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Steering Questions on 2009 LS (4 Cyl w/electric power steering)

40K views 57 replies 24 participants last post by  Plague 
#1 ·
Like the topic says, I have a 2009 with the 4 cyl and electric power steering. So folks with the hydraulic power steering might not have this issue.

The handling on the 'bu is good. It is composed in the corners and confidence inspiring. Very easy to control, and that's a good thing! The feel of the steering, though, isn't real tight. It feels like the steering wheel is kinda loose and/or the power assist is boosted pretty high. Does anyone agree with this? Maybe it's just me. (My other car is a Miata with super tight steering, so it could be just me:)

Also, in my car, the steering wheel has to be very slightly turned to the left in order to keep the car going straight. I think this is just a correction for the crown in the road, but I'd like some other feedback. I already had the dealer look at the alignment, and they said it is right on. I also made sure the tires are all inflated perfectly, so that's not the issue. Do other drivers notice that the steering wheel is very slightly off center turning toward the left on a crowned road? And when I say very slightly off, I mean the bottom of the steering wheel is mabye 1/2 inch off from the center position.

Thanks for any feedback or ideas!
 
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#2 ·
I believe we have discussed the feel of the steering and most thought the same as you do. If you search you might be able to find the thread. I thought the same thing of mine but I guess you just get used to it because I don't really notice it now. I'm still on the stock Hankook tires that came with mine and I am beginning to think they have a lot to do with how it feels more than the electric steering. When I need to get some tires next time I will definitely get something better.

I never noticed any alignment problems with my steering.
 
#3 ·
My feelings on the steering is that it is the nature of the beast and you do get used to it, but unlike my 2001 Saturn, you don't dare point it and forget about it, you need to constantly pay attention, and the alignemtn was also verified. My 15 1/2 yr daughter drove it for the first time today after driving the Saturn for aawhile and said "what is up with your steering". So it is noticably different! But you do get used to it!
 
#4 ·
Also, in my car, the steering wheel has to be very slightly turned to the left in order to keep the car going straight. I think this is just a correction for the crown in the road, but I'd like some other feedback. I already had the dealer look at the alignment, and they said it is right on. I also made sure the tires are all inflated perfectly, so that's not the issue. Do other drivers notice that the steering wheel is very slightly off center turning toward the left on a crowned road? And when I say very slightly off, I mean the bottom of the steering wheel is mabye 1/2 inch off from the center position.

Thanks for any feedback or ideas!
The steering wheel can be off as you describe and the alignment right on. This can happen with any car. It is a matter of how the tie rods are adjusted to set the front toe. If the steering wheel wasn't centered when the toe was set the toe isn't centered and the steering wheel will turn slightly to center the front toe.

If the rear tie rods are misadjusted so the toe isn't centered the car will dog walk since the whole car twists to correct the situation.

Bill
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the info, Bill. So -- do you think my car is ok as-is? Like I say, the steering wheel is only very slightly off-center. Perhaps 1/2 inch at the bottom of the steering wheel, if that makes sense.

THanks.
 
#6 ·
Having had the electric steering in my 05 (V6), and now having the hydraulic on the 09 there is a noticable diference.

Interesting is that I now feel the torque steer much more than with the electric steering and the first time I floored the car it was a bit disconcerting.
 
#7 ·
The electric wouldn't have the direct feedback like the hyrdraulic, so torque steer isn't as big of an issue. The electric steering also may feel looser, though it's not, because it doesn't have any direct pressure feedback coming from the hydraulic system. The benefit to the electric is that, once you are used to it, it can be quick to respond, it is easy to steer, causes less problems in some people with over/under correction in sloppy weather, etc. I prefer the feel of the hydraulic, though.
 
#11 ·
The steering is horrible on snow-covered streets. There is absolutely no feel to it and makes it difficult to determine if the road is actually slippery or not.

Any depth of snow gives the feeling of being on ice. Ive been on highways where people are driving 10-15mph faster than me but I always felt the road was more slippery than it actually is due to the steering. Very insecure feel.
 
#12 ·
Are you sure it was the steering or the wonderfully awesome goodyears that come on the car?

I do agree that it can feel loose and disconnected but overall feel isnt that much different than most other cars Ive driven.
 
#13 ·
Original poster here.

I took the car to another dealer, and they re-centered the steering wheel so that it is perfect now.

The steering feel is pretty lousy on this car. It's probably my biggest complaint about the 'Bu. Otherwise a great ride, though!
 
#15 ·
Same here. It just feels new. Bugs guys more than anything, since we seem to be born drivers. My wife doesn't notice it, but women don't know how to drive anyways. She also has had a minor hit and run since we bought it, and has gotten several door dings that I had to have taken out!

But yah it just feels different that the hydraulic, I actually find it stays straight as an arrow, especially on the highway.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Mine definitely feels more than different, like worn out parts. I have to wonder what you have for tires and if you had an alignment and can tell us what it was set to?
I'm suspicious that the rack may have been out of calibration when the dealer did mine. Not that I made a mental observation of that prior, but now suspect it is dog tracking slightly or maybe it is the strange cross-camber settings. Unlike the Aurora I had, this one won't stay straight on the road when driving across surface changes.

And mentioning the Aurora made me think of another thing I think needs checking. Because the rear broke loose cornering on wet road, I tried the brakes at another location to not check the brakes but the tires ability to stop straight line wet. I'm going to have to repeat that because of the difference between the Aurora and this one. It stopped fairly quickly with the anti-lock actuating, but it gave me the feel that it was only working on the front. Having tested the Aurora on dry road, it would leave four tracks on the road with anti-lock actuating.
 
#16 ·
09 Malibu LT2 I4 AT6
I think it is time to figure this steering issue out.
Frankly, I hate it. The looseness reminds me of vehicles with 100K or more and needing new steering or suspension components.
If you can find a straight piece of road that is smooth enough that the vehicle does not try to dart to side, you can noticeably turn the wheel a few degrees without changing the direction of travel. This looseness has allowed mine to dart when contacting areas of difference in the surface. This is very alarming and could be very dangerous, especially if slippery hazards exist.
Addressing torque steer, it is likely you have a bad alignment because one of the major reasons for it seems to have been addressed in the build. That is unequal length drive shafts. If someone finds out they are not equal, please respond. So, it seems the contact patch of left and right front tires is different. (more revealed in alignment spec)

I will try to address three connected areas for control of vehicle, tires, alignment, & steering components w/suspension.
TIRES: Mine came with Firestone FR710 which has been around for a long time. Why they would put an old tire on a new high tech design bewilders me. I live where hydroplaning is a major concern, so I would never buy these tires. Side wall sipes are extremely important here for that reason, but they made the sipes only half the tread depth. Assume 12/32 tread, worn out at 2/32, if that sipe is at 6/32, plus wear out allowance, then for areas where you can encounter water on the road the tire is worn out with 8/32 of rubber left. Some manufacturers use this design to get more mileage out of the tire, but for you it means more accidents. Also the traction does not seem to be great. With this little 4 cylinder I have broke loose and squawked the tires on dry asphalt and concrete with less than 3/4 throttle. We did have a rainy day last week and as I left the dealer, I needed to get to inside lane, the third lane. Driving a sweeping arch with maybe a little more than half throttle, I felt the rear break loose on the wet asphalt. Any residue should have been washed off with rain and traffic. Definitely alarming. So I decided to try braking when I had little traffic. The anti-lock actuated and the front tires seemed to be biting fairly well, but it seemed that the rear did not brake sufficiently or even actuate anti-lock. So, at least I have these concerns over tires and must wonder about their handling and responsiveness and ability to track straight on varying road surface. My thoughts on tires are that if they don't do the job, best brakes in world are worthless. And these tires are not high quality in my mind.

ALIGNMENT: They ran mine across the rack and bumped the numbers closer to center spec. The left rear toe was out. But I now wonder if the rack was properly calibrated. I can not say about before, but I now suspect a slight dog track to left and the change would agree with that happening (toe and thrust angle). BTW, an off center wheel is often because of not getting the rear set correctly (thrust angle). Also I'm used to a vehicle that maintained straight line travel no matter how the road surface changed.
Having the alignment spec from dealer raises some questions. Although I'm told that a different camber from left to right is common among some newer vehicles, it is not inspiring. Normally that would be done if you plan on driving in circles. Also this would change the contact area with relation to normal stance of properly inflated tire. Maybe even cause the car to try to walk sideways when going over bumps.
Caster is generally thought to be best side slightly higher on left side since you will encounter more road defects on right side of some roads. Even though the spec is same, side to side, mine is set with right side higher. (It might be better to change that.)
Not inspiring is that there is no spec for SAI, Included Angle, or Cross Camber on the rear, even though the print out shows it was read. SAI, angle formed by a line that runs through the upper and lower steering pivots with respect to vertical. The included angle (Like caster, it provides directional stability. But it also reduces steering effort by reducing the scrub radius. SAI is a built-in nonadjustable angle and is used with camber and the included angle to diagnose bent spindles, struts and mislocated crossmembers) is the sum of SAI and Camber and according to most alignment sites, there should be no difference between left and right! Mine is off by half degree.
I can not rule out alignment affecting the issue. As cars have become lighter it seems slight changes can be noticeable. Even a tire a couple of pounds low can be detected by the handling change.
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING: This is a totally new animal to me. It might be helpful if I could find design info on the GM system.
Moving the wheel parked, there is a slight amount of movement before response at the tire. But moving down the road on a straight stretch, rocking the wheel back and forth until you feel response seems to be a larger angle. Whether this is part of the power steering or if the alignment and tires is a big question in my mind. I have not had the opportunity to drive this vehicle with hydraulic power steering, which I think is only available on V6. Even though the alignment might be the same, handling would have to be different because of the added weight and other different suspension parts.

Looking for a solution. To be satisfied with what acts like a worn out system on a new vehicle is not satisfactory, and certainly dangerous.
 
#19 ·
E net, it seems you are comparing the Malibu to a much older, much different design.

The electric steering is VERY common these days and with it you get variable steering effort. Basically the faster you go the more the wheel moves because its using less power to turn. The slower you go the more tires will turn more with less effort at the steering wheel. That is completely normal for an electric variable steering vehicle.

If you dont like the tires, then change them. Its expensive but thats all you got. You knew they came on the car when you bought it and its up to you to change them now. I dont have the Firestone's on my car so I dont know how they really are.

Now for the main part of your complaint, the moving on surface changes. Its the way the car was designed. It has a completely different suspension than your old Aurora and it will "hug" the road far better. A lot of upper end cars that have this type of suspension do the exact same thing. You have to be more aware of the road and what happens to the car when it reacts to it. I have one section of road where I live where I have to be on top of the wheel because the road is just that bad. It does it in the Malibu and in my 00 Formula. Its just natural for a car to follow the curve or grade of the road.

Also, the car has pretty good brakes for being what it is, a family sedan. You wont see tire marks on the road because the ABS is that good. Ive got it to go on one time and to tell the truth you can barely feel it. The TCS also does a huge job in helping the car before ABS locks in as well. Learn to drive the car before you complain about how it drives.

Now for the lemon law. With something that is subjective like this, I wish you good luck.
 
#20 ·
E Net, I'm not sure I agree with your assessment that the electic power steering is "certainly dangerous." Sounds like you don't like the steering feel, but I can't imagine that an ordinary driver would conclude there are safety issues just because the car doesn't feel like you think it should. Did these issues come up on your test drive?
 
