Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My wife was driving to work at about 8:00 in the morning when the steering wheel "stiffened" up on a turnaround by our house. Then she made the first left turn at a stop sign in our neighborhood..that's when the steering wheel completely locked up and she crashed into a parked car. The police arrived and filed a report. She hit a big truck that fortunately wasn't damaged but our car was left undrivable and completely totaled in the front!! We were going to just pay to get the car fixed but I looked into it further and found a large number of incidents with the steering wheel locking up on people who owned a Chevy Malibu each with various types of consequences. My wife could have been easily killed or killed someone else!!! This issue really needs to be dealt with before any further harm is done to more innocent victims!!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. While driving 30 MPH and turning the steering wheel to the left, the vehicle failed to turn. The contact stated that the steering wheel had to be turned several times in order for the vehicle to turn. There were no warning indicators illuminated. While driving to an independent mechanic, the power steering completely failed. The independent mechanic discovered that the rack and pinion was rusted and detached from the frame. The contact stated that the frame was replaced by the independent mechanic. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA since the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000. Updated 9/12/18
I can't use power steering fluid in my car because I've been told it's electrical. I was pulling out of my apartment building and I came up to a red light up the road to turn left. I stopped at the light for a minute, as the light turned green I continued an thats when the problem occurred. I couldn't barely turn my steering wheel and its hard an thats when "power steering" popped up on my dash. My steering wheel shakes uncontrollably and I'm scared to drive it and its my only transportation to and from my job.
When making a left turn, there was no ability to turn the car. The car drove onto a sidewalk. The car would not steer. Turning the steering wheel did not turn the wheels. There was a clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. The car had to be towed. I'm afraid of what could have happened if I was on the freeway or if there were people on the sidewalk.
driving the car it just shuts off which results in no power no steering and no brakes possibly an ignition switch problem.
The problem started with the power steering note in the dashboard (radio display) y went to my mechanic and he said me, the power steering is OK, I keep driving the car and the sign for power steering continued on the dashboard and I went to another expert mechanic and he saidto me if it continue and the driving and control the car became so hard, the procedure to fix is just stop the engine for a while and start again, this conduct I followed for a long time but reciently became so hard and very dangerous to drive because the problem now is random, some time every few seconds or every hour or a few time, some time at the moment I turned very I was very close to crash against other vehicles and driving in the express way I-95 for fort lauderdale heading south, I needed to brake abruptly because a landscaping trailer leave garden tool and tress, my vehicle turned wild and out control …
My daughter was driving her car and for no reason the car just shuts off. This has happened 3 times in the last weeks. The car also on 6 occasions would not start(has brand new battery) won't turn over, my daughter has been stranded several times. After a $400. 00 fuel pump replacement , which after it was replaced the car , other cars which are just shutting off while they are being driven.this is very dangerous to lose all power while driving!. And as well there have been numerous car owners who have replaced fuel pumps, which did not solve the problem. The car now has had the ignition replace as the mechanics "think:"its the security system!. To date the repairs are hitting $1,000. Also the turning signals, radio and A/C all work intermittently. I am no mechanic but seems there is electrical/security systems issues with these cars. …
While checking out my daughters 2005 Malibu Classic for complaints about intermittent airbag light I happened to slightly tug on her keychain while driving about 50 MPH on the highway. The engine shut off. I lost power steering. I lost power brakes. I could not restart the car while it was moving. Luckily I was able to pull it over to the side of the road. It would not restart until I put the shift lever into park. I investigated this on the internet and found other GM vehicles being recalled but not this one. I called GM's recall line. They said to contact my dealer. I asked the dealer to make some keys with a center hole rather than a slot (at my expense) to prevent the ignition switch from rotating to engine off when a keychain is attached. They said they could not do it without GM authorization. I am concerned about my family members using this vehicle. Luckily no one was hurt.
I bought a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu new in 2005. Since then, we repeatedly lost steering with the car. I was only recently made aware that there were issues with the power steering motor on these vehicles. They do not have the conventional power steering pump, but have an electrical power steering motor. No recall was issued. GM knew. I visited my local junkyard the other day. There are many of these cars with front end damage. I can only surmise how many accidents/injuries/fatalities were the result of this steering flaw. GM never informed me of the potential risks. (I did not move or change address.) I found out via the internet. I now see where GM is involved in yet another safety issue, ignition switches. Is there an investigation ongoing on these steering issues? Someone is going to get killed.
Ignition key issue in my 2005 Chevy Classic Malibu when the car is on in the run position when the car is in drive and park the key can come out by taking it out and the car is still running. The key is also loose it tends to fall out of the ignition and the car is still running. The car shift gear for park and drive and neutral when you pull it back it gets stuck all the time sometimes I able to move it forward and backwards without having to press the button. The car also shakes during high winds it goes left and right from high winds.
Steering complaints in other Malibu Classic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, 22% of the model year's 92 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.