Yes, the 2004 Malibu has electronic steering. It's apparently brand new and
works good most of the time;]

I drove one and didn't even notice. You don't hear GM mention much about it
though. It's a little disconcerting to think that your steering wheel is
only connected to your tires only through Delco electronics! I have learned
to steer clear of new technology from GM in it's first 2 years.

"Duane" <NoSpam (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote

I think waiting a year or twp to work the kinks out of new models and
technologies can be applied to every auto manufacturer.

I live in the Detroit area and I confess that I've been buying American made
cars from American companies. All cars can have problems, some more than
others. I personally appreciate a company that backs up their products.
Recalls unfortunately are usually forced upon car companies, primarlly only
for safety issues, and not for bad designs that will require costly repairs.

As far as what is new, major redesigns are new. I've been burned on too
many new vehicles with "new" features to ignore reality. First years of new
GM, Chrysler and Ford vehicles are full of problems, I can tell you
firsthand, I've bought 'um. I can't speak for all the other companies.
Look closely at Consumers Reports and you can see the failures line up
directly with the major redesigns for the big 3.

So now I wait until after the first 2 years even though I like many of those
new features. Talk to the mechanics and you'll realize how they're
typically unprepared for new releases.

Show me a car company that can build it right the first time at a reasonable
price and I'll be one of the first in line.

I own a 2001 Malibu and it's had some common problems; heater switch, intake
manifold leak, brakes failing prematurely... I really like the 2004 Malibu,
but it is a major redesign and if I really wanted one soon, I'd wait until
September when the 2005 model is released. Me, I like the Max model, but
I'll wait and see how my 2001 holds up. If it does good, I'll think about
the 2006 Malibu Max

- Duane