Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet malibu. The contact received a recall notice in february of 2004 regarding the lower rack and pinion steering. He had not experienced any failures at the time; however, he took the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. Six months later, while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked. He was able to pull the wheel back to the right and stop the vehicle. The contact drove home and his father, a mechanic, inspected the vehicle and declared the cause of failure to be the lower rack and pinion. The contact called the dealer and they stated that nothing could be done because the recall repair had already been performed. The recall number was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 243,831. Updated 01/11/08. *lj updated
1997 Chevrolet Malibu: steering wheel locks up
8 of the 443 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 1
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
When driving my 1997 chevy malibu, I turned left and the steering wheel locked. I almost crashed into a parked car due to the fact that I couldn't move the steering wheel at all. When I tried getting the steering wheel to move again, it wouldnt budge right but when trying left it would make a "hissing" sound, like air pressure being released. This happened at 10pm and I had passengers in the vehicle, this could have been catastrophic. This happened suddenly with no warning whatsoever. I am going back to the dealer asap.
While driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop, where the rack and pinion was replaced. *ak while driving the vehicle had become difficult to turn one way while remaining easy to steer in the opposite direction. The rack was replaced. *scc
While traveling on highway and without prior warning steering wheel locked up, and the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic. Dealership was aware of problem.
Steering wheel locked up while completing left turn.
While turning left vehicle steering locked up consumer was forced to stop vehicle. Took to dealer, and they said rack and pinion steering was defective.
Consumer experiencing problem with power steering hoses not holding up properly. The hoses were replaced and repaired. Both times the hoses failed to hold, causing steering lock up due to loss of fluid. Dealer/manufacturer notified and were willing to repair until warranty ran out.
While making left turn, steering wheel locked up, also heard a clicking noise while making the turn, dealer said manufacter was working on building a new pinion, almost had an accident.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537; or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.
Recall number 03V527000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
8 of 443 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu (2%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
Wipers 27ABS 24Ball joint 23Grinding brakes 19Headlights 17Premature wear 13Stalling 13Won't start 11Power steering loss 9No deployment 7Brake failure 7Overheating 7Engine failure 6Knocking 5
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