Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

I pulled out of my driveway and immediately noticed that the steering was loose. i was able to make it to the end of the road but after a few seconds, it started tightening up and then it locked. i was not able to turn the steering wheel. i shut off the car and when i restarted it, the same thing happened. i had to do this 3 times to get back to my driveway. i called the dealership and they informed me that there was only a recall on the chevy cobalt steering but not the malibu. *tr

The power steering light came on. according to the dealer, the entire steering column needs to be replaced. the vehicle is not safe to drive. they state this is a known defect with the 06 malibu and that the repair is $928.00. this is a recall issue because thousands of vehicle are having this issue. why should i pay for their defect? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 60 mph, the power steering failed. the dealer advised because the power steering was electrical, they were unable to diagnose the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 14,000.

Chevrolet malibu 2006 lt 4cylinder. steering malfunction. this vehicle have a electronic steering system. my vehicle problem is getting worse, first when you put the vehicle in reverse turning to the left, the power steering turns off. now the vehicle most of the time when you make left turn. stiffens up the wheel. i actually have to turn the car off and turn it back on in order for it to loosen up the steering wheel. *tr

2005,06 chevy malibu power steering failure. system locks up as as result no steering. *tr

Power steering goes out. this just started happening about 5 days ago. it has happened at low speeds; in parking lot and parking garage and i could not turn the wheel. i almost ran into the concrete wall in my parking garage when i was turning a corner and it failed. there was a ding and the display read power steering. i turned the car off and restarted it and the issue cleared. once i had to restart it twice for the error to clear. it has happened approx 5 times now, the latest being yesterday. *tr

Power steering failed on four occasions. in each case alarm went off on dashboard and steering reverted to very stiff operation. three of the failures occurred shortly after starting and the fourth was while traveling straight at about 35mph. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 35 ph, the vehicle lost power steering, making it difficult to control. the contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the power steering seemed to reset itself and function properly. the vehicle had not been inspected at the time of the complaint. the vin was unavailable when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while traveling at speeds of 35 mph, the contact noticed an abnormal clicking noise. seconds later, the power steering stopped functioning and the steering wheel became increasingly hard and difficult to turn. the vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 118,000. updated 07/29/10 *bf the consumer stated the steering wheel would lock up nd the power steering light illuminated. updated 08/03/10*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 45 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the steering wheel became extremely stiff and difficult to maneuver. the steering wheel would occasionally shake. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostics. the contact stated he was a mechanic and after inspecting the vehicle, he stated that the steering column would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. she stated that on june 1, 2010, while driving, the power steering failed and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was turned off and on which corrected the failure. the dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage were 90,000.

Power steering goes out with no particular cause. occurs in very cold weather, occurs in very warm weather, goes out while driving (freeway/city streets), may go out with slippery conditions where steering moves freely. dealers can not do anything if they can not duplicate the issue. once the vehicle is restarted, the system appears to reset itself and you have power steering. gm customer service will do nothing unless a diagnostic from a dealer is done (costing from $120 - $200) where if it is not occurring, the diagnostic will do nothing. gm customer service recommendation, when the power steering does go out, find a dealer and have them run a diagnostic test. so a dealer is going to get us in anytime we happen to stop with power steering out, don't turn car off and wait for diagnostic to be completed, pay the cost of diagnostic test, then gm may give some help in how to fix their issue. this is a hazard that needs to be fixed by gm. my belief this is same issue they issued recall for the cobalt on. description of that issue is exactly the same as is happening with malibu. must be similar components with the electric power steering???? may go 4 months without it occurring, may happen for 4 days in a row off and on, very sporadic in occurrence. first occurred at 40,000 miles, out of warranty, and continues now with 75,000 + miles. *tr

Tl - the contact owns 2006 chevy malibu. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the power steering light illuminated and right after the vehicle lost power making impossible to turn the wheel. the failure happened several times before randomly and it would work again. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 89,000 and current mileage is 120,000. pm

A couple of months ago, i noticed that when i made a turn especially a left turn the steering wheel locked up to the point it was very hard to turn. now i notice that the steering wheel will get really tight while i am driving, and this happens every other day. i am almost afraid to drive the car but it is my only vehicle at this point, and i am still making payments on it. when the steering wheel becomes hard to turn, i have to put all my weight on the steering wheel to make the turn. no warning such as a powering steeling light comes on. i think if the problem continues it could lead to someone getting severely injured or dying. *tr