#22 ·
Any vehicle that decides to dart on its own is dangerous, especially in slippery conditions or hydroplane.
Unfortunately I broke a number of my own buying rules because of time constraints and the test drive was one of them. Too short to really evaluate and the location of most new dealers in this area is 30 miles to high speed roads. And even at that, how much driving would you have to do to evaluate all of the possible surface changes.
One is complaining of how the vehicle reacts at uneven surfaces due to road construction. I'd have to drive 90 miles to evaluate that, 180 round trip.
And no matter how you cut it, there is some break-in involved. That stationary run-up at the end of the assembly line and moving it to transport really does not count significantly. I was slightly past 500 miles when I really started seeing issues with handling.
Since you seem to be on the defensive, let me detail some of the issues.
1. Many people are complaining about bruising themselves on door pillar when getting in and out. Seat goes back much farther which should make it easier to get in and out. Me, personally, I have issue with stupid rake tilt. Wheel does not get fully clear and I end up banging knee. I'd prefer true tilt. I guess the test dummy forgot to tell them he was being bruised as he was pushed and pulled from vehicle.
2. Any idiot that knows simple basics of air conditionint knows that it is more efficient and effective to have cold air enter area at the top. So, I'm guessing that their idiot test dummy forgot to tell them that concerning the registers in the dash. He also forgot to tell them that at their highest point they blow not above his head, but in his face causing tearing and dry eye.
3. Test dummy also forgot to tell them that the door arm rest is hard and uncomfortable.
4. The center one is softer, but a bit on the short side.
5. Only really noticeable at idle, but lots of vibration at steering wheel sometimes. They certainly did a poor job of isolation.
6. Between the isolation and holding wheel tightly as a natural reaction to poor handling I have to wear driving gloves to lessen pain. I have hand issues, maybe some day you can get carpal tunnel or other issues if you drive this vehicle long enough.
7. Do you think they could have done a better color match between plastic parts and metal?
8. Check the weather strip along the roof line plug and alongside rear window. At 1000 miles I found both already deforming and becoming dislodged. And both of the rentals they put me in were the same way. Does not speak to good quality.
9. Foam seal inside base of rear window coming out of place. They say they have to replace the entire rear deck to fix.
10. Left rocker panel has large gap from body at front end of it. Needs to go to body shop I'm told.
11. Gas cap failed leak test before 2K causing check engine. How damn hard is it to design a gas cap? Especially when service department tells me this is a common problem?
12. Check on line for service bulletins and recalls. A service bulletin that covers 09 and some prior is for having left diodes out of cooling fan circuit. When the fans turn off and on, inductive kick sends spike through system potentially damaging or killing other electronic components.
All of the other service bulletins for defective parts could potentially be tied to this defect, except the two for hybrid vehicles, assuming different cooling.
Example, problem with transmission control modules dieing. They might have been spiked. Items that are adjustable in the computer can potentially misread the spike as a change.
But this is the real kicker. My 96 Olds had the same issue and the same fix, adding a jumper harness that includes the diodes. It was easy to find it because it involved disconnecting harness at first connection and replugging those ends into each end of jumper harness. I don't see it on mine and the dealer tells me no SB's or recalls exist according to VIN.
13. Be careful if you vacuum interior or have it done at commercial place. You likely will not retrieve parts. The pad at the bottom of the interior door handles just lays there. Not attached and they will get sucked to never land.
14. Rear view mirror creates blind spot. I drive with the back of the seat at lowest point and adjusted the mirror to highest point that allows seeing to rear. If you are short, this may not be problem, but I'm only 5' 8". The LS rental they put me in did not have the auto-dimming and manual seat except for up/down that adjusted front and rear of seat simultaneously. I found that I was able to adjust that mirror so I could easily look forward without obstructed view, with the seat slightly elevated.
That is definitely a safety issue. It is against the law to put anything on the windshield below those tiny marks at either side of it so that the view is not obstructed.
I could go on some more, but I won't. I'll just say that I talked to my neighbor, my insurance man, and as of yet they are not aware of this widespread problem. He also asked me to let him know if they don't resolve this problem. I'd strongly suspect that eventually premiums will start to rise if your company is big enough to break down risk by vehicle options. Some just lump it all together by model and assume equal risk except for driver.
 
