2004 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems
Owners have filed 798 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, 70% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 72,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering column” (22% of reports).
- 798steering complaints
- 72,000median miles at failure
- 28mention a crash
- 10mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 22%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering column: mentioned in 175 of 798 complaints (22%)
- EA04018 cat: mentioned in 55 of 798 complaints (7%)
- Off restarted: mentioned in 40 of 798 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu at $1,050, and half of them between $830 and $1,450.
Based on 33 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 667 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 798 complaints, 28 mention a crash, 10 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 5 | 7% | 54,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 29,901 |
| 2021 Malibu | 2 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 16 | 8% | 61,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 2 | 1% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 42 | 6% | 15,484 |
| 2017 Malibu | 47 | 7% | 65,782 |
| 2016 Malibu | 42 | 5% | 51,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 9 | 3% | 71,500 |
| 2014 Malibu | 26 | 7% | 36,731 |
| 2013 Malibu | 181 | 22% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 191 | 21% | 103,794 |
| 2011 Malibu | 214 | 22% | 89,500 |
| 2010 Malibu | 454 | 33% | 100,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 768 | 51% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 460 | 47% | 83,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 667 | 68% | 105,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 811 | 73% | 85,142 |
| 2005 Malibu | 506 | 52% | 91,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 798 | 70% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 21 | 4% | 67,623 |
| 2002 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 92,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 41 | 6% | 94,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 45 | 5% | 108,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 37 | 5% | 68,500 |
| 1998 Malibu | 74 | 8% | 82,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 80 | 18% | 82,827 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Electric Power Steering has failed on my car. Warning shows up saying power steering. Live in a snowy deer populated area impossible to turn wheel in these situations to avoid a collision. There was no actual accident that occured but there more than likely could be.
The steering system gets extremely sensitive towards highway speeds to where a slight touch of the steering wheel could cause the car to move a significant amount no warning lamps or messages
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the power steering failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed however, there was no DTC code retrieved for the power steering failure. The local…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Chevrolet Malibus have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 798 owner complaints about steering for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu (70% of the 1,147 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 72,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $830 and $1,450), from 33 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “steering column”, in 175 of 798 complaints, followed by “ea04018 cat” (55).
Other 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems or steering problems across all Malibu years.