2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

ACTION: LETTER FROM SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENTS RE: STEERING RECALL NOTICE ON THE 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX ( SEND RESPOND TO TUSCALOOSA OFFICE). *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. REF# 14V153000.

DRIVING AT 40 MPH, ALL POWERED FUNCTIONS SHUT OFF - NO POWER STEERING, HARD TO BRAKE, AND ENGINE JUST QUITS. ALL "IDIOT" LIGHTS COME ON: FUEL, OIL, STABILITY TRACTION CONTROL... JUST LIKE BEFORE YOU IMMEDIATELY START THE CAR, WHERE ALL LIGHTS FLASH ON. AFTER TWO MINUTES OF REST - I TRY THE CAR AGAIN AND IT STARTS. TODAY, (7/15), THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. THE FIST INCIDENT WAS EXACTLY A WEEK FROM TODAY ON 7/08, SAME SPEED, SAME ROAD. THE CART JUST QUITS. I AM USING THIS CAR FOR THIS SUMMER WHERE IT IS ACTUALLY OWNED BY MOTHER. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM JIM O'BRIEN CHEVROLET IN WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OH. *TR

THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING THUS MAKING AN UNSAFE SITUATION. CHEVY NOTIFIED ME IN JUNE SAYING THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOT YET AVAILABLE. IT HAS BEEN OVER A MONTH AND I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS UNSAFE CAR. *JS

CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, REMOTE START STOPPED WORKING, BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN PEDAL IS NOT PRESSED AND GO OFF WHEN PEDAL IS PRESSED. VEHICLE SHOWS STOPPING WHEN DRIVING AND DRIVING WHEN STOPPING. WILL GET REAR-ENDED SAME THING HAPPENED 3 YEARS AGO. GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #08-05-22-009C ISSUED IN 2008. *TR

STEERING WHEEL STARTED JERKING TO THE LEFT INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN I PARKED IT AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, I COULD STILL HEAR A MOTOR RUNNING AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE LEFT AGAIN AND THEN THE MOTOR SOUND STOPPED. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPLICATE AND NO CODES SHOWING. DEALERSHIP SAID MY TWO RIGHT SIDE TIRES NEEDED BALANCING, I THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AGAIN AND STILL THEY SAID IT NEEDED THE TIRES BALANCED & IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE, $74.10 LATER NO DIFFERENCE AND NOW THE STEERING WHEEL IS JERKING BACK AND FORTH TO THE LEFT & RIGHT CONSTANTLY, IS SCARY TO DRIVE, DEALERSHIP PUT MY VEHICLE ON LIST FOR RECALL FOR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST PART BUT SAID NO PARTS AVAILABLE YET, I NEED THIS CAR TO GET TO WORK AND IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY CAR HAS LOST POWER STEERING NEARLY CAUSING A WRECK. THIS IS A DANGER AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BUT I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE MAILED NOTICE ON APRIL 28 . I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROADWAYS. MY CAR ALSO RANDOMLY LOSES BATTERY POWER.. I ASSUME THIS IS ELECTRICAL. *TR

THIS HAPPENED LITERALLY AT THE END OF A 7 HOUR CAR TRIP- WE GOT LUCKY. DRIVING ON I-75 SOUTH AND APPROACHING EXIT. BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN AND ENTER EXIT RAMP. STEERING WHEEL STARTS SHAKING PROFUSELY AND IMMEDIATELY BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD TO MOVE TO EITHER SIDE. PANICKING, I MANAGED TO CONTROL THE CAR AND SLOW IT DOWN TO A VERY SLOW SPEED AND PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON, AND SLOWLY MERGE INTO A GAS STATION THAT WAS, LUCKILY, RIGHT NEXT TO THE EXIT RAMP. THIS WAS EXTREMELY SCARY, UNEXPECTED, AND COULD HAVE KILLED US IF WE WERE GOING THE FULL HIGHWAY SPEED AND WERE NOT EXITING ON A RAMP. *TR

SEVERAL YEARS AGO VEHICLE STARTED TO EXHIBIT IGNITION MISSES WHEN MAKING SLOW SPEED TURNS 10-20MPH. CONDITION WOULD CORRECT ITSELF WHEN COMING OUT OF TURNS OR ENTRANCE RAMPS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. IN 2013 AND 2014 OCCURRENCE BECAME MORE FREQUENT (2-3 TIMES WEEKLY). CHEVROLET DEALER ADVISED ME TWO MONTHS AGO THAT IT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH AND ADVISED ME TO REMOVE UNNECESSARY WEIGHT FROM IGNITION KEY CHAIN. I IMMEDIATELY DID THIS AND PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. HOWEVER, DEALER ADVISED THAT I COULD ADD MY NAME TO WAIT LIST FOR A NEW IGNITION SWITCH, BUT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR SINCE MY 2006 IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. SINCE MANY OTHER GM MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME LATENT DEFECT I FEEL MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR NELSON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT REGARDING STEERING PROBLEMS ON HER 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU; PLEASE SEND RESPONSE DIRECTLY TO SENATOR OFFICE AND REFERENCE CONSTITUENT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS FAILED TO RETRACT CAUSING THE BRAKES TO OVERHEAT AND CATCH FIRE. THE MECHANIC STATED IT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO A FACTORY FLAW AS HE HAD NEVER SEEN BOTH CALIPERS FAIL TOGETHER. THE BRAKE CALIPER SEALS WERE MELTED FROM HEAT AND THEY WERE CRACKED/DRY ROTTED LETTING THE CALIPER SLEEVE RUST. A MONTH PRIOR, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE POWER STEERING SEEMED STIFF AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER, THE CONSUMER DID RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. ON DECEMBER 20, 2011 THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ANOTHER STEERING FAILURE, SLOW ACCELERATION, AND OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE MECHANIC BELIEVED THERE WAS PROBABLY CONTAMINATION IN THE BRAKE FLUID, AS IT WAS MILKY. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT ALL THE RUBBER COMPONENTS IN THE BRAKE AND ABS BE REPLACED DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,000.