2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY MELTED FROM THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BULBS. THE LAMP FOGGED UP AND CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 10/18/2006 - *NM

2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAX STEERING FAILED MAKING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. REAR HATCHBACK DOOR IS RUSTING. *KB WHEN THE STEERING FAILED THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED 38 MILES TOT HE CONSUMER'S HOME. THE REAR HATCH MOLDING CLIPS AND GASKETS FAILED TO PREVENT SALT INDUCED SWIRL RUST

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A SHORT CIRCUIT CAUSED ALL OF THE VEHICLE'S LIGHTS TO BLINK AT THE SAME TIME VERY RAPIDLY. ALSO, THE HORN SOUNDED RAPIDLY, THEN THE VEHICLE POWERED DOWN CAUSING ALL OF THE LIGHTS TO DIM AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP. THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A COASTING MODE. UNTIL THE VEHICLE POWERED BACK UP AGAIN, AND THE COMPUTERS OVERRODE EACH OTHER, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL OF THE LIGHTS THREE TIMES. THIS INCLUDED TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS AND ANY OTHER LIGHTS TO TRY AND REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP WAS CHANGED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP THOUGHT THE FUEL PUMP MAY BE OVERRIDING THE MAIN COMPUTER. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ALSO REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP THOUGHT MAYBE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATING THE SYSTEM, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE WHEN THE SHORT CIRCUIT OCCURRED. UPDATED 10/4/2006 - *NM

MY CAR MAKES A GROANING OR LOW GROWLING SOUND WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT SEEMS THAT THE HOTTER THE WEATHER IS THE MORE IT GROWLS AND GROANS. *NM

DRIVING TO WORK NORMALLY, TURN SIGNALS WORKED NORMALLY, THEN TRIED TO SIGNAL A TURNING AFTER 5 MORE MINUTES OF DRIVING, TURN SIGNAL SYSTEM WAS COMPLETELY DEAD (COULD NOT SIGNAL TURN). SYSTEM STAYED DEAD FOR 5 MINUTES. APPLIED BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES TO PARK. WHEN PARKED, TURN SIGNAL SYSTEMS WORKED OK. OTHER POSTERS ON THE WWW.EDMUNDS.COM CHEVROLET MALIBU FORUM HAVE REPORTED SAME PROBLEM. *NM

2004 MALIBU MAXX. HAVE LOST POWER STEERING 3X'S. THIS IS THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED/FIXED, NOT PUTTING IN A NEW PART THAT IS THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE. VERY ANNOYED. *JB

MAKING SLOW LEFT HAND TURN, VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND ON BOARD DISPLAY LISTED ISSUE AS POWER STEERING. SHUT OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED. POWER STEERING WAS REGAINED. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS NOTIFIED RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE WAS NOT IN EFFECT FOR THE VIN NUMBER LISTED FOR MY VEHICLE, BUT ANY ISSUE THAT WARRANTED A RECALL OF THE MODELS DUE TO THE SAME DEFECT. *JB

WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND SOMETIMES WHEN ACCELERATING THERE IS A CLUNK SOUND FROM THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. AT FIRST WE COULD HARDLY HEAR IT AND AS THE MONTHS PASSED ON IT GOT WORSE. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER ON MARCH 31, 2004. THEY SAID GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ARE MANUFACTURING PARTS TO REPAIR THE DEFECT. THEY GAVE ME A GM DOCUMENT WITH ID#1764730 AND STATING THAT THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE SECOND QUARTER. I THINK I MAY HAVE A LEMON BECAUSE EARLIER THE POWER STEERING STOPPED AND THEY REPLACED THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM. IT IS NOW FIVE MONTHS SINCE I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER AND I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING. THE CAR NOW SOUNDS LIKE THE FRONT END IS GOING TO FALL OFF WHENEVER WE SLOW DOWN AND IT SOUNDS VERY DANGEROUS. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE MORE THAN 23,000 MILES, WHICH I CONSIDER FAIRLY NEW, AND SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS 500,000 MILES ON IT. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH IN OUR 60'S AND BELIEVE ME WE ARE NOT HOT RODDERS. PLEASE HELP US TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE REPLACED THE LEFT FRONT TURN SIGNAL BULB THREE TIMES IN THREE MONTHS. THE FILAMENTS ARE OK BUT THE CONNECTING WIRE ON THE BULB IS BURNT THROUGH. IT APPEARS THAT THE BULB DO NOT SEAT PROPERLY INTO THE SOCKET AND VIBRATION CAUSES THE CONNECTION TO ARC. I EXPECT THIS PROBLEM TO CONTINUE UNTIL THE SOCKET IS REPLACED BY THE DEALER (ASSUMING I CAN CONVINCE THE DEALER TO DO SO UNDER WARRANTY). *JB

1. POWER STEERING FAILURE 2. NOISE IN STEERING 3. NOISE IN STEERING STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED IN EACH INCIDENT, NOW MAKING CLUNKING NOISE AGAIN. DEALER SAID ITS "NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF VEHICLE. NOISE IS GETTING WORSE. *NM