Steering Column problems of the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu

Esc off "service traction control" lights flashed on upon start of vehicle, power steering was off/not working. After restarting the vehicle, the errors disappeared and it was driveable. This happened 7-8 times over the course of 2 weeks, as it became more frequent the vehicle was taken in for service and the steering column replaced. The steering wheel also would shake when driving, especially while turning, and this was a danger at times on icy roads in north dakota!!.

A clunking was coming from the steering column while driving, which ended up being the intermediate steering shaft.

Being a second owner of this vehicle I noticed that at times the power steering would become ineffective and steering wheel was very difficult to move, along with a lot of clunking in the steering column. . . Especially at lower speeds. After owning this vehicle for two months, I was backing out of my driveway and the wheel was extremely heavy as the power assist was not working and the entire steering popped and I had no more steering control ( the steering wheel was free wheeling). Luckily, this situation did not happen on my commute to work at speeds of 65 mph! as it happens the free wheeling of the steering wheel has damaged the clock-spring inside the steering hub that provides power to the airbag and cruise and radio controls, mounted on the steering wheel. I am convinced that this problem was a design flaw in the steering system of this car, but am told that there is no recall on this car for this particular problem. My mechanic has estimated a repair bill close to $1000 and this should be taken care of by gm, in my opinion. . . As it is a life threatening issue (no steering control at high speeds)!.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. As a result, the traction and service esc warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column and steering module had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no solution was provided. The failure mileage was 119,000.

I have a 2011 Malibu 4dr sdn lt, that has a rattle in the steering column and it also seems to be reproducing the same noise when driving at lower speeds in parking lots and in city traffic at speeds under 30 mph on course roads/pavement. Took to dealer and they fixed per notice #pi0372. That notice advised the dealer to put two additional wave washers to the brake pedal connector pin where it connects to the power booster pushrod. Guess what, I picked-up my car after 6pm & everyone in service had gone home. . The noise still exists. Obviously if the repair tech had taken it out for a test drive and listened he could have heard and felt that the noise was still very prevalent. Now I must take some more time off from work and return to the dealer and go thru this all over again. Has anyone else had any similar complaints about the steering rattling and or feeling loose on their Malibu 2011 ??.

I purchased my 2011 Malibu in April 2012. Initially, I was experiencing power surges upon breaking. I was slowing down to come to a complete stop and my car would surge forward before stopping. The dealership replaced a sensor. I'm still experiencing the surges occasionally. The next time I took it in because I was getting a lot of noise and vibration when driving on a rough a surface. The dealership replaced the steering column. It was fine for a year, now that problem is returning. During the winter 2013, my rear defrost stopped working. I took it in and was told that the rear fuse block was melted and it will cost $535 to have it replaced. And another $230 to have the driver's side seat belt replaced---- it doesn't connect securely without fiddling with it. I think there should be recalls issued on all of these problems because I have read blogs and others are having the same issues, and they are all related to the safety of the vehicle.