Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

I have only had my 2006 chevrolet malibu for 6 weeks, and i already am experiencing 3 major problems. 1. the fuel gauge will go wild anytime gas is added to the tank, and as the weeks have gone by it is less accurate. i only know when my gas tank is full or empty. i have no idea on anything in between. 2. when i will start the car the power steering will not come on with the car. i will have to turn the car off, remove the key and open and shut the door to register the next try as a truly new start. if you fail to open and close the door, the car does not completely power down so it will not recycle. 3. the power steering assist will begin to lock up on me while driving, and i will have to fight the wheel to keep the car going straight. i have let go of the wheel once or twice and the wheel will turn enough in one direction to nearly do a uturn. if this were to happen when a driver was inattentive, im pretty sure it would cause one heck of a accident! the worst part is that the dealer i bought the car from had the car for 8 months, so they must have know about these defects and sold it to me anyways. the dealer put gas in the car before we did the paperwork. i know the guy saw the gas gauge going nuts, and that's why he insisted on being the one to drive the car to the gas station. i think they might have reset the computer to get the car to behave for test drives, because i had only put 40 miles on it before all this stuff started. certainly not a coincidence. *tr

Pulled up to the stop sign leaving my street getting ready to pull onto busy highway ....steering wheel went completely stiff....power steering failure message came on the dash....managed to turn it around and park it back in my drive way ....i have been reading all the other chevy malibu owners describing the same problem and how it has cost them hundreds even thousands to get fixed and some still did not fix the problem....i do not have hundreds to pour into my car....can barely make payments and insurance.....i do not know what to do.... *tr

Own a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became stiff making steering extremely difficult. traveled approximately 3 miles & parked the vehicle. thought it needed power steering fluid. was told by a mechanic that this was a hugh problem with the 2006 malibu vehicles. he personally had repaired many, many cars with this steering column issue. the cost would run $900 +. restarted the engine and the car was driving fine. owner researched the website for recalls. found out that with is a very serious problem with the 2006 malibu & gm doesn't seem to have a recall for it. unfortunately, it will take loss of lives before any action will be taken. too many of these cars have this defect. gm should "man up" and either repair the problem permanently or allow for trade-in's with appropriate trade in value. also, it sounds like even after repair have been done, the problem may or may not come back. no guarantee for permanent solution. owner is afraid to drive the car for fear of the steering issue occurring at any time & maybe causing a minor or even worse fatal accident. approximate failure mileage 118,000. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving 10 mph when the steering wheel exhibited an abnormal noise. the failure would occur when attempting a turn in either direction or driving over road bumps. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the steering column. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 35,000.

2006 chevrolet malibu 2.2 / 4cl. the power steering stops working, this vehicle does not have a regular power steering system , i believe it is electronic. the problem is while you drive at any speed the steering becomes hard to steer, no power at all, creating a very difficult and dangerous situation that can cause a deadly accident. there is no recall yet we believe. but there are several, many situations like this one, no power steering while driving at any speed, suddenly stops working. *tr

Making a right turn, i heard a clunking noise from the steering, the car pulled to the right and the steering wheel felt like it the power steering failed. about 1 year ago, i have had the car in for service at the dealers for a knocking in the steering and they found nothing wrong. *tr

The power steering does not work when i turn the car on sometimes. it has happened several times. i turn the ignition on, there is a bell, and the electronic message says "power steering." i turn the car off, wait several minutes, re-start it, and then it works again. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle was started and the steering failure warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the contact was advised that the steering column would need replacing. the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 137,225 and the current mileage was 137,231.

