This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
When driving down the road my 2004 Chevrolet Malibu lt V6 dings and a yellow wrench comes up and on the radio it stays power steering and the steering wheel became very stiff and I could no longer control my vehicle I almost hit a car trying to pull over on the side of the road but thankfully I came to a red light put my hazards lights on and turned the car on and off.... this has happened to me multiple times and different occasions this is a very dangerous feature to deal with on this car it makes it unsafe and you don't know when its going to happen it would be a miracle if Chevrolet would recall such a dangerous feature seeing how this is a manufacturer defect.
The power steering stopped working for no reason, I turned off the car and restarted which reset the power steering. It has happened a few times since then, now in the last week twice it will not reset and have to had to drive it home manually. I am taking it a dealer today, the dealer I bought it from said they fixed the steering rack but it obviously did not resolve the problem. GM has no recall on this even though they are aware of this very serious issue.
I've had on several occasions had my power steering light come on as the vehicle locks up. It hasn't happened in a while however after getting my car aligned recently the auto tech said I should get my power steering looked at and I wanted to look into.the recall again.
Approx 1-3 prior to my power steering locking up, the power steering message appeared on my dashboard. I had tried to locate the power steering reservoir when the alarm first displayed only to learn being low on power steering fluid wasn't the situation that it I owned a 2004 Chevy Malibu ls that had electric power steering. By this time it was too late, I quickly learned that situation results in your steering wheel to become completely locked! as I was pulling out of my stall at a packed parking lot. I was unable to move the steering wheel, it had completely locked up, I believe my car was only slightly moving because I was parked at a slant. I then put the car in parked, turned off the engine, said a prayer and started the car again. This time the steering wheel worked completely fine. The next day as I was driving my car to my auto mechanic I felt my steering wheel become tight again after going over the railroad tracks, I pulled over right away since there was no traffic and I didn't want to learn the hard way my steering wheel gave out again. I then turn the car back off and on even tho it wasn't locked like the night before, just for peace of mind I guess and the wheel returned back to normal. After talking with my mechanic, info I learned on line I am taking my car to a Chevy dealership because apparently this is a problem they are familiar with and are the only auto mechanic shop that carriers a special tool to "fix" the situation. If it is even fixable, based on what I'm reading I'm better off saving my money fixing the issue that can't be fixed so I can use it to get a new car! losing control of the steering wheel to a moving vehicle at any given moment is insane. The fact that 2005 and on Chevy Malibu cars have been recalled for this very issue already should make a open shut case!.. please, why must we lose a life in order to save a dollar!?
I was driving on the interstate and all of the sudden I lost power steering. The light on the dash came on and the information panel said "power steering" I was able to pull to the side to the road and turn off the car. Once I started it again I had power steering. I drive for a living and this scared me to death. I have never had anything like this happen before. There seems to be an abundant number of complaints for this problem. How many complaints does it take to have someone figure this out?!!!!
- Indianapolis, IN, USA
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I was stopped at a red light when my electronic console stated "check power steering". as I pulled away from the traffic light to make my left turn, I quickly noticed that my vehicle had no power steering, as the vehicle was very difficult to steer. I pulled the vehicle into a parking lot and turned it off and removed the key from the ignition. After about a minute, I started the vehicle again, and the power steering was fine and working properly. Later that week, I had the power steering rack replaced at a local repair shop.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the steering wheel began to shake with a sudden loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. After restarting the ignition, the vehicle resumed normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice and each time the power steering module was replaced. In addition, a certified technician replaced the power steering module twice. The steering malfunction recurred and the vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.
Driving down the road when the radio panel started blinking with power steering. I then lost my power steering and my car began to shake this failure occurs without any warning and sometimes the power steering light will illuminate and it will show in the radio panel. As a woman, driving without power steering was extremely difficult. This is not the first time this happened to me it has happened several times and thankfully I was able to avoid an accident. I took the car to the dealer, and after running diagnostics, they told me that the 2004 Malibu's have electronic power steering, and that there is an issue with the power steering motor and that it overheats, causing loss of power steering. The car seat belts are froze and the hazard light button fell inside its hole and the headlight covers don't allow the lights to fully illuminate. This car should have been recalled because it poses life threatening issues. My research shows a high volume of complaints on this 2004 model but the 2005's and above were recalled, I also collected statements from factory workers who left their personal info on the internet and I found this : during my employment contract with delphi automotive (delphi saginaw steering system, 3900 E. holland ave., saginaw, Michigan 48601), I was instructed to conduct a screw "strip-out" study on the electric motor/controller assembly of the electric power steering (eps) system of the general motor's epsilon platform (my 2003.5 - 2006 Malibu). This study was conducted in may of 2004 at delphi's plant 1, assembly. The study included ten production motor and ten production controller assemblies that were assembled on the production equipment and process(ES). The controller is attached to motor by three M 5.0X 0.8 screws. The result of that study concluded that four of the ten motor/controller assemblies had at least one of the screws fully strip
Driving down the road. Car power steering went out. Almost wrecked because I could not steer vehicle. Now the power steering goes in and out as it wishes. The steering wheel jerks to the left when it does decide to work. Sometimes turning the car on and off will make the power steering come back on.
