Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX STEERING

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

I have two recalls on this car that increase the risk of crash. recall number 14116 power steering, and recall number 14152 transmission shift cable. parts are not available for either recall and an estimated date for parts is not available. i have not had an accident, yet. however, i feel the safety of anyone driving or riding in this car is in jeopardy. *tr

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.

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while the driver traveled approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel failed as the power steering warning light illuminated. the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a road barrier. the driver suffered injuries to the face, head, hands and ears. the police were called to the scene. the vehicle was towed by the contact's insurance company for further inspection. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 86,000. updated 87/15/14*cn updated 08/25/2014 *js

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the torque sensor kit was replaced by the dealer on october 13, 2014; however, the failure recurred in january of 2015. the contact stated that the vehicle was not operable and was unsafe to drive. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact received a notice for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). however, the part needed was unavailable in order to perform the repair. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact received recall notices for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v153000 (steering) and 14v224000 (power train); however, the parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. the manufacturer was not made aware of the delay. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 10/23/2014*lj updated 4/20/15 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving between 40-70 mph, the steering wheel seized and excessive force was required without warning. after a couple of minutes, the steering wheel performed normally. the failure recurred multiple times. the contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). the dealer was to replace the torque sensor. the vehicle was repaired under the recall; however, the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but they were unable to locate a failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

Driving along on a state hwy at 57mph, power steering alarm dings and power steering ceases and oh crap!! i'm not wanting to die yet! i maneuvered the car to the shoulder thankfully and restarted my car. after several attempts the power steering returned. obviously the chevy company is waiting for enough accidents or deaths to offset the cost of a recall . has there been an investigations? how many people have to die? i see many complaints, stories of mechanics that know nothing about it or charge for a "maybe fix." really??? please advise me of any real answers to this dangerous problem. i'll also be in contact with my senator sheila harsdorf and the state of wisconsin's department of safety about this problem. thank you *tr

Steering wheel jerked to left and i had no power steering but i was still able to turn the steering wheel but was real hard. the indicator on the radio message screen indicated the power steering was not working. i pulled over and turned off the vehicle and restarted my car and the power steering started to work again only to have this happen again just a few miles down the road. i have been reading all the complaints about the steering problem that the 2006 malibu are experiencing. chevrolet corp. should have a recall on all the models that have the electronic steering and fix them asap. this is a safety hazard and someone is going to have a wreak and major damage is going to occur to somebody or their family. there is a recall in canada but not in the usa for this safety problem. *tr

I was driving my car to pick up my daughter from school 02/04/2014 and as i was turning to leave school i heard a ringing sound from inside of car and my steering wheel started to jerk left and right then i pulled over and stopped and my steering wheel was moving left to right with out me touching it . it was as someone was doing it and i couldn't see them and while driving on freeway it was very unstable to drive so i have to drive slow because it would jerk unexpectedly during my drive i felt very unsafe when i drive with my 4 and 14 daughter and mom year old in the car i have owned a chevy mostly a good part of my life i have been unable to afford to get it fixed and someone told me of the recall . so i called the dealer and was told my vin number was not part of the recall but it had a 150,000.00 mile warranty on part but he said i have to have a test doing to see if the steering motor is bad for $103.00 and if it is motor for steering it would be fixed and they will wave test charge . it says power steering when it audible sounds in car on radio display panel i could not let him do the test cause i didn't have the money if they said something else is wrong so now it is gone almost completely . my shoulder are very sore from having to drive this car to work and to get my kid and i am still making payments on it to . maybe after i get into a major crash and my family dies or someone else dies from not being able to control car when it is needed maybe you will do something about it please wave test fee or something so if i take it in to get fixed so you can have a happy buyer of chevy autos. *tr

The vehicle was being driven into our driveway, the power steering light came on and the power steering failed. it came back on the next time i started the car, but the steering column has a very loud, grinding noise. per my regular mechanic, this is the subject of the recall 12221 for canadian vehicles, but my vin doesn't come up so no dealer will assist me. i can't safely drive. *tr

Merging onto interstate at 55 merge speed and as entering onto first thru lane the power steering died out and acceleration dropped on its own. nearly hit by an 18 wheeler that had been safely back from my entry point before the steering and engine both failed. i pulled as hard as i could to the right and a bell rang but there was no check engine light or any other indicator light for the steering. when i braked, the steering came back and i was able to pull to the right out of harms way. there was no other car on the entry ramp or i am sure we would have been rear ended at high speed this happens often in ordinary traffic at speeds between 35 and 45 once the car is warmed up when i attempt to change lanes and sometimes a bell rings and other times it does not. i received a recall notice #13036 and it describes symptoms included here and additional potential problems. the part is not yet available as gm has been telling me since march of this year. i have discontinued driving this car unless it is absolutely necessary and if the distance is less than 5 miles because it has not yet warmed up to cause the problem. this is a dangerous defect and we were lucky to have not been killed by the 18 wheeler. *tr

