Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering would fail intermittently and would become extremely difficult to maneuver. the power steering warning light was illuminated during each failure. the dealer advised that the failure was caused by the electronic power assist module, which could be replaced at the contact's expense. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 104,000.

The power steering assist in my 2006 chevy malibu maxx has suddenly stopped working twice. i had my mechanic look into it and it was a confirmed problem for the 2005 models but not the 2006. i feel this is a huge liability issue that needs to be addressed immediately, regardless of mileage. if the manufacturer knows its an issue, it needs to get fixed before someone gets hurt. i've found numerous complaints on the internet about this problem and we need your help to fix it. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy malibu, i purchase this car used last february 2009 and about two months ago, the power steering light begin to come on. a couple of times i needed to turn the car off and restart it. i took it back to the dealership and i was told that it would cost about $600 for them to replace the steering wheel, or fix the problem. i was also told that this problem would not cause any problem at that time. today 03-02-2010 i read an article concerning recalls on gm cars 2005-2010 cobalt, but due to the information that is provided, this is the exact same problem i am having with my 2006 chevy malibu. my concern is how do i go about having the power steering problem rectified as well for this car. *tr

Power steering went out abruptly in 2006 chevy malibu maxx making it difficult to drive on crowded roadway. condition did not improve until car was brought to a complete halt, turned off and restarted. this condition has occurred previously and was addressed by my chevrolet dealer's service department at no cost. apparently the "fix" didn't last. when i reported this recurrence to the same service manager he quoted me a substantial estimate cost for repairing the condition. when i mentioned the growing number of complaints that i've monitored he told me that there have been no recalls only bulletins and that i will have to pay to get this dangerous condition repaired again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering light came on and then the vehicle