2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS SUNDAY MARCH 21. NOTICED THE STEERING PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, BUT THE DOUBLE CLICK SOUND HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS. WHILE TURNING LEFT FROM A STOP LIGHT THE STEERING STOPPED WORKING. I STARTED FROM A STOP, ACCELERATED THRU THE INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT. ABOUT HALFWAY THRU THE TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TRIED TO GO BACK STRAIGHT. IT NEARLY JERKED THE WHEEL OUT OF MY HANDS. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND A SECOND LATER THE STEERING CAME BACK. I HAVE SINCE BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE EFFECT SEVERAL TIMES. I ALSO NOTICED THAT IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A DOUBLE "CLICK" SOUND COMING FROM SOMEWHERE UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN, AND IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A BING BING AND EITHER/OR THE BATTERY LIGHT AND THE CAR WITH A WRENCH LIGHT. THIS ALSO OCCURS WHEN ACCELERATING UP HILL ON THE FREEWAY. *DT

MY 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX LEAKS FROM THE ROOF AREA BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE SUNROOF. WHEN WE HAVE HEAVY RAIN. SUCH AS WHAT WE HAD ON SATURDAY 3/13/10, WATER WAS LEAKING FROM THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS ONTO THE CONSOLE. IT ALSO LEAKS FROM UNDER THE DRIVERS AREA. PUDDLES IN THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER AREA. IT HAPPENS IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN FALL. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUTE 128 IN WELLESLEY, MA AT A STEADY UNACCELERATION SPEED OF 65 MPH, I EXPERIENCED A NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, ACCOMPANIED BY AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ON THE ODOMETER DISPLAY, A REPEATING BELL SOUND, AND A "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE RADIO. WITH GREAT EFFORT I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HAD MY GIRL FRIEND OR AN ELDERLY PERSON BEEN DRIVING THAT THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ONE. USING SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH I WAS ABLE TO STEER TO A SAFE AREA. I REVIEWED THE OWNER'S MANUAL WHICH ADVISED GOING TO THE DEALER. AFTER ABOUT 12 MINUTES, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. I THEN DROVE TO THE DEALER (BANKS CHEVROLET IN CONCORD, NH) FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND RECOUNTED THE EXPERIENCE TO THEM. THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE AND ASSIGNED A TECHNICIAN TO OBTAIN THE (OBD-II) ERROR CODES, IF ANY HAD BEEN RECORDED. THE READOUT OBTAINED WAS CODE 545, WHICH THEY RESEARCHED AND, ALTHOUGH IT DID PERTAIN TO THE POWER STEERING, IT REFERRED TO AN "INTERMITTENT" LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, NOT A FULL AND CONTINUOUS LOSS. SINCE IT WAS NEARING CLOSING TIME, AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE FOR THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY, 3/4/10. ON THAT DATE, THE BANKS TECHNICIAN (JIM WATHEN) RESEARCHED THE ISSUE FURTHER AND MADE SOME ELECTRICAL ADJUSTMENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS PERFORMED NORMALLY SINCE. I AM REPORTING THIS HEART-STOPPING EVENT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE A FAIL-SAFE STEERING SYSTEM. I HOLD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND A LOT OF OUR TRAINING, BOTH IN AIRPLANES AND HELICOPTERS, IS DEDICATED TO THE PROPER RESPONSE TO A TOTAL FAILURE IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. THIS EVENT REQUIRED MORE STRENGTH THAN ANY I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN AVIATION AND DECIDEDLY COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL, ESPECIALLY IF THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE SLIPPERY OR THE ROADWAY ITSELF TWISTY (AS IN THE MOUNTAINS). A HARD TURN TO EITHER THE LEFT OF THE RIGHT JUST COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE. *TR

POWER STEERING CONTROL I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX V6, I BOUGHT NEW A FEW MONTHS LATER I HEARD A FAINT KNOCKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL EACH YEAR IT BECAME MORE NOTICEABLE. NOW THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WITH THE MESSAGE OF POWER STEERING. I HAVE COMPLAINED AND HAD A NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS THAT ARE DIFFERENT RESULTS. CHEVY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. MY POWER STEERING FAILED ON ME GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BEHIND AN 18 WHEELER, I STRUGGLED JUST TO GET ACROSS 1 LANE AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. I WAS TOO SCARED TO TURN THE CAR OFF BECAUSE I WAS 10 MI. AWAY FROM HOME. SO I SLOWLY DROVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY ONCE I MADE IT HOME I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LATER TURNED IT BACK ON WITH POWER BACK IN MY STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TOYOTA CARS. THERE NEED TO BE A FULL INVESTIGATION THIS IS ONE OF MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE POSTED WITH NO RESULTS!!!!!!!! *TR