Driving at a local grocery store and lost steering and almost crashed into car while pulling into a parking spot. this needs to get fixed and i'm not paying for something that is a well documented problem before someone dies because gm doesn't want to fix a problem that they know about. average cost of repair $700. average cost of a life, priceless. make a recall happen now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated while driving in reverse at an unknown speed, the power steering assist failed. the vehicle was shut down and restarted then resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the power steering column would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 162,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the power steering assist suddenly failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available. *tr

Driving from school saw a car ahead person had turn signal on to go left. took foot off gas went to brake and turn wheel could not do either. the car was totaled. *tr

Last november, 2013, i was driving my 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx lt on simsbury rd. in avon, ct when i experienced a very dangerous loss of power steering and the electrical system. causing my front right tire to blow out. this made mycar to swerve and veer into oncoming traffic. t i was at risk of being hit by other cars. while waiting for roadside assist i was helped by the ct dot and avon pd. this was a harrowing, dangerous, and stressful experience for me. i would like chevrolet to cover all of the repair expenses related to this accident and all problems & repairs that followed since this is directly related to the power steering& electrical system recalls from gm chevrolet. they did not notify me directly about the power steering& electrical system recalls. i found out only this week august 10, 2014 after i called this with regards two additional recall notices i received of late regarding faulty transmission and brakes. they do not have parts or an expected date for repairs and have refused my request for a replacement vehicle in any form. i have spoken at length to their customer relations director as well as all three of the chevrolet dealerships i have used for service and purchase; oneill chevrolet, avon, ct, gengras chevrolet, east hartford, ct and carter chevrolet in manchester, ct, where i purchased the vehicle. none of them are willing to arrange a temporary replacement vehicle and have no further information on a date for repairs or parts availability. this is outrageous and unacceptable. please advise consumer affairs and me as to how i should proceed. i am a disabled american and have no other transportation options other then my own car. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering), but the remedy did not correct the failure. upon making a left or right turn, the steering wheel did not turn and the contact had to apply force to turn the steering wheel. the dealer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 96,000.

My vehicle lost electronic power steering (eps) assistance when being operated in an underground parking garage. the vehicle gave an audible alert and warning lights displayed on the dashboard. the problem persisted after turning the vehicle on and off several times. because the parking garage contained tight corners and required slow speed operation, i could not safely operate the vehicle out of the parking garage. the next day, the eps worked without a problem. this unpredictable and intermittent power steering failure is well documented in 2006 malibu maxx vehicles. in fact, chevrolet has extended warranties and conducted special customer service campaigns to select 2006 malibu maxx owners to remedy the defective eps. even though it is the same make, model and year as other vehicles determined to be defective, my vehicle's vin falls outside of the range identified by chevrolet. the vin range identified by chevrolet is insufficient. owners like myself who operate vehicles outside of the vin range are not being alerted to the possibility of defective steering components. the eps components are known to be defective in 2006 malibu maxx vehicles and should to be recalled. *tr

I recently bought this vehicle for my 18 year old daughter to take with her to college. we have owned it approximately 3 weeks now. on 7/30/13, we were driving down a local city road at approximately 45miles per hour, heard a dinging alert sound, and immediately lost power steering. she was able to move to the emergency lane to get out of the flow of traffic. she turned the vehicle off and when the vehicle was restarted, the power steering returned to normal. on 7/31/13 she was alone in the vehicle, and was once again traveling in town and lost the power steering twice on that trip. the first time she was driving at approximately 25 miles per hour, and the second time going around a sharp curve going approximately 10 miles per hour. i am frustrated due to the fact that there has not been a recall on this vehicle as it is an extreme safety hazard with over a hundred complaints on this site alone. i have also found many other complaints in other online blogs. i have been told at this point that i could replace the steering column, the eps fuse, the alternator, the grounding wire, and even the motor and assembly for the power steering and that in some instances none of these expensive repairs have fixed the problem. what is it going to take before someone does something to hold chevrolet accountable for their product? is it going to take multiple deaths and/or multimillion dollar lawsuits to make someone listen and do something about this? what if this vehicle was one that you purchased for your child? would you put them in potential harms way? how many complaints does it take for action????? *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

My steering wheel tightened up and became almost impossible to turn. it started dinging and the power steering message appeared on the display screen. i just had the steering column replaced in march. i have been researching and it appears most owners of this car have the same problem. something needs to be done before someone is seriously injured. my husband had to come drive my car home and barely made it. *tr

