10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
11 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 1
Average Mileage:
75,941 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #24

Feb 272010

Malibu

  • 28,800 miles
2008 Chevy Malibu power steering failure.

- Columbia City, OR, USA

problem #23

Feb 062010

Malibu

  • 30,000 miles
Steering problem: Steering wheel oscillates while car is idling, also has a catch at or near center point while driving. It tries to lock and then release. Will also oscillate while traveling. Happens at different speeds but is mostly driven in the 35 to 55mph range. Also is affected with brake pressure. Dealer could not find anything wrong. It seems to be happening more often but with no pattern.

- Lake City, FL, USA

problem #22

Oct 152009

Malibu

  • 40,000 miles
My 2008 Chevrolet Malibu has the same electric power steering motor problems that GM issued recalls for the cobalt and G5 today. The car sporadically has tremors that happen mainly at low speed but has happened at highway speeds. Will the recall be expanded to include Malibu?

- Howell, MI, USA

problem #21

Dec 012009

Malibu

  • miles
2008 Chevy Malibu steering seems to be entirely too lose. Car loses control for quick instances. Chevy cant seem to find the problem.

- Williamstown, NJ, USA

problem #20

Feb 082009

Malibu

  • 45,485 miles
Electronic power steering problems causing steering wheel to jerk to left and right.

- Leeds, AL, USA

problem #19

Feb 012010

Malibu

  • 44,001 miles
A recently purchased 2008 Chevy Malibu lt has some serious steering issues, (this car has electric steering) when driving at low or high speeds the wheel feels like it is fighting against you, it feels like there is a lot of resistance there. Also at idle with your foot on the brake the wheel will pulse back and forth, left and right without touching the wheel. I informed the dealer who said it is out of warranty (44,000miles) and couldn't do anything even though he acknowledged there are some issues with the car. Scared to drive. Please help!

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #18

Jan 202010

Malibu

  • 5,000 miles
-2008 chev. Malibue 2lt 2.4 4 cylender with power electric steering. Problem: When you 1st strup the vehicle the steering wheel shakes back and forth. You have to shut down and re start the vehicle to stop the problem. The dealership has completely changed out the steering column but it still does it twice it has occuring while driving when I 1st started up and I had to stop the vehicle and shut off the motor etc. To stop the shaking. This has happened approx: 15 times since I got the vehicle new in Jan/08

- Tillsonburg, 00, USA

problem #17

Dec 102009

Malibu

  • 55,000 miles
I drive a 2008 Malibu. 95% of my driving is done on the freeway. I have 55K miles on the car and the steering started to shake and get stiff for no apparent reason. I live in Ohio and the winters get cold. I first thought that this might be the cause of it but, after reading some blogs on the internet I found that this seems to be a problem no matter where you live. I went to my car dealer and he told me that it is not covered because of my mileage. I do not consider this to be the normal wear and tear of a car and I am afraid that if I don't get this fixed I will be injured from failure to control my car. Sometimes I will drive down the road and all of a sudden the steering wheel locks up to where I have to pull on it hard to free it up. The only coarse of action that I see that I can take to correct the failure is pay GM to fix their problem that was not a result of abuse or natural wear and tear since they have not issued a recall. If who ever reads this would simply just google this topic you will see that this is becoming a growing problem that will result in injuries if GM does not recall it.

- Hubbard, OH, USA

problem #16

Jan 072010

Malibu

  • 38,000 miles
I have a 2008 Chevy Malibu, with 42,000 miles and it has electric power steering and it seems that the power steering is about to go out. A message has only appeared once on the indicator screen in the dash about the power steering, but the steering wheel continuously shakes and it steering feels like it wants to lock up. Now my check engine light is on. The diagnostics says it has to do with the cam actuator sensor"??"

- Gibson, NC, USA

problem #15

Oct 012009

Malibu

  • 37,000 miles
Power steering on vehicle temporarily fails while driving. Also steering wheel often shakes from side to side while sitting idle.

- Orleans, IN, USA

problem #14

Nov 012008

Malibu

  • miles
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.

- Austintown, OH, USA

problem #13

Sep 232009

Malibu

  • 50,000 miles
I was driving approx 45 miles per hour on a one lane road. My car dic displayed power steering the wheel began to shake, pulled to the left and became very hard to steer, almost making me hit the car in oncoming traffic, the lady driving the other vehicle swerved onto the shoulder which prevented the accident. I shut the car off. A mechanic friend of mine came to my location and could not find any issues with the vehicle because apparently the electric assist power steering resets once the vehicle is shut off. This incident could have been tragic and by the grace of god it was not. After checking on the internet my understanding is I am not a sole individual experiencing this type of problem with the 2005 and newer Chevy Malibu. Please prevent these type of occurrences from continuing before someone is killed.

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #12

Jul 012009

Malibu 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the steering column abnormally shakes as if was loose. She took the vehicle to the dealer on three occasions, but because they could not locate diagnostic error codes, or duplicate the failure they could not provide a remedy. A complaint was filed with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 5,000. The current mileage was 27,000. Updated 10/21/09. The consumer stated for the past 6 months, when the brakes were applied, it felt as though she was loosing steering ability. The steering wheel would shake violently from time to time. Updated 10/23/09

- Fort Ann, NY, USA

problem #11

Aug 072009

Malibu

  • 14,584 miles
2008 Malibu 2lt 2.4L steering wheel would jerk left and right on its own. This would happen when the vehicle was in motion and parked. Definite safety issue when in motion. Dealer stated that the steering mechanism was looking for center. Dealer reprogrammed steering unit and said should be fixed. The same problem recurred 5 miles down the road after leaving dealership. Took car back same day and dealership called GM. GM had dealership replace the power steering control module assembly. The problem is fixed for now.

- Port Allegany, PA, USA

problem #10

Mar 182009

Malibu

  • 15,200 miles
Steering wheel jerking left and right while at low speed and setting still.

- Collinwood, TN, USA

problem #9

Jan 152009

Malibu

  • 15,000 miles
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.

- Allen , TX, USA

problem #8

Feb 212008

Malibu

  • Automatic transmission
  • 700 miles
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 authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the computerized system failed. The technician reprogrammed the computerized system, but the failure recurred on eight separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer six times without any resolutions. The failure mileage was 700 and current mileage was 16,000. Updated 03/18/09. The consumer stated if felt as though the brakes were locking up. The traction control light illuminated. Updated 03/20/09.

- Davin, WV, USA

problem #7

Mar 202008

Malibu

  • 1,500 miles
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. The dealer repaired the failure approximately five times, but could never determine the exact cause of the failures. The failure mileage was 1,500 and current mileage was 13,000.

- Davun, WV, USA

problem #6

Aug 012008

Malibu

  • 11,000 miles
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 but the problem still persists.

- Apex, NC, USA

problem #5

Mar 172008

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 308 miles
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 approximately 6-7 times, and 12-14 tires have been placed on the vehicle. After retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, she noticed that it functioned properly for approximately a week before the shaking recurred. The service managers from the dealers as well as the manufacturer stated that the Impala and Malibu models had a vibration that was standard while driving between 40-70 mph. The current mileage was 8,149 and failure mileage was approximately 308. Updated 11/17/08 the consumer stated the vehicle has a vibration and alignment problem. GM informed the consumer the problem could not be fixed. Updated 11/24/08.

- North Port, FL, USA

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