Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on my way home, and I made a right turn into my neighborhood and when I began to turn left into the curve my steering wheel was turning but my car continued to go straight into a neighbor's yard causing me to slam on brakes and hit a hill! I got my car checked out that next morning and found that it was my rack and pinion that has caused this. I knew my car had a recall so I decided to search recalls for my car (year make and model) I saw where there was a recall on the rack and pinion where if it went out you would not be able to turn left only right. I contacted the GM corporate office and stated as such and they said that was a recall but not on my specific VIN # so there is nothing that could be done. Is this possible seeming as they have issued a recall on this particular part already on 97 and 98 Chevy Malibu's?
Consumer complained about a rack and pinion steering problem. Vehicle was involved in an accident due to rack and pinion steering failure. Driver was unable to make a left turn when crash occurred.
Tl- the contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact was included in NHTSA campaign id number: 03V527000 (steering), received the recall repair and weeks later the failure recurred. The contact stated that while making a turn, extreme force had to be applied to the steering wheel and the vehicle was unstable to drive. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer who refused to repair the vehicle. The authorized dealer indicated that someone damaged the subframe and bolts along with the quarter panels being rusted. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who indicated that the authorized dealer needed to replace the bolts, subframe and the quarter panels which were rusted. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer provided an interim fix of welding the brackets to the frame and within weeks the components fractured. …
We bought this 1997 Malibu from my dad less than a year ago for my son to drive to college. My dad is meticulous in caring for his vehicles so all the scheduled and routine maintenance work has been done and it still only has 70xxx miles on it. My complaint is this : last night my son was parking the car when it suddenly became very hard to turn the steering wheel. He finished parking, but a short time later as he started to drive home, he realized that the power steering was completely gone. There have been so many incidents like this one that there was finally a safety recall issued in 2004. The paperwork I have states that the dealer "replaced steering gear pinion bearing and reset toein". Obviously,that remedy failed since the power steering went out anyway. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received a recall notice in February of 2004 regarding the lower rack and pinion steering. He had not experienced any failures at the time; however, he took the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. Six months later, while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked. He was able to pull the wheel back to the right and stop the vehicle. The contact drove home and his father, a mechanic, inspected the vehicle and declared the cause of failure to be the lower rack and pinion. The contact called the dealer and they stated that nothing could be done because the recall repair had already been performed. The recall number was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 243,831. Updated 01/11/08. Updated
Intake manifold on my 1997 Chevy Malibu has started to go bad I know its the lower gasket I called Chevy after seeing so many other people with the same problem I was told Chevy would not replace it due to it being over ten years old well it seems like with was a problem waiting to happen as soon as they sealed the manifold at the factory I think GM should replace this item once free of charge per car also my rack and pinion seems to stick on my left side I've replaced the power steering pump and checked the rack and pinion seems the ball bearing wanting to come out or is gone I told GM I don't think they replaced it when they recalled it and they told me the first owner did but wont send me paperwork on the repair or the dealership that did the work.
Steering wheel made an irritating sound when turned. The dealership was notified. Upon inspection they indicated that the steering gear had an internal fault, and replaced it. Cause of the internal fault was not disclosed to the consumer. Recall campaign# 03V527000. The steering was repaired. A year later the entire steering assembly had to be replaced again. The check emissions light would come on intermittently. There were noises when the vehicle was turned left due to the steering gears internal fault and the gear was replaced, the left front tire had a steel belt showing on the inside.
Consumer's grandmother was severely injured in a crash when she experienced the same defect as stated in the loss of power steering assist recall. As stated on the recall that there's an intermittent loss of power steering when making left turns at low speed. Consumer tried to find out the cause of the accident. However, since consumer's grandmother (the driver) suffered severe brain hemorrhage and permanent short term memory loss due to accident, the only incident the consumer found out is that the driver was trying to make a left turn at low speed.
When driving my 1997 Chevy Malibu, I turned left and the steering wheel locked. I almost crashed into a parked car due to the fact that I couldn't move the steering wheel at all. When I tried getting the steering wheel to move again, it wouldnt budge right but when trying left it would make a "hissing" sound, like air pressure being released. This happened at 10 pm and I had passengers in the vehicle, this could have been catastrophic. This happened suddenly with no warning whatsoever. I am going back to the dealer asap.
Dt*: the contact stated the steering wheel failed to steer for the first 10 minutes after turning on the vehicle. It was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the steering rack and the power steering pressure hose were leaking. There was a NHTSA recall #03V527000, regarding the steering: rack and pinion. The service dealer performed the recall, however the gear assembly was not replaced. Updatd 01/30/07.
Related recalls
Steering › Rack and pinion
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on February 5, 2004.
NHTSA investigations
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM conducted a safety recall (NHTSA # 02V286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 Pontiac grand prix vehicles built between March 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, 1996-1998 Pontiac trans sport, Chevrolet lumina apv, Chevrolet venture, Oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and Chevrolet…
Steering rack and pinion
Odi has received 200 complaints fromt consumers and 1,238 from GM alleging failure or lockup of the steering rack and pinion unit (r&p).this alleged condition can result in the loss of steering control of the vehicle and a crash can result.GM has reported six crashes in which eight people have sustained injuries ranging from bruises, airbag burn, seat belt abrasion, facial injury, neck and back pain.all crashes were…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
The lower pinion bearing in the rack and pinion steering assembly May fail.GM will recall 1997-98 grand prix built between 1-mar-96 and 31-oct-97; and 1996-98 u-vans/j-cars built between 1-jan-96 and 31-oct-97.see attached summary.
Steering complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 80 complaints about the steering of the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, 18% of the model year's 443 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Malibu steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-527 (rack and pinion, Dec 11, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Malibu steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.