NHTSA Complaint #11067313 — 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

I WAS DRIVING AND A WARNING SIGNAL SOUND CAME ON AND THE "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE SCREEN THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ON ON ON THE HIGHWAY SO THAT WAS THE SCARY PART. I STARTED TO GO HOME BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS NOT SAFE. THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AND MAKE NOISES WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK AND MOVE AND CONTINUE TO RATTLE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND IT WAS OKAY. I STARTED TO DRIVE AND AGAIN THE SIGNAL SOUND AND THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE CAME ON AND IT WENT OUT WHILE I WAS TURNING WHICH WAS A SCARY MOMENT BECAUSE AN ACCIDENT WOULD'VE HAPPENED HAD ANOTHER CAR BEEN IN THE WAY. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT AN ACCIDENT HAPPENING. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AND DID SO. WAS TOLD IT WAS PROBABLY A SENSOR. I LOOKED UP RECALLS AND THAT WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR. I CALLED THE GM/CHEVY CONSUMER LINE AND THEY RECOMMENDED IT TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND STATED THE RECALL HAD BEEN FIXED. LOCAL CHEVY DEALER CALLS TO TELL ME THAT THERE IS A "BULLETIN" AND THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,100. THE STEERING COLUMN IS LISTED ON THE PREVIOUS RECALL BUT THEY ONLY REPLACED A SENSOR. I WAS TOLD I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. I FIND IT VERY DISTURBING THAT MILLIONS OF CARS HAVE THIS ISSUE AND NOTHING IS BEING PUT OUT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS.