2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/14/2026

218Steering complaints

50.2%Of all 434 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING218 · 50.2%

SEATS92 · 21.2%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM33 · 7.6%

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM31 · 7.1%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING29 · 6.7%

Share of the 434 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING, THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE. WHILE DRIVING…”NHTSA complaint 10259737 — filed 02/24/2009

“I HAVE HAD AN ONGOING COMPLAINT ABOUT A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY 2004 MALIBU MAXX. ALMOST AS SOON AS I GOT…”NHTSA complaint 10258115 — filed 02/09/2009

“ON MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX, THE POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY AS I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY. LAST MONTH, THE STEERING WAS "STIFF" TURNING TO THE…”NHTSA complaint 10249425 — filed 11/20/2008

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx: 218 of 434 complaints on file (50.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have in total?

434 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 26 involved a crash, 6 involved a fire, 20 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.