Randomly while driving at higher speeds or accelerating the battery light will flicker on and off on the dashboard. this time while accelerating on a entrance ramp to the highway the battery light along with all the idiot lights on the dashboard flashed and i temporarily lost power steering. this happened twice within a period of two minutes. normally whenever the battery lights or other idiot lights flicker a chime is heard. this is kind of scary since it seems like this is a common problem and tends to happen at higher speeds. *tr

2006 malibu lt power steering assist fails then resumes intermittently. mechanic's diagnostic computer cannot communicate with vehicle computer during failure, resumes communication when assist resumes. cannot detect faulty switches, wiring, fuses. no recall notices or service bulletins. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 7 mph and unexpectedly the steering wheel locked with an illumination of the power steering warning indicator. in addition, a chime sounded inside the vehicle. the contact drove into a parking space and turned the engine off. upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normally. the identical failure occurred three different times. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the steering malfunction. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

I purchased my 2006 malibu in 2007. since the time of purchase i have had problems with this car's steering column. it would make a clunking sound every time i would make a turn left or right. i knew something wasn't right. i took the car to the dealer once and they replaced something in the steering column. i still hear the clunking noise today. when i turned the key to start the car at times it seemed like the car was cranking and running on its own. hard to explain it unless you were starting the car. that was an issue as well. now this 2006 malibu was parked in my drive way after going to the store and the next day when i tried to start it it would not start. i thought it might be the battery and had that checked out. not the battery, then i was told it was the timing chain. i had the car towed to the shop where i purchased the car and now i am told that the rocker arm broke and in turn it bent the rods and damaged the engine. the engine is now ceased and damaged. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph and unexpectedly the steering wheel locked with a complete loss of power steering. there was also an illumination of the power steering warning indicator. the contact was able to maneuver to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. upon restarting, the vehicle resumed as normal. the failure occurred thirty times and eventually became a permanent malfunction whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated to the contact that the power steering assist module would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving at approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became stiff making steering extremely difficult. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the technicians stated the steering column and the pedal position sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu lt. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when the power steering warning indicator illuminated with a complete loss of power steering assist. the engine was turned off and upon restart, the vehicle began to operate normally. the power steering failure ecurred twelve times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact planned to notify the manufacturer regarding the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 112,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving at any speed when the steering wheel was turned to the left it locked. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test that located the failure in the power steering column. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage is 85,000. updated 12/12/11*lj updated 12/23/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while changing lanes on a smooth road surface, the vehicle felt like it was driving over a groove. the steering wheel also seized and there was an increase in engine rpms, nearly causing a crash. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they stated the ignition coil assembly and the ground strap would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 115,000 and the current mileage is 121,000. updated 08/24/11 *bf updated 04/09/12 updated 05/03/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel seized and the power steering indicator illuminated. the failure occurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing and the power steering system was replaced. the failure recurred and the vehicle was repaired a second time. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel locked; however, when the vehicle was turned off and restarted the steering wheel functioned normally. there were no warning indicators illuminated during the failure. in addition, the steering wheel became extremely loose upon engaging it. during a left and right turn the steering wheel exhibited a tightness and was very difficult to maneuver. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

We were driving the car on a twisting highway in rural montana when the electronic power steering failed. with no assist we almost missed a corner. the steering wheel required extreme pressure to complete the turn. the power steering returned again without warning. if the power steering returned during the time a lot of pulling pressure was being applied to the steering wheel we may have gone across the center line and impacted the front of a kenworth truck. if after a head on accident the power steering may again be working if checked. this is a fearful situation.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph making a turn, an abnormal sound emitted from the steering wheel. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician diagnosed that the u-joint at the steering box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle began exhibiting a loud knocking sound when turning or driving over any road bump. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the hydraulic assist power for the steering shaft was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 104,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving in reverse the steering failed making the steering wheel difficult to turn. the power steering warning light illuminated when the failure occurred. the vehicle was turned off for a short time and the steering wheel began to function normally. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current miles were 86,011.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact noticed a knocking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle when she attempted to make turns. also, the power steering would fail intermittently and she was unable to control the vehicle. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer had not been notified nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was 99,242 and the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

2006 chevy malibu - power steering displays on screen - then i lose the power steering, if i turn the car off it will disappear and power steering resumes. this has happened approximately a dozen times over the past two weeks. does chevy have a recall for this. i have searched and can't find any and i have found that others have the same issue. very unsafe driving conditions. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu ltz. the contact stated that on an intermittent basis the steering wheel would shake and jerk violently causing the vehicle to move in the opposite direction she was driving. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that they would replace the steering column. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who advised her that the power steering assist motor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 94,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated with an immediate loss of power steering. the vehicle was driven to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. after waiting a few moments the engine restarted and the vehicle functioned normally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they were unable to diagnose the failure because the vehicle was equipped with electric power steering. the manufacturer was made aware of the intermittent failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 50,500.

