2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

I STARTED UP MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU POWER STEERING HAS STOPPED WORKING POWER STEERING WARNING FLASHED ON DASH. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. NOW THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. *TR

AT AROUND 40 MPH, ON A REASONABLE ACCELERATION TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, THE STEERING COMPLETELY FROZE. AN ALARM (DING DING DING), ALONG WITH A MESSAGE ON THE DISPLAY CONSOLE SAID "POWER STEERING". WHEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER -- THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THOUGH I HAVE SINCE AVOIDED ANY SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS -- THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED MANY TIMES (EVEN AT SLIGHT ACCELERATION). IN ALL CASES, THE COMMONALITY HAS BEEN -- WITH ACCELERATION THERE HAS BEEN AN ATTEMPT TO STEER (ATTEMPT TO MOVE INTO PASSING LANE). AT LOWER SPEEDS THE PROBLEM OCCURS MOSTLY DURING PARKING. ESPECIALLY WHEN A FEW FULL LEND/RIGHT TIGHT TURNS ARE REQUIRED TO GET IN/OUT OF PARKING SPOT. THE STEERING COMPLETELY FREEZES. THE ONLY SOLUTION I HAVE FOUND IS -- TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN THE CAR. THEN WAIT A LITTLE AND RESTART. A FEW MONTHS AGO -- THE CONSOLE MESSAGE WAS DIFFERENT -- "POWER STEERING LOSS". THIS WAS WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING AT AN APARTMENT. IT WAS A SINGLE TIGHT TURN IN REVERSE, FOLLOWED BY STRAIGHTENING AND PUTTING THE CAR IN DRIVE. AGAIN -- A FULL SHUT DOWN, ONE MINUTE OFF, AND RESTART HELPED. ONLY RECENTLY DID THE RECALL VINDICATE WHAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCE SINCE LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE DEALER CONSISTENTLY SAID -- THERE WAS NO NOTICE OR COMPLAINTS. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE (NOW) REVEALS MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH FOR A LONG TIME. EVEN WITH THE RECALL -- PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, AND IT IS NOT KNOWN WHEN THEY CAN FIX. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL TO HAVE SOMETHING SO SERIOUS BE LEFT UNACKNOWLEDGED OR FIXED. THOUGH THE NOTICE SAYS -- IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE EFFORT TO STEER -- I CAN TELL YOU FROM NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE EXPERIENCED -- NO AMOUNT OF EFFORT WOULD HAVE EVEN BUDGED THE STEERING (AT SPEED OR EVEN LOW SPEED). THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEERING LIKE A MANUAL VS COMPLETELY FREEZING). *TR

I NOTICED THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS WERE VERY DIM IN FURTHER INVESTIGATION I LEARNED MY PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING AT ALL WHEN I PUSH MY BRAKE PEDAL AND WHEN THE PEDAL IS PUSHED THE TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES INTO MY BLINKER, REVERSING INDICATOR, ETC.. ALSO WHEN I CHECK MY VIN IT TELLS ME THERE ARE NO ACTIVE RECALLS FOR MY CAR. *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO ODI CONFIRMATION NUMBER: 10610590 WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS WERE LOST. THE DISPLAY SCREEN WOULD SIGNAL: "ENGINE DISABLED." PER THE CHEVY DEALER, THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A IMPROPER WORKING PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE), WHERE THE FOLLOWING ERROR CODES WERE PRESENT: P0601 TO P0606 AND U2109. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR, AT THIS POINT, IS $740.00 + TAX. FOR PEACE OF MIND AND OF COURSE, REASONS OF PERSONAL SAFETY, WE HOPE THAT THIS IS THE PROBLEM. *JS

