Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I looked at mine with the passenger side boot off, no lube whatsoever where the shaft went through the bushing. The shaft would rock side to side.
The rack is mechanical, only lube is at manufacture.
I've complained of this issue at service three times so far.
Selling dealer aligned. Still had issue with it. I took to second dealer and they told me the first forgot to zero. Then I learned about the recalibration. Parts had come in at first dealer and I asked about the zeroing and recalibration. They assured me that had been done at the time of the alignment.
So, did the selling dealer have it wrong, they did not do the electrical part?
Or is it getting out of calibration for some reason. The second shop rechecked alignment at my request and it was OK.
But I have concerns over the specs they used because they were for older models. Supposedly, starting with 08 there was supposed to be a major redesign.
I would at least expect different springs with possibly different spring rates for the weight differences of the available engine and transmission combinations. And likely different alignment specs.
Also the range of wheels and tires available would suggest that the contact patch could vary changing rolling resistance. And some tires are supposed to have decreased resistance resulting in better MPG. I would think that the wheels would all have the same off-set, but won't bet on that.
But I certainly question why they have a different camber setting on the front, L/S to R/S. Normally that would be done if you plan to drive in circles such as on the track. I questioned the alignment man and his answer was that it was to improve handling on crowned roads, sloping down to the right. I think that you'd see that presents a problem when driving on flat or roads sloping to the left.
Possibly this results in actions that are counter intuitive making handling feel poor. I have detected on several occasions when the front gets a jounce because of an equal bump across road or such as when applying brake firmly and quickly releasing, as the springs return to height it is like the front wants to hop to the left.
Other than that (and it's a big that), I have no real complaints with the Maxx after 75K. The reimbursed column and a blend door fixed under warranty are about it.
Wife's car is an 08 Kia Optima which has been completely trouble free for 3+ years, although with a lot less mileage.
Did you have the feeling of play around straight ahead? That is turn the wheel a few degrees each direction without the vehicle responding?
Wife's KIA Rhondo has been much the same, except one major complaint. It handles like in a wreck. And terrible torque steer. Turns out there are no camber or caster adjustments and vehicle is definitely out of alignment. I need to help her pursue getting it taken care of. I want a company engineer to authorize the fix for safety reasons and that they can't claim I had the vehicle chopped.
Believe you will find that most who had the problem, had it documented throughout service history of the car....and not necessarily a one time event....some even had the column replaced multiple times....
again, not sure what makes them go bad....some had stated the contacts in the column get dirty and grease gets on them, others are simply not calibrated (zero'd correctly).....dont know the total numbers....of how many since you only see the problems surface on here......and no idea how big the overall population of the problem really is......mine is an 04 LT...will be 6 years old next month...have 158K on it.....and never have had a problem with the column....only replaced tires (3 sets) battery (1), brakes (2 sets), wipers, oil changes (synthetic every 6K miles), a right front tire rod and right rear caliper.....still going strong and hope it will see 200K
I had it shimmy about a month ago, but did not notice message in daylight.
Or did you mean "chime"?
Recently it was announced that GM was recalling 1.3 million cars that have a potentially dangerous steering defect where the power steering will without warning quit functioning. I am writing to inform you that the recall is in no way complete. The first vehicle to experience this problem to a large extent was the 2004 Chevy Malibu. This is a known problem with this car and needs to be fixed. The NHTSA opened and subsequently closed the investigation on this issue before many of the cars that were to experience this reached the necessary life. Since the repair for this is around $1000 dollars and it is clearly a design flaw, I would kindly urge you to look into the matter and see if GM can be persuaded to assist the many customers who have had to pay for their error. If you web search 2004 chevy malibu steering, you will find an unending supply of testimonials to support my claims. I will include one as reference http://www.lemonlawclaims.com/malibu_brake_and_steering_problem.htm
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
from what I can find....the voluntary recall is for the replacement of a motor in the power steering system....and the issue occurs in older vehicles generally pass warranty
on the Malibu the NHTSA did open an investigation in the power steering failures in May 2004,transitioning it to an engineering analysis on July 04 and closing the investigation in May 05 based on GM ISSUED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN (CSC) 04050A IN DECEMBER 2004 TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY 58,700 SUBJECT VEHICLES, ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST 97 PERCENT OF THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIMS POPULATION. VEHICLES OUTSIDE THE CSC 04050A POPULATION CONTAIN A NEWLY DESIGNED TORQUE AND POSITION SENSOR AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A RELATIVELY LOW COMPLAINT RATE. (this was cut and pasted from the NHTSA website).
there were no further investigations for other MY mailbus other than the 04.....with that said....make your own conclusions.....Im not sure the malibus have the same power steering systems as the Cobalts being recalled....most repairs for the malibu are for steering column replacement due to these sensor failures, vice an actual motor failure...is my understanding.....once replaced they have to be calibrated as well.....just want to make sure we are comparing the same cause and effect....
