Most common 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Share of the 1,147 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Malibu complaints by model year
Best Malibu years: 2025, 2021, 2019. Years to avoid: 2010. Compare all years →
2004 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (6)
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
Some of these passenger vehicles have an electronic control unit (ECU) that May calculate a higher than actual vehicle speed because of an erratic rear-wheel speed sensor signal, and cause ABS activation where it is not needed or needed ABS activation to be extended during braking as the vehicle speed drops to about 3 MPH.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ABS controller. Owner notification began on June 16, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
On certain passenger vehicles, analysis of an a side impact crash test conducted by the NHTSA;s new car assessment program (ncap) indicated that the outboard anchorage of the driver's seat belt could disconnect because of contact between the seat trim and the anchorage connector when the seat was adjusted to its lowest position.
Remedy: Dealers will insert a retainer on both the driver's and passenger's belt anchorages. Owner notification began on June 16, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 208, "occupant crash protection." some of these vehicles that were not equipped with an advanced occupant restraint system (aors) have driver and passenger side sun visors with aors labels.
Remedy: Owners will be sent replacement labels with instructions on how to install them. Owner notification began on April 21, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu:
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 owners say
Steering all 798 →
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the power steering failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed however, there was no DTC code retrieved for the power steering failure. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to costs. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact's friend owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The oil and theft warning lights were illuminated. The Service Power Steering message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Electrical system all 151 →
The power steering went out while driving. The car was being backed out of the driveway. The car had lights go off when it happened. Once the car was restarted power steering worked again. This problem has only occurred once as far as known. The steering was incredibly hard to move when the issue occurred. It is foreseeable that if issue happens at the wrong time on the freeway it could lead to injury or death of driver, passenger, or others outside the vehicle. If it happens at high speeds during a turn any number of serous damage or injuries could occur. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who said a dealership would have the equipment properly diagnose the problem. If the mechanic did it himself he would have to replace several parts one a time and it might not be fixed. I will have my son take it to a dealership to look at it. …
I was driving to work with my son and sister in the car when the steering wheel suddenly got very tight and started jerking when I attempted to make a left or right turn. I then stopped at a gas station and as soon as I came to a complete stop the vehicle shut off before I could turn it off manually. I then attempted to turn the key on and start the vehicle but it would not turn over, it would only make a clicking sound. I called a friend that was close by to come and assist me so when they arrived I asked them to jump my vehicle off via jumper cables which did get my vehicle's engine to finally start. The car sounded very weak as if it was going to shut off again once we disconnected the jumper cables but it didn't shut off. Nothing was working inside the car or outside meaning I had no radio, no interior lights and nothing on my dash was working. …
Lights all 84 →
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and the engine running the contact noticed that their front driver and passenger headlight were very low in both low beam and high beam and that the light eventually burned out. The contact inspected the vehicle and saw that the light bulb sockets for both the front driver side and passenger had melted. The contact stated the cause of the failure is the wiring behind the headlight assembly that is causing the headlight socket to melt. The contact replaced the headlight bulb sockets themselves with aftermarket parts to repair the failure, however, the failure persisted and reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was driving to work with my son and sister in the car when the steering wheel suddenly got very tight and started jerking when I attempted to make a left or right turn. I then stopped at a gas station and as soon as I came to a complete stop the vehicle shut off before I could turn it off manually. I then attempted to turn the key on and start the vehicle but it would not turn over, it would only make a clicking sound. I called a friend that was close by to come and assist me so when they arrived I asked them to jump my vehicle off via jumper cables which did get my vehicle's engine to finally start. The car sounded very weak as if it was going to shut off again once we disconnected the jumper cables but it didn't shut off. Nothing was working inside the car or outside meaning I had no radio, no interior lights and nothing on my dash was working. …
2004 Chevrolet Malibu engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 31 / 25 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu a good car?
Based on 1,147 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Malibu rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Malibu at the same age. 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?
The steering — 798 complaints, 70% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the electrical system (151) and lights (84).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025, 2021 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2010. See the full Chevrolet Malibu years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 79,000 miles; 32% 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.