2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE I WAS BEING FOLLOWED BY MY DAUGHTER WHO THOUGHT I WAS RIDING MY BRAKES. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE GOING OFF WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND COMING ON WHEN BRAKES ARE RELEASED. THIS ALSO AFFECTS THE CRUISE CONTROL AS IT WILL NOT WORK WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE. PEOPLE DRIVING BEHIND ME DON'T KNOW IF I'M STOPPING OR NOT! THERE ARE COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIPS DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO FIX IT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL IF THERE EVER WAS ONE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AS THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF THE EXACT REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 116,000. UPDATED 12/14/12*LJ

THE FUEL SENSOR IS VERY ERRATIC. AS SOON AS THE CAR IS FILLED UP WITH GAS, THE FUEL SENSOR WILL GO FROM F TO E IN THE MATTER OF SECONDS. WHEN THIS PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN, THE GAUGE WOULD GO FROM FULL TO EMPTY UNTIL I DROVE JUST ENOUGH THAT THE CAR'S FUEL LEVEL WAS NOT COMPLETELY FULL. AT THIS POINT, THE SENSOR WOULD WORK AND I WAS ABLE TO RELY ON THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE DASHBOARD. AFTER SOME TIME, HOWEVER, THE SENSOR STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. NOW THE SENSOR IS CONSTANTLY MOVING FROM FULL TO EMPTY FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND I NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE TANK. I HAVE TO KEEP TRACK WITH THE TRIP MONITOR. AUTO REPAIR SHOPS HAVE QUOTED THIS REPAIR AT AROUND $600 STATING THAT THE CAR NEEDS A NEW FUEL ASSEMBLY KIT. THIS ISSUE MUST BE FIXED IN ORDER TO PASS EMISSIONS TESTING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE AN UNKNOW PART WITHIN THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

FUEL GAUGE WOULD GO FROM FULL TO EMPTY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON! NOW LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME AND FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T WORK AT ALL! *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. INTERMITTENT FAILURE. SEVERAL MONTHS OF DRIVING IT WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL AND THEN RETURN BACK TO NORMAL. EVENTUALLY IT FAILED COMPLETELY. WENT TO HAVE THE PS MODULE REPLACED ONLY TO DISCOVER THE COLUMN IS TO BE REPLACED WITH IT. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE, BUT FEELS UNSAFE AND PUTS OTHERS AT RISK. VEHICLE IS NOT EASILY MANEUVERABLE AT LOW SPEEDS. NEEDS LARGE SPACE TO TURN AROUND. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THIS VEHICLE AS I HAVE SEEN MANY MANY COMPLAINTS. WHY IS THERE NOT YET A RECALL ON THE PS MODULE/COLUMN FAILURE OF THE MALIBU?? *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING ON TO THE FREEWAY, MORE WHILE HITTING THE PASSING GEAR, POWER STEERING IS ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST OR EVEN CORRECTING ITSELF BACK TO CENTER. THE "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE RADIO DISPLAY AND A CLICKING SOUND IS MADE. IT HAS SINCE HAPPENED AT SLOWER SPEEDS AS WELL. IT FEELS LIKE A VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS VERY COMMON AMONG CHEVROLET OWNERS OF VARIOUS MODELS AROUND THAT YEAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND NOTICED WHEN TURING THE STEERING WHEEL INTO THE LEFT DIRECTION A LOUD NOISE WOULD EMIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FRONT SWING ARM SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT TECHNICIAN WHO STATED THE DEFECT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TURNED LEFT ONTO AN UPHILL ROAD AND GAVE IT A GOOD AMOUNT OF GAS TO ACCELERATE UP TO SPEED. HAD THE RPMS UP AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN THE STEERING WHEEL JUST LOCKED UP. I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE GAS AND THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. IT WAS QUITE UNNERVING BUT I WORKED ON MANY CARS YEARS AGO AND REACT ACCORDINGLY TO THINGS LIKE STUCK THROTTLES, AND THIS. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR SO I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF IT OTHER THAN THE CARFAX CHECK WAS CLEAN. IT APPEAR THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS STEERING PROBLEM BEFORE BUYING IT. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT EXTENDS THE WARRANTY ON THIS ITEM, TO ANY OWNER, TO TEN YEARS AND 150 K MILES. DO A SEARCH FOR IT ONLINE. GM WILL REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT I WILL END UP DOING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED VIOLENTLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT'S HANDS TO BE THROWN FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL REGAINED NORMAL FUNCTION AS THE CONTACT DECELERATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES, ONLY LASTING MOMENTARILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY FAULTY ELECTRONICS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000.