2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Fuel system Problems

NOTICED A FUEL SMELL COMING FROM BACK OF 2005 MAILBU MAXX, NOTHING LEAKING FOR 3 DAYS, THEN NOTICED FUEL ON THE GROUND, WAS HAVING ISSUE STARTING (FUEL LINE NOT PRESSURIZED) TURNING THE CAR ON AND OFF A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE CRANKING WORKED TO PRESSURIZE THE LINE. AT THE SHOP NOW, THEY SAID IT A NON-REPAIRABLE FUEL LINE COMING OFF OF THE PUMP, GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SENDING UNIT AND IT IS GOING TO COST ME OUT THE WAHZOO TO REPAIR, HOW IS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS? I SPOKE WITH GM RECALL LINE AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN OF MY CAR.

NHTSA ID

10967736

Incident

Mar 21, 2017

Mileage

94,480 mi

ISSUE ONE IS THE DRIVERS SEAL WELDS BRAKE ON THE REAR AND FRONT FROM THE FLOOR MOUNT BASE TO THE ELEVATED CONTROL THUS IN THE CASE OF A CRASH THE SEAT IS COMPROMISED TO SEPARATE COMPLETELY FROM THE FLOOR MOUNT DUE TO THESE WELDS BEING BROKE. SECOND ISSUE FUEL PUMPS BEGIN TO LEAK AT THE SEAL OF THE PUMP AT THE FUEL TANK LEAKING HEAVY AMOUNTS OF FUEL FROM THE TANK AND ONTO THE EXHAUST. THIRD ISSUE WHICH I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS OF RECALLS BUT THE DEALERSHIP DENIES THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE MAXX THAT ONLY THE BASE MODEL IS EFFECTED BUT WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING WILL FAIL AND THE CAR HAS NO CONTROL AND WILL VIOLENTLY JERK IN ONE DIRECTION THROWING THE VEHICLE IN TO ONCOMING LANES OR EVEN INTO THE DITCH. HAPPENS PERIODICALLY THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE APPEARS ON MAIN CONTROL MESSAGE SCREEN AND CAR WILL SOUND AN ALARM, OTHER TIMES THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS FROM CHECK ENGINE, OIL, AIR BAG, SEAT BELT, SO ON SO ALL COME ON AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS ISSUE USUALLY OCCURS WHILE ACCELERATING WHETHER SLOWLY OR EVEN WHILE TRYING TO SPEED UP MORE AGGRESSIVELY TO MERGE UNTO EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC. I HAVE NEARLY WRECKED INTO NUMEROUS CARS DUE TO STEERING GOING OUT AND WHEEL WILL VIOLENTLY JERK ONE DIRECTION OR TO THE OTHER. NOT SURE WHY THIS SITE SHOWS A RECALL FOR POWER STEERING BUT DEALERSHIP DENIES THERE IS A ACTIVE RECALL FOR THE MAXX BUT THEY HAVE ONE FOR THE 2005 BASE MALIBU

NHTSA ID

10783309

Incident

Oct 1, 2015

Mileage

95,000 mi

FUEL PUMP LEAK. NOTICED STRONG GAS SMELL THAT ONLY INCREASED AS TIME PASSED, DRIVING AND PARKED. FUEL PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HAVE NOTICED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS VEHICLE. SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

NHTSA ID

10782208

Incident

Oct 14, 2015

Mileage

197,000 mi

THERE IS A CRACK/LEAK IN THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE TO BE REPLACED ON THIS CAR. THE FIRST WAS ABOUT A YEAR AFTER PURCHASE (2006) AND THE NEWEST PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AROUND THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR (2014). I TOOK IT TO A COUPLE OF MECHANICS AND THE ENTIRE UNIT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE UNIT IS AROUND 500 PLUS LABOR AND TOTALS ABOUT 1000 DOLLARS. THIS IS ON THE SHORT LIST OF PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND TAKEN CARE OF. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MAJOR ISSUES AS OTHERS HAVE, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE CONCERNS ME QUITE A BIT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10648788

Incident

Mar 4, 2014

FUEL LEAK FROM THE SENDING UNIT ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10640539

Incident

Oct 1, 2014

Mileage

101,000 mi

WHEN STARTING THE CAR IT WOULD HESITATE BEFORE TURNING OVER. LATER IT BEGAN TO STRUGGLE TO TURN OVER. NOW ITS STRUGGLING TO TURN OVER BUT WON'T. I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY AT FIRESTONE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO AND THE CAR HAS PLENTY OF GAS. I ALSO TOOK THE CAR INTO FIRESTONE FOR A VEHICLE INSPECTION THE DAY BEFORE I BOUGHT THE BATTERY. IF THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP, THE PUMP MAY SEIZE STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE CREATING A STALLING CONDITION. A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE IN USE. MANY CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS FOUND THAT THE ALARM OR ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAD THE FUEL SYSTEM LOCKED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAID TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ON POSITION LEAVE IT ON FOR 10 MINUTES, THEN TURN IT OFF FOR 5 SECONDS AND THEN IT STARTED UP. I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS YET BUT I WILL IN THE MORNING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10560464