#23 ·
Enet, it seems here that the problem is mainly with you honestly. A lot of things you pointed out are subjective. My wife is 5'8 and she has no problem with driving the car because she adjusts everything to her. Look online on how to adjust the SIDE view mirrors properly and youll be amazed at how the "blind" spots disappear, especially on the Malibu.

The AC vents?? Seriously?? Adjust them. Im 6'5 and they do not blow in my face. I dont know how high you are sitting in the car but my head is nearly on the roof and it still doesnt bother me.

Holding the wheel to tightly?? Come on now. I can drive this car with two fingers if I wanted to. Its a VERY easy car to drive.

The weather strip on our 19k mile 09 car is perfect.

Trade the car in if you dont like it that much. There are plenty of other choices out now but the majority of them have the exact same problems that you listed above.

Also, you talk about the steering not giving you enough input but you want more isolation?? What?
 
#26 ·
Whats with this Enet dude. His list is almost humorous if not absolutely ridiculous. I personally love the electric steering and find it more responsive. Carpal tunnel syndrome????? Is he serious. Love my LTZ!
 
#27 ·
It has been my experience that there are those who would not admit issues no matter what because it then makes them feel gullible about themselves. That is they won't admit a bad deal no matter what. I'm not saying this is the case here but I'm sure wondering. Then, some forums I used to visit that had very good advice until it attracted company men and their posting.
Some forums I still use have people with problems and those of us that monitor give genuine advice and help. And guess what, it saves them a lot of money and time. And no one gives cheap snipes for even the most ridiculous of questions.
I'm happy for those that find nothing wrong. But with the number of things I've had pop up, I suspect poor design issues at least and possibly I got a lemon as well.
And the reason I dropped by the forum was to post back about the alignment I got and as said I'd post when I learned more about it.
It is no longer a suspicion that the vehicle was improperly aligned at the dealer. I just got back from 2500 mile road trip, still less than 5K on vehicle. A lot of undesireable handling noticed, not just with steering either. Yesterday morning I took a close look at tires, as close as one can with vehicle on ground, and the left front tire has extreme feathering on the outside rib, working sequentially from one block to the next block of rubber. I would have to get it up in the air to inspect the others closely and I'd bet there is wear elsewhere.
I'd love to get my hands on that file that customer support told me was confidential. And now I wonder if the dealers rack was out of calibration or did they intentionally mis-align, trying to introduce just enough pull to constantly take up slack in steering to one side?
 
#28 ·
I suspect poor design issues at least and possibly I got a lemon as well.
I think the point some folks are trying to make is, that their Malibus (as well as mine) are working great (in the conditions mentioned) and you probably did get a lemon. The car is on a solid platform (very tight and level on the curves) and platform / suspension "design issues" would be unlikely. Sorry for your luck. (By the way, Camry's are not without issues (besides the bland design).:eek:
 
#30 ·
It would be interesting to see what some other people think of driving your car. I had the owner of an 08 Corvette ask me to drive his car because he thought it steered funny and pulled suddenly to the side. With him in the passenger seat I put about thirty miles on the car driving it on rough roads, two lane roads, 4 lane roads, roads with multiple pavement seams running across them, etc. I could not make the car do what he said happened. I drove it at speeds from 20 mph to above 80 and it drove just fine. On the expressway I could leave go of the wheel and the car would slowly drift to the right until it hit the painted line at the edge of the driving surface. It would hold there slowly bouncing off the raised edge and drifting back. I drove it in cruise at 65 mph for about a mile without touching the steering wheel. He couldn't believe how well it handled when somebody else didn't jerk the wheel at each and every motion.

Bill
 
#31 ·
Good point Bill and I know exactly what you mean about jerking wheel because that is how my wife drives. And drives me nuts on vehicles that respond perfectly. That action of hers seems to fit this vehicle better.

