Chevrolet Malibu Complaints (2006)
1,388 consumer complaints on file.
- #10287367October 14, 2009STEERING
POWER STEERING FAILURE IN A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN AT LOW SPEED. SAME PROBLEM WAS RECALLED IN 2004 MALIBU'S BUT NO RECALL ON 2006. WHEN POWER STEERING GOES OUT, CAR HAS TO BE MANUALLY TURNED UNTIL YOU CAN TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART SO POWER STEERING WILL BE ACTIVATED AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC AND HAVE TO STOP AND START CAR AGAIN. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10287256October 13, 2009STEERING
POWER STEERING CUT OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10286926October 9, 2009STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY WHILE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS STEERED IN ONE DIRECTION AND SUDDENLY, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE; FOLLOWED BY THE STEERING WHEEL SYSTEM LOCKING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,912.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10286605October 7, 2009STEERING
I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY MALIBU THAT HAS A SYSTEM ERROR "LOW STEERING FLUID". THE KICKER IS THE CAR DOESN'T TAKE FLUID. I CALL THE DEALER AND THEY STATE THERE IS A DISCUSSION OF RECALL FOR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING BUT NOTHING YET. READING ON LINE THIS APPEARS TO POTENTIALLY BE A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. IS THIS CAR AT RISK TO DRIVE IF I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM RIGHT NOW? *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10285336September 26, 2009STEERING
GM/CHEVROLET/MALIBU 2006 1ST OCCURRENCE ABOUT A MONTH AGO. THREE TIMES - SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES APART. POWER STEERING FAILS WHEN CAR IN MOTION - MANUAL STEERING REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO GET CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF THEN RESTARTING THE CAR RESET THE POWER STEERING. NO INDICATION ON INSTRUMENT PANEL BEFORE OR AFTER. IMMEDIATELY CALLED DEALER. THEY SAID THERE MIGHT BE AN OVERVOLTAGE PROBLEM AND WOULD ORDER THE PART. HAVE HEARD NOTHING MORE. (SPRINGHILL MOTORS - SPRINGHILL, LA) TODAY THE POWER STEERING FAILED THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN A MILE. FINALLY MUSCLED THE CAR HOME WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE POWER STEERING WHILE IN PARK. WHILE STILL IN PARK, TURNING THE WHEEL THE SLIGHTEST BIT TO THE LEFT CAUSES POWER STEERING TO FAIL. IF WHEEL TURNED RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AFTER RESTART, THE STEERING DOES NOT FAIL - BUT TURNING IT BACK TO THE LEFT BRINGS IMMEDIATE FAILURE. IF THIS HAS NOT BECOME AN ISSUE AND A RECALL, IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BECOME ONE. I DOUBT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACT IN TIME HAD I BEEN ON AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN A CURVE. THE INITIAL FEELING IS NOT THAT STEERING HAS BECOME DIFFICULT, RATHER THAT STEERING HAS BECOME LOCKED AND IMPOSSIBLE. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10285342September 26, 2009ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ODI NUMBER) IS: 10285336 INCREASING ENGINE RPM ABOVE 2500 RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. . . . UNTIL THE NEXT TIME IT IS TRIGGERED BY WHAT EVER THE CAUSE IS. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10285078September 23, 2009SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
THE 2006 CHEVY MALIBU, THAT I OWN, HAS STEERING PROBLEMS WHERE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GOES OFF MAKING THE CAR VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. IT HAS DONE THIS 8 TO 10 TIMES THE LAST FEW MONTHS. IT THEN RESETS ITSELF, SO I HEAR. LUCKILY, SO FAR, IT HAS HAPPENED ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS CAR STARTED HAVING THIS PROBLEM AT AROUND 50,000 MILES. IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEEDS, ACCIDENTS/DEATHS COULD CERTAINLY OCCUR. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND SEE THAT MANY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME INCIDENCE WITH THE STEERING. MY STEERING IS ALSO MAKING A THUMPING NOISE AT LOW SPEED TURNS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $1400 TO FIX THE STEERING PROBLEM. I FEEL GM SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM IN THESE VEHICLES ARE A DISASTER AND THESE CARS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT. GM NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO SAFETY. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10284811September 21, 2009STEERING
TODAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2009, THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST POWER STEERING ON OUR 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU STOPPED FUNCTIONING, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE AGGRESSIVELY PULLING TO THE LEFT. THE RESULT OF THIS FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED MAKES THIS VEHICLE UNSAFE FOR PASSENGERS AND FOR OTHER VEHICLES ADJACENT TO THE CAR. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE BY RESETTING THE ECU HAVE FAILED, AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO PULL AGGRESSIVELY TO THE LEFT EVEN WHILE STATIONARY. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10284230September 16, 2009STEERING
2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU DISPLAYED "POWER STEERING" ON INFORMATION SCREEN WHILE DRIVING. OTHER TIMES, ALL THE DASH DISPLAYS GO DARK FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. SOMETIMES THE DASH DISPLAYS TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS TO "LIGHT UP" ON STARTING THE CAR. DEALER FOUND NO "CODES" TO INDICATE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. DEALER SPECULATES THERE IS AN INTERNAL SHORT IN STEERING MOTOR. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10284228September 16, 2009STEERING