Incident

Jan 17, 2014

Mileage

176,000 mi

YOU CAN SMELL FUEL WHEN YOU ARE BY THE CAR. AT THIS TIME IT TAKES 2 TO 3 CRANKS FOR THE CAR TO START. I'M TOLD THAT THERE IS A LEAK ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK SOMEWHERE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10520281

Incident

Jun 17, 2013

Mileage

97,555 mi

AROUND JUNE 2012 I STARTED SMELLING FUEL WHEN I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE. I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE OVER FILLED. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND I TOOK THE CAR INTO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE PLASTIC LINE FROM THE FUEL PUMP HAD CRACKED CAUSING THE LEAK OF FUEL. I CHECKED FOR A RECALL AND FOUND THERE WAS ONE BUT THE MAXX WAS NOT ON THE LIST. I DO BELIEVE THIS RECALL INCLUDED A PONTIAC WITH THE SAME FUEL PUMP. SINCE I HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE ARIZONA HEAT IN PHOENIX THE MAXX SHOULD BE INCLUDED DUE TO THE MILEAGE AND THE YEAR. THANKS *TR

NHTSA ID

10483593

Incident

Jun 1, 2012

Mileage

77,000 mi

I STARTED TO SMELL GAS AFTER PARKING MY CAR IN GARAGE ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. CHANGED FUEL CAP, DIDN'T WORK. THE GAS SMELL BECAME MORE AND MORE STRONG AFTER FEW WEEKS. DID SOME SEARCH AND FOUND IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM OF FUEL PUMP LEAK IN 2004-2006 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX. THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE BREAKS AND THE OWNERS HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP COMPLETELY, WHICH COSTS MORE THAN $600. THERE WAS A RECALL OF FUEL PUMP BUT NOT FOR THE ORIGINAL ONE. GM/CHEVY SHOULD RECALL THE FAULTY FUEL PUMP, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT'S EASY TO CATCH FIRE AND VERY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10482291

Incident

Oct 5, 2012

Mileage

96,500 mi

A FUEL SMELL/ODOR BEGAN PERMEATING THE VEHICLE AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA AROUND IT. THE NEXT DAY, VEHICLE BEGAN REQUIRING TWO CRANKS TO GET STARTED. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK, AND IT WAS COMING FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE PART WAS REPLACED, AND THE FUEL PUMP HAD A CRACKED PLASTIC PORTION WHICH THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN HAPPEN BEFORE. THIS KIND OF THING MUST HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF A DEFECT WITHIN THE FORMATION OF THAT PLASTIC PORTION OF THE FUEL PUMP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10478130

Incident

Aug 1, 2012

Mileage

68,000 mi

COMPLETE AND TOTAL LOCK UP OF POWER STEERING; BATTERY LIGHT FLICKS ON AND THEN EVERYTHING LOCKS UP UNTIL YOU REPLACE THE GAS PEDDLE FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS. MY LIGHTS RANDOMLY FLASH AND REAR BULBS ON THE DRIVER SIDE BLOW EVERY 3 DAYS. MY TURN SIGNALS WILL SPORADICALLY BLINK AND THE WIPER BLADES GO OFF WITH OUT WARNING OR BEING PROMPTED. EVEN WITH NO KEYS NEAR OR IN THE CAR IT WILL NOT TURN OVER TO START THE CAR UNTIL YOU FLOOR THE GAS PEDDLE AND HOLD IT THERE FOR 3-5 SECONDS. MY RADIO READS AT -19* ALL THE TIME AND THE CD PLAYER HAS NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY. WHEN GOING FROM 0 TO 50 GETTING ON THE PARKWAY (HIGHWAY) THE WHOLE CAR LOCKS UP AND LOSES POWER INCLUDING THE STEERING RADIO AND LIGHTS UNLESS YOU COMPLETELY RELEASE THE GAS THEN START TO GO AGAIN. IM SO HIGHLY FRUSTRATED AND CHEVY REFUSES TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE ALL RECALLED PROBLEMS BUT MY VIN DOESN'T FALL IN THERE "BRACKET". *TR

NHTSA ID

10405535

Incident

Jun 2, 2011

Mileage

142,225 mi

I OWN A 2005 MALIBU MAXX AND AFTER ONE YEAR OLD IT BEGAN MAKING CLUNKING NOISES IN THE FRONT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE A PART OF THE STEERING SHAFT. THEY DID WHAT THEY DID AND THE NOISE WAS GONE. THEY ALSO REPLACED STRUTS. A FEW MONTHS LATER IT DID IT AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY REPLACED TIE ROD ENDS. BY THIS TIME MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THEN 2 MONTHS LATER IT DID IT AGAIN! THEY LUBED SOMETHING AND NOW IT HAS BEEN 8 MONTHS AND IT HAS NOT RETURNED YET. NOW MY ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND I KEEP GETTING A MESSAGE TO CHECK MY GAS CAP. I CHECK IT AND NOTHING IS WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ID

10245657

Incident

Aug 1, 2006

Mileage

20,000 mi