2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I PURCHASED MY MALIBU IN DEC '06. BY JUNE, MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON, BUT MY MECHANIC COULDN'T FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I STARTED NOTICING TROUBLE TURNING THE WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS, BUT IT WAS ONLY WHEN I TURNED LEFT. INITIALLY I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS STILL POWER STEERING, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR OVER A YEAR PERIODICALLY. THEN IN AUG '08 ON MY WAY HOME WITH MY NEWBORN IN THE CAR....I TURNED LEFT TO PULL INTO MY DRIVEWAY, AND LOST THE POWER STEERING. I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND THE REPAIR COST OVER $1,000 AND THE DEALER SAID IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN A YEAR OR SO. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS REPLACED. AFTER THE DEALER'S 12/12 WARRANTY EXPIRED, I STARTED HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS ALL OVER AGAIN. SO FAR IT HASN'T GONE OUT, BUT THE "POPPING" NOISE AND "LOOSE" STEERING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, PLUS THE MORE DIFFICULT STEERING WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IS BACK AGAIN. WHEN THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT HAPPENED, I HAD JUST TURNED OFF A MAIN STREET. IF IT HAD HAPPENED JUST TWO BLOCKS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN "T-BONED" WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. *TR

STEERING GEAR PROBLEM IN 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU LT. DEALER REPLACED WORN STEERING GEAR AT 25,000 MILES AND NOW AT 35,000 MILES THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU IN FEB 2009 . IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR LOT, WE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE POWER STEERING. THE DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED IT FROM SUGGEST WE TAKE IT TO LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT IT. THEY ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE IT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. AT THAT TIME, IT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN EVERY SO OFTEN SO I COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE THEM KEEP MY CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. AT FIRST, I CHALKED IT UP TO THE COLD TEMPERATURES, BUT AS SPRING AND SUMMER PASSED IT STILL HAPPENED. I HAVE NOW HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES FOUR OR FIVE TIMES BEFORE I GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. I HAVE THE POWERSTEERING MESSAGE COME ACROSS THE DISPLAY, I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND IT WILL RESET. USUALLY THE RESET WILL ONLY WORK IF I AM NOT IN A TURN POSITION. I CAN BE GOING 65MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND IT WILL CLICK OFF AND LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. THANK GOD, THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD TO GET OUT OF CRUNCH ON THE INTERSTATE. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHERE AFTER $50.00 FOR A DIAGNOSIS THEY ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR/MODULE ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE PRICE TAG OF $850.00. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THERE ARE SO MANY CONSUMERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THEY WOULD ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT. I NOW CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE WITHOUT IT HAPPENING 5 TO 7 TIMES. I USUALLY JUST LEAVE IT TILL I HAVE TO GET IN A PARKING SPOT. I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL , RESTART THE ENGINE AND HOPE IT WILL REENGAGE. I HAVE CONTACT GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE CAR SERVICED EVERYTIME AT A GM AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THAT IT NOW HAS 80K ON IT THEY WILL NOT HELP AT ALL. WELL IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2009 WITH 60 K ON IT AT THAT TIME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF WARRANT THEN ALSO. THEY ARE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL AND DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN 2006 CHEVY MALIBU. LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING. REPLACED STEERING COLUMN AT DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT EXCESSIVELY WHICH DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE SPEED ALSO FLUCTUATED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. GENERAL MOTORS TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD SEND HIM A $1000 VOUCHER TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN HE ASKED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,852.

MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU IS HAVING MAJOR ISSUES. POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT.. WITHOUT WARNING. STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKS UP FOR NO REASON WHEN DRIVING. VERY UNSAFE! ALSO.. IN 2008 THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO.. VERY UNSAFE. I AM AWARE THAT THESE ISSUES HAVE BECOME QUITE COMMON AND AM VERY UPSET THE CHEVY HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROVIDED A RECALL. *TR

2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX - 1ST INCIDENT WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, THE WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN "POWER STEERING" FLASHED ON THE CONSOLE DISPLAY, PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF AND ON, AND IT WAS WORKING FINE; ABOUT 12 TIMES SINCE MAY, I START THE CAR AND THE WHEEL WILL NOT TURN, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE "POWER STEERING" DISPLAY ON THE CENTER CONSOLE FLASHES, IT SOMETIMES TAKES ABOUT 10 TRIES, BUT IT EVENTUAL STARTS CORRECTLY; ABOUT 4 OF THE 12 INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN WHILE DRIVING, IT USUALLY HAPPENS ON TURNS, SWITCHING LANES, ALL AT RELATIVELY SLOW SPEEDS; IT HAS BEEN IN A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES WITH EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS (A SENSOR MODULE REPLACED/REPAIRED, STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED, SENSOR MODULES/SOLENOIDS REPLACED, A RELAY/SENSOR REPLACED IN THE COLUMN, LAST VISIT THERE WAS NO CODE, SO THE MECHANIC SAID HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING AND TO WAIT UNTIL IT DOES IT AGAIN AND KEEP IT RUNNING AND THEY WOULD COME TOW IT, HOWEVER THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON BUSINESS 2 HOURS AWAY AND IT WASN'T POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO IT) AND THE PROBLEMS CONTINUES AND APPEARS TO BE GETTING WORSE (MORE FREQUENT AND TAKES MORE RESTARTS TO WORK PROPERLY); EVEN MORE DISHEARTENING IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I'VE FOUND MANY BLOGS WITH OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HEARD A POPPING SOUND WHEN SHE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND LATER OBSERVED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS BROKEN. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE WITH NO RESISTANCE WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO UNCONTROLLABLE DURING RAINY AND INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SHAFT 4 TIMES AND THE FAILURE WAS STILL PERSISTENT. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY DID NOT INCLUDE THE FAILED THE COMPONENTS AND THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE REPAIR COST. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000.

STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS WENT ON FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. A CHIME WENT OFF AND THE RADIO DISPLAYED POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL GOOD THING IT WAS A STRAIGHT ROAD. AFTER PULLING OVER AND TURNING CAR OFF THE STEERING CAME BACK AFTER RE-STARTING. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE HERD OF THIS BEFORE AND THE FIX MAY BE REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

I WAS ABOUT TO TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT AND SUDDENLY I COULD NOT HARDLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. MY MESSAGE BOARD READ "POWERING STEERING". IT STARTED ABOUT 1 WEEK AGO AND HAS DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. I HAVE EVEN GOTTEN INTO MY CAR AND DIRECTLY AFTER STARTING IT THE SAME MESSAGE POPS UP, AND I CAN NOT TURN THE WHEEL. MY STEERING WHEEL ALSO STARTED JERKING WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I STARTED RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM! HOPEFULLY THIS WILL NOT COST AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE. MOST OF THE ISSUES CAME FROM 2004 MODELS. IT IS REALLY UPSETTING TO KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME. I JUST HOPE THIS GETS FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET HURT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR