2004 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems
- 684
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 684 stored complaint records:
- 25 indicate a crash
- 9 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Electric Power Assist System · 110 records
- Column · 14 records
- Rack And Pinion · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 168 |
| 1–30k mi | 137 |
| 100–150k mi | 137 |
| 30–60k mi | 85 |
| 150–400k mi | 56 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. When the contact turned the steering wheel in any direction, he noticed a grinding noise in the intermediate steering shaft. The contact also noticed that the grinding noise occurred each time he drove over a bump or pot hole. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 78000.
ODI 10287391
Steering
The power steering failed while driving my 2004 chevrolet malibu. A "mechanical problem indicator appeared on the dash board when driving my car and the words "power steering" were displayed on the radio display. A few moments later, my power steering failed and the car became very difficult to drive. I turned around and went home. *tr
ODI 10285739
Steering
Power steering failure due to faulty electronic components in the power steering column. I had to pay nearly $500 to have the power steering column replaced. General motors would not provide any assistance or reimbursement. *tr
ODI 10577287
Power Train · Steering
I own a 2004; 4 cyl; chevy malibu with electronic power steering. The system failed while i was on the interstate. I narrowly escaped causing a collision because of this failure. When towed to chevy "... Their computer shows no problem...". Baloney, i have since found out by going on-line that lots of chevy malibus have this problem. Chevy will not own up to it because it is a major expensive repair. *tr
ODI 10285214
Steering
I purchased a 2004 chevrolet malibu in june 2009. Since i have had the car the power steering light has come on and i have lost all power steering in the vehicle twice. I took the car the dealerships shop and they told me they could not find anything wrong with the power steering. Driving today i lost all power steering again. I stop the vehicle and turn it off and it resets itself usually, but today it kept going…
ODI 10282877
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph the "power steering" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, then the power steering failed. As a consequence the risk for vehicle crash was increased. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility, and a mechanic concluded that the steering shaft needed replacement. As of current date the vehicle…
ODI 10282737
Steering
The intermediate shaft on this vehicle (steering) locked up making the car unsteerable thus causing an accident. It is unpredictable when the intermediate shaft locks up. Prior to the accident the vehicle experienced shaking at highway speeds and premature tire ware. Part was replaced 2 years ago through warranty but failed again. According to the dealership this is a common problem with most gm vehicles however no…
Crash reported
ODI 10290016
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While driving 72 mph, the power steering light came on and then the steering wheel locked. He was able to safely drive onto the emergency lane and shut the engine off. Approximately 5 seconds after restarting the vehicle the failure recurred. The dealer was not notified. A local mechanic stated that the main gear in the steering failed. The vehicle has not been repaired.…
ODI 10298719
Steering
Driving the 2004 chevy malibu in a parking lot when power steering turned off. Power steering will reset after restarting the car but will subsequently turn off again. Looses power steering more frequently since the initial loss of power steering. *tr
ODI 10280520
Steering
Electric power steering goes of suddenly w/o advance notice of any kind. *tr
ODI 10279478
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact's vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while operating the vehicle and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure…
ODI 10628092
Steering
I own a 2004 chevy malibu and the electronic power steering quit. The wrench light came on and the display said power steering. It has happened several times. The last time it happened was right after i had picked my son up from day care. I was on my home and the power steering went out. I could barely steer the car. I had to pull hard on the steering wheel to get the car to steer. It started working again on my way…
ODI 10279273
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 40 mph at night, the power steering failed unexpectedly. The driver had to exert greater effort to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle has not been repaired and is currently not being driven. The failure and current mileages were 70,520.
ODI 10278984
Steering
I was driving my 2004 chevrolet malibu this summer when the steering wheel column locked up and wouldn't let me turn the wheel thankfully i was on a county road so i was able to pull my car to the side. I took it to the dealership and i had to get my steering wheel column replaced and then it happened again this time it only partially locked up, but when i took it to the dealership the steering wheel column had to…
ODI 10315300
Electrical System · Service Brakes, Electric · Steering
This car is terrible. Not only did my brakes not work which made my car crash through the front of my house the steering has been replaced twice and the problem still exists. The electrical system has major problems. The blinker burned a hole through the lens cover and makes the horn, doors and lights not work. I have contacted gm several times over the last 5 years and they don't care because the warranty is out.…
Crash reported
ODI 10277186
Fuel System, Gasoline · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While the contact was driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated until the engine was turned off. There was a slight loss of power steering for a few seconds. On a separate occasion, the engine warning indicator illuminated and a message displayed on the instrument panel indicating that the fuel cap was open. The failure would occur…
ODI 10394267
Engine And Engine Cooling · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While driving less than 3 mph, the power steering failed. The contact drove forward out of a parking spot, but the steering wheel would not turn. She had to exert great force in order to turn the steering wheel. In addition, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The manufacturer would not assist because there were no recalls for the steering. The…
ODI 10277169
Steering
The 1st time it happened was about 11 months ago. I was driving on a busy avenue when i lost all steering control of my vehicle. No warnings just the inability to steer my vehicle at all. I figured it was a fluke and dismissed it for the moment. Until it started happened again. This time i ended up in a ditch on the side of the road, terrified! I bought 2004 chevy malibu new from the dealer so i brought it to them.…
ODI 10326856
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The driver stated that his power steering failed whenever he drove the vehicle. The driver stated that the wheel became difficult to turn. The failure began in 2004 after he purchased the vehicle. The failure also caused him to drive into a ditch and crash into a fire hydrant while driving 15 mph. There were no injuries. He has notified the dealer. The failure mileage was…
Crash reported
ODI 10315642
Steering
Power steering in 2004 chevy malibu goes out on a daily basis. *tr
ODI 10274608
Steering
I have been having problems with the power steering just going out for no reason at all. There is a slight clacking noise and the steering wheel fights with you to make a turn. Some days its fine and other days you fear for your life. I see online thousands of complaints about this ongoing problems. No recall!!! What do we have to do to get a recall....blood shed! There has been tons of wrecks, near wrecks, and…
ODI 10275353
Electrical System · Equipment · Steering
I have reported two previous incidents regarding noise in the front end of my 2004 chevy malibu ls. The same noise is again occurring in the front end of my car which leads me to believe it is a steering issue. When i took the car to jack phelan chevrolet, they did not find a problem with the front end/steering. I believe they aren't telling me because this will be the 3rd complaint regarding steering parts. *tr
ODI 10293318
Steering
At least 3 or 4 times in the five years i've owned my 2004 chevy malibu my power steering failed during driving on the roadways causing me distress and danger to myself and others. Even though i got this "repaired" at the dealers, i feel like the power steering is about to fail again any day now. I'd like the dealer to pay for the repair instead of me paying for it. I feel like the dealer didn't repair the problem…
ODI 10274036
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While driving 40 mph when the vehicle started to decrease in speed without having her foot on the brake pedal, the power steering light illuminated and the steering wheel became very hard to turn. She turned the vehicle off and it was towed to a dealer who stated that there were no recalls or warranties. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who repaired the power steering.…
ODI 10315892
Steering
We have had problems with the power steering on our 2004 malibu almost from day one. After filing a complaint with the bbb a chevy rep contacted us, got the column replaced and some other things and gave us an extended warranty. Several times since then we have taken it in because the power steering failure came up again but no problem was ever found. Evidently these were not logged in because when we talked to…
ODI 10273052