2006 chevy malibu electric power steering goes out randomly and locks up while driving causing driver to loose control of the vehicle. i have read numerous complaints about this problem on the internet ranging from year models 2004-2008 and i am wondering why there has not been an investigation into the problem. i also have been told that dealers have no idea what the problem is and how to fix it. i'm also learning that everyone is saying that the problem is caused by different things, but the result is all the same. the electric power steering is faulty no doubt about it!!! is gm going to wait until people die to do something about this problem. this is a very serious one!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at speeds of 3 mph, the steering wheel locked and the power steering warning light illuminated on the dashboard. the contact shut off the engine and upon restarting, the failure recurred. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and informed the contact that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the failure has recurred approximately five times since the initial failure. the failure mileage was 69,459 and the current mileage was 69,659.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at speeds of 5 mph, the power steering failed. the dealer advised the electronic power steering assist would need to be replaced at the owners expense. the vehicle was not repaired and the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were 54000.

Power steering light has been coming on for like year and almost like once a day the power steering will go out but if you turn the key off and then turn it back on it will be ok. know it is even starting to sake while driving. so i took my car t a shop and they told me to take it to the dealer. so i have been researching this problem and there seems to be a lot of problems with this car and the power steering i am just not seeing while there is no safety recall this is very dangerous for the people who want this vehicle. thanks *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at a speed of 35 mph, the vehicle began to pull from left to right. the dealer advised that the power steering motor had failed. the motor was replaced at the contact's expense. there were no recalls for the failure. the failure and current mileages were 18,600.

I have a 2006 chevy malibu that my daughter drives to work 5 days a week. it has approx. 76,000 miles. i went and drive the car on this date and notice the steering fluid display was on the radio display. i asked my daughter how long is was on there, she said approx. a week. i called the gmc dealer and got an appointment on the third of may. they told me that i need a new steering column and a shaft which would be about $1000. they said we could still drive the car that i would actually would lose just the power steering. on may 10, i took the car in and got it fixed. $850 later it is fixed. i have never had to replaced a steering column on any of my other cars, which had over 95,000 miles, the transmission went out on that one. plus i tried to refill the steering fluid, and who know that my car had an electric power steering. someone should inform the consumer on this. my main concern was for my daughter who drives this car in rush hour traffic. what if it locked up? it is a thought i would not wish to think of! *tr

Electric power steering failure. the power steering will go out without any symptoms other than a message on the radio console. *tr

I was driving about 5 miles from my home and the steering went out on my 2006 chevy malibu, as i was attempting to make a turn. i had my grandchild with me i could have caused an accident i turned the car off for 1 0 min. and started it back up. the steering light went off but the car did the same thing twice before getting home unhurt. i need my car fixed . i cannot afford it. *tr

While driving my 2006 chevy malibu the power steering suddenly went out. i soon noticed that every time the car turned to the right it would lose the power steering function. this causes the steering wheel to lock up and it must be heavily muscled to turn the car. i took it to a gm dealer, and they were forced to replace the steering column as well as the power steering motor, as the malibu has electric power steering. *tr

Shortly after i bought my 2006 chevy malibu i began felling this popping when i turned the steering wheel in either direction. the popping soon turned into a heavy clunk. took it to gm dealer. they lubed my inter shaft recorrection on my service statement. i returned about a year latter with the same problem. same correction was made. now the problem is worse and the wheel locks up after the pop. as a result i have collided with 2 stationary objects. *tr

While driving the power steering fails. it has happened 3 times while i've had my son in the car. it happens when i am in the middle of a curve. i have almost lost control of the vehicle. *tr

The power steering keeps going out. it may happen when we first start the car or once we have started driving. we have found that if you turn the car off & then turn it back on it almost always comes back. this has been going on for several months. on 6/23/11 i started the car & there was no power steering & still isn't. have turned the car on & off several times & it has finally become permanent, no power steering. chevrolet needs to recall & fix the defective power steering. *tr

I have 2006 chevy malibu my friend has 2006 chevy malibu both vehs made in the kansas city plant she rec'd letter that was a problem with power steering and to bring veh to gm dealer i did not get that letter called gm they said my vi# is not included but i had that same problem in april 2010 and had it repaired $598.00 they said because my vin # is not on list will not honor it i have contacted bbb and attorney generals office and said should contact this office. any help for me on this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving various speeds from 1 to 65 mph, the power steering warning light would illuminate followed by a series of three warning chimes. the failure persisted intermittently. the illumination began to occur more frequently and eventually, the electronic power steering assist began to fail sporadically. the steering wheel became extremely stiff and difficult to maneuver. the contact stated that he would had to utilize extreme force in order to turn the steering wheel. the dealer performed a diagnostic test and stated that the entire power steering unit and intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced at the owner's expense. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer would not provide any assistance. there were no recalls related to the failure. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current was 81,467.

