2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX Complaints

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK YESTERDAY MORNING AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP SO THAT I COULDN'T TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AS WELL TO THE POINT IT WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL EVEN AN INCH TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WAS ON BOTH SIDE STREETS (20-30MPH) & THE HIGHWAY (65MPH).

POWER STEERING HAS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY AND BRIEFLY WITH NO WARNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND UPON MOVEMENT FROM A PARKED POSITION.

TAKATA RECALL THE SECURITY SYSTEM LOCKED UP AND THE INGNITION WON'T TURN OVER SO THE CAR REFUSES TO START. THIS ALL HAPPENED WHEN I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND IT JUST SHUTOFF. THEN REFUSES TO START.THE CAR WAS TECHNICALLY STATIONARY, MY FOOT WAS IN THE BRAKE WHILE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. WE WERE ABOUT TO TURN INTO A CHURCH PARKING LOT WHEN IT STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT COME BACK ON.

UNDER ACCELERATION WHEN CHANGING LANES TO PASS POWER STEERING LOCKED AND WARNING CHIME RANG

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE SLID. IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE PRECEDING VEHICLE, THE CONTACT TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,200.

14V153 RECALL WAS DONE AND PROBLEM CAME BACK WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO PAY FOR INSPECTION / DIAGNOSTIC. COMPUTER SCAN SHOWS SAME FAIL OF SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR

LOST POWER STEERING ON ACCELERATION ONTO HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 2 WEEKS. COULD NOT STEER UNTILL IT RESET AT SPEEDS OF 50+ MPH

STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT 8/17/2009 AND AGAIN 10/29/10 AFTER RECALL. FAILED AGAIN AND JUST HAD TO REPLACE. GM DID NOT NOTIFY CUSTOMERS THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT - POWER STEERING ADJUSTMENT ISSUED 5-23-2012. UNDER THIS I WAS COVERED BY MILES BUT NOT BY DATE. THIS WAS CLEARLY A WAY FOR GM TO NOT FIX THIS PERSISTENT PROBLEM. THEY CLEARLY KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM BUT DID NOT NOTIFY CUSTOMERS. THEY WOULD NOT COVER THIS WORK EVEN THOUGH THEY CLEARLY USED SUB PAR PARTS IN THERE RECALL WORK.

POWER STEERING LOSS: WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY DISPLAYS ON THE DASHBOARD AND POWER STEERING IS NO LONGER ACTIVE. IF THE DRIVER STOPS THE VEHICLE AND TURNS THE ENGINE OFF, THE POWER STEERING MAY BE REACTIVATED BY RESTARTING. THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ISSUE SERVICED AT A GM DEALER FOR A TORQUE SENSOR ON 10/8/2014. 3-1/2 YEARS / 30,000 MILES LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME ISSUE (TORQUE SENSOR) AT AROUND $800. THE DEALER AND GM IS REFUSING TO PROVIDE ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THIS CURRENT REPAIR. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING THAT A SAFETY ISSUE SUCH AS THIS, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR, IS NOT BACKED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING, REQUIRING EXTENSIVE EFFORT TO TURN, CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH TO THIS VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS OTHERS. IF A REPAIR FOR A SAFETY RECALL ONLY LASTS 30,000 MILES BEFORE RESURFACING, I WOULD CALL THIS A TEMPORARY BAND-AID, NOT A "REPAIR".

MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY STARTED MOVING BACK AND FORTH WHILE STOPPED OR PARKED. I CALL GM RE: RECALLS. IT SEEMS THEY ARE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM. MY COWORKER HAS A MALIBU AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. HERS IS 2008. I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND HAVE COME ACROSS 25 PEOPLE THUS FAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM