2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu Maxx years
- More complaints than other years 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 434 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. That is the most of any Malibu Maxx model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is steering (251 complaints, 58%), typically at around 75,766 miles. Complaints mention 26 crashes, 6 fires, 20 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 434owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 26complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 251 | 58% | 75,766 | “steering column” (25%) | $1,050 |
| Seats problems | 93 | 21% | 93,500 | “seat frame” (46%) | $1,500 |
| Electrical System | 37 | 9% | 57,318 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 37 | 9% | 73,121 | — | — |
| Power Train | 20 | 5% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 2% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 2% | 101,143 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 1% | 127,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 1% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 1% | 102,763 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 29,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 1% | 24,082 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 157,450 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | 5,950 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 0% | 138,250 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 10,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Risk: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the ÂPARK position, the transmission may not be in ÂPARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Turn Signal Lamps (EA09004) — opened Mar 20, 2009, closed Aug 12, 2010.
- Turn signal lamps (PE08062) — opened Oct 21, 2008, closed Mar 20, 2009.
- Loss of electric power steering (EA04018) — opened Jul 1, 2004, closed May 10, 2005.
- Loss of electric power steering (PE04031) — opened Mar 30, 2004, closed Jul 1, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that after he turned off and restarted the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Bruceâs auto body shop where it was diagnosed that the air bag side impact sensor failed to reset and needed to be…
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 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by…
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…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. The contact stated that while making a left turn the vehicle shifted into neutral independently without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact attempted to manually shift the vehicle into park however, the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu maxx. While driving approximately 60 mph, the steering ability seized and all the warning indicators illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road as the power steering warning indicator remained illuminated. The vehicle was driven…
Other Chevrolet Malibu Maxx years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Malibu Maxx | 44 | 3 |
| 2006 Malibu Maxx | 270 | 4 |
| 2005 Malibu Maxx | 326 | 3 |
| 2004 | 434 | 3 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
Owners most often report steering, seats, electrical system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 251 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu Maxx model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.