2008 Chevrolet Malibu Steering Problems

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

451Steering complaints

45.7%Of all 987 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

STEERING451 · 45.7%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM224 · 22.7%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING95 · 9.6%

POWER TRAIN75 · 7.6%

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)68 · 6.9%

Share of the 987 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu overview page.

What owners report

“THE POWER STEERING MOTOR ON OUR 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS GONE OUT WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO PULL…”NHTSA complaint 10362602 — filed 10/27/2010

“2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU POWER STEERING ISSUES. ISSUES BEGAN OCCURRING AT APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES. PROBLEM WILL APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR AT ANY SPEED, INCLUDING WHILE STOPPED, WITHOUT…”NHTSA complaint 10360574 — filed 10/14/2010

“THE VEHICLE JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS REPLACED WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF THE PURCHASE THEN ANOTHER…”NHTSA complaint 10358931 — filed 10/03/2010

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

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu: 451 of 987 complaints on file (45.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu have in total?

987 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 30 involved a crash, 5 involved a fire, 19 reported injuries, and 2 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.