2008 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems
- 388
- 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 388 stored complaint records:
- 10 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
- 1 indicate a death
What owners report
- Electric Power Assist System · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 96 |
| 30–60k mi | 81 |
| 100–150k mi | 81 |
| 1–30k mi | 42 |
| 150–400k mi | 40 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
Steering wheel jerking left and right while at low speed and setting still. *tr
ODI 10262701
Steering
Electronic power steering problems causing steering wheel to jerk to left and right. *tr
ODI 10307881
Steering
I have a 2008 chevy malibu lt. In march of this year the steering wheel started to jerk left and right while driving. It would also jerk while being stopped and while in park.there is also a popping sound or a clunking sound like a bad universal while turning and/or backing up. I noticed this about january of '09. The dealer replaced the brakes and rotors on the front,but the problem did not go away. On 5/12/10 the…
ODI 10334064
Steering
2008 chevy malibu. Steering becomes jerky, hard to control at different speeds. The steering will freeze causing unwanted lane change, when trying to steer back it will unlock and cause the car to jerk back. When stopped, with the engine running, the steering wheel, at times, jerk back and forth. *tr
ODI 10262504
Steering
2008 chevy malibu, makes thumping sound turning at lower speeds, wheel feels mushy and shakes. Told by dealer its the intermediate steering column. Concerned about potential danger. Car out of warranty, they want over $200 to fix it. Should be a safety recall, as i have talked to other gm owners who have the same problem. *tr
ODI 10291815
Steering
Appears to be a problem with the electric power steering/steering assembly. Steering will be smooth then all of a sudden the steering wheel will jerk to the left and right and become very loose like you have no control of the steering. When this happens the car tends to steer left. This happens frequently during driving and while stopped the steering wheel will move left and right. Have taken it to dealer one time…
ODI 10247589
Service Brakes, Electric · Steering
2008 chevrolet malibu 260 miles purchased on 7-21-08 on 7-22-08 received warning light "service traction" and "service sce" pulled to the side and look in manual description of problem. Manual said service as soon possible. Car was running very sluggish and abs brakes were chattering when applied. Car seemed like it would not shift gears. Took to dealer asap. Dealer said the problem was from a low charge on the…
Fire reported
ODI 10236455
Air Bags · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the steering column spontaneously locked up. The contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The air bags failed to deploy until minutes after the crash. The contact has pictures and a police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer did not assist. The failure and…
Crash reported
ODI 10241063
Steering
When accelerating aggressively, the steering wheel suddenly veers right and the car veers. Happens on some, but not all such starts. Similar thing has happened a couple of times in "panic" stops. *tr
ODI 10230976
Steering
The electric steering on my 2008 chevy malibu lt 4dr. Sedan(2.4l-4cyl)is not right. It seems to over steer for every correction the driver makes and thus creating a constant moving of the wheel to keep a straight line. The electric steering needs some fixing. The dealer said i need to get used to it. *tr
ODI 10230017
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. While driving the vehicle at various speeds, the contact heard strange noises when the brake pedal was depressed. He stated that there appeared to be an issue with the electric power steering/steering assembly. The steering wheel was smooth in the beginning and then suddenly jerked to the left and right. The wheel became very loose as if he had no control of the steering.…
ODI 10251585
Steering · Suspension
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. While test driving the vehicle at an unknown speed, the contact noticed that the steering wheel shook and the vehicle may have been misaligned. The dealer balanced the tires and stated that the manufacturer may have just "thrown tires" on the vehicle. The failure recurred a week later and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer…
ODI 10244471
Instrument Cluster/Panel · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. While driving between 55-60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a noise when the brake pedal was depressed. There was a decrease in the brake line pressure and the stopping distance increased. In addition, the steering wheel exhibited excessive wobbling, which made steering difficult. The failures occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to an…
ODI 10259672