHEVROLET(GM) HAD PRINTED A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBUS AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR TO STEVE MOORE CHEVROLET AT 9325 SOUTH BOULEVARD, CHARLOTTE, NC -- AT WHICH TIME THEY INFORMED ME AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR, THAT MY WHOLE STEERING COLUMN HAD GONE BAD. ON 1/13/2010, I HAD TO PAY $792.00 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AND I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT GM WAS AWARE OF, I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE EXPENSE THAT I'VE INCURRED AS WELL AS THE INCONVENIENCE I WAS CAUSED DUE TO GM NOT BEING WILLING TO EXTEND COVERAGE FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING BEGAN WORKING NORMALLY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT A CRASH COULD OCCUR AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

2005 CHEVY MALIBU. HAVE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES ABOUT THE "BUMPING/THUMBING" WHILE THE CAR IS TURNING. AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS NO PLACE FOR POWERING STEERING FLUID...THANK GOD FOR PURCHASING EXTENDED WARRANTIES!!!!!!!!!!! *TR