04 Malibu Maxx LT with 160K on it...and never a steering issue......
With old style power steering, hydraulic, you had few parts. You had a pump, a couple of hoses, and a hydraulicly assisted gear box or rack and pinion. And in all cases I'm aware of there was an isolator, often corded rubber, between the steering wheel and the gearbox to isolate vibration, noise, etc. from the cabin. It was fairly reliable. You did not have to do special adjustments or fine tuning if anything in the system was touched or an alignment was done.
Compare that to this EPS system and don't forget the intermediate shaft is part of this steering system.
The number of issues I've seen on my own vehicle, many of them stupid design mistakes, I'd say this is Chevy's Edsel.
steering column replacements were running 700-900 for replacement and a few on the board had mulitiple columns replaced.....Ive been fortunate...(knock on wood) not to have had the problem in my 04 Maxx with 165K on it....
make sure when they replace the column that it is calibrated correctly as well....there was a customer service rep monitoring edmunds threads for a while....dont know is she still is or not....do a search for Maria at GM...and see if something comes up...I would try contacting her through here.....as this steering column issue is a documented problem
Thank you for bring this to my attention. To "Chevsharon", please email me more information about your situation so I can look into this further. You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service
minor issues on all...all handled very nicely by three dealers....most done on the Solstice....with a differential replacement....but it was a known weak point in the early MY Sols.....just as the steering column seems to be with the Malibus.....
All other brands also have their problems...so it isnt specific to GM IMO....just pick a brand and go look at that thread on this forum.....you will always find issues regardless of make, model, or price......
I also am very good with routine maintenance and scheduled maintenance on all the vehicles....regular oil and other fluid changes, belts, plugs and filters per OEM recommendations....alignments annually or as needed......as well as wash/wax regularly too..........this too reduces mechanical issues
The problem is with the steering and GM needs to step up to the plate and recall and correct the problem.
Dexcool rust so bad it would plug up the coolant passages on 1996- 1997 Blazers, they would then overheat.
My 04 Malibu had the steering rack go bad 40 K , neighbor's 04 same thing.
I really do wonder about your claims of no problems with a your 04, but every one else does.
I do have the infamous bad rear deck shades that will not stay closed.....it wasnt worth my time and effort to get those fixed since they are never used...and the fix was worth taking the overhead lining out IMO.
Do I have a clunk in the front suspension going over a speed bump.....yes...but again...nothing I felt worthy of dealer time or my time.....it hasnt caused any long term suspension issues....never had an alignment problem, never had a single issue with the steering column
and yes...on occasion the remote starter hangs for a moment and takes about 15-20 seconds to start...but again....not worth my effort to get it checked by the dealer
the only items replaced were a leaking right rear brake caliper (147K) and a right front tire rod (140K).....other than those items....still running all the OEM major components
again...if boils down to your expectations of the car....my Maxx has certainly met mine.....165K still running strong....paid off four years ago....still getting great mileage...25-31 MPG city/hwy
sure some cars have had multiple failures of the column....is it systematic..probably, should GM step up to the plate on the early MY Malibus with this problem for 5/100 extension...yes.......is the suspension a problematic engineering design....probably....but I certainly wouldnt broad brush a brand based on it...I had a 95 Chrysler Lebaron that lost three transmissions between 45-60K....the first one I attributed to overheating...the next two...bad repairs by AAMCO... I wonder how many issues are caused by faulty warranty/repair work at the dealerships....
case in point....the 06 Solstice had a faulty pinion seal design in the differential...there were numerous reports of faulty repairs...using the improper tools (required a specialty tool) and or failed to add LSD additive after it was drained....all contributed to continued leaks and continued damage to differentials.....
with all that said...GM is still suffering from its past performance/perceptions, true or otherwise.....even you highlight a 13 year old past problem....it will take years for them to overcome these perceptions.....but I beleive they are making progress...just as Ford is doing.......bottomline..the consumer makes the ultimate choice....and if arent happen with GM....then choose another brand.....like a famous auto chairman once said....if you can find a better car, then buy it.....paraphrasing a bit.....
I have owned Hondas, Datsuns/Nissans, and Toyotas but have been all American brands in a multicar family, for the last 20 years (with the exception of an 03 Kia) and dont regret it....
