2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Problems
- Complaints
- 434filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 74,000miles, 379 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 3campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
- NHTSA crash rating
- —overall rating starts with 2011 models
- EPA fuel economy
- 22 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 19 city / 28 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Owners of this model year report two dominant themes: intermittent loss of power steering assist, often accompanied by a warning light or chime and sometimes clearing after a restart, and a driver's seat frame whose weld lets go, dropping and tilting the seat. The steering complaints span the whole life of the car, from a few thousand miles to well past 150,000, and complaints describe the assist cutting out both at parking-lot speeds and during highway driving.
- Steering
Power steering assist cuts out while driving
- 225 complaints (52%)
- median 77,800 mi at 7.5 yrs old (204 state mileage)
- 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
- owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 17 quotes)
- filed 2004–2023
Complaints describe the steering wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, usually with a power steering warning light, chime, or a message in the driver information center. Some say the assist returns after switching the ignition off and restarting the car, others report it recurring repeatedly. Dealers are described as replacing the steering column, the steering module, or a steering sensor, and some owners say the problem came back after repair or that the dealer could not duplicate it. Reported across the whole mileage range, from under 10,000 miles to nearly 200,000, at both low speeds and highway speeds.
Recall 14V1530004 related service bulletins
What to check: Ask whether the car has had the electric power steering recall work done under 14V153000, and check the VIN against it. During a test drive, watch for the power steering warning light and try full-lock turns at low speed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I turned my car on, and the power steering light came on. Couldn't steer. Turned car off and on, then my steering wheel jerks like crazy for a week. Now driving home from work my steering died completely. Reading about this and I see this is a huge problem for the malibu and Malibu Maxx. Chevy needs to do a recall!!!”
NHTSA complaint #10564954, filed 2014-02, 159,900 miles“Power steering light came on and ringing sound sounded and power steering went completely out in the middle of a busy intersection as I was making a right hand turn. I managed to get it to the curb and call for help. After sitting a while it became normal, but I am afraid this will happen again. There have been many complaints from other about this. See NHTSA action number ea 04018 and lots of GM service bulletins. …”
NHTSA complaint #10574206, filed 2014-03, 145,000 miles - Seats
Driver's seat frame weld breaks, seat drops and tilts
- 88 complaints (20%)
- median 97,000 mi at 7.8 yrs old (81 state mileage)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 26 quotes)
- filed 2007–2019
Owners describe the driver's seat suddenly dropping and leaning to the right, sometimes while adjusting it and sometimes while driving or after a bump. On inspection, a weld on the front cross member or mounting bracket of the seat frame has separated, and complaints describe the surrounding metal as thin. Dealers are reported to quote a full seat replacement, with costs commonly described as around a thousand dollars. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 160,000 miles, often noticed during seat adjustment or after a pothole.
What to check: Sit in the driver's seat and work it through its full height and tilt range, then look underneath at the front cross member for cracks or a separated weld. Ask whether the seat frame or seat assembly has been replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“While sitting in the driveway was adjusting the seat for me to drive then the seat dropped down and now leans to the right and rocks back and forth when going over any bumps at any speed. Front weld of the driver seat broke, causing the seat to sometimes lean towards the front right. We took it to chevy, asked them to check the seat and do a state inspection. They said that they didnt know what it was and had to pull the seat out. …”
NHTSA complaint #10398985, filed 2011-04, 41,000 miles“The drivers seat right side dropped suddenly. My inspection revealed a weld to a structural member failed. The structural member actually failed in the weld heat affected zone. The wall thickness of the structural member was a tube with inadequate wall thickness for the design. I am a civilian nuclear engineer for the dod (navy) and can send a digital image of the failed part. It appears from an internet search that this is not an uncommon failure as I would expect from my inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #10458258, filed 2012-05, 140,000 miles - Brakes
Brake vibration, grinding and sticking calipers
Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints
Complaints describe vibration felt through the steering wheel when braking from highway speed, a loud grinding noise when the pedal is pressed, and calipers that stick and wear the rotors unevenly. Owners report repeated rotor resurfacing or replacement, caliper and strut replacement, and in some cases ABS and traction control lights along with reduced braking. Dealers are described as attributing some noises to normal operation or declining to cover the parts. Reported from about 17,000 to 160,000 miles, with several complaints under 50,000 miles.
What to check: Test braking from highway speed for vibration or grinding, and have the rotors and calipers inspected for uneven wear or sticking. A brake lamp or ABS light warrants a scan for stored codes.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“One night when it was snowing, I was leaving work and three lights came on when I went to stop my vehicle. The ABS, traction control and service engine lights came on and I had trouble stopping my vehicle. After this little incident I noticed the brakes was not working properly. Took the car to auto zone and put it on the code reader. A code pooped up, but could not be told what it was. They said you would have to take it the dealer for them to tell you what the code is. I had to go to work, so didn't have time to take it there. …”
NHTSA complaint #10703323, filed 2015-04, 160,000 miles“Dt: the contact stated the brakes and steering malfunctioned, resulting in an accident. The steering locked up while attempting to make a right turn. Prior to this incident she heard a squeaking noise in the brakes. She took the car to a mechanic, and was told brakes were in good working condition. She has not contacted the dealership. A police report was taken. . The contact suffered a concussion, and had nerve damage. Updated 12/30/05.”
NHTSA complaint #10144687, filed 2005-12, 50,000 miles
Buying note. Check the power steering behavior carefully on a test drive and confirm whether the steering recall was completed for the specific VIN, since owners describe the assist cutting out at any speed. Also inspect the driver's seat frame underneath and the front lamp housings, as both are inexpensive to check and costly to repair.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 434 consumer complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. 379 of the complaints include a mileage, and 29% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 74,000 miles. Of all complaints, 26 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 20 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 136 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Steering251 58%
- Seats93 21%
- Electrical system37 8.5%
- Exterior lighting37 8.5%
- Brakes20 4.6%
- Transmission and drivetrain20 4.6%
- Fuel system14 3.2%
- Air bags13 3.0%
- Equipment7 1.6%
- Seat belts7 1.6%
Also reported: Suspension (7), Engine (6), Vehicle speed control (6), Engine cooling (5), Latches, locks and linkages (5), Body and structure (4), Electronic stability control (3), Interior lighting (3), Other or unknown (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).
Example complaints
Steering: “Steering out of whack. I have had my control arm on both sides changed along with axles and a alignment. No luck its still all over road. I drive from sylvester ga to tifton ga everyday. It does the same thing everytime. Also I have had my lights replaced 3 times in the last year. Why arent the lasting. Gas cap keeps reading error. Whole car. I can let someone drive it to see what I am saying.”
NHTSA complaint #11193420, filed 2019-04, 140,000 milesSeats: “The drivers seat frame broke on my 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx causing it to lean and tilt back to the right toward the center console. It has the 6-way power seat. The 58,795 is less than average for the age of the car. I feel that this is a safety issue since the seat belt attaches to the frame of the seat. I feel that GM should have this on a recall to fix the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10575633, filed 2014-03, 58,795 milesElectrical system: “No steering,steering turns around and around without stop turning in either direction,right or left. Second time this happened,spent approximately $1200.00 before. Car this time ended in a tow pound yard. Triple aaa moved my car to a shop called quick stop where I wanted to get my car fixed at only to discover they didn't do electrical work which they discovered was the problem among others. Again the towing company triple aaa carried it to webb Chevrolet suggested by this shop. Webb Chevrolet discovered also electrical issues. My insurance notified me after I contact them for a claim report. …”
NHTSA complaint #11194247, filed 2019-04, 155,000 milesExterior lighting: “The day time running lights/turn signal lights on my 2004 Malibu Maxx are melting through the amber colored housing and starting to melt the clear housing that covers the entire headlight. I think at some time this might lead to a fire. The problem was just noticed at a routine oil change and may have been melting for a long time before it was realized.”
NHTSA complaint #10282375, filed 2009-08, 100,000 milesMileage when problems were reported
29% of the 379 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 43,507 and 110,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malibu Maxx FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,050 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 14V252000May 14, 2014Electronic stability control (esc)Covers: Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 2004–2007, Malibu 2004–2012, Pontiac G6 2005–2010 +1 more
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…
- 14V224000Apr 30, 2014Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shiftCovers: Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 2004–2007, Malibu 2004–2008, Pontiac G6 2005–2008 +1 more
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…
- 14V153000Mar 31, 2014Steering › Electric power assist systemCovers: Chevrolet Malibu Maxx 2004–2006, Malibu 2004–2006, 2008–2009, Saturn Ion 2004–2007 +4 more
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. In the affected vehicles…
Recall details for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 136 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11020816Jul 18, 2025Other or unknown. This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- 11007208Sep 6, 2024Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires…
- 11006621Aug 26, 2024Electrical system. Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need…
- 11006421Jul 24, 2024Transmission and drivetrain. GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging…
- 11004761Jun 28, 2024Engine, Fuel system. This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with…
- 11004557Jun 17, 2024Other or unknown. This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 11002312Jun 6, 2024Electrical system. This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492…
- 11000576May 7, 2024Other or unknown. This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal…
- 10252735Mar 28, 2024Electrical system. This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
- 10251890Mar 13, 2024Engine cooling. This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with…
Other model years of the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 44 | 75,000 | 3 | — | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 270 | 82,956 | 4 | — | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 326 | 85,000 | 3 | — | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 434 | 74,000 | 3 | — | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
All Chevrolet Malibu Maxx model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?
Owners of this model year report two dominant themes: intermittent loss of power steering assist, often accompanied by a warning light or chime and sometimes clearing after a restart, and a driver's seat frame whose weld lets go, dropping and tilting the seat. The issues reported most often: Power steering assist cuts out while driving; Driver's seat frame weld breaks, seat drops and tilts; Brake vibration, grinding and sticking calipers.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have?
NHTSA recorded 434 consumer complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx is reported most often?
Steering is named most often, in 251 complaints (58% of the total), followed by seats with 93.
Has the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx been recalled?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx get?
The EPA rates the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx (Malibu Maxx, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx reported?
Among the 379 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 74,000 miles and the middle half falls between 43,507 and 110,000 miles; 29% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.