When driving at lower speeds (25-30 mph) my chevy malibu would chime at me and lose power steering, sometimes causing my car to go into other lanes and/or almost hitting sidewalks and curbs. i replaced the electric steering motor in 2013, but my car has not been part of the recall even though the same issues that are listed under the recall is what happened with my car. i had the motor replaced at a chevrolet dealership, so there is a record of the repair. *tr

This has been happening for sometime now. i start my vehicle up to go, put it in drive and the car loses its power steering(steering wheel will not move) and the power steering warning shows up on the dash display. i also notice at a stop or at slow speeds the steering wheel jumps from right to left quite frequently. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn and excessive force was required. the contact also stated that the power steering warning light illuminated. the contact mentioned that when the vehicle was restarted, on some occasions the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). the failure mileage was 103,132.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering warning message illuminated and the steering became difficult to maneuver. the failure occurred intermittently at different speeds. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for diagnosis. the mechanic stated the steering column and the steering control motor module would have to be replaced. the mechanic informed the contact there was a manufacturer recall for the steering. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. *tr

My steering wheel locked up when i was turning, when i turn my steering wheel sometimes it makes a popping sound. then power steering will appear on my message screen on my radio. *tr

Sometimes when pressing on the accelerator, the gears on the dashboard all make a clicking sound and go down to zero and then back up. this is accompanied by three dings and a sudden loss of power steering. the power steering returns after a few seconds, however the car is hard to control when the power steering disengages. this can cause the car to swerve and be difficult to steer. this is a big problems and i am unable to take the highway. if the power steering were to disengage while driving, a serious accident could occur since it's difficult to control the car without power steering. on the highway, where the speed limit is much higher than city streets, there may be a greater risk for the incident to occur. gm has not yet recalled this vehicle, although it is known this model has the ion power steering which gm recalled in their colbalt and saturn models. *tr

While driving a warning chime appeared thru the radio display "power steering" and the vehicle lost power steering. with great difficulty vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. upon restarting the car the power steering came back only to go out again. had the computer reset and problem hasn't happened again, yet! check online and this vehicle and other models with the same power assist steering have been recalled as recent as 1212 in canada, but not in the usa. everything on the internet, including gms website say the steering column has to be replaced. we checked with the local chevrolet dealer and there is no recall for this vin #. this vehicle is driven on major highways everyday, so i am having the steering column replaced at a cost of $550 out of pocket.gm's website says it is not a safety problem because it can still be steered off the road. this is my daughter's car and she can barely handle this car without the power assist. i drove it and lost the power assist and i bumped a curb trying to turn it into a parking lot. how can this not be a safety issue? can i be reimbursed for the cost of fixing this problem? *tr

My first occurrence was while driving across a railroad track at a speed of 35 mph....while driving i heard a dinging and looked to see my power steering light came on at the same time that i was crossing the tracks....tracks where uneven so i kinda went around the uneven part and couldn't handle my steering so i almost hit a car coming in the opposite direction...second occurrence has even more life threatening....while drivin on the highway at speeds of 65mph...i heard the dinging sound and my steering locked up completely(like when the car is turned off) i could not use steering at all and i had a semi right behind me ....i was approaching a curve in the highway so i slow down so the traffic would go around me to hopefully get a chance to turn off the car and restart it to reset power steering....i had read about this problem online and that was the solution..i took the car to a mechanic where he did a road test and of course nothing happened....i only have 2 more payment on this car and to find out that the situation when fixed always recurs is very disappointing....please recall this vehicle before this problem kills somebody...my family is already aware of this problem and if i get into a accident they will be looking closely into this problem. *tr

Turned left onto an uphill road and gave it a good amount of gas to accelerate up to speed. had the rpms up and in the middle of the turn the steering wheel just locked up. i immediately let off the gas and the steering returned to normal. it was quite unnerving but i worked on many cars years ago and react accordingly to things like stuck throttles, and this. i just bought the car so i don't know the history of it other than the carfax check was clean. it appear that i should have done my research on this vehicle with this steering problem before buying it. there are so many people with the same issue that i cannot believe a recall has not been performed. however, there is a service bulletin that extends the warranty on this item, to any owner, to ten years and 150 k miles. do a search for it online. gm will replace the entire steering column. this is probably what i will end up doing. *tr

While accelerating on to the freeway, more while hitting the passing gear, power steering is all of a sudden lost or even correcting itself back to center. the "power steering" message appears on the radio display and a clicking sound is made. it has since happened at slower speeds as well. it feels like a very unsafe problem and it seems very common among chevrolet owners of various models around that year. *tr

Was making a right hand turn to enter onto the expressway and steering either locked up or became very hard to steer (it all happened quickly) causing the car to hit the curb and severely damaging the wheel, alignment, etc. gm replaced the faulty power steering box (recall) but has found themselves not liable for the collateral damage sustained because of the faulty power steering. gm says i have no proof that the damage that is visible on the vehicle was directly caused by steering failure. really??!! i've always been a big chevy fan, but this leaves a very bitter taste that may never go away!!!!! *tr *js