AROUND 60000 MILES YOU COULD HEAR AND FEEL A CLUNKING OR POPPING COMING FROM INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS HAPPENED ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL OR GOING OVER BUMPS. AT APPROXIMATELY 65500 MILES WHILE MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING AT 20 MPH MAKING A TURN THE POWER STEERING INSTANTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOCKED UP. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN THE POWER STEERING WOULD RESET BUT WOULD STILL RANDOMLY LOCK UP. I CALLED CHEVROLET AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HOW THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEEDS MY WIFE COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CHEVROLET INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FAILURE. THEY ALSO STATED THEY WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE $1081.31 DOLLAR REPAIR BILL FOR A NEW STEERING COLUMN MODULE. AS OF MAR 31, 2014 CHEVROLET HAS POSTED A RECALL FOR THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IN THE 2006 MALIBU MAXX. AFTER CALLING CHEVROLET TO INFORM THEM I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS NEW PART TO FIX THE ISSUE THEY INFORMED ME MY 2006 MALIBU MAXX WAS NOT WITHIN THE VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED. THIS IS TERRIBLE IF CHEVROLET KNOWS THIS PROBLEM EXISTS BUT IS WAITING FOR MORE COMPLAINTS OR DEATHS I GUESS. NOW I'M JUST WAITING AND HOPING MY PREGNANT WIFE IS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT FROM SUDDEN LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. *JS

THE TRANSMISSION CABLE OF MY CAR QUIT WORKING. I WAS TRYING TO PUT MY CAR IN PARK WHEN PICKING MY KIDS UP FROM DAYCARE, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK, DRIVE, ETC. WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD PUT THE CAR INTO PAR, THE CAR PROCEEDED TO ROLL DOWN THE HILL. I HAD TO PUT THE EMERGENCY BREAK ON, AND ALL A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION CABLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THIS IS ISSUE IS PART OF A CHEVROLET RECALL, MY 2006 MALIBU MAXX IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS (25-30 MPH) MY CHEVY MALIBU WOULD CHIME AT ME AND LOSE POWER STEERING, SOMETIMES CAUSING MY CAR TO GO INTO OTHER LANES AND/OR ALMOST HITTING SIDEWALKS AND CURBS. I REPLACED THE ELECTRIC STEERING MOTOR IN 2013, BUT MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN PART OF THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE SAME ISSUES THAT ARE LISTED UNDER THE RECALL IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR. I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, SO THERE IS A RECORD OF THE REPAIR. *TR

AS THE POWER STEERING IS SHOWING SIGNS OF FAILURE AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT YET RECEIVED THE PARTS FOR MY BULLETIN FOR THE ISSUED RECALL, THE MECHANIC HAS NOW TOLD ME THE TORQUE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING ISSUE IS LEADING TO THE FAILURE OF THE AC CONDENSER AS THEY ARE BOTH RUNNING OFF THE LINKED PULLEYS. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT BY THE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE. *TR

I UNDERSTAND THAT MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALL; HOWEVER, MY CAR PRESENTS THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS THOSE CARS INVOLVED WITH THE RECALL. DUE TO THIS, MY CAR REMAINS PARKED IN MY GARAGE FOR OVER ONE YEAR. I DRIVE IT, ON AVERAGE, ONCE PER MONTH, IF THAT; BECAUSE I FEAR THAT I MAY BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND/OR OBTAIN A SERIOUS, LIFE THREATENING INJURY. FOR THE PAST NEARLY TWO YEARS, MY CAR RANDOMLY SHUTS DOWN. I LOSE COMPLETE POWER OVER MY STEERING. THE STEERING LOCKS UP, AND MY WARNING CHIME SOUNDS. EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN: RADIO, GAUGES, ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE FREEWAY, AT HIGH SPEEDS, MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. I HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE ENDED UP ON STREET CURBS AND HIGHWAY MEDIANS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO BE FIXED (LAFONTAINE BUICK GMC IN ANN ARBOR, MI) STATES THAT THE ISSUE IS DUE TO THE STEERING MOTOR, WHICH IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL. TO FIX THIS, IT WOULD COST NEARLY $800. I HAVE CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO ASSIST IN THIS ISSUE. *TR

AFTER FOUR (4) MINUTES OF DRIVING CAR AT 6:30AM IN THE MORNING, TEMPERATURE WAS 58 DEGREE ON 7/21/2014, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED W/VEHICLE DID NOT WORK. ALL IDIOT LIGHTS FLASHED ON. THE MESSAGE IN DISPLAY WAS "ENGINE DISABLED." CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. AFTER 4-5 MINUTES OF REST, THE CAR WAS RE-STARTED AND DRIVEN BACK HOME ABOUT ANOTHER TWO (2) MILES. *TR