1999 chevrolet classic customer vehicle stopped running suddenly.*cw the consumer stated the vehicle lost power steering, brakes and engine power. *jb the consumer recently received a recall notice regarding the ignition system, which described the exact problem he experienced. He is seeking reimbursement for the charges he incurred for replacing the part and towing charges. Updated 07/20/15.
1999 Chevrolet Malibu: loss of power steering
8 of the 785 complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 2 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
8/19/05 - while driving home from work, the alternator bracket on my 1999 chevrolet malibu broke with a loud bang, causing my vehicle to lose power steering; the air conditioning to stop, and the engine to overheat. I was able to safely pull my vehicle into a wendy's parking lot, although it took all of my strength to steer the vehicle. 8/20/05 - I had my vehicle towed to an independent repair shop where it sat from 8/20/05 to 9/19/05 waiting for a new alternator bracket. It was this shop that determined it was the alternator bracket that had broken. Weekly calls to the repair shop were answered with, "we're still waiting on the part". A phone call to the local chevrolet dealership service dept. Revealed that the independent shop had ordered the alternator bracket through them. I was then told there were no alternator brackets for my vehicle in all of ky or tn and that there was a national backorder on them. 9/19/05 - I had my vehicle towed to the chevrolet dealership to await an alternator bracket thinking that if the dealership had to look at my vehicle sitting on their property, they might be more motivated to get it repaired. 9/20/05 - my vehicle was repaired with a salvaged alternator bracket from another malibu and the alternator was replaced...no mention on my repair receipt if the alternator was new or rebuilt. While I'm am grateful for the resoucefulness of my dealership's service team, I am concerned about a used alternator bracket in my vehicle. If these alternator brackets have a tendency to break, who's to say that this used one in my vehicle won't break while I"m driving down the highway at 65 miles per hour? I am concerned that the alternator brackets for malibus might be defective, causing engine shutdown and damage when they break - not to mention loss of control of the vehicle when the power steering goes out. I am also concerned that new alternator brackets don't seem to exist when service departments need them.
When a turn was made, the vehicle made noise, and the steering was difficult to turn.
Our car suddenly loss all power steering while driving the smokie mt. Parkway in n. Carolina. The car was towed to pine crest chev. And they found that the fluid line to the power steering unit had been incorrectly installed by the factory. The fluid line was against the exhaust pipe and it had burned and worn through causing all the fluid to rapidly spray out onto the hot exhaust pipe. This incident could have easily resulted in a severe or fatal accident due to the sudden and unexpected loss of steering control along with an added threat of a possible fire in the engine compartment from the fluid.
Rack and pinion steering failed which could cause loss of steering, steering is very loose. Consumer has already replaced tie rods and tires.
The consumer was driving at 70 MPH and applied the brakes, pedal was soft, and the vehicle kept going at 70 MPH and then slowed down. Vehicle had no steering and the brake pedal was shaking. In low speed when applying the brakes, they wore out and the rotors have been replaced five times. Dealer can't determine the cause of the problem.
Was driving vehicle on freeway, hit a small bump in the road. The car stopped running instantly. All dash lights came on, all gauges went flat (spedometer, tach, fuel, temp), loss of power steering, power brakes. I had to make an emergency stop on the side of the road. I turned the ignition all the way off, then tried to restart the car. It restarted. Dealer could not find the problem.
Nut work itself loose on the tie rod causing loss of steering ability.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu?
8 of 785 owner complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu (1%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu?
There are 0 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
ABS 42Coil spring 32Stalling 32Overheating 31Grinding brakes 30Premature wear 26Brake failure 20Won't start 19Tire blowout 18Engine failure 13No deployment 12Fuel gauge 10Ball joint 9Loss of power 9Steering lock-up 8Check engine light 7Fuel pump 7Harsh shifting 7Jerking 7Knocking 6Fire or smoke 6Headlights 6
VIN decoder
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