I started up my 2006 chevy malibu power steering has stopped working power steering warning flashed on dash. this has been a continuous problem. now the power steering does not work at all. *tr

While i am driving the steering wheel will lock up and my dash board will start blinking then the message center will say "power steering" now everytime i am get to 45 mph the message center will start blinking. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the steering wheel seized violently, causing the contact's hands to be thrown from the steering wheel. the steering wheel regained normal function as the contact decelerated. the failure recurred numerous times, only lasting momentarily. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where the contact was informed that the failure was caused by faulty electronics in the steering column. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 88,000.

I have had problems with my power steering over the years. but this was the worst it has ever been. i was driving 55 mph on the highway. the roads were clear on this spring day. my traction control, brake light and check engine light came on. then the power steering was chiming and the alert came on for that which effected my power steering. the instrument cluster was flashing on and off along with the gauges not working correctly. then the instrument cluster went completely out. so the instrument cluster was replaced. a couple of weeks later, this all repeated again. so this time the ignition was replaced. after all that, the power steering still chimes and alerts still come on which makes it harder to steer. then i have to stop the car, turn it off, wait and restart it. then it is fine for a while. my mechanic says the only code that shows up is for the 14772 recall. but my car is not part of that recall since it was manufactured in january of 2006. please do some research and expand the current recall to include all 2006-2007 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx vehicles. repairs need to be done on these vehicles asap to any fatal or potential crashes.

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.

i was taking my granddaughter to school and the power steering went out as i was pulling in to the school. i turn off the car to locate the power steering pump but could not locate it.when i started the car it was fine so when i got home i found out that this is a big problem and gm is not doing anything about it.what is it going to take for somebody does something about it. i believe gm was one of the companies that was help by the government with tax payers money the same ones that are having this problem,please you need to do something about this big problem that gm is ignoring before is to late for some body or family. thank you *tr

Power steering intermittently fails on vehicle. resets after turning car off. *tr

Driver info center said check gas cap,we replaced it now a smell of gas in car when starting it up. *tr

Electrical power steering failed while operating vehicle. *kb

I understand that my car has not been included in the recent recall; however, my car presents the exact same symptoms as those cars involved with the recall. due to this, my car remains parked in my garage for over one year. i drive it, on average, once per month, if that; because i fear that i may be involved in an accident and/or obtain a serious, life threatening injury. for the past nearly two years, my car randomly shuts down. i lose complete power over my steering. the steering locks up, and my warning chime sounds. everything shuts down: radio, gauges, etc. this has happened several times on the freeway, at high speeds, merging into traffic. i have almost gotten into an accident several times. i have ended up on street curbs and highway medians. unfortunately, the dealership i took it to be fixed (lafontaine buick gmc in ann arbor, mi) states that the issue is due to the steering motor, which is not covered under the current recall. to fix this, it would cost nearly $800. i have contacted gm customer service and was told that nothing could be done to assist in this issue. *tr

Today when i drive back from my driveway, speed is only 5km/hour, when i turned left ,suddenly the steeling lose power i crash to my wife's car. yeah, it is a only a small hit and nothing damage. then i stopped my car , restart it and it is ok .but after i drove 2 km, it lost power again when i turn left. i google, i found it is thousand of same issues happen while gm only recall the g6 cobalt but not malibu,why? they suck ,i will never buy gm again. *tr

I have been reading over some of the 30 pages of steering complaints for the 2006 chevrolet malibu. i found out that i am not alone with this car problem. i just bought my car in august 2011 - it was a one owner with 31,000 miles in excellent condition. i thought i did my homework when buying but was not aware of the steering problems that existed. there was no recall listed . i would never have bought this car knowing what i know now and experiencing the problem first hand. i heard the two dings then the words "power steering" appeared on the instrument panel. i immediately had no power steering and was driving in heavy traffic. the car was extremely hard to steer and i was lucky to make it home. since then, i have experienced this two other times. i am scared to death to drive this car. do i have to get killed in a car accident before you will do something? i can't afford to pay these costly repairs and shouldn't be responsible for the manufacturer's defects. please save my life and everyone else by taking action now!!! *tr

Steering- when making left turns steering collumn pops as if linkage is slipping. apparently a known defect at chevrolet. steering column should be replaced. loss of power sterring in the past at higher speeds, one complete lockup of steering wheel while vehicle was in motion. brakes- increasingly difficult over time to slow vehicle to a stop safely. brakes were completely replaced at 51k miles due to an issue of wear at rates exceeding mechanical estimates. dealership inspection yields no damages or problem yet test drive shows how difficult vehicle is to stop effectively.