There are 20 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TAKATA INFLATORS PLEASE FIX MY CAR I WENT TO THE LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE AND THEY CHECKED THE SYSTEM FOR ME AND ALL THESE PROBLEMS PLUS MORE HAVE POPPED UP AND THEY'RE ALL ON THE RECALL LIST
CAR WAS RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH GOING UP HILLS AT 106,000 MILES SO I HAD A TRANSMISSION SERVICE DONE AT AAMCO. 2 DAYS LATER THE CAR IS IN LIMP MODE BARELY MADE IT HOME COASTED. LOW RPMS HAS NO POWER AND FOR SOME REASON IT WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE NOW. GETS HIGHER RPMS AND PULLS IN NEUTRAL. BEFORE THAT THE CAR WAS FINE BESIDE A SUSPENSION/ SHOCKS THAT WERE NEVER ABLE TO BE REPAIRED BY EVERY MECHANIC I WENT TO.
ENDS OF HOLLOW SWAY BAR BROKE OFF AFFECTING CONTROL. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HUB ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO DEFECTIVE BOLTS THAT CAUSED THE HUB TO SEPARATE AND WEAR PREMATURELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE PART # 22714392 ( BOTH HAVE THE SAME CODES OF ORA AND 301024P00 ON THE PAPER TAG ON SPRING ) THIS CAR HAS NEVER PULLED A TRAILER OR HAD ANY HEAVY LOADS BOTH OF THESE SPRINGS BROKE IN THE SAME PLACE ( I HAVE THE BROKEN SPRINGS) DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A SMOOTH ROAD YOU DO NOT NOTICE PROBLEM IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO FAST LANE CHANGE OR HARD BRAKING THEN VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL I WENT TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND ASKED WHAT THEY COULD FOR ME I SAID IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I NEVER HEARD OF 2 COIL SPRINGS BREAKING IN THE SAME PLACE THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING THEY WERE WILLING TO DO THEY SAID I COULD CALL GENERAL MOTORS BUT THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING EITHER I STOPPED DRIVING CAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THEN ORDERED 2 AFTER MARKET MOOG BRAND SPRINGS WHICH ARE MADE OF THICKER METAL AND I INSTALLED REPLACEMENT SPRINGS ON 11/15/2016
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIE ROD AND FRONT BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
THIS CAR SHAKES ALL OVER THE ROAD, TAKES YOU ALL OVER THE ROAD YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT ON THE ROAD. CAUSE IT MIGHT TAKE YOU OFF THE ROAD. WE HAVE GONE THRU TIRES WITH THIS CAR AS WELL, THE BRAKE LIGHT WORKS SOME TIMES, HAD IT REPLACE, STILL HAS ISSUE. I WANTED TO GIVE THIS CAR TO MY SON NOW I'M SCARED TOO, I DON'T FEEL IT IS SAFE... *TR
WITH THE SHAKING STEERING WHEEL AND THE POWER STEERING GOING IN AND OUT MY FRONT TIRES WHERE FEELING OUT OF BALANCE SO I PULLING INTO WAL-MART AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT. BOTH OF MY FRONT TIRES HAD BUSTED BELTS IN THEM AND MY BREAKS WERE PRETTY MUCH GONE AND THE ROTORS WERE TORN UP. THE ALIGNMENT WAS WAY OFF CAUSING THE CAR TO NOT STEER . I WAS TOLD ALL THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, HOWEVER ITS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND WITH SO MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS I HAVE NO MONEY TO HAVE HE PROBLEMS FIXED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE . THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
CAR MADE CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT AND OR LEFT FIND THAT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON STEERING SHAFT WAS RUSTED SO I SPRAYED IT DOWN WITH SOME FREE ALL PENETRATING OIL, HAS GONE AWAY. THERE IS ALSO A CLUNKNG NOISE GOING OVER BUMPS LIFTED THE CAR BY THE BODY AND SHOOK WHEELS FOUND THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVE PLAY IN THEM. *TR
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX LT. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, IT WAS MUCH WORSE WHEN DRIVING 70 MPH. WHEN DRIVING WITH LEFT HAND THE STEERING WHEEL THE WHEEL PUSHES THE HAND THE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE LEFT. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT, BUT HAD INDICATED THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS WITHIN FACTORY SPECS. THE MECHANIC STATED THEY COULD TRY TO ADJUST THE CASTOR, BUT NOT TO FACTORY SPECS. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE ALIGNMENT WAS FINISHED AND BECAME WORSE. THERE WERE NO BULLETINS ON THIS VEHICLE . HOWEVER, THERE WERE ON 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU, NOT FOR THE MAXX THAT RELATED TO THIS FAILURE ,PER THE CONTACT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 6400. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILED ON 2004 CHEVY MALIBU WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN ABOUT A MONTH AGO FOR FRONT ALIGNMENT ISSUES, THOUGHT THEY FIXED IT, BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AND THEN POWER STEERING QUIT. *JB
I PURCHASED MY 2004 MALIBU ON THE DATE LISTED AS INCIDENT DATE. AFTER BRINGING HOME AND DRIVING A BIT, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING NOISE UNDER THE FRONT FLOOR WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE AT LOW SPEEDS. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS IS THE ISSUE ADDRESSED IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, MANUFACTURER #1716682 REGARDING THE SUSPENSION. THE BULLETIN STATED THE REPAIR IS BEING DESIGNED AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THERE WAS A RATTLING SOUND NOTICED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.
2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU FRONT END MAD A THUMPING NOISE WHEN MAKING SLOW TURNS. *TS *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES AND THE RACK WAS REPLACED ONCE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE SHOP FOURTEEN TIMES. THE STEERING SHAFT HAS BEEN PACKED WITH GREASE, WHICH SERVES AS A TEMPORARY REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WILL NEED TO BE GREASED APPROXIMATELY EVERY THREE MONTHS. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.
CONSUMER HAS A CONCERN THAT THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH OR MORE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. EACH TIMES THE DEALER HAS ALIGNED THE FRONT WHEELS, READJUSTED THE STEERING WHEEL, CHANGED THE LEFT SIDE TIRE AND REALIGNED THE FRONT TIRE AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB
THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON FOUR OCCASIONS. *AK ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DEALER THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE CONSUMER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER SHIFTED THE TIRES, THEN IT SEEMED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. *SC THE REAR VIEW MIRROR CRACKED.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT.*AK
2004 MALIBU MAKES A CONSTANT KNOCKING AND POPPING SOUND IN THE FRONT END. *TS THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HASN'T IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026