NHTSA Complaint #10945596 — 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

STEERING WHEEL HAS NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. HAD A KNOCKING NOISE SINCE I BROUGHT 3 YEARS AGO. STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENS UP AND VERY HARD TO TURN AND TIGHTENS MORE WHILE TRYING TO MAKE TURNS AT SLOW SPEEDS . NOW HAPPENING SOME TIMES WHEN I PUT INTO REVERSE. BEEN TRYING TO TEACH MY SON HOW TO DRIVE AND WHEEL TO TIGHT FOR HIM TO PRACTICE TURNS. A FEW WEEKS AGO HE ALMOST RAN INTO A BUSH WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN. HAD HIM PUT THE CAR IN PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET WHILE ON COMING CARS HAD TO STOP AND WAIT FOR US TO SWITCH DRIVERS. GETTING WORSE/TIGHTER OVER TIME. IF THE WHEEL IS SLIGHTLY TURNED AND I PUT IN DRIVE THE CAR JUMPS AHEAD WITH NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING. ALREADY TOOK IN FOR RECALL'S FOR POWER STEERING SO WHEN I CALLED WAS TOLD ALL MY RECALLS HAD BEEN DONE AND EXPIRED. LAST FEW DAYS THE WHEEL IS SHAKING THE CLOSER I DRIVE TO 55 MPH. CLEARLY THE STEERING HAS ISSUES THAT SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM AND GM NOT WILLING TO MAKE RIGHT. A DRIVING HAZARD! *TR