I'VE BEEN DRIVEN MY 04 CHEVY MALIBU MAX WITH OUT POWER STEERING FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS NOW. EVERY TIME I CONTACT A CHEVY DEALER THEY SAY OH THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAD DIAGNOSTICS DONE AND THEY SAID THERE NOTHING THEY CAN DO ITS NOT TO BIG.. THEY ALSO SAID ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE.. I JUST SAW ON THE NEWS THAT THEY ARE RECALLING THE COBALTS FOR POWER STEERING, WHY ARE THEY NOT FIXING THEM AND THEY KNOW THE MAXXS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET.. *TR

2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX LS. THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHEN TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR STOPPED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES. NO ACC OR INJURY. POWER STEERING GOES BACK ON AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING THE CAR. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER GM AUTOS THAT WERE RECALLED TODAY, MARCH 2, 2010. TSB'S HAVE BEEN ISSUED, BUT NO RECALL. THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED IS APPROX THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED. *TR

MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX IS SHOWING THE POWER STEERING NEEDS FIXED. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT I NEED TO REPLACE IT RIGHT AWAY. I AM GETTING FIXED NOW SO THAT I DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX. ON JAN. 26, I GOT INTO THE CAR. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE INFORMATION CENTER SAID TO CHECK POWER STEERING. THE STEERING WAS A LITTLE HARD. MY FRIEND WAS GOING TO CHECK IT WHEN I GOT HOME. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME THAT NIGHT, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT OCCURRING AND THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES SINCE. THEN TODAY, 3/2/2010, I GOT IN THE CAR. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER UNTIL ABOUT 15 MPH. IT WAS LESS DIFFICULT BETWEEN 15 AND 30 MPH, AND O.K., BUT NOT NORMAL, OVER 30 MPH. WHEN I GOT TO WORK, I HAD TO MOVE MY CAR AFTER A FEW MINUTES. WHEN I GOT INTO IT AND MOVED IT, THE STEERING WAS FINE. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE OF THE SIMILARITY WITH THE COBALT STEERING ISSUE THAT HAS CAUSED A RECENT RECALL. THE SYMPTOMS SOUND EXACTLY LIKE THE NEWS REPORTS, BUT THE MALIBU ISN'T ON THE LIST YET. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON 91S IN HARTFORD CT. I HAD JUST GOTTEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND MOVED INTO THE SECOND LANE. IT WAS RAINING AND I HYDROPLANED. I WENT INTO A 360 AND AT THE 180 POINT I HIT THE CEMENT DIVIDER HEAD ON. I CONTINUED IN THE 360 AND AS I CAME ABOUT AGAIN I HIT THE METAL GUARDRAIL, AGAIN, HEAD ON AND WENT INTO ANOTHER 360. THERE WAS NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AT ALL AND MY SEATBELT DIDN'T LOCK UP WHICH CAUSED MY FACE AND UPPER TORSO TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. I LOST TEETH AND WAS INJURED ON MY UPPER TORSO AND NECK. I CALLED CHEVY AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE PICS OF CAR AND SEND THEM . I DID SO AND STILL HAVE THE PICS AND THE CAR. CHEVY SENT A "TECH" OUT TO DO "TESTS". THE TECH SHOWED UP NOT ONLY AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE BUT WITHOUT THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO DO THE TESTS AND WOUND UP BORROWING CERTAIN THINGS FROM MY NEIGHBOR. I WAITED 3+ MONTHS TO HEAR FROM CHEVY. I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT THEY TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY., AND THAT THE TESTS SAID IT WAS UNDER THE THRESHOLD IF WHEN AN AIRBAG SHOULD DEPLOY. INCLUDED WITH THE LETTER WAS A "COPY OF THE TEST" WHICH WAS/IS ABSOLUTELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO ME. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION OF ANYTHING THIS "TEST" SAID. BUT CHEVY TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL. IF NEEDED I WILL FORWARD ALL PICS AND THE LETTER FROM CHEVY AS WELL. *TR

POWER DIRVER SEAT ON 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX BROKE CAUSING THE SEAT TO LEAN TO THE RIGHT.