Upon acceleration using the gas pedal, the car loses total control of its steering. All engine lights and failure lights go on.sometimes just making a simple turn at an intersection, the car loses complete steering capability. This has happened at various speeds, including on the highway at 50 MPH accelerating over a slight incline or at 10 MPH at an intersection while making a left or right turn. I noticed trouble with the steering when I first bought my car under warranty but it wasn't as severe. Just when backing out of a parking space the steering was tight, but the dealership could not find the problem. I have had the short rack steering gear, steering rack, intermediate shaft, and serpentine belt replaced but to no avail. On the website www.lemonlawclaims.com there have been at least 42 steering complaints of similar nature regarding the same year make for the malibu. An the federal safety agency investigation was performed pe04-031 based on eight reports of alleged power steering failures. The preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis based on the report I printed up in 2010, however I am not certain of the current status of this investigation. I'm sure there are a lot more failure reports that have been opened, though I cannot find a recall regarding this failure. As a side note, sometimes the car has trouble starting - it always has and the dealership could not determine the failure. When trying to start it up, hitting the gas pedal will cause the engine to kick over and not stall. There is always the smell of fuel. I am not sure if this is part of the failure. In addition when the steering fails or the steering wheel jerks upon acceleration, a clicking sound can be heard. The origin of this clicking in unknown. I really don't understand why there hasn't been a recall on this or better yet a class action lawsuit.
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx: gas smell in the cabin
5 of the 434 complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx describe gas smell in the cabin.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 61,560
- recalls
- 0
Gas smell in the cabin by model year
- 20063
- 20054
- 20045
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. The contact stated that the vehicle emitted a strong gasoline fuel odor. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the fuel neck only had one hose. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 59,198 and the current mileage was 69,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. There was fuel leaking and a fuel smell in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the fuel pump failed and it would cost a $1000 to repair it. There were no recalls or warranties for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure was mileage was 130,000.
Strong smell of gasoline emanating from the rear of vehicle, checked internet about problem and have seen many complaints from other malibu owners.
When the vehicle was started with the remote control dashboard components failed to function when the key was turned in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to the dealership the following day a diagnostic test was performed, but no failure codes were found. The failure recurred 4 months later while turning into a parking space. Also, the steering column locked up. When this occurred, the instrument panel read steering column assistance needed. The consumer then turned the vehicle off, then back on. The vehicle started, but the steering wheel wouldn't move. The steering wheel unlocked when the vehicle was restarted 20 minutes later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership the following day. The service person indicated that there was a technical service bulletin on this issue, and ordered a new steering column to be installed. The consumer was instructed not to drive the vehicle out of town, in addition, while driving at 1379 miles, the consumer smelled a strong fuel odor. This occurred because the fuel line clip came off, and fuel was leaking. The dealership reinstalled the fuel clip because it wasn't properly installed at factory. *ak ea04018_cat
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx fuel smell
Is gas smell in the cabin a common problem on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
5 of 434 owner complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx (1%) mention gas smell in the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
Power steering loss 82Loss of power 35Steering lock-up 23Headlights 21Check engine light 19Harsh shifting 11Steering noise 11Jerking 10Engine failure 9No deployment 8Pulling 8Knocking 6Grinding brakes 5Fuel pump 5Seat belt 5
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