I'm still at a loss as to what causes the terrible and erratic handling. Just before trip I had tires rotated and alignment checked again. Mechanic was at a loss as to my problems since it was dead on. But, good thing I checked behind the torque behind the tire rotater.
Several times I've had the steering wheel do a hard bump to the right, but it was so instantaneous it totally defied any corrective action. I suspected something in the EPS but finding such a gremlin is impossible without changing every component including the wiring.
But now I'm quite alarmed as it did it a few hundred miles up the road and it was not instantaneous. It lasted on the order of a full second. I nearly always drive with leather winter gloves because of the sensitivity of my hands to the poor contour and hardness of the wheel. And fortunate that it occured with both hands on the wheel. If it had been otherwise I probably would not have been able to hold it. The force was enough to jam my right shoulder causing it to be painful for a few hours.
As I said, I have no idea what the problem in the EPS is, but it damn sure is a dangerous condition.
If you start getting those very short bumps of the wheel and there is no other explanation than something in the EPS, please post, and be careful. It might be leading up to long duration bump.
I had one short one again, about 200 miles farther down the road.
I'm desparately hunting the vehicle I want which is a Lacrosse CXS with particular options. I checked with my insurance agent and the insurance on it is cheaper than a year old Malibu.
Also in the handling, this time was a major thrust of the vehicle across the solid white line, about a foot before I recovered and about 3 feet from the point it started. This is very much like the other complaints of vehicle being thrown when contacting uneven pavement.
Freeway had clockwise curve as did the lane I was in for route change. Both were on a downward incline at the point of merger. My lane had a bank but the others did not. Even though I had my own lane for some distance for merging, at the point the single lane ended the bank ended at a slice angle. When the right front contacted that angle change, that is when it threw me across the line, looking dead center at a tractor trailer. Thank God he was taking the inside of the curve and I recovered quickly or I would have been fodder from his rear wheels.
Some time back I mentioned that it looked like the big rubber mounts from the subframe/cradle to the body were slightly distorted as if one side was ahead of the other. On trying to figure what might be going on I mentioned that to the alignment guy. He told me this vehicle has no caster adjustment per se. They loosen that cradle to body mounts and shift the entire assembly to change castor. Apparently GM thinks they make no mistakes on the Malibu. And because I seem to get a different response from the rear axle comparing right to left turn, I'm betting something is out of whack there, like possibly the axle not in line with body. This will not stop each wheel from being adjusted statically, but when it becomes dynamic, suspension links could be throwing all sorts of improper angles. Also, rear toe is set from the position of front wheels which might be altered too much by shifting cradle.
In my case, I discovered that spraying lubricant into the gap between the inner and outer steering shafts under the dash eliminates the noise in my car completely. This procedure is described in TSB #06-02-32-007B, one of the several revisions to the original TSB issued for this problem. I don’t know how long the fix will last, but it only took me a few seconds to do, so I’m willing to repeat it as often as necessary rather than throw more money away by having the dealer do anything.
And now today I received a letter from Chevrolet saying that the 2005 Malibu’s power steering assist may fail at any time without warning -- possibly, for example, when you’re in the middle of an emergency maneuver at high speed to avoid an obstacle on a freeway. They will pay for repairs to the steering column for up to 10 years and 100,000 miles after purchase, but – amazingly -- only if the failure has actually occurred! I guess they don’t care if you happen to have an accident when your car’s power steering suddenly fails.
IMO, the way that GM is dealing with Malibu steering problems shows that customer satisfaction and the safety of its customers are simply not important to them. If this is the way they plan to operate in the future, I’m guessing that it won’t be too long before they’re bankrupt again.
I also suspect tires as part of issue for multiple reasons. They also seem to lack lateral traction. It is easy to have them barking when making a turn from a stop and that with a 4 cylinder.
I recently noticed what might be a mismatch of rear springs to shock. I would think these are variable rate springs. (think I'm using wrong description) With a light load on rear, no added weight, the springs might be a bit weak, but certainly the shocks are not providing enough dampening. Slight bumps you feel at the front make the rear bouncy.
Other issues too.
Nor is a 1999 Pontiac Bonneville, with which I used to have lots of
problems. Sure, all of them are different cars, but, heck, they are
all problems not something else. Puzzled...
It sounds like they will pay for repairs to all for power steering issues. So, contact them - it is worth it.
I have been fortunate with my 04 Maxx LT......177K and still working with all the OEM parts to include the steering...........
It started with the power steering warning in the radio screen. My dealer replaced the steering column at no charge but I ended up with issues after that. The cruise control and remote started won't work now and it is now doing the momentary hydroplaning in left hand curves.
