I have an '05 Malibu LS. Sometimes @ low speeds I can feel a soft
bumping or rubbing through the steering wheel. It only happens @ low
speeds and when I turn a sharp corner like going into a parking spot.
At normal speeds everything feels normal. Can someone tell me what this
is?

Thanks, Justin

It's under warranty. Take it back to the dealer and ask them.

No, it's not under warranty, millage has expired. I'd like some advice
on this, that's why I asked on the forum.

Justin
jcr wrote:

The new Malibu had a rash of steering problems when it came out. My '04 was
fixed under warranty. Ask the dealer if they have a special warranty
extension on that particular problem.
Jake

<jgassaway (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

I have just started getting the same thing (bump/thump feel through the
steering wheel) under low speeds and mostly when turning to the left on
my '05 Malibu. I've called the dealer for an appointment, so I do not
know what the issue is at this point. My guess is that it could be a
CV joint, tie rod end or a control arm... but I'm guessing. I will let
you know what the dealer says next week.

fevolaj (AT) hotmail (DOT) com wrote:
Here's a follow up on the "bump" in the steering. The dealer says that
the problem is with the rack & pinion unit and the entire unit will
need to be replaced. From what I gather, this is a common problem as
the dealer told me it would take several days to obtain a new unit as
they have been in demand. My car is in for the repair today. We'll
see...

On 15 Nov 2006 03:46:39 -0800, "Brew Man" <fevolaj (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:


FWIW, my wife's 04 Malibu had very similar issues. Dealer replaced the
intermediate steering shaft, noise and "feedback" through steering
wheel gone.

A little less than a year later, same problem once again reappeared.
Back to the dealer about a month before the warranty ran out. My
service rep, who seems to be a pretty good guy, said GM recommended
not doing another replacement of the shaft, but they were "working" on
a different fix. This was in June of this year.

Fast forward to today, talked to my rep about a problem with my son's
01 Malibu and also made an appt to have the oil changed on the 04
(lifetime oil change). He asked if the problem was still there on the
car, said he'd done the new "fix" on another vehicle a couple of weeks
ago, they will do it on the 04 tomorrow even though it's out of the
warranty period.

I also have an 04 Silverado Dmax, also had "intermediate steering
shaft" noise at about 1 year old, they regreased it, noise gone, so
far it hasn't reappeared.

Not sure if this really has anything to do with your particular
problem, just thought I'd share. <G>

David

IdaSpode <not (AT) home_watching (DOT) tv> wrote in
news:nhepl25djsgejerj8a510aoskvm0gmvu67 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com:

actually, your reply sounds right on...i do 2 to 3 a week in a rental
fleet.......i dont replace shaft. i dont regrease shaft anymore.......i
simply remove pinch bolt at rack connection and slide shaft up and down
several times to redistribute existing lube....ive never done the same
vehicle twice...........twenty minutes, tops...........Lord knows how
many racks GM has replaced and just accidently fixed the prob because
they had to slide the shaft to replace rack....just like the early
impalas if anyone remembers........kjun

Thanks for the info and I will definitely keep that in mind if/when it
happens again. This is also interesting, because at first the dealer
said the problem was the steering shaft and likely just needed a little
grease. I never did get into a discussion with them about what that
meant. That was the first time I brought it in. When I picked up the
car that day, they said I needed a new rack & pinion and would have to
bring the car back. So, the repair went from something simple to a
significant repair. I figured that it's under warranty, so I should
let them do whatever it takes to repair it. If I were paying for the
repair, I sure would be looking for mor cost effective repairs. So
that raises a question... Does the dealer make money off of GM by
making major repairs out of minor ones when they work on a vehicle
under warranty? Basically, is doing work under warranty in the
interest of the dealership?