Power Steering Light On problems of the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu - part 2

I was driving my 2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS to pick up grandchildren at school when the dash power steering light came on. I parked the car and walked to get the children. Retrieving the vehicle afterwards, then started, the power steering light was off. At times the car has been hard to turn to the left. I took the car to the dealer and they told me it needs a new $1200 power steering unit to fix the problem. The internet is full of similar stories. Fourteen accidents thus far attributed to this. It's time to have a recall.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 35 mph the power steering warning light illuminated and the power steering shut off. The contact turned the vehicle off and after restarting the vehicle the power steering began working normally. The dealer informed the contact that the entire power steering system needed to be replaced. The contact is aware of the safety risk and the possibility that a crash could occur and cause serious injuries. The failure mileage was 77,000.

After leaving the post office, my power steering light came on as my power steering stopped functioning. I drove for about 2 blocks before I pulled over. I turned the car off, restarted it, and the light went off and my power steering returned.

Cars power steering light will come on with failed power steering. The first time this occurred was about 3 months ago while making a turn. Had the car towed home and when I went to move car further into my driveway problem no longer existed. Problem has occurred 1 other time while driving in rush hour traffic, but after stopping vehicle and turning off engine then restarting power steering was working again.

On a periodic basis, the power steering light will come on when the car is slowing to a stop. Thereafter, the power steering fails. Power steering can be restored by turning off power to the car and then restarting. There is no identifiable consistency to when this problem occurs.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. While exiting a parking space, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the power steering failed. The vehicle was able to be restarted and resumed normal operation. A technician from the dealer stated that the coil and the roller in the steering column needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 74,000.

I was driving on a side street at about 30 mph when the chimes sounded, the power steering light came on, and steering became very difficult. I had to stop, turn the car off and then restart it before I could steer again. I understand that this is an ongoing issue with my model car (2005 chevy Malibu) and that Chevrolet has a technical service bulletin (#07126) on this issue, but my car is outside the maximum mileage to be covered under this TSB. I also understand that there were some NHTSA defect investigations into this issue (primarily the 2004 model), but they have since been closed because the number of reported failures was within an "acceptable range". I guess my response to that is, how many accidents do there have to be and how many people need to die before this issue is taken seriously? while my personal experience was not life-threatening, if this had occurred in heavy traffic at high speeds it very well could have resulted in a fatal accident. I saw today that federal regulators have opened an investigation into complaints that power steering systems in the Chevrolet cobalt can fail, making it more difficult to control the car. I'm sure this is the same issue that is still occurring on the Malibu. I implore you to reopen the investigation on the Malibu (a simple google of "malibu power steering problems" will show that it is still a major issue) and do whatever is necessary to have this problem corrected.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that intermittently the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrumental panel and a loud noise is present when turning the steering wheel. If the power steering failed while driving, a vehicle crash could occur. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 58000. The current mileage was 77000. Updated 10/20/09 the consumer stated the power steering went out intermittently. The power steering would go out about half way into a turn. The steering would make noises and turn back and forth by itself. The steering column was replaced. Updated 10/23/jb.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving approximately 35 mph the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel and the power steering suddenly stopped functioning. The failure occurred intermittently and progressed over time. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised the contact to disconnect the battery when the power steering failed in order for it to function properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 89. 000.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. On approximately 100 occasions, the power steering light would illuminate on the instrument panel while driving various speeds. The steering wheel would become difficult to turn as if it were locked. The contact would have to shut off and restart the vehicle to correct the issue. The current mileage was 102,000 and failure mileage was 93,000.

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu maxx. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the power steering light illuminated and the steering wheel locked. He had to use extreme force to turn the wheel. He turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle to remedy the failure. The failure occurred eight times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the dealer stated that they could not duplicate the problem. The vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. The first failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The current mileage was approximately 95,000. Updated 5/24/10 updated 06/18/10.