2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

I JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND THE STEERING FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE STEERING RACK AND GEARS TO THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE SPRING AND SENSOR FOR AIRBAG ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE RE-CENTERED AND THE CAR REALIGNED.

WELD BROKE ON FRONT FRAME OF DRIVERS SEAT CAUSING THE SEAT TO TILT TO RIGHT AND NOT GO UP AND DOWN PROPERLY. LOOKS LIKE IT IS BROKE AT A WELD POINT. *TR

OUT OF THE BLUE ONE DAY I NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT ELEVATE THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEIGHT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. (THE LEFT SIDE CONTINUED TO WORK AS IT SHOULD.) I TOOK IT IN TO THE CHEVY DEALER FOR REPAIR AND IT COST ME $120.00 FOR THEM TO WELD THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SEAT FRAME BACK TOGETHER. ON FEB 28, 2012, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. MY LOCAL REPAIRMAN EXAMINED THE SEAT AND SAID THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN IN A DIFFERENT SPOT. THE COST TO REPLACE THE SEAT (THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT) WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $850 PLUS TAXES, ETC. I'M LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT AT A LOCAL SALVAGE YARD BUT, THUS FAR, I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING A SEAT. *TR

POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OFF, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENING THE SAME WAY, AND AT TIMES WHEN DRIVING HAPPY NO ONE HAS HAD TO LOOSE THEIR LIFE DUE TO A FAULTY SYSTEM DEFECT. *TR

GEAR SHIFT PROBLEM. TRIED TO PLACE CAR IN PARK AND GEAR SHIFT STAYED IN DRIVE, ALTHOUGH GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR ON DASHBOARD SHOWED OTHERWISE. STUCK IN DRIVE AND COULD NOT SHIFT IT OUT. WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL I CALLED CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR ADVICE. THEY ADVISED ME TO PUT EMERGENCY BRAKE ON TO SHUT CAR OFF, AND CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK. *TR

WHILE MY WIFE WAS CROSSING THE VERRANZNO BRIDGE BETWEEN BROOKLYN AND STATEN ISLAND THE ELECTRICAL STEERING FAILED. THIS CREATED A EXTREME SAFELY ISSUE SINCE MY WIFE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE STEERING. THIS FORCED HER TO SLOW TO A STOP WHILE OTHER CARS WERE GOING FULL SPEED CREATING A SAFELY ISSUE. WHEN SHE TURN THE CAR ON AGAIN SHE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE BRIDGE AND TO THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. MY WIFE WAS LUCKY THAT IS WASN'T IN A CONDITION THAT SHE WAS MAKING A TURN OR SOME OTHER POSITION THAT COULD HAD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND IN NO TIME SHOULD A STEERING FAILURE CAUSE ALMOST COMPLETE LOST OF CONTROL BECAUSE YOU NOT HAVE STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE STEERING SEIZED WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 59,843.

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT LAST YEAR AND I HAD THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACE (THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID WAS WRONG) NOW HERE IT IS 14 MONTHS LATER AND IT'S OUT AGAIN. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT EVEN TO THE SHOP. IT HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF DEFECTIVE PART BY CHEVY BASED ON THE MASSIVE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I SEE ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SHELL OUT MONEY TO HAVE THIS FIXED AGAIN. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE FACTORY! *TR

WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT, I RECEIVED A WARNING CHIME AND NOTICED A STEERING WARNING NOTE ON THE DIGITAL DISPLAY. AFTER CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, THE NOTICE WAS NOT PRESENT AND STEERING WAS NORMAL. ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS, THE STEERING WOULD REPEAT THIS SITUATION BUT IT WOULD DO IT IN NO APPARENT REGULAR DRIVING STATE, IE, COULD BE GOING DOWN ROAD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR JUST MANEUVERING INTO A PARKING SPOT. ALWAYS WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER A CYCLE OF THE IGNITION KEY AND COULD BE MONTHS BEFORE A REPEAT EVENT. SOMETIMES THE EVENT WOULD SEEM TO REDUCE STEERING POWER BUT NOT REMOVE ALL ASSIST AND AT OTHER TIMES THE STEERING ASSIST WOULD BE COMPLETELY REMOVED. *TR

FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. LUCKILY HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED AND NO TRAFFIC. INTERNET SHOWS THIS BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER MALIBU OWNERS. GM HAS RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES WITH SAME PROBLEMS, BUT NO RECALL BY NHTSA, ONLY INVESTIGATIONS. LOSS OF STEERING IS ONE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE. *TR