The electronic power steering malfunctions causing the vehicle to go into a hard left turn. the problem occurs with out warning. it takes a very strong person to over power the electric steering motor and maintain control of the vehicle. reprogramming the steering torque sensor corrects the problem temporarily. replacing the steering column will correct the problem for a few thousand miles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated when reversing, the steering wheel would become extremely tight and difficult to steer. while driving at unknown speeds, the power steering warning light illuminated followed by a warning chime. the dealer advised he had not received any complaints of power steering failure in his model vehicle. the dealer advised bringing the vehicle into the dealer for diagnostic testing to determine the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 15,095. updated 8/2/10 *cn updated 08/09/10

The power steering in my 2006 chevy has now failed for the second time! making it almost impossible to steer! this is not a safe vehicle! i almost ran off the road when it failed in a curve! i thought i had a flat tire! the first time it failed my car had 30,000 miles and the second time about 80,000 miles i'd say chevy malibus 2006 had a defect in the power steering. *tr

Loss of power steering at low speed maneuvers. occurs randomly. complete loss on 4/4/10 and several occurrences where some power assist was lost - all at low speeds. seems to come back after a short period of time and has never happened at speeds above 10mph. dealership and gm customer service said no recalls - just turn the car off and restart if steering does not return. not much of a answer to what seems like could be a serious problem. no pattern as to when it will happen - almost had a low speed accident on 4/4/10 when total steering assist was lost. i am worried about this happening at higher speeds and my wife is very concerned about driving the vehicle. gm customer service assigned a ref# to my complaint but does not appear that anything will be done at the dealership or by gm on what i would think is a serious problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering light illuminated followed by a power steering failure. the problem occurred intermittently while the contact was driving long distances. he took the vehicle to an authorized dealership where he was informed that the power steering module was defective. the dealer calibrated the steering wheel position system but after 10 miles, the failure occurred again. the contact feared that he could possibly lose control of the vehicle. the failure mileage was approximately 56,000. the current mileage was approximately 56,100.

I own a 2006 chevy malibu and had to replace the vehicle's steering column because the power steering fails each and every time when driving at parking lot speeds and especially when making hard turns to either the right or left. going around a corner or pulling onto a city street is enough to make it fail. upon failure, the vehicle information system displays "power steering" and requires me to turn the vehicle off and then back on before function returns to the vehicle. i took the vehicle to the dealer and even though there is a recall on four chevy/pontiac models with the same exact issue, i had to pay out of pocket for a new steering column w/steering motor which cost me $700 on a vehicle that is less than a year from the original warranty. i am the original owner of the vehicle and even the service consultant states that this is not something i could have caused. the dealer also stated there is a service bulletin on the power steering for the malibu for it failing at high speeds but not at low speeds. this is a very dangerous issue as it is unexpected and i could have been seriously injured because the vehicle is not easy to steer as gm likes to claim. i filed a complaint to gm and a district rep called me and stated that i would not be eligible for any re-reimbursement because my vehicle is a malibu yet it is the correct year for the recall with the same exact issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact noticed that power steering warning light was illuminated and remained illuminated for one year. later while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. she turned the vehicle off and on again and the power steering reset independently. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer informed her to take the vehicle to a local dealer and the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the contact was informed that the rack and pinion and electrical system would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 86,000 and the failure mileage was 70,000.

I have an 06 chevy malibu lt v6 that has had a steering issue since i purchased the vehicle. while the car was under warranty it was in the shop 3 seperate occasions (about every 15k miles) for steering problems and noises while turning. the dealership replaced the intermediate steering shatf 2 times and did nothing the 3rd. i hear noises all the time when i turn (the dealership can find anything wrong) and just this morning while driving to work the steering locked up and i was unable to turn and almost wrecked if it wasnt for my quick thinking. once i shut the car off and restared the engine it appeared to fix the problem for now. i have seen that this is a major issue on a lot of 06 malibu's and i am wondering why there has been a recall on other models (cobalt and g5) for the same exact issue but not on the malibu when there are obviously enough complaints to warrant a recall when people can get seriously injured even killed because of this issue. it makes me not want to drive my car (or should i say death trap on wheels) at all. what is it going to take someone to get killed before action is taken.

