2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

FILING A COMPLAINT REGARDING MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU MAXX...WHAT IS A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT? THE UNITED STATES CODE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY (TITLE 49, CHAPTER 301) DEFINES MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY AS ?THE PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS THE PUBLIC AGAINST UNREASONABLE RISK OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OR PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE (THE STEERING COLUMN IS A GENUINE GM DEFECTIVE PART(S), AND AGAINST UNREASONABLE RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT, AND INCLUDES NONOPERATIONAL SAFETY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE.? A DEFECT INCLUDES ?ANY DEFECT IN PERFORMANCE, CONSTRUCTION, A COMPONENT, OR MATERIAL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT.? GENERALLY, A SAFETY DEFECT IS DEFINED AS A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE OR ITEM OF MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT THAT: POSES AN RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY, AND MAY EXIST IN A GROUP OF VEHICLES OF THE SAME DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE, OR ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT OF THE SAME TYPE AND MANUFACTURE. EXAMPLES OF DEFECTS CONSIDERED SAFETY-RELATED STEERING COMPONENTS THAT BREAK SUDDENLY CAUSING PARTIAL OR COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. * THE ABOVE LISTED UNITED STATE VEHICLE SAFETY CODE IS THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT BEING FILE. I UNDERSTAND THAT CHEVY USED THE SAME COLUMN UNIT IN ITS 2004, 2005 AND 2006 MALIBU MODELS AND ALL THREE YEARS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. ONCE ODOMETER REACHES A CERTAIN MILEAGE READING THE STEERING COLUMN ELECTRONIC ASSISTED STEERING COLUMN FAILS, IT TURNS OFF, LEAVING THE DRIVER AT THE MERCY OF A MANUALLY HARD TO STEER VEHICLE, IN MY WIFE AND MINE'S CASE IT IS A METAL DEATH TRAP ON THE ROAD WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. I HAVE WRITTEN DIRECTLY TO CHEVY/GM MOTOR CORPORATION WITH OUT RECOGNITION OF MY COMPLAINT. THIS CAR IS A LARGE ROAD SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I WANT CHEVY TO BUY MY CAR BACK OF REPLACE THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE IN THIS VEHICLE, NOR LOOSE MY WIFE. *TR

AS I DRIVE OUT OF NOWHERE THE STEERING LOCKS UP. IT STARTED OFF ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE THEN GOT WORSE WITH TIME. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND OTHER MODELS OF MALIBU. I JUST THINK IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE AND NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. A MECHANIC AT CHEVY SAID THAT MORE AND MORE CARS WERE COMING IN WITH THAT PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE AND IS BECOMING VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

USUALLY WHILE TURNING THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT ON THE MALIBU MAXX. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON IT AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS A BULLETIN REGARDING IT. THEY WANT OVER $500 TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE. IT HAPPENED 4 TIMES ON A 94 MILE TRIP JUST LAST WEEKEND. IT USUALLY HAPPENS A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK. THERE IS NO WARNING AS TO WHEN IT WILL OCCUR AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART AND THE POWER WOULD RESET. THAT WORKS MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT A GOOD IDEA IF YOU ARE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THERE WILL BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS REPORTED MORE AND MORE. PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND ON REPAIRS WHILE THE MOTOR COMPANIES GET "BAIL OUT" MONEY. I WANT A RECALL. *TR

