The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering assist assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V064000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 204,000.
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx power steering loss problems
209 of the 1,074 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx describe loss of power steering, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 209
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 85,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Loss of power 62Jerking 8Check engine light 8Steering noise 5Harsh shifting 5Pulling 4Steering lock-up 4Knocking 4
Trouble codes mentioned
C0900 1B1325 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving on several occasions, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, the power steering failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who provided the contact with a Technical Service Bulletin regarding the repair for the power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced TSB: 14116 as a possible solution; however, the repair was not covered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 235,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel failed to turn left or right. The vehicle continued to move forward. The power steering assist fault light was illuminated. The contact had to push the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her about a power steering sensor failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist fault message was displayed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, there was a ticking sound coming from the steering column while turning the steering wheel. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 206,203.
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and stop the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed due to the mechanics being unable to replicate the failure. The contact became aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that her husband manually steered the vehicle and veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that her husband turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact's husband continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the power steering control module, steering control module, and torque sensors needed to be replaced. The dealer also advised the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair as an unknown recall had expired in 2014. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel remained difficult to steer. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence with manual steering. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. Consumer stated "Failed component/part Information", it is incorrect to identify the failure in the hydraulic power assist/power steering fluid. The power steering on my car is electrical assist.
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006, and 2006-2007 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
- Risk
- If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑762‑2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an expansion of recall 14V‑153 to cover additional vehicles built between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006.
Recall number 15V064000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
- Risk
- If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, Saturn at 1‑800‑553‑6000, and Pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
Recall number 14V153000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx power steering loss
Which Chevrolet Malibu Maxx years have loss of power steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (82 complaints), 2006 (67 complaints) and 2005 (59 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 12 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history