2005 Chevrolet Malibu: complete transmission failure

Filed Aug 4, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · KS

The EPS began sporadically and severely jerking the steering very powerfully while driving and stationary and draining the battery at an accelerated rate necessitating multiple replacements of and charging 2 batteries to get to and from my job and anywhere else making everyday life very difficult beginning in early 2024. A couple months before this issue became a daily and constant occurrence in in February 2024 between the 6th and 13th I had a stabilizer link and control arm on the right side replaced and an alignment done at Firestone, on the document for the alignment it states no manufacturers recommended services necessary on suspension. The mechanic who replaced the parts told me that the EPS issue is a likely cause for the steering system damage as a vehicle is not meant to remain stationary while the wheels are forcibly turned as is the case when the EPS takes over and jerks the wheel often to the extremes of its function. I have video of this on multiple occasions and it can be inspected still occuring. I took it to Hendrick Chevrolet Shawnee Mission in April 2024 and explained the services done recently and the mechanics opinion on the EPS. They held my vehicle for 3 days not saying it would take so long, during which I had to use a truck I had just bought and was not ready to be driven to get to work, it's transmission blew and has sat since. They called me to come pick it up and only once there told me they had refused to replace the recalled EPS unit "due to loose steering" as quoted from the document Given to me. I asked them to reconsider since this was the only vehicle I had running and charging batteries and being nearly forced off of the road or into other cars daily was very concerning, they simply told me to take it to another dealership for "a second opinion" I stated I didn't have time for another dealer to hold my car for days because my truck had just gone OOC, they held their position and I drove it until forced to buy a new car in 03/2025

Filed Jan 27, 2015 · Acceleration, Lights · 90,000 miles · CA

I had to buy a transmission for my malibu and now I am receiving recalls (multiple) # 14152 & #13036 for the same car. However, on the freeway coming home from temecula, ca, south bound on the 15 highway, my transmission was not engaging. No loud sounds, or excess acceleration, nor too much weight (driver and passenger only cargo.) the engine was on and as I accelerated the engine was going but nothing was propelling us forward. I had to buy a new transmission and pay for labor which came out to a hefty expense. With everything I have read online and forums for these recalls I feel like a reimbursement should be in order if the manufacture even had a slight hesitation of a possible defect.

Filed Jan 20, 2015 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · MI

After daughter stopped at red traffic light car would not go forward. Only gear was reverse. Drove backwards to safe location. Car would not go into any other gear. I am on disability so I did assume my transmission went out. So I did replace. My ex-husband doing all work in my driveway, as I can't afford mechanic. Long and short of it still wouldn't go into park. Discover it was the shift cable. Order shift cable directly from dealership. Replaced and everything works fine. Nothing was even mentioned when I would call dealership to ask question about getting the right transmission for my car, because I guess there was three different ones. Nothing was even mentioned when I order my cable through the dealership that there was a recall. Problem is gm doesn't want to reimburse because I didn't have the work done by a licensed mechanic. I had talk to a senior advisor and this is the information she had given to me. I feel this is not fair just because of my financial situation. I received my recall letter in july 2014 about recall and another letter january 16, 2015 letting me know that work could be done. I am hoping you can help me with this issue or I can try legal aid. Thank you.

Filed Dec 8, 2014 · Transmission · 116,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 116,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jun 11, 2008 · Transmission · NJ

In november 2004 I leased a 2005 chevy malibu from a chevrolet dealer in new york. (dealer 1) in january 2006, I returned to this same dealer because the traction control light came on, the car would jump from 5 miles an hour to 40 miles an hour, then the engine would rev when I pushed down the accelerator but the car would not speed up. The diagnosis from dealer 1's mechanic was that there was almost no transmission fluid in the car and the gears burnt out. He told me there was no way this could be from a problem with the car and I had to pay for the new transmission; which I later learned was untrue. The mechanic stated that the transmission would slowly burn out (over months) with little/no fluid in it. From purchase, I complained many times to the dealer that the steering column would click when the steering wheel was turned and that the brakes did not feel right. The many times I brought my car in for service I would make these complaints and be told that everything was fine. April 2008 while driving on the highway, the engine started revving. The car had no power and started loosing speed. At my expense, it was towed to the nearest dealer. (dealer 2) the mechanic said they started opening the transmission but it was so badly damaged, did not finish. He had no explanation for the damage. Dealer 2 had already ordered yet another transmission and he told me the exact opposite of what the mechanic from dealer 1 had said. Dealer 2 and other mechanics I have talked to since, told me that without fluid the transmission would not shift, and with low fluid it would not be months before the transmission burnt out, it would be days or depending on the fluid level, even mere hours. The transmission was replaced again by dealer 2. I picked the car up and got 12 miles when the odometer and power steering failed and the transmission would not shift out of first gear. Dealer 2 told me that the speed sensor on the new transmission was bad and had to be replaced.