When making turns, whether left or right, the power steering in this car fails. luckily i am one of the fortunate ones (so far) that it goes out at lower rates of speed. a couple of times, i barely made it into the parking lot and avoided hitting any cars while making that turn. the thing that i fear is that when it starts to snow or if i have to make some evasive moves to avoid objects, the power steering will go out and i will be unable to correct it. *tr

I began to hear thumping noise from the front end. after brining it to the auto repair facility they informed me the "rack in pinion" unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle only has 66,000 miles on it. the repair facility informed me the cost will be $1200.00. after reading about this issue on the internet it appears to be common place and dangerous. i have not yet corrected the problem as i do not have the money to repair it. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy malibu and recently my power steering warning has been displayed on my radio panel every time i start the car. today while making a turn the warning came on again and chimed. after doing some very intensive research i've noticed this is a very common and serious issue. i am very uncomfortable driving the car in fears that one time it will completely lock up. gm really needs to recall and fix this issue before there are deaths caused due to the fault of the makers. i haven't taking it to a garage yet as i can not afford $800 plus in repairs. *tr

2006 chev malibu power steering locked up. *tr

Loss of power steering on start up. never make it to recover, although a lot of other drivers said that turning engine off and on would at least temporary solve the problem. the car was towed to dealership where they diagnosed "power steering control module internal failure" ($700 dollars repair cost).

Power steering periodically goes out. first time, when it was very cold out a few months ago. the last time (on sunday) was going down the interstate at +70 mph speed. work has not been done since the steering column part is $359 plus 2 hours labor and if that does not fix the problem the assist motor will need be replaced at $450 plus labor. i did take it the local dealer repair shop and they put it on the computer since after i turn my car off resets itself. not safe to drive on the interstate since it may go off again. this problem is a major complaint with owners of this car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the steering wheel seized and became difficult to maneuver. in addition, there was a grinding noise coming from the steering column. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000. the vin was not available.

I have a power steering problem with my 2006 chevy malibu. i had gotten a recall notice awhile back and at the time there was nothing wrong. however now i am having a problem with the power steering and i don't even see this recall anymore on your website. please confirm. the power steering all of a sudden has a "ding, ding, ding noise" when i have to accelerate from a stop on the highway back on. now sometimes when on a ramp to the highway the power steering shuts off completely. *tr

Power steering issue. the power steering in car made noise when under warranty. i brought it in at 35,000 miles. the gm dealer lubed the steering shaft. at 90,000 miles they told me the steering system was shot and i needed to pay over $1,000 for a new steering system.... *tr

Loss of power steering. this happened 3 times today. *tr

Check power steering messaging appeared while driving at highway speed. messaging disappeared after turning car off and on. message reappeared three more times at different speeds in next two days. brought car to mechanic who recalibrated steering column. messaging reappeared on drive home from shop while passing over a speed bump. returned car to shop, was told steering column and module needed replaced. repairs exceeded $1000. mechanic mentioned that when local parts dealer keeps many of these replacement units on hand, it's clearly a known issue that chevy needs to address. vehicle has low mileage and majority of these miles were accrued on city streets, implausible that a part of this caliber would require replacement at this time based on use. mechanic tried calling chevy on owner's behalf as parts warranty extended to 36,000 miles. chevy unwilling to grant any concessions as failure mileage was 37,847.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the power steering failed periodically without warning. the contact also stated when they made a left or right turn the steering wheel jerked out of his hand. the contact stated the power steering light illuminated on the information center intermittently. the contact stated the vehicle was in the dealer possession but had not been inspected. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 118,000.

