2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TURNED STEERING WHEEL LEFT TO EXIT A FUELING PUMP AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THE PANEL DISPLAY INDICATED "POWER STEERING" AND AN INDICATOR ON THE DASH HAD A AMBER COLOR ICON WITH A WRENCH. HAD TO USE A LOT OF FORCE TO TURN VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD BUT COULD NOT DISCERN ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEM. TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT REAPPEAR AS DRIVING HOME APPROX. 2 MILES FROM SERVICE STATION. CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE COMMENTS SEEN ON THE INTERNET REGARDING OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH THESE VEHICLES. FORTUNATELY, MY SPEED WAS MINIMAL. IT WOULD BE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED ON A HIGHWAY. GM NEEDS TO RECALL. *TR

WHEN MAKING TURNS, WHETHER LEFT OR RIGHT, THE POWER STEERING IN THIS CAR FAILS. LUCKILY I AM ONE OF THE FORTUNATE ONES (SO FAR) THAT IT GOES OUT AT LOWER RATES OF SPEED. A COUPLE OF TIMES, I BARELY MADE IT INTO THE PARKING LOT AND AVOIDED HITTING ANY CARS WHILE MAKING THAT TURN. THE THING THAT I FEAR IS THAT WHEN IT STARTS TO SNOW OR IF I HAVE TO MAKE SOME EVASIVE MOVES TO AVOID OBJECTS, THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AND I WILL BE UNABLE TO CORRECT IT. *TR

THE VEHICLE UNLOCKS THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY BY ITSELF WITHOUT THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCHES OR UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE REMOTE KEY FOB BEING ACTIVATED. THE PROBLEM OCCURS DURING DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. IN ADDITION, THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE AUXILLARY POWER IS ON (AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND THERE IS POWER TO THE WINDOWS AND RADIO - BEFORE THE DOORS ARE OPENED) AS WELL AS AFTER THE AUXILLARY POWER IS TURNED OFF (AFTER THE DOORS HAVE BEEN OPENED AND POWER TO THE RADIO AND WINDOWS HAS BEEN TURNED OFF). THE VEHICLE IS FOUND WITH ITS DOORS UNLOCKED WHEN THE DRIVER RETURNS TO THE VEHICLE (DRIVER LOCKED THE DOORS AND CONFIRMED THEY WERE LOCKED WHEN LEAVING THE VEHICLE PARKED). THE VEHICLE ALSO DISABLES THE SECURITY SYSTEM WHEN IT UNLOCKS THE DOORS CAUSING ANYONE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE ALARM OR SECURITY SYSTEM ACTIVATING. THIS CREATES A SECURITY AND SAFETY CONCERN FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. THE VEHICLE DOORS MAY NOT STAY LOCKED WHEN LEAVING THE VEHICLE WHICH CREATES A SECURITY CONCERN. IN ADDITION, THE DOORS MAY UNLOCK WHEN DRIVING CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS.*TR

THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU WORK ALMOST COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY SHOULD. MOST OF THE TIME, I PRESS THE BRAKE AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN OFF, WHEN THE BRAKE IS RELEASED, WITHIN 10 SECONDS THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME BACK ON AND REMAIN STEADY ON. WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THIS MAY TURN THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON OR OFF. MOST OF THE TIME MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON, UNTIL THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE LIGHTS USUALLY TURN OFF. I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE TO NO AVAIL FROM THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM, AS WELL AS WITH CHEVROLET. I EVEN BROUGHT IT TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AFTER TAKING ADVICE FROM CHEVROLET TO DO SO, AND THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM TO FIX IT. THEIR COMPUTER SAYS THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS!!! I HAVE VIDEO OF IT TOO. THIS IS ALWAYS WHAT IS TOLD TO ME, HOWEVER, THE SECOND I GET MY CAR BACK, THE PROBLEM OCCURS FOR ME. I THINK THIS IS TOTAL BS. *TR

AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I STARTED DOWN THE ROAD AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CAR OFF. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT SEEMED FINE. I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES SO TURNED AROUND AND PULLED BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I HAVE STARTED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE STEERING IS STILL LOCKED UP. MY CAR HAS ONLY 48000 MILES ON IT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL. I HAVE READ MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT IT LOCKED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE IN THE POWER STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 85,000. UPDATED 12/12/11*LJ UPDATED 12/23/11

POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAD BEGAN TO DRIVE OUT OF A PARKING LOT WHEN POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. CAR HAS ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. I TRIED TO STEP ON BRAKE, SHIFT GEAR INTO PARK THEN BACK IN DRIVE BUT STILL COULD NOT GET STEERING WHEEL TO TURN. WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF HAD HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY WITH MY KIDS. I HAVE FOUND A MULTIPLE SITES WITH THE SAME SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2006 CHEVY MALIBU FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD THIS HAPPENED TO THEM. THEY HAVE EVEN HAD MECHANICS TRY TO TROUBLESHOOT AND CHARGE THEM HORRENDOUS AMOUNTS FOR REPAIRS BUT CONTINUED HAVING ISSUES AFTER EITHER THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS REPLACED, COILS AND HARNESS WERE REPLACED, OR OTHER PARTS THAT MECHANICS TRIED TROUBLESHOOTING. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE IT DOES TAKE SOMEONE'S LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHAKE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS A MECHANIC AND AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I HAVE ONLY HAD MY 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU FOR 6 WEEKS, AND I ALREADY AM EXPERIENCING 3 MAJOR PROBLEMS. 1. THE FUEL GAUGE WILL GO WILD ANYTIME GAS IS ADDED TO THE TANK, AND AS THE WEEKS HAVE GONE BY IT IS LESS ACCURATE. I ONLY KNOW WHEN MY GAS TANK IS FULL OR EMPTY. I HAVE NO IDEA ON ANYTHING IN BETWEEN. 2. WHEN I WILL START THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WILL NOT COME ON WITH THE CAR. I WILL HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF, REMOVE THE KEY AND OPEN AND SHUT THE DOOR TO REGISTER THE NEXT TRY AS A TRULY NEW START. IF YOU FAIL TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR, THE CAR DOES NOT COMPLETELY POWER DOWN SO IT WILL NOT RECYCLE. 3. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WILL BEGIN TO LOCK UP ON ME WHILE DRIVING, AND I WILL HAVE TO FIGHT THE WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT. I HAVE LET GO OF THE WHEEL ONCE OR TWICE AND THE WHEEL WILL TURN ENOUGH IN ONE DIRECTION TO NEARLY DO A UTURN. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHEN A DRIVER WAS INATTENTIVE, IM PRETTY SURE IT WOULD CAUSE ONE HECK OF A ACCIDENT! THE WORST PART IS THAT THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM HAD THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS, SO THEY MUST HAVE KNOW ABOUT THESE DEFECTS AND SOLD IT TO ME ANYWAYS. THE DEALER PUT GAS IN THE CAR BEFORE WE DID THE PAPERWORK. I KNOW THE GUY SAW THE GAS GAUGE GOING NUTS, AND THAT'S WHY HE INSISTED ON BEING THE ONE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE GAS STATION. I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE RESET THE COMPUTER TO GET THE CAR TO BEHAVE FOR TEST DRIVES, BECAUSE I HAD ONLY PUT 40 MILES ON IT BEFORE ALL THIS STUFF STARTED. CERTAINLY NOT A COINCIDENCE. *TR

MADE A TRANSPONDER KEY, PARTS PERSON AT THE GM DEALERSHIP JUST STARTED THE ENGINE WITH IT AND SAID IT WAS ALREADY PROGRAMMED.( HE JUST TESTED TO SEE IF THE KEY WILL START THE ENGINE.) WHEN GOT HOME WITH ORIGINAL KEY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE I TRIED TO SECURE CAR WITH THE REMOTE AND IT DID NOT WORK. TRIED ORIGINAL KEY TO START CAR EVERYTHING WAS DEAD INCLUDING BATTERY. DISCONNECT AND RECONNECT BATTERY, NOW THE SECURITY LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON, CAR CAN'T START, THERE IS NOTHING ONLY THE LIGHTS ON DASH WITH OTHER ICONS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHIP KEY THAT WAS MADE CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO FAIL. I HATE TO HAVE TO TOW THE CAR CAUSE I KNOW THE DEALER WOULD CHARGE ME AN ARM AND A LEG. I HATE TO GET THE PARTS PERSON IN TROUBLE. IS THERE SOMEONE ON LINE CAN HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? *TR