As to the alignment, I have an appointment with another dealer this morning. It hurts me how badly I will take a hit on a trade. Buick said about 14-15K for mine and sounds about the same at Ford. Dealer would give 17K toward toward 09 Impala listing 28,848. The BU was 27,815 out the door.
Another GM dealer suggested I use the lemon law. That way I'd get everything back minus 1% per 1000 miles.
Tested a Fusion yesterday, sport model. Much more comfortable steering wheel as to contour. But the seat was unsat. Felt more plush at first contact but as soon as my weight sunk into it, it felt like I was sitting on the pan under the foam. Also too much feel of the road as well. It seemed better on the return, maybe because tires warmed a bit. I questioned if they let shipping air out of tires, answer unknown. Salesman was amazed at my knowledge and abilities to find weak points. It was easy because two of them were same as BU. Not being able to point AC dash vent over head and that the little liner that goes in the bottom of the interior door handle. It was also not attached and subject to disappearing up the car wash vacuum. How much would it have cost to put a small dab of glue under it?
 
#34 ·
For what it is worth, I took to different dealer yesterday because of loose steering (play) and alignment concerns.
Still has play in wheel, but what a world of difference in handling. The checked alignment and said OK, but that dealer forgot to zero the EPS after aligning. I asked how much it was off, but the box only gives a go, no go condition, they told me.
I have no idea if this is what some have been calling re-calibration.
I have not yet checked it to see if I still get that feeling of binding teeth on rack & pinion gears at center.
 
#35 ·
I did check for the feeling of binding teeth yesderday afternoon and it is still there. I also noted it is only around centered steering. It seems to be worst just a little to the right of centered wheel and then fades either direction from that point, stopping maybe an eigth of a turn.
Last night we were on our way to funeral home and I was marveling at how much better the vehicle seemed to be handling despite still having play at wheel. Several stop lights along the way and at the last one something new reared its ugliness. From about 40MPH, light to moderate braking, the vehicle shook violently. I could tell it was coming from right front and not braking enough. I applied more pressure and it got worse. More pressure and I felt it break loose and braking better, but still shaking. It certainly felt as if that caliper had stuck on the slide and was only applying pressure from the piston side and trying to deform rotor. Thus the feeling of a badly warped rotor. It appears there is a new reason for warped rotors on this vehicle. There was no further incident of it sticking, but for about 30 miles I could feel a vibration from that wheel area as if the rotor was bent and slightly slapping and especially when braking. It progressively faded until I did not notice it. I did note that the handling seemed to suck on the way home. Not sure if the result of what happened or just the difference in road surface.
That is also the second problem with braking.
I'm beginning to see why the counter guy at the rental place says they see more problems with Chevy than any other vehicle and GM brand in general.
 
#36 ·
A siezed caliper will not cause a vibration like you describe. Sounds more like the wheel stopped rotating and the ABS was relieving and applying brake pressure at that wheel. When you get that you need to push the brake pedal harder so more stopping power is applied to the wheels that have traction. I don't think you had a problem just normal ABS operation. I autocross quite a bit and have been autocrossing cars with ABS for 20 years. At every autocross I use the complete capability of the ABS. When I hammer the brake pedal and go into full ABS operation it is a very violent event. The car will shake violently and make lots of noises. Sometimes even with maximum pressure on the pedal only one wheel will lose traction and the ABS system will modulate the brake pressure at that wheel to keep it from locking up and it feels just like you described. I have also experienced this on warm dry roads approaching a stop where one of the front wheels hits something on the pavement (dirt, coolant, oil, etc) dropped by another vehicle.

Bill
 
#37 ·
There was no sensation of slipping. It was dark and I'm sure if the ABS warning had come on I'd have noticed it. A rotor only has to be deformed a minute amount for that type of vibration to show up. Also I've felt the ABS system work, and this was not the ABS.
I do not know what sort of rotors the vehicle has, but the multipart ones where the top hat area is manufactured separately and of lighter material than the pad contact area could have easily deformed enough to cause the shake when only the piston side pad was being applied because the caliper was stuck on the slide.
 