The electric power steering in my 2006 chevrolet malibu failed repeatedly. it would work sometimes when the car was restarted. because of the safety concern, i had it repaired at a chevrolet dealership. i found that chevrolet will pay to repair some 2006 malibus with the problem, but not others. i was told my car has the wrong "vin-series," so chevrolet refuses to cover the repair. it is the exact same defect/problem found in other malibus of the same year. i would request that the transportation department push chevrolet into a wider recall so all models with the identical problem are covered. losing power steering is a serious safety concern, especially to my wife who was not strong enough to steer the car at slow speeds when it failed. it almost caused an accident in a parking lot. i filed a claim with chevrolet. it did not respond in 60 days as promised. i called to check the status of my claim. chevrolet said it was denied. it refused to send me a response in writing, which is weird. it may be a sign of a widespread problem that it does not want to fix without pressure from dot. *tr

I was accelerating onto the freeway going approximately 60 mph and the power steering stopped working for 3-4 seconds. there was a chime as well. if it lasted longer or there were other cars around someone could have been injured!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel would move from one side to the other, making it impossible to control the vehicle. also, when attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard a buzzing noise as the steering wheel would violently jerk from left to right. the dealer advised the contact that there were no recalls related to the failure. the contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current mileage was 67,000 and the failure mileage was 64,000.

(april 2011) leaving work one afternoon, i began to drive off the campus and as i began to drive the steering wheel began to tighten and as soon as i tried to make a left hand turn, the steering wheel locked up and would not turn. that day i ended up in the ditch and i'm thankful that no one was hurt. every time i proceed to make a left hand turn and it's hot outside, the steering wheel locks up causing me to grab the wheel as hard as i can and merge to the shoulder to shut the car off and restart so the steering wheel becomes drivable. i called the dealership and they gave an estimated cost of $1500 plus dollars to fix the problem. i did not have the money and just suffered through the problem. pulling over and restarting the car. when the weather cooled off in september or so the car had no problems and drove fine. now its march 2012 in mississippi and extremely hot and humid and now the steering wheel is locking up basically every time i get in the car. i can just be driving and it lock up. i cannot gamble with my life nor my children and i'm fearful that this car is going to cost us our lives if i continue to drive it around. help! *kb

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet mailbu lt. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph the steering wheel suddenly locked without warning. she was able to release the steering wheel by restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000. the vin was unavailable.

Power steering temporarily goes out upon acceleration in my 2006 chevy malibu lt. seems like the problem is intermittent. this seems to be a safety issue and all gm has done is issue a special coverage adjustment (link: http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f13/07126-special-coverage-adjustment-loss-power-steering-assist-models-2005-chevr-58130/). seems like this should be a safety issue with a dealer recall to address the issue. according to the info i find on the web, this is a known issue with many malibu's. *tr

Steering column locks while pressing gas pedal, this is very dangerous when changing lanes on the expressway. this usually happens to me daily as i travel to and from work on the interstate. *tr

My 2006 malibu power steering keeps spontaneously going out. it started around 75,000 miles. it is constantly pulling the wheel from one direction to the other. it's at a point where the vehicle is uncontrollable, especially at high speeds. the power steering light does come on, but only sporadically - not all of the time. so far, no accidents have occurred, but i fear it will lock up in one certain direction or over correction from trying to control it will cause a crash. nothing has been fixed or replaced- the car is not being driven at this time. *tr

I was on my way to work this morning when the interior bell sounded 4 times and then the power steering quit. i was on the thruway and very concerned about being able to exit. the force i needed to use to turn my vehicle was greater than any elderly person would be able to manage. after doing some research, i have learned that this problem has been ongoing with chevy. this is a very serious safety issue. how many people have to die before chevy will make this recall? when the wrongful death lawsuits become more expensive than having to fix their own mistake? *tr

2006 chevy malibu power steering will lock up when driving at low speeds. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 to 25 mph the steering wheel would intermittently lock and she would be uanble to steer the vehicle. after the failures, the contact would hear a warning bell, indicating the loss of power steering. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer, nor repaired. the dealer also informed the contact that there were no recalls on that component. the failure mileage was unknown.