Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 040306001 | 09/01/2004 | 10011064 | Vehicle leads/pulls characteristics and diagnosis. *tt | 12/28/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 08/01/2006 | 20000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2005 malibu maxx and after one year old it began making clunking noises in the front. i took it to the dealership and they said they had to replace a part of the steering shaft. they did what they did and the noise was gone. they also replaced struts. a few months later it did it again. this time they replaced tie rod ends. by this time my warranty had expired. then 2 months later it did it again! they lubed something and now it has been 8 months and it has not returned yet. now my engine light is on and i keep getting a message to check my gas cap. i check it and nothing is wrong. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2008 | 3 | 07/05/2006 | |
| I bought my car in 2006. it is a 2005 malibu maxx. the first week that i bought it i had to take it to the dealership to have repairs made on the front end. i was told the struts and cv joints needed to be replaced. fine...it was still under manufacturer's warranty. after a few months, another sound from underneath the front end. this time i was told it was the steering column assembly. they replaced that again under warranty. then one year later i returned due to more noises coming from the front end. this time...no warranty. i was told that there was a problem in the steering but they would cover it since it was a known problem with these cars. also they told me a tie rod end was about to snap so they replaced it. i had to pay. now, only a few months after that, the noise in the steering is back again. will this ever end????? *tr | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 3 | 04/25/2006 | |
| I purchased my 2005 chevy malibu maxx ls as a program car thinking it was the next best thing to a new car. i guess i was wrong. since purchasing the vehicle in april 2006 i have had consistent trouble with my front end. i have had to take it to the dealer for warranty repairs four times! now at 50,500 miles my front end is acting up again. the last time i had my repairs done i was out of warranty and called gmac and asked for a repurchase. gmac contacted my dealer and returned a call to me stating that i should try another dealer they could not get anywhere with my current dealer. i was not surprised after being told by the shop leader thathis wife's car did the same thing and that the best thing i could do is drive it till its paid for! i have had it with this car and the service my local dealer . i love gmac and i wish they would be more aggressive at dealing with bad dealerships. my dealership made me feel stupid and like i was bothering them. i am still paying on my malibu but am looking to trade but i am so scared that i will just gain a whole new problem from another vehicle...what do i do? *tr | |||
| 09/14/2006 | 29000 | 1 | 09/12/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle pulled to the left at various speeds. the dealership replaced the rack and pinion and steering column, but the problem persisted. updated *jb | |||
| 07/15/2006 | 12/10/2005 | ||
| Front suspension is clunky as if there are loose-fitted parts. front brakes pulsate at freeway speeds causing steering difficulty in corners. *jb | |||
| 02/22/2006 | 16500 | 1 | 01/14/2006 |
| My chevrolet malibu maxx (2005, 17k miles) frequently has a clunking noise that appears to be coming from the left front suspension. the noise is often accompanied by the feeling of a hit underneath the driver's feet and on occasion seems to be connected to a steering input (steering wheel moves notably). this happens only at lower speeds (below approx. 35 miles/hour) and during or after left turns and is especially strong on uneven roads. i took the car to a certified chevrolet dealer for repair and have been informed that this clunking is related to a problem with the intermittent shaft of the steering, that this problem is known to chevrolet and has been assigned the number pic3747, and that no repair is possible at this time. they also told me that they have no data indicating that this problem is at the same time a safety issue. but as i have a notable steering input, and as the constant clunking is also interfering with concentration, i consider this a safety issue and thus filed this complaint regarding this problem. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 04/28/2010 | 30000 | ||
| 2005 malibu maxx hatchback / v6 / at 30.000 miles on odometer steering problems intermitant for a month, mechanic could find no code when i took it to him and he drove to confirm with power steering having failed - dealer knew right away and replaced the entire steering column although no failed parts were provided to me - power steering still seems weak at times of low rpm - now at 32,000 miles both front bottom ball joints need replacing - they are a sealed unit with no grease fittings. toyota isn't the only manufacture with saftey problems. | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 125000 | 1 | |
| Had to replace right side control arm, i.e. ball joint. other ball joint appears to be in need of replacement. *tr | |||
| 01/29/2007 | 34231 | 3 | 07/27/2006 |
| My husband and i purchased a used certified 2005 malibu maxx in july of 2006, by the time the weather got cold, i noticed a clunking noise in the front end. it was taken in to the dealership and they replaced the steering box. the second time was in march 07, they could not verify the noise, then again in april i took the car back and they replaced a front sway bar link. the noise is still there. it gets so much worse in cold weather it can be really scary on the highway, it also has a inconsistent pull to the left and has been aligned, and tires rotated to no avail. why can't they fix this problem? i am losing my faith in gm after nearly 20 years of being a faithful gm owner. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 01/09/2009 | 55500 | 1 | |
| Ball joint worn out in vehicle at little over 50k miles--had to replace lower ball joint and control arm. very light and small in size for such a powerful v6 fwd---i suspect not heavy enough for this vehicle--have found many others with same problem. lucky that as a former service mgr. i recognized steering problem or could have been an uncontrolled crash possible---called gm---they said normal wear and tear---i have had several other gm products and all ball joints lasted about 100k miles. *tr | |||