2004 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, and owners have filed 1,147 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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6 safety recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Electronic stability control (esc) and 4 other components
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake…
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Floor shift (power train) and automatic transmission (power train)
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at…
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Electric power assist system (steering)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed…
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Service brakes, hydraulic: control unit/module
Some of these passenger vehicles have an electronic control unit (ECU) that may calculate a higher than actual vehicle speed because of an erratic rear-wheel speed sensor signal, and cause ABS activation where it is not needed or needed ABS activation to be extended during braking as the vehicle speed drops to about 3 MPH.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ABS controller. Owner notification began on june 16, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
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Anchorage (seat belts)
On certain passenger vehicles, analysis of an a side impact crash test conducted by the NHTSA;s new car assessment program (ncap) indicated that the outboard anchorage of the driver's seat belt could disconnect because of contact between the seat trim and the anchorage connector when the seat was adjusted to its lowest position.
Remedy: Dealers will insert a retainer on both the driver's and passenger's belt anchorages. Owner notification began on june 16, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
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Labels (equipment)
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 208, "occupant crash protection." some of these vehicles that were not equipped with an advanced occupant restraint system (aors) have driver and passenger side sun visors with aors labels. The aors labels do not include…
Remedy: Owners will be sent replacement labels with instructions on how to install them. Owner notification began on april 21, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
1,147 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu have filed 1,147 complaints with NHTSA; 47 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Reports cite 22 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 80,176 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 190 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Electric Power Steering has failed on my car. Warning shows up saying power steering. Live in a snowy deer populated area impossible to turn wheel in these situations to avoid a collision. There was n”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 19, 2025 · Steering
“The steering system gets extremely sensitive towards highway speeds to where a slight touch of the steering wheel could cause the car to move a significant amount no warning lamps or messages”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 27, 2025 · Steering
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu (Malibu Maxx). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 22–25 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 19–21 / 28–31 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Large Cars, Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2.2/3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare Chevrolet Malibu model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Chevrolet Malibu model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
How do I know if my 2004 Chevrolet Malibu has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Chevrolet dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 04V094000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Chevrolet models
- Silverado 150018,029 complaints
- Impala10,434 complaints
- Tahoe10,032 complaints
- Equinox9,161 complaints
- Silverado8,799 complaints
- Blazer8,192 complaints
- Suburban8,164 complaints
- Cobalt7,681 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.