2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX. THE POWER STEERING IS LIGHTING UP ON THE STEREO. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER CHEVY CARS THAT HAVE THE SAME POWER STEERING AS OUR CAR, YET OUR CAR ISN'T PART OF THE RECALL. WHY? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON SO THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT A WARNING. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. UPDATED 03/14/10 *BF UPDATED 05/06/10.*JB

I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY MALIBU, I PURCHASE THIS CAR USED LAST FEBRUARY 2009 AND ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT BEGIN TO COME ON. A COUPLE OF TIMES I NEEDED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ABOUT $600 FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL, OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT CAUSE ANY PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. TODAY 03-02-2010 I READ AN ARTICLE CONCERNING RECALLS ON GM CARS 2005-2010 COBALT, BUT DUE TO THE INFORMATION THAT IS PROVIDED, THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU. MY CONCERN IS HOW DO I GO ABOUT HAVING THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM RECTIFIED AS WELL FOR THIS CAR. *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

MY 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU'S POWER STEERING WENT OUT TWICE ON 02/05/2010. I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT AWAY AND AT LOW SPEEDS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT SO THIS DID NOT CAUSE ME TO CRASH. HOWEVER I'M CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AT HIGHER SPEED OR A MORE UNSAFE TIME. THIS APPEARS TO BE MUCH LIKE THE COBALT INVESTIGATION PE10005. *TR

PROABLY NOT IMPORTANT, BUT. CHEVY MALIBU MAXX. BOUGHT USED. 60,000(ISH) MILES 'CRACKED' WINDSHIELD, 62,000(ISH) MILES. GLASS TECH REPORTS WINDSHIELD HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE. 2 BROKEN WINDSHIELDS IN 62,000(ISH) MILES??????? I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT GLASS TECH/CO. LIKELY COINCIDENCE, BUT, IN CASE.... *TR

POWER STEEERING FAILURE WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION-WHEN CAR SLOWS DOWN IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. HAPPENED 2X-CAR TOWED TO DEALER THEY REPLACED POWER STEERING MOTOR. HAPPENED AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER-DEALER REPLACED STEERING COLUMN-$1400 TOTAL REPAIRS! GM WILL NOT HELP BECAUSE CAR IS OUT OF WARRENTY *CN

THE POWER STEERING FREEZES UP ON MY 2006 MALIBU MAXX. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE RPMS ARE WAY UP, LIKE WHEN PASSING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE IS NO STEERING AT ALL!!! THE WHEEL IS LOCKED RIGHT TIGHT. THE DEALER SAID THAT IT COULD NOT HAPPEN THAT WAY. THE CAR ALSO LOOSES STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS BUT THE TIRES DO NOT. *TR

I HAVE A 06 MALIBU MAXX AND THE POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OUT. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR, IT WAS DRIVING FINE AND THE ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOSE POWER STEERING AND THE WORDS "POWER STEERING" IS DISPLAYED. I HAVE TO TURN OF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON SO IT CAN RESET. IT HAS BEEN DOING IT MORE AND MORE LATELY, AND A FEW TIMES I ALMOST HAVE HIT SOMEONE. I CALLED CHEVY TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID NO. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2004 AND 2005 CHEVYS MALIBU WITH ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING, BUT NOTHING ON THE 2006. CHEVY ALSO TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND LET THEM INSPECT. WHICH I DID AND THEY CAN FIND NO PROBLEM. *CN

I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX THAT HAS BEEN KNOCKING NEAR THE FRONT END, INDICATING POSSIBLE CV JOINT ISSUES OR SOME OTHER SUSPENSION OR STEERING PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD THE TIE RODS REPLACED ONCE BUT THE SYMPTOMS LATER RETURNED. MOST RECENTLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, LOCKING DURING A RIGHT TURN AND CAUSING ME TO DRIVE OUT OF MY LANE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS IN JANUARY 2010 AND THANKFULLY HAS NOT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING WITH HER BAD BACK, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE CAR AND AVOID A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM AND THE COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF FORUMS DISCUSSING THIS EXACT PROBLEM IN THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE OVER ABOUT 4 MODEL YEARS BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *TR