WE HAVE A STEERING PROBLEM. THE CAR NOW HAS 19,636 MILES ON IT. EARLIER THIS YEAR WHILE I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON IT. I MANAGED TO GET OFF THE ROAD. BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. A POWER STEERING WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON. LAST WEEK THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT THIS TIME I WAS STILL ON THE PARKING LOT. WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART, THE STEERING WILL BE OK BUT I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'LL LOCK UP AGAIN. IT MAKES ME SCARED TO DRIVE IT. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT NOTHING SHOWED UP WHEN IT WAS TESTED. I CONTACTED GM WITH THE PROBLEM. IT'S AWFUL TO HAVE A NICE CAR AND TO BE AFRAID YOU'LL HAVE AN ACCIDENT WHEN YOU DRIVE IT. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10284063September 15, 2009STEERING
POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ON DIC, EPS MOTOR FAILURE. THE STEERING WILL LOCK UP WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. TYPICALLY, WORSE IN HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS! THE VEHICLE IS 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN REPLACE 14 MONTHS AGO. NOW, NEEDS THE EPS MOTOR REPLACED AGAIN. SCREAMS OF PRODUCT FLAW/DEFEAT TO ME. CHEVY SHOULD DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10283789September 12, 2009STEERING
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING LOCKS UP AT ANY SPEED. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10283110September 7, 2009STEERING, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
POWER STEERING FAILURE ON CHEVY MALIBU 2006 GM. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ALMOST ALWAYS POPS UP ON THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS MOST WORST WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON ME ON A 70 MPH HIGHWAY AND I WAS GOING ABOUT 65. THIS PUT MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN DANGER AND MINE, BUT WERE ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. BY PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTING THE CAR. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10282570September 1, 2009STEERING
THE POWER STEERING ON OUR 2006 CHEVY MALIBU LOCKS UP INTERMITTENTLY. JUST PURCHASED IT AS A USED VEHICLE TWO WEEKS AGO FOR OUR 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TWICE. EACH TIME WE HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND IT CHECKED OUT FINE. WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE CAR BACK A WEEK AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY FOR A NEW AND INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. IT IS IN THE SHOP NOW AND THEY SAY IT NEEDS A NEW STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM VIA INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR STORIES. THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE HIT GUARD RAILS AND OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE OF THE STEERING LOCKING UP. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT DATE IS LISTED BELOW. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10282071August 28, 2009STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING - HAPPENS AT RANDOM - AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES. DEALER ACTED LIKE IT WAS NO BIG DEAL AND OF COURSE THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR IT WHEN I HAVE NOW FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS, AND IT COULD CAUSE FATALITY. SOME KIND OF NEW STEERING SYSTEM - GM BETTER IDEA - PROBABLY BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPER!!! *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10281013August 19, 2009STEERING
2006 MALIBU POWER STEERING STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THERE ARE TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND EVEN A RECALL ON 2005 FOR THE SAME THING. THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE. THE DEALER THINKS THEY CAN FIX IT FOR ABOUT $1000.00 DOLLARS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OFF BY GM. I AM AFRAID TO LET MY WIFE DRIVE IT. EVERY OTHER DAY THE '!@#$% THING QUITS WORKING. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10280905August 18, 2009STEERING
LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENS ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN YOU STOP AND RESTART IT WORKS AGAIN SOMETIMES. RESTARTED 20 TIMES TODAY AND DID NOT WORK. WAITED 3 HOURS STEERING WORKED FINE. MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE, NOR DO I WANT HER TO. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED AND A RECALL ISSUED. IT IS A GM DEFECT AND THEY SHOULD TAKE SOME OF THE MILLIONS IN TARP MONEY TAXPAYERS ARE GIVING THEM AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED GM AND THEY PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME TO GET OUT MY WALLET AND TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10279875August 10, 2009ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT HER BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATING EVEN WHEN SHE WAS NOT BRAKING. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A COMPUTER CHIP WAS FAILING, WHICH CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $250. A YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10279369August 4, 2009STEERING
THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU LT 2.2L CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A TICK AND MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, IT ONLY OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY. NOW IT HAPPENS WHEN I START MY CAR, IDLING, AND WHILE I'M DRIVING. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER MALIBU OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THANKFULLY, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY CRASHES BUT MANY CLOSE CALLS. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10279146August 3, 2009EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL, EQUIPMENT
I JUST FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT THAT MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WHEN I DO PRESS THE PEDAL IT GOES OUT. THIS WOULD CAUSE ANYONE FOLLOWING MY VEHICLE NOT TO SEE THAT I AM BRAKING AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. ALSO MY CRUISE CONTROL AND MY CIGARETTE LIGHTER WENT OUT. I AM NOT SURE IF THEY ARE ALL CONNECTED SOMEHOW BUT THE BRAKES ARE DEFINITELY A CONCERN. I WILL SAY THAT MY CAR DOES HAVE A SALVAGED TITLE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD CAUSE THE SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 4 MONTHS AND THEY HAVE WORKED UNTIL NOW. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT FIXED AND AM NOT DRIVING IT TILL THAN. *TR
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0