ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS. WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE WORDS 'POWER STEERING' COMES ON THE MESSAGE BOARD ALONG WITH A YELL ILLUMINATED TRIANGLE LIGHT AND AN 'ESC' LIGHT AND THE CARS STEERING WILL NOT CONTROL. CAR WILL SHIFT BUT STEERING CANNOT BE CONTROLLED. WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. STEERING WILL LOCK UNTIL CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED!
2008 Chevrolet Malibu steering problems
critical 466 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
466
Recalls
0
Crashes
12
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 11 most recent
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FELT ABNORMAL AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE …
POWER STEERING ON VEHICLE TEMPORARILY FAILS WHILE DRIVING. ALSO STEERING WHEEL OFTEN SHAKES FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHILE SITTING IDLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A U-TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFT FAILED TO SWITCH GEARS AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V252000 (ELEC…
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT ABOUT 6 PM WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND CAUSED MY STEERING WHEEL TO TURN BY ITSELF. WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED BY ITSELF I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST CRASHED INTO A STOP SIGN AND A CURB IN THE INCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR I WAS SO EXCITED, IT WAS MY FIRST CAR AND I THOUGHT IT WAS DECENT,I WAS WRONG. SINCE THE POWER STEERING …
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INFORMATION SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON; AFTER THE RESTART, THE POWER STEERING FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75…
POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPS WORKING AT RANDOM TIMES AND VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL
POWER LOCKS HAVE ONLY WORKED FOR FRONT DOORS FOR AS LONG AS IVE HAD THE CAR, ABOUT A YEAR..... OVER THE PAST MONTH - SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR ONE DAY. A FEW WEEKS LATER, SERVICE ESC AND TRACTION CONTROL POPPED UP AFTER STARTING THE CAR. NOW MY POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT AND DOES NOT RESET UPON RESTARTING THE CAR.
WAS GOING AROUND A CORNER AFTER A RED LIGHT STEERING LOCKED UP AND GOT A MESSAGE POWER STEERING PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER MESSAGE CANT REMEMBER WHAT IT SAID. IT LOOKS LIKE IM NOT THE ONLY ONE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CHEVROLET SHOULD FIX IT. . ..UPDATED 01-10-14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED SHE FOUND HER EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE POWER STEERING. UPDATED 01/13/14
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu?
It's a serious issue. 466 complaints have been filed, including 12 reports involving a crash and 1 fatality(ies). We've classified it as critical based on NHTSA's reported outcomes.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
Some links on this page are affiliate links.