2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING TURNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WILL DEACTIVATE CAUSING CAR TO JERK, THEN STEERING WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. CAR CAN BE TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED AND THE ISSUE WILL STOP FOR A SHORT TIME. THERE HAS BEEN RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE ON OTHER GM MODELS BUT NOT MY MODEL. THIS ISSUE FIRST OCCURRED WHILE MY 16 YR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERN FOR MY DAUGHTER SAFETY WILL DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR OUT SHORTLY AFTER THIS HAPPEN TO HER AND WITHIN 3 TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED, LIGHT ON DASH LIGHT, DISPLAY SHOWED POWER STEERING AND STEERING REVERTED TO WHAT CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS PREPOWER STEERING X 2. I AM A MUSCULAR 300 POUND MALE AND I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THE CAR TO TURN SAFELY INTO THE LANE AND LATER OFF THE ROAD. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS NO COVERED BY GM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED. PLEASE REOPEN YOUR INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

FIRST STARTED AS AN OCCASIONAL STEERING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEEDS. THEN PROGRESSED TO MORE FREQUENT STEERING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEED. NEXT A BAD VIBRATION STARTED IN THE FRONT WHEN BREAKING. NOW A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. DIAGNOSIS BY MECHANIC IS DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION, STEERING BOX, AND POSSIBLY POWER STEERING FAILURE. RESEARCH INDICATES THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, AND THAT THE 2005 MALIBU WAS RECALLED FOR EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM LAST SUMMER.

THE 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX HAS A FAULTY DRIVERS SEAT. THE BASE AND FRAME FRACTURE AND CAUSE THE SEAT TO LEAN TO THE RIGHT AND PROHIBIT IT FROM RISING. THIS HAPPENED ONCE AND WE HAD IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $900. IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND A NUMBER OF OTHERS WITH THIS VEHICLE WITH THE EXACT PROBLEM. MY WIFE CANNOT EVEN DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE SEAT SO LOW AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CHEVY NEEDS TO DO A RECALL AND STOP THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE FIXES AND IT CONTINUES TO BREAK. *KB

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX WITH A 6 POSITION DRIVER SEAT, I HIT A POTHOLE AND THE DRIVER SEAT BROKE LOOSE. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO DROP DOWN, BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. THIS RESULTED IN A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSING ME TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND ENDING UP OFF THE ROAD AND HITTING A SMALL TREE. THE CONTACT TO THE TREE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRIM AROUND THE HEADLIGHT AND THE LENS. INSPECTION FOUND 2 WELDS ON THE SEAT FRAME HAD BROKEN. THE 1ST WELD IS ON THE FRONT CROSS BAR AND RIGHT FRAME RAIL. THE 2ND WELD HAD BROKEN ON THE REAR CROSS BAR AND THE FRAME WHERE THE SEATBELT RECEPTACLE IS ATTACHED. WE CALLED THE CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND WE WERE TOLD THAT CHEVY HAD NOT HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT BROKEN WELDS ON THE SEAT FRAME BUT WOULD BE HAPPY TO RECORD OUR CONCERN. WE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED ABOUT RECALLS AND TSB'S REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND WAS INFORMED THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALLS OR TSB'S REPORTED ON THE SEAT FRAME. IN FACT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME OUR LOCAL DEALER HAD EVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. REPAIR FOR THE SEAT ALONE WILL BE OVER $1,000 NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER DAMAGE CAUSED BY RUNNING OFF THE ROAD.I CALLED IN OUR AREA AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY COULD NOT KEEP SEATS IN STOCK. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT

2004 MALIBU MAXX HAS LOST POWER STEERING. WEEKS PRIOR THE STEERING TO THE LEFT IS LOOSE AND STEERING TO THE RIGHT IS TIGHT. MECHANIC CANNOT FIND AN ISSUE. FOUND OVER 40 COMPLAINTS IN ONLINE CAR BLOGS OF THE SAME ISSUE. SEVERAL HAD REPLACED STEERING COLUMN ONLY TO FIND THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR

THE FRONT DRIVER'S BECOME LOOSE AND ROCKET TO THE RIGHT SIDE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THE SEAT FRAME BROKE. DEALER STATES FRAME MUST BE REPLACED - COST $1200.00 I ASKED IF IT COULD BE WELDED AND HE SAID NO BECAUSE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR WHOSE FRAME BROKE FROM NORMAL USE. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FEEL THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR A RECALL. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT OTHER BECAUSE OF A AUTOMOTIVE FORUM. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS LIKE THIS WHO I'M SURE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE. *TR

MY POWER STEERING ON MY 2004 MALIBU MAXX LOCKS UP AT RANDOM TIMES, THROWS THE CAR TO THE LEFT, I WAS GETTING THE BATTERY LIGHT AND A DING WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT CHANGED IN MARCH 2011 THEN THE TENSIONER IN JUNE 2011. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WOULD CURE THE PROBLEM, AS THESE COMPONENTS ARE LINKED TO THE ALTERNATOR AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP/MOTOR. THIS PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING, HOWEVER NOW, I DO NOT GET THE BATTERY LIGHT, JUST A DING WHEN THE STEERING LOCKS AND THE CAR VEERS TO THE LEFT. *TR

DRIVING THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT THE CHECK POWER STEERING MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THEN THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED FUNCTIONING. CAR WAS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER AND STEER. ONCE RESTARTED, POWER STEERING RESUMED. SINCE THAT INCIDENT, THE POWER STEERING FAILED ONCE AGAIN WHILE CAR WAS IN PARK ON 6/20/2011. THEN ONCE CAR WAS RESTARTED THE POWER STEERING RESET ITSELF. VERY VERY DANGEROUS!!!

I OWN A 2004 MALIBU MAXX,IMY POWER STEERING GOES OUT CONSTANTLY,WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH OR 60 MPH.I RECENTLY WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILDREN AND IT WENT OUT WHILE I WAS MAKING A TURN AND I ALMOST WENT OFF THE ROAD .SCARED ME AND MY KIDS TO DEATH....SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS....I HAVE READ TOO MANY STORIES ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE..DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO LOOSE THEIR LIFE TO GET A RECALL ON THIS OR WHAT!!!!!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE SEAT PREVIOUSLY, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CURRENT FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.