I complained and they replaced it again but no improvement, perhaps even worse. Now they said they are done with it and for a fee they will evaluate the problem which is obviously not the steering column. I don't know how they can evaluate it since they swear they can't feel the pull to the left at all.
I hate this car! It rides like a wagon and I've put the best shocks,struts and tires available on it and now this. I think it's time for a trade in but I hate for someone else to get this thing. I feel like it is an accident waiting to happen and after reading the previous emails am sure it is dangerous.
I did tons of research before I bought this car in 2008 and couldn't find any complaints against it except that it was noisy with the sun roof open. I wish that was all that was wrong with it.
I think these alterations were your biggest mistake. You'd have to show me lots of data to prove that. I had 09 and was available in 4 levels. There were at least 2 different wheel sizes, 3 different strut/shocks, & a couple of different springs depending upon what level you bought. Buying the upper, LTZ, likely got you the stiffer shocks, lower profile & bigger wheels, and the heavier springs.
Buying aftermarket, a company may have several layers of shocks but will claim any one model will probably replace any of the 4 levels of Malibu available in 09. Also GM will hold a patent so you can only buy the exact OE from them. It would take a lot of trial and error to succeed at the desired change in handling/ride.
The power steering, EPS, is a different issue. I would encourage to prove it is related to current issues.
Did they damage some wiring that effect the remote start and cruise control? Maybe a loose connector, blown fuse, etc.? Service engine or codes?
"momentary hydroplaning in left hand curves" & "pull to the left" Would you elaborate on hydroplaning? Is the road perfectly flat when this occurs?
As to the pull, you should easily duplicate this for service writer. Just take him for a ride on perfectly flat road and turn loose of the wheel. There can be several causes for this issue, alignment, tires, or they forgot to finish the column replacement by doing the calibration and zeroing of the EPS. This is something that needs to be done also after every alignment and after all that strut work.
Hydroplaning is most often tracked to the tires you have on vehicle. Sometimes there are much better tires than OE, but you have to do your homework and research, especially what other owners of your car are experiencing with specific tires.
It sounds like you need to try to bring the car back to OE specs, alignment, tire size, tire pressure, etc.
If electronic components have been damaged, you might want to check if there are diodes at the harness connector for the cooling fans.
The pull to the left is immediately before that sensation. As Im driving at speeds higher than 40mph and go into a left hand bend in the road it feels like you've bumped a curb on the right of the car and are rebounded to the left, then the instantaneous loss of control. It does it on flat or highway inclines. Although we have serious hills where I live, I don't usually take those curves at speeds high enough to evaluate this. It has always recovered quickly but I'm fearful that it will happen at just the wrong instant and I'll end up in front of another vehicle.
The dealer did an alignment and calibration after installing the new steering column. I also took it to a mechanic after to see if it was truly aligned. It needed an adjustment but it didn't change anything as far as the steering control. The car drives perfectly straight when you let the steering wheel go.
I took the technician on a ride and he said he could feel it just going around street corners. That's crap because I can't feel it then. I told him exactly where to drive it on the highway to have it happen and he said it didn't. Passengers aren't able to feel it.
As for the shocks, struts and tires; I did all that long before this steering issue came up. I was just really dissatisfied with the ride and hoping to improve it. I don't think these items have anything to do with this steering. they are just one more annoyance with this car.
I bought the car certified used in Oct. 2008. My Mom liked the car so much she bought a 2007 in Jan of 09. I'm worried that her car will do the same thing.
My car now has 68,000 miles on it.
You may have the two part on handling I experienced. Something in the EPS was definitely defective and very dangerous.
The other part of it would through you from vehicle course suddenly. This was prevalent when crossing something longitudinal with vehicle travel. It could be as minor as the seam where two lanes merge or as a couple of others complained, where a slight elevation change took place. If you entered a construction zone where they were shifting lanes because of new paving, even at the reduced posted speed it was quite dangerous crossing those points. I had to slow an extra 15-20 MPH. One driver living in an area of bad roads came upon such with daily commutes because of road patching.
And I also frequently experienced lane drift.
All things that should have been fixed and uncertain how common issues are.
No one was able to fix my issues and car is gone. GM turned it loose on someone else and they located me because somehow a receipt got left in vehicle and she tracked me. She has handling complaints and they did not let her know it was a repurchase and she found out it was lemon after months of trying to get title.
If none of your problems showed up until after suspension changes, then it is easy to argue it is something you did. What proof do you have it existed prior?
If something particular after the column change, then you might have some control. I'd definitely report to NHTSA and keep up with there progress, but don't hold breath while they work it. Even if you get rid of car before finalized, you may get money for interim attempts at repairing.