2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING HAD FAILED AND THE COLUMN AND STEERING MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,653 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 7/1/13 *CN UPDATED 07/17/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR MONTHS PRIOR TO IT FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CHECK ENGINE AND POWER STEERING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. *TR

UPON ACCELERATION USING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR LOSES TOTAL CONTROL OF ITS STEERING. ALL ENGINE LIGHTS AND FAILURE LIGHTS GO ON.SOMETIMES JUST MAKING A SIMPLE TURN AT AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR LOSES COMPLETE STEERING CAPABILITY. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH ACCELERATING OVER A SLIGHT INCLINE OR AT 10 MPH AT AN INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. I NOTICED TROUBLE WITH THE STEERING WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT MY CAR UNDER WARRANTY BUT IT WASN'T AS SEVERE. JUST WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE STEERING WAS TIGHT, BUT THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD THE SHORT RACK STEERING GEAR, STEERING RACK, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, AND SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. ON THE WEBSITE WWW.LEMONLAWCLAIMS.COM THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 42 STEERING COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR NATURE REGARDING THE SAME YEAR MAKE FOR THE MALIBU. AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED PE04-031 BASED ON EIGHT REPORTS OF ALLEGED POWER STEERING FAILURES. THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS BASED ON THE REPORT I PRINTED UP IN 2010, HOWEVER I AM NOT CERTAIN OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF THIS INVESTIGATION. I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT MORE FAILURE REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN OPENED, THOUGH I CANNOT FIND A RECALL REGARDING THIS FAILURE. AS A SIDE NOTE, SOMETIMES THE CAR HAS TROUBLE STARTING - IT ALWAYS HAS AND THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE FAILURE. WHEN TRYING TO START IT UP, HITTING THE GAS PEDAL WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO KICK OVER AND NOT STALL. THERE IS ALWAYS THE SMELL OF FUEL. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS PART OF THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION WHEN THE STEERING FAILS OR THE STEERING WHEEL JERKS UPON ACCELERATION, A CLICKING SOUND CAN BE HEARD. THE ORIGIN OF THIS CLICKING IN UNKNOWN. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON THIS OR BETTER YET A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR

BRAKE LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I WAS NOT BRAKING. I WAS STOPPED AND INFORMED OF THIS BY AT STATE TROOPER. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS DISENGAGED INVOLUNTARILY SINCE 2005. I HAD A NEW BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR INSTALLED, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL STILL DISENGAGES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DURING TRIPS OF MORE THAN 10 MILES. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS CAR NOVEMBER 02, 2011 DROVE IT HOME. THE VERY NEXT DAY I NOTICE THE CRANKING ISSUES. THE CAR WILL CRANK RIGHT UP OF THE MORNINGS, BUT AFTER IT WARMS UP IT COULD TAKE UP TO 5 TIMES. THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND DIE. SO I HAVE NO WARRANTY FOR THIS CAR I BOUGHT USED. SO IT'S LIKE I AM STUCK WITH IT UNTIL IT'S PAID FOR. SO I GOOGLE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CAR FOR ANY RECALLS AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THE FUEL PUMP HAS OR NOT BEEN REPLACED FOR THIS CAR. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT IS MY FUEL PUMP. THE RECALL WAS FEBRUARY 28, 2011, I FEEL THIS CAR WAS MISSED. THIS IS THE VERY FIRST CHEVROLET THAT I HAVE BOUGHT, BUT TRYING TO CRANK THIS CAR IS JUST CRAZY. I GET SO FUSTRATED THIS IS A POOR QUALITY OF A CAR. EVERYTIME I TAKE IT TO HAVE ANYTHING DONE TO IT. I WANT TO CRAWL UNDER THE TABLE, CAUSE I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT I HAVE A RETARD OF A CAR. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE. *TR

TURN SIGNAL BULBS ARE BEING MELTED BY DEFECTIVE SOCKETS!!! NEED REPLACEMENT. *TR

POWER STEERING FAULT LIGHT ON YELLOW WRENCH LIGHT INTERMITTENT. STEERING SHAKE. *TR

I STARTED THE CAR, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND ACCELERATED. WHEN I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL, A LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH (LOOKS LIKE A WRENCH) AND ON THE RADIO DISPLAY SAID POWER STEERING. I LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. I PULLED OUT ON TO ANOTHER ROAD AND WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING, I LOST MY POWER STEERING. I HAD TO PULL OVER INTO A PARKING LOT, WHICH WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO SINCE I DID NOT HAVE POWER STEERING. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE LIGHT WENT AWAY AND MY POWER STEERING CAME BACK. THE CAR IS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE THE FAILURE HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. MY HUSBAND CALLED CHEVY DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THIS CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE RECALL NOTICE!! *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT SAID POWER STEERING ACROSS MY RADIO. I THOUGHT THAT MEANT I NEED POWER STEERING FLUID BUT AFTER DOING GOOGLE SEARCHES, I FIND THAT MEANS I LOST MY POWER STEERING CONTROL. LUCKILY, I WAS GOING STRAIGHT AND AT A HIGH SPEED SO I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL BASED UPON WHAT I READ. HOWEVER, I HAVE TWO LITTLE GIRLS AND WILL SUE IN A HEARTBEAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THEM AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE. ESPECIALLY, SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE SINCE 2004. WHY THE HECK HAVEN'T YOU FORCED CHEVY TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. I DON'T CARE THAT IN MOST CASES STEERING IS NOT AFFECTED AND THAT IT CAN BE RESET BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON. I HAVE READ ABOUT SO MANY INCIDENTS OF NEAR CRASHES AND SOME INJURIES. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR