2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A STRONG GASOLINE FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL NECK ONLY HAD ONE HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,198 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

FOR THE SECOND TIME MY DRIVERS SEAT HAS BROKEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AT A WELD JOINT ON THE FRONT CROSS ROD. THE FIRST TIME IT FAILED AROUND 30,000 MILES AND THE SECOND TIME AROUND 71,000 MILES. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS A RECALL. NOT ONLY IS CHEVROLET GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, BUT THE FIX IS COMPLETE SEAT FRAME REPLACEMENT THAT COST THE CONSUMER ABOUT $1000. CHEVY WINS AGAIN AS THEY GET TO SELL A DEFECTIVE PART AT A PROFIT. A GREAT DEAL FOR CHEVY UNTIL I BUY MY NEXT CAR. TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DRIVER STOPPED AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONED AS NORMAL UPON RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

STARTING SOON AFTER PURCHASE, SEVERAL TIMES SINCE (APPROX 3-15 TIMES A WEEK DEPENDING ON SEASON). POWER STEERING SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY. IF DONE WHILE TURNING, IT WILL REQUIRE EXTRA FORCE AND CONCENTRATION TO KEEP ON COURSE. MOST TIMES ISSUE CANNOT BE RESET FOR FULL DURATION OF TRAVEL (15 MIN - 3HRS), THIS IS DONE BY SHUTTING OFF VEHICLE, AFTER STOPPING ON SIDE OF ROAD, AND RESTARTING. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN WARM, EITHER FROM SUNNY DAY FOR FIRST START OR WINTER ONCE HEATER IS WARM. MANY CLOSE CALLS! *JB

DRIVING APPROX 20 MILES PER HOUR WHEN TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE VEHICLE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON, POWER STEERING MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INFORMATION CONSOLE AND THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ENTER INTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM WORKED AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON. HOWEVER THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CONTINUED TO SHOW ON THE INFORMATION PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. NO FURTHER INFORMATION MESSAGE CONCERNING THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN SEEN SINCE THE REPAIR. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN AUGUST 2004. THE POWER STEERING WENT WHILE I WAS TURNING ON TO A STREET IN I BELIEVE DECEMBER 2004. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, I QUESTIONED WHY IT WAS NOT RECALLED AT THE TIME, SINCE THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. I WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS A BAD BATCH OF STEERING BOOTS AND THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS TO REPLACE THEM. AGAIN, THE STEERING COLUMN WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED. ALL SEEMED TO BE FINE UNTIL I BELIEVE DECEMBER 2010. THE STEERING WENT AGAIN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND GM TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. I WAS ADVISED THAT MY PROBLEM HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN 2004/2005 AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO HAD TO REPLACE EVERYTHING ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME IT COST ME OVER $1500. *TR

THE DRIVERS SEAT RIGHT SIDE DROPPED SUDDENLY. MY INSPECTION REVEALED A WELD TO A STRUCTURAL MEMBER FAILED. THE STRUCTURAL MEMBER ACTUALLY FAILED IN THE WELD HEAT AFFECTED ZONE. THE WALL THICKNESS OF THE STRUCTURAL MEMBER WAS A TUBE WITH INADEQUATE WALL THICKNESS FOR THE DESIGN. I AM A CIVILIAN NUCLEAR ENGINEER FOR THE DOD (NAVY) AND CAN SEND A DIGITAL IMAGE OF THE FAILED PART. IT APPEARS FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON FAILURE AS I WOULD EXPECT FROM MY INSPECTION. *TR

THE DRIVER SEAT LEANS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WELDS BREAK. THE FRONT AND THE REAR SUPPORTS BROKE. I HAVE READ THIS HAPPENS TO MOST OF THE SEAT. THEY DON'T MAKE A REPLACEMENT FRAME AND THEREFORE WANT ME TO BUY A WHOLE SEAT AT A COST OF 800 JUST FOR THE SEAT. SO HERE I AM TO SAY THIS ISN'T RIGHT AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS FIX AT THERE EXPENSE SINCE THEY WANT TO MAKE ME BUY THE WHOLE THING AND NOT JUST A FRAME. *TR

THE WELDS ON THE DRIVER SEAT FRAME BREAK. I FIRST NOTICED THIS IN FEBRUARY 2010 WHEN MY SEAT WOULD RAISE AT AN ANGLE. RECENTLY I WAS CLEANING MY CAR AND I NOTICED THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT ATTACHED SECURELY. THE WELD HOLDING THE SEAT BELT TO THE SEAT FRAME HAD CRACKED AND BROKEN FREE. I FOUND A USED SEAT AND WHEN IT WAS DELIVERED, THIS SEAT HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS, MULTIPLE WELDS ON THE SEAT FRAME THAT ARE CRACKED AND BROKE. THIS FRAME IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER. THIS WEBSITE SHOWS THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE COMPLAINTS OF REGARDING THE SAME DEFECT. HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2005/CHEVROLET/MALIBU_MAXX/SEATS/PROBLEM.ASPX THERE ARE MORE PLACES ONLINE TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE. MY CAR HAS 55000 MILES ON IT. I AM 150LBS. THESE WELDS SHOULD NOT BE BREAKING SO EASY, AND SO PREMATURELY. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TURNING AT 3 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHUT OFF. THE STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONED AS NORMAL UPON RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,050.