2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

1ST INCIDENCE ON HIGHWAY, 2 YRS. AGO STEERING TIGHTENED UP AND LIGHT WITH CAR/WRENCH CAME ON. IT RESOLVED ON ITS OWN QUICKLY SOON AFTER CALLING ON STAR FOR ASSISTANCE. JUST RECENTLY MORE RANDOM INCIDENCES OF LIGHT COMING ON WITH NO NOTICEABLE STEERING DIFFICULTY. TODAY, WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, STEERING FROZEN, CAR/WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON, STUCK IN MIDDLE OF THE STREET. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. STEERING LOOSENED UP THEN FROZE AGAIN, COULD NOT TURN WHEEL AT ALL, STILL STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. TURNED CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN. IT LOOSENED UP AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT FURTHER LIGHT OR STIFFNESS. PLANNING ON VISITING THE DEALERSHIP THIS WEEK FOR A CHECK UP. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED ALONG WITH THE RECALL FOR 2005 MALIBU SINCE IT IS THE POWER STEERING ISSUE. *JS

STARTED MY CAR AFTER WORK AND MY POWER STEERING WAS SUDDENLY GONE AFTER WORKING FINE FOR 2 DAYS (JUST BOUGHT THE CAR). I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE DID A TROUBLE CODE SEARCH. THE COMPUTER KEPT DISPLAYING TORQUE SENSOR ERROR. TOOK IT TO GM AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THE COST TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE I HAVE A V6, NOT A V4 ENGINE. APPARENTLY GM EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE V4 STEERING COLUMNS, BUT NOT THE V6. DROVE BACK HOME AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS. WENT AND STARTED IT UP AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. TURNED THE CAR BACK OFF AND IT OVERNIGHT. STARTED AGAIN THIS MORNING AND THE POWER STEERING IS GONE AGAIN! VERY UNHAPPY SINCE I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR! *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT TOTALLY OUT. I HEARD A CHIME, SAW THE WRENCH LIGHT UP ON THE DASH AND A POWER STEERING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE MESSAGE PANEL. I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT AND THEN WENT OUT ALL TOGETHER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN AND THE PROBLEM WAS TEMPORARILY RESOLVED ONLY TO REAPPEAR LATER AGAIN. I KNOW THAT THE 2005 WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND THINK THIS ONE NEEDS TO BE ALSO. IT IS NOT SAFE AT ALL TO DRIVE. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 28, 2013 I TOOK MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX TO A LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE POWER SEAT FIXED. THE FRAME BROKE AT THE WELD DURING NORMAL USE CAUSING THE SEAT TO ROCK, IT COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, AND WAS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THE SEAT WAS NOT ANCHORED. I SPOKE WITH A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER BEFORE HAVING THIS FIXED AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM, A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT CHEVY HAD DECIDED TO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION ON IT JULY 16, 2013--SPOKE WITH SOMEONE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHEVY. THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE TO BE DOCUMENTED BY A CHEVY DEALER, ALTHOUGH DOCUMENTATION COULD BE PROVIDED BY THE SHOP THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM. CHEVY SAID THEY WOULD OF COURSE WANT TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE VEHICLE. BUT THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS EXISTS, EVEN THOUGH THE INTERNET POSTS SHOWS THIS TO BE QUITE A COMMON COMPLAINT. IMAGINE IF ONE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE ENTIRE SEAT WAS EJECTED. *TR

POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WITHIN SECONDS I LOST ALL POWER STEERING UNTIL I STOPPED THE VEHICLE SHUT IT OFF AND RESTARTED ENGINE. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE BUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND RANDOM MALFUNCTION INDICATORS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A MALFUNCTION THAT THESE CARS ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE WITH. GM CHOOSES NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND IF I END UP PAYING OVER $1,000.00 FOR THE REPAIR I VOW TO NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR

THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN DRIVING, GETS VERY TIGHT AND CANNOT TURN THE WHEEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED BUT THAT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY REMEDY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN AND INTERIOR MODULE NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,400.

AFTER SEVERAL POWER STEERING SERVICE ALARMS IN THE PRECEDING MONTHS, THAT ALL RESET AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, THE ALARM CAME ON AND THE POWER ASSIST FAILED LEAVING THE CAR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT WEEK AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE STEERING AND SENT ME HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE STEERING FAILED AGAIN. I THEN LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A PREVALENT PROBLEM AND HAS NO REAL FIX! WHAT DO I DO NOW? *TR

THE STEERING LOCKS UP BETWEEN 2000 AND 3500 RPMS. THE TOOL, STEERING AND BATTERY LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING WHEN THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP OR BEFORE THE STEERING LOCKS UP. CHIMING SOUNDS GO OFF AND A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE DASH BOARD. I HEARD MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE IT ALMOST CAUSE ME TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT MANY TIME. I HAD TO STOP DRIVING ME CAR DUE TO THE DANGER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY AS HAS BEEN NOTED BY THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX OWNERS. THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE OR IT LOCKS UP COMPLETELY AS WAS THE CASE TODAY AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE STEERING TO BE TURNED. AS A 30 YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN I RECOGNIZE THIS AS A VERY SERIOUS LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED SINCE GM IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT WANT TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS ISSUE THAT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AND INJURY TO OWNERS. THE FAULT INDICATOR COMES ON AND A BEEPING OCCURS AND THE DISPLAY IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH SAYS "POWER STEERING". *TR