Attempted to execute a turn into parking lot driveway and the steering would not respond. After passing driveway, attempted to turn in either direction and steering would not respond more than a few degrees (< 10) of direction. Traveled approximately another half mile attempting to turn around and return home before enough steering was restored to complete a turn around. Afterward, steering has been intermittent and difficult to impossible. This condition is a safety hazard and should be addressed by GM before someone is seriously hurt or killed, if they haven't been already.
Making left hand turn power steering failed, almost caused me to run up over curb, very hard to steer, happens fast light on dash steering gone! bought car used on 2/16/13 steering failed first time on 2/17/13 took back to dealer on 2/18/13 dealer said they replaced power steering motor.car seemed ok for about a week, then power steering failed again on 2/24/13 turning left low speed in my driveway.car going back to dealer today 2/25/13.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parked, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. After shutting the engine off and restarting the vehicle, the failure light turned off. The contact stated that later, while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised that the steering column would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
My wife recently experienced a major problem with the power steering unit in her 2004 Malibu while driving with the kids. She says all of a sudden, the 'wrench' light came on, the radio display read "power steering" and she lost all power steering in the car, nearly causing her to crash. This morning, I took her car as I work much closer to home. Sure enough, there is no power steering in the car at all. After reading online, I am confused as to whether there is or is not a recall on this unit, as there appears to have been alot of trouble with the power steering in this year of vehicle, and even have a recall on the 2005 model. We have had the car for several years and had little trouble with it until recently. My local dealership tells me it would cost $96 just to look at the car and then whatever it would cost to fix the problem, but unable to guarantee the problem would remain fixed. I am in a similar position as many, unable to afford a new car or even pay an exorbitant amount for repairs that may or may not fix the issue. I need clear answers. Can you please let me know my options. Is there a recall I can look for" if there isn't, why not, since there have been so many issue with the power steering in this model" needing help,
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The powered off the vehicle and once restarted, the power steering assist resumed normally. The failure was experienced several times. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where a diagnostic was performed however, was unable to generate a failure code. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 113,528 and the current mileage was 113,588.
The electric power steering fails unexpectedly. The steering resets itself after turning the car off and restarting it but then it happens again sporadically. The steering column was replaced by the dealer but the problem is recurring over the past few weeks. It happened 3 times.
Pulling out of the garage the power steering went out. I drove it without power steering for about 3 miles, parked the vehicle and shut it off. Went inside the business & came out about a half hour later & the steering worked fine. I've researched this issue on line and have found that GM has recalled vehicles for this issue but not the 2004 Malibu. This vehicle has also been serviced 3 times in past years for steering related parts including a rack & pinion unit. My daughter has a 2005 Chevy cobalt & her vehicle was recalled for this very same issue.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel turned independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. After diagnosis, they were unable to determine any failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take to the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The current mileage was approximately 70,000....updated 04/25/13 the consumer stated the power steering sensor failed. The was a recall but, the consumer's VIN was not included. The vehicle was repaired.
My son, at college, was driving home when a chime sounded, power steering went out, and warning light came on. He pulled over and called me. First time this has occurred since we bought car in 2008. I talked to a mechanic, a couple of service managers, and looked this complaint up on the web. Found out that hundreds of Malibu owners have had the same problem. GM has not issued a recall for the 2004, but has for later years about this problem. This is a potentially life-threatening problem that could lead to a serious accident if it occurs while driving on a curvy, back-road highway or during a quick evasive turn. It looks like it will be an expensive fix that each owner must pay themselves. GM should stand behind their product and issue a recall.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Chester, VA, USA