Most common 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems
Share of the 434 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx complaints by model year
Best Malibu Maxx years: 2007. Years to avoid: 2004. Compare all years →
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake…
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.
Steering › Electric power assist system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx:
Turn signal lamps
The subject vehicles May experience loss of function of one or more of the park, turn, stop or daytime running lamps (drl).failure of the bulb May also include discoloration (heat damage) to the bulb socket.general motors (GM) technical service bulletin (TSB) number 06-08-42-004c instructs technicians to examine the lamp housing for signs of discoloration and to replace the bulbs and or sockets depending on the…
Loss of electric power steering
Odi opened pe04-031 based on eight reports of alleged power steering failure in the subject vehicles.the complaints allege that the driver suddenly lost all electric power steering assistance without warning making the vehicle difficult to steer.
Turn Signal Lamps
GM designed the MY 2004 and 2005 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles with a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that uses the same filament (the high power filament of a dual filament bulb) as the front turn signals.The high power filament operates at full battery voltage when functioning as a DRL.The DRL is illuminated whenever the headlamps are off, increasing the duty cycle of the front turn signal bulb.The…
Loss of electric power steering
In performing this engineering analysis, odi determined that the electric power steering system in the subject vehicles can malfunction or fail, causing the driver to lose power steering assistance; however, due to the following reasons, odi has decided that further expenditure of agency resources on this investigation is not warranted at this time: - GM issued customer satisfaction campaign (csc) 04050a indecember…
What 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx owners say
Steering all 251 →
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
Seats all 92 →
While driving our 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx with a 6 position driver seat, I hit a pothole and the driver seat broke loose. This caused the seat to drop down, back and to the right. This resulted in a momentary loss of control causing me to pull the steering wheel to the right and ending up off the road and hitting a small tree. The contact to the tree caused damage to the trim around the headlight and the lens. Inspection found 2 welds on the seat frame had broken. The 1st weld is on the front cross bar and right frame rail. The 2nd weld had broken on the rear cross bar and the frame where the seatbelt receptacle is attached. We called the Chevy customer service line and we were told that Chevy had not had received complaints about broken welds on the seat frame but would be happy to record our concern. …
I have owned a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx for a couple years. Recently the drivers seat started wobbling and now sits uncomfortably crooked leaning to the right. I had my mechanic take the whole seat out to determine what the problem was and he said that the frame holding the seat to the floor had broken in 2 places. He said that there was no way to fix it safely for several reasons. He said that the materials for the frame were weak and inadequate. He said that it would be impossible to weld because there was no way to do it without possibly starting the seat on fire. He also brought up the facts that if a seat wasn't securely bolted to the floor and was loose that in a front end crash the seat would throw the driver forward into the windshield. The air bag "might" help slightly. …
Lights all 38 →
First my horn fuse continued to blow. I replaced the fuse multiple times. Then my turn signal light went out. I looked at it and noticed that both sides had holes burnt through the amber globe. I was out of town and didn't want to receive a ticket for non working light so I had it replaced, however within a day the bulb blew again and the horn fuse blew again. I took it to the dealer and they said they had no clue what was causing it however I had to pay over $500 to have the headlight parts replaced on both sides. I have an extended warranty and they denied the claim b/c they don't replace lights, however the fact that the car is burning up I don't think I just wanted new lights. I do not feel I should be out money for a problem that has obviously occurred on other vehicles and now mine. …
Front blinker lights have melted nickel sized holes in the tops of the amber plastic globes the light bulbs go into. Melted plastic dripped on the light bulbs causing bulbs to fail. Strong melted/burnt plastic odor in the car. Smoke from the melted plastic has discolored headlight assemblies. Have to replace front and back blinker lights at least monthly. Front casings are the only one that caught fire, burned through the orange globish cover through to the outside cover. The lights burning out started within the first year but the fire did not start until 2006. I see more Malibu's on the road with only one day time running light working at a time. It has to be a know problem but the dealership denies it every time I've called over the years.
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx a good car?
Based on 434 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Malibu Maxx rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Malibu Maxx at the same age. It is one of the Malibu Maxx years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
The steering — 251 complaints, 58% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the seats (92) and lights (38).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, the most recent from May 14, 2014 (cruise control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004. See the full Chevrolet Malibu Maxx years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 74,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.