Complete power steering failure, causing loss of control and a near-collision. driving approx. 30mph, into a left turn, and failure occurred. after restarting vehicle next day, power steering worked, until going about 20mph, turning right. has not come back on after that. that was 5 days ago. *tr

I purchased a 2006 malibu on the 17th , then on the 24th the power steering went out, ive been researching and ive found many complaints about chezy malibus on the computer, i dont understand why they are not apart of the recall. just research all of the complaints with malibu power steering and you will see

Date march 18,2010. i own a 2006 chevy malibu, v-6, electric steering. the power steering went completely out on my vehicle while my husband was driving to the store. there is no way tofill the power steering fluid reservoir as the car doesn't have one. i have been having trouble with the steering for the past two or three weeks, especially when making turns. i haven't had any accidents to cause this to happen. i will attempt to get this repaired, but i do feel that gm needs to address this issue immediately. *tr

Power steering light came on in message box, once again, this time i was in car with my kids and going at 40miles. i had to pull over to a parking lot due to it being hard to steer car. had to turn car off for 2mins and then start car up to even regain normal steering of my car! this is the 3rd time this has happened to me and yet gm is only recalling all other makes but not the 06 malibu!!! i've seen to many complaints on this model on the web of nhtsa. this is my 2nd complaint just made one just 2 weeks ago on this same matter. gm needs to get it together, this is a problem that needs attention before there are deaths or injuries!!! *tr

I have a 2006 chevy malibu and the power steering keeps going out. i also hear a noise when turning my steering wheel.

My 2006 chevy malibu has had the electric steering go out on it twice and i can feel that it is now going for a third time! i purchased it new. it only has 55,000 miles on it. steering is serious and i am afraid it might go out when i am on the highway! *tr

I own a 2006 chevy malibu and the electric steering is going out again for the 4th time since i bought the car in 07. the other day me and my 2 kids was going out to eat and the steering went out while turning left onto another road causing me to almost hit a coal truck. i called gm and told them the steering once more has gone out. gm told me they knew of a problem with the steering in these cars but didn't have a recall on these models. so i got online and couldn't believe all the owners that have the same problem as i do with the malibu from 04-07 with the steering. the chevy cobalt is being recalled because of steering failures, but why not the malibu, they share basically the same parts as the cobalt. chevy need to correct this problem so i don't have to replace these parts again at 75k. this is costing me to much and its putting my life and most import, my kids life in danger when driving this unsafe chevy model. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy malibu that i bought in sacramento ca. via paul blanco dealer on franklin and florin rd. (they are no longer in business at that site). the car accelerates dangerously when on cruise control. the car began overheating immediately after purchase (oil lube place detected an engine gasket that needs to be replaced because it continues to overheat; unless i keep the heater and or ac going; the steering column had to be re greased and re-adjusted at firestone a few months ago because all of a sudden it would lock. the a/c compressor immediately went bad after purchasing this car. i had to buy another one which cost a good amount! soon after purchase (used vehicle with approx. 10,300 miles) the brakes went out and had to be replaced! in jan. 2010, i noticed the seat belt light kept coming on, even after it was locked in (which is very dangerous because i don't know when and if its going to keep me safe when driving); erc. etc.. i need someone to contact the dealer of chevy so that owners can go get these things checked out and fixed the right way. i attempted to call the numbers given re: warranty etc. and nothing was resolved. *tr

My girlfriend owns a 2006 malibu ls and she has been experiencing serious steering issues over the past month. her power steering goes out while driving without any notice. i thought she was just kidding about it until i finally drove it and while turning a corner the steering went out on me and i nearly was in an accident. after doing some research on the internet i have found that her malibu is not the only one experiencing this phenomenon, i found more posts about this than i could count. now i see that gm just issued a recall for two vehicles manufactured at the same time as hers for this exact problem, my question is; why aren't the malibus' included in this recall when they obviously have the same steering issues as the two recalled vehicles? *tr

Loss of power steering in 2006 chevy malibu. loss of control of steering. replaced steering column at dealership. *tr

Loss of electric power steering. *tr

I was driving home from work about 12 midnight,on the dan ryan expressway. the traffic was heavy with lots of truck on the road. i heard three beeps then a message ran across the dash check power steering, before i could finish reading the message i had no power steering. the car started to driving rough vibrating very hard to control. i was about three lane over from the exit lanes.thank the lord i'm still here. i seen a recall in march of 2010 on the monte carlo call and inquired about my car talked with a manager named [xxx] for about two months no contact then was told not a part of recall .repair $1700 webb chevy. general motors does not care about it's consumers and something needs to be done this is an outrage. and i will never buy another gm. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Steering wheel started shaking at slow speeds. this went on for a couple of days then at highway speed the power steering went out. a chime went off and the radio displayed power steering malfunction. the vehicle was very hard to control good thing it was a straight road. after pulling over and turning car off the steering came back after re-starting. dealership said they have herd of this before and the fix may be replacing the steering column. *tr

Loss of power steering. happens once a month. no parts repaired yet. *tr