#39 ·
Richard -- If you have the 4Cyl you have electric steering. Us 4Cyl owners are the guinea pigs on this electric steering bit until they either abandon it or figure out how to get enough juice to make it work in larger cars due to electrical limitations.
 
#40 ·
Richard, do you have any of the complaints others are having?
My current thoughts on steering/handling:
Early on, when I first started searching my issues, I ran across one post that said the EPS was underpowered. At that time I disagreed but now think that might have merit.
I've had mine aligned twice and I asked one of the techs, "why the difference in camber, L to R front?" He told me it was to help with pull on crowned roads, that being normal two lane country roads I suspect. And it had the feeling that it was tuned for going in counter-clockwise circles. I now suspect it has something to do with the capabilities of the EPS, not strong enough to work against the pull you might experience on such crowned roads. Driving on them for long periods might even burn out the electric coils that do the work or shorten life of alternator.
My driving habits, roads, do not seem to fit well with that compromised camber setting and it seems to me that might be the issue of some other complainers, especially those complaining how badly it handles on some road surfaces, such as seeming to have a mind of its own as to what direction. That is the steering wheels, the two front, do not seem to be working in unison.
I strongly suspect there is a better setting for alignment but it might shorten the life of the EPS.
Another issue I suspect is tires. My window sticker said "Touring Tires", but that is not what came on mine. Standard passenger A/S instead, so I was not getting the ride and handling quality I expected to start with and tires became suspect. They still are and although properly inflated, it seems they are getting mushier in the sidewall, laterally as well.
Also something I have not been able to pinpoint the source of is that if mildly tugging the wheel in either direction, standing still, it will suddenly jump a small amount in the intended direction and then again be met with greater resistance. At one time I thought this could be binding, possibly improper adjustment or grind of the gears in the rack and pinion assembly. But could it also be the EPS? Maybe it needs to detect a certain point before it actuates?
This car has a quite long wheel base for its size and should be quite easy to maintain straight line driving despite varying road conditions.
 
#42 ·
I do have the 4 cylinder. The only thing I noticed is the steering does feel a little tight, but that's it. That's actually good for control. I haven't noticed any other problems. When comparing to my previous car (Cadillac CTS), the steering effort is about the same. The CTS also had very tight steering (not a lot of assist). I guess the only other complaint is in the wheel base, but that's probably not due to the electric steering. With the CTS, I could make very sharp turns, with the Malibu, I don't quite have the wheelbase that the CTS had. But that may be due to the size of the Malibu also. The brochures say that the Malibu is only 2 inches longer than the CTS, but the Malibu looks and feels about 6-8 inches longer. I judge this by my parking space. I have a lot less room in my space with the Malibu. It says that the Malibu is about 192 inches and the CTS is 190. I don't believe that the difference is only 2 inches, but I like a little bigger car, so that doesn't bother me.

Other than that, I haven't noticed any problems with the electric steering. And from what I've read, one big advantage with electric steering is you don't lose power assist if the engine stalls. That's a very important saftey feature.
 
#45 ·
Like the topic says, I have a 2009 with the 4 cyl and electric power steering. So folks with the hydraulic power steering might not have this issue.

The handling on the 'bu is good. It is composed in the corners and confidence inspiring. Very easy to control, and that's a good thing! The feel of the steering, though, isn't real tight. It feels like the steering wheel is kinda loose and/or the power assist is boosted pretty high. Does anyone agree with this? Maybe it's just me. (My other car is a Miata with super tight steering, so it could be just me:)

Thanks for any feedback or ideas!
I find it just the opposite. I have a 2010 LT2 with Electric Steering. I find the steering on the tight side. Certainly not loose. As a matter of fact, I would like a little more power assist when parking.
 
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