WE HAD THE BRAKES SERVICED . IT INCLUDED THE CHANGING OVER THE BRAKE PADS AND THE ROTORS TURNED. AND IN LESS THAN 8MONTHS LATER WE WENT BAKE TO GET THE BRAKES INSPECTED DUE TO A VERY HIGH PITCHED NOISED THAT GREW SINCE THE BRAKES WE REPLACED WITH NEW ONES. THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT THE BACK BRAKES VERSES THE FRONT BRAKES WE NOT WEARING EQUALLY AND THAT HE WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT BOTH FRONT AND BACK BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THEY WERE REPLACED AS I SAT AND WATCHED THE PREVIOUS MECHANIC INSTALL OUR NEW BRAKE PADS/SHOES JUST AFTER 7 MONTHS OF BUYING THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT BRAKES HAD A WEARING OF 30% AND THE REAR WORE DOWN TO 70%. THIS IS BECOMING A NIGHTMARE AND IT'S ALSO BECOMING VERY EXPENSIVE.. I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO NEED NEW BRAKES ON AVERAGE OF HALF A YEAR BETWEEN CHANGES. THIS IF NOT LOOKED INTO COULD BECOME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS DANGEROUS IF THE BACK BRAKES A WEARING OUT FASTER THAN THE FRONT. THEN I HAVE TO CHANGE THE BRAKES OUT EVERY 6-7-MONTHS JUST TO KNOW THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WHEN NEEDED! THE HORRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND I DISCOVERED IS THE ROTORS AND THE MECHANIC VERY SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THEY ARE WARPED AND IN SUCH BAD SHAPE AFTER SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN THE BRAKE CHANGES WITHIN A 6-7 MONTH TIME PERIOD. WE HAVE ONLY ONE WORKING VEHICLE AND FEEL THAT IS ISSUE IS TO BE ADDRESSED AS IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I CAN NOT KEEP CHANGING THE BRAKE SYSTEM EVERY 6-7MONTHS YET I HAVE NO CHOICE IF WE ARE TO BE SAFE AND WOULD LIKE TO STOP THE CAR. PLEASE FIND OUT IF THE PROBLEM CAN BE CORRECTED ONCE AND FOR ALL TO WHERE WE ONLY HAVE TO CHANGE THE BRAKES ON THE CAR LONGER THAN A YEAR OR MORE ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DRIVE THE CAR EASY... WE ARE NOT BAD DRIVERS YET WE ARE TERRIFIED THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AS I AM SURE WE WILL NEED A BRAKE CHANGE AGAIN IN JUST A FEW MONTHS AGAIN! BATTERY IN THE KEYPAD OPENS,LOCKS & STARTS CAR NEVER WORKS RIGHT... *TR

USING MY MOTHER'S 2006 MALIBU MAXX ON 12/24/08, THE BACK LIFTGATE CAME CRASHING DOWN ON MY WIFE'S HEAD WHILE SHE WAS LOADING THE TRUNK. THE NEXT MORNING WE SAW THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LIFT CYLINDER SNAPPED OFF ITS METAL BALL JOINT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CYLINDER IS ATTACHED TO THE METAL BALL JOINT VIA A PLASTIC CAP. WHERE THIS CAP IS ASKED TO NOT ONLY SECURE THE CYLINDER TO THE LIFTGATE FRAME, BUT ALSO ROTATE AND PITCH THE CYLINDER. ANYONE SHORTER THAN MY WIFE'S HEIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED SEVERELY, SUCH AS A BROKEN NECK AND/OR CRUSHED SKULL. THE CHEVROLET DEALER - JIM O'BRIEN CHEVROLET SNAPPED THE CYLINDER BACK ON ITS BALL JOINT AND REFUSED TO REPAIR, FIX, AND/OR OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX, I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I LOST POWER STEERING. I PARKED THE CAR, SHUT IT OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING PROPERLY. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND GAINED POWER STEERING BACK. IT HAPPENED AGAIN NEARLY RIGHT AWAY AFTER DOING THE LAST RESTART. I AGAIN PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND POWER STEERING WAS BACK. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6 TO 10 TIMES IN THE LAST 1 TO 2 MONTHS AND THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO WHEN THE POWER STEERING GIVES OUT. THIS MAKES EVERY TRIP IN THE CAR A POTENTIAL HAZARD. *TR

BUMP SOUND IN FRONT END WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR BRAKING AND TURNING. DEALER SAYS IT IS A POWER STEERING SHAFT. THEY LUBRICATED IT AND TIGHTENED IT BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED. WITHIN 1,000 MILES PROBLEMS RETURNED. NOW WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND IT'S MY PROBLEM ALTHOUGH GM HAS A REPLACEMENT STEERING SHAFT THAT WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

CHEVROLET MALIBUS AND OTHER MAKES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. MINE HAS BEEN REPLACED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT HAD A BUMPING NOISE THAT YOU COULD HEAR EVEN STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE CAR WHILE SOMEONE ELSE IS DRIVING. GM NEEDS TO DO A RECALL BEFORE SOMEBODY LOOSES THEIR STEERING AND HAS A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON ON THESE CARS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM AN ASE CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY YEARS. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 MALIBU MAXX 3.5 V6. MY WIFE WAS PARALLEL PARKING WHEN THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP ON HER. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PARK AND MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. I WENT ONLINE TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHY IT JUST SHUT OFF AND FOUND THE LINK TO THIS WEB-SITE. I SURE DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS GO OUT WHEN TURNING AROUND A CORNER. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD NOT FOR US BUT ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD AS WELL. *TR