2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

POWER STEERING KEEPS FAILING WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. THE CAR HAS 105,552 MILES. MY MECHANIC HAS TALKED TO CHEVY MECHANICS AND THEY SAY YOU CAN FIX THE SENSOR MOTOR AND STEERING COLUMN BUT CANT GUARANTEE THAT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. HOW IS IT GM CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT DOING A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM IF ITS UNSAFE? THE CHEVY DEALER TOLD MY MECHANIC THE BEST THING I CAN DO IS TRADE IT IN. I AM ALMOST DONE PAYING FOR THE CAR AND DON'T WANT TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR. I WANT THIS ONE FIXED AND NOT BE SCARED THAT I'M GONNA GET KILLED IN IT OR KILL SOMEONE ELSE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE WHEN DRIVING 5 MPH AND ABOVE. THE CONTACT WOULD SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL UPON RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. IT FELT LIKE WET CEMENT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I HAVE DRIVEN A CAR WITH OUT POWER STEERING BEFORE THIS WAS MUCH HARDER. I PULLED OVER OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS LOOSE. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. ONCE I RESTARTED THE CAR IT WAS FINE. 30 MINS LATER MAKING A LEFT TURN IT GOES OUT AGAIN, TURN CAR ON AND OFF AND IT WORKS AGAIN. *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT BECAME HARD TO TURN. IT TOOK TWO OF US TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. I GOT TO A SAFE SPOT TO STOP, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, WAITED ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND RESTARTED, OPERATED FINE. I HAVE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE AT VARIOUS TIMES SINCE BUT HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT DAILY FOR THE PAST WEEK. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY DID DIAGNOSTIC AND SAW NO PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE NO SUGGESTIONS FOR ME. *KB

THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT WENT TO ADJUST IT AND IT STARTED GOING UP AT AN ANGLE. IT GOT TILTED AND LOOSE, THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT WAS TO PUT IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR BUT CAN FEEL IT ROCK. ALL I CAN THINK OF IS I AM SCREWED IN AN ACCIDENT. ALSO THE POWER STEERING INDICATOR COMES ON ALL THE TIME AND WHEN YOU GET AN OIL CHANGE, THEN IT DISAPPEARS FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THEN COMES ON AGAIN EVERYTIME YOU START THE CAR. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN ON, THE STEERING HAD INDEPENDENTLY RESET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE NOR WAS THE VEHICLE INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,765. UPDATED 10/14/11 *BF UPDATED 10/28/11

KNOCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, NOISE AND DIFFICULTY TURNING. NOTICABLE PLAY IN THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. OCCURS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, I REFUSE TO DRIVE MY CAR ON THE FREEWAY OR AT HIGH SPEEDS IN FEAR OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GOING OUT. *TR

THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT RAIL IS BROKEN. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THE SEAT BELT IS CONNECTED TO THE FRAME. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MANY OWNERS OF THE 2004 MALIBU MAXX. THE BROKEN FRAME CAUSE THE SEAT TO FALL AND SHAKE WHILE DRIVING. I HAD A MECHANIC TRY TO FIX IT AND HE SAID IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AND CHEVY HAS DISCONTINUED THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE THUS FAR TO FIND A NEW SEAT BUT SUSPECT EVEN IF I BUY A NEW ONE THE SAME FAULTY ISSUE WITH THE WELD WILL OCCUR. HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVEFORUMS.COM/T919217-DISCUSS2004_CHEVY_MALIBU_MAXX_BROKEN_POWER_SEAT.HTML *KB

POWER STEERING FAILED TODAY COMPLETELY AND I RAN OFF THE ROAD WHEN ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO A SEMI-TRUCK AND COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN IN A LARGE CRASH IF THE TRUCK WAS ONLY A FEW FEET CLOSER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I AM NOT SURPRISED HOW SLOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS. I ASSUME THAT NOTHING WILL COME FROM MY COMPLAINT. MY POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAULTY FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. I FEEL BAD IF I SELL THIS CAR BECAUSE IT MIGHT KILL THE PERSON I SELL IT TO, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THE STEERING WILL FAIL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING A TURN, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN INTO THE MEDIAN CAUTIOUSLY AND TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THERE WAS NO RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10018531 (STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER; ASSIST SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. UPDATED 09/21/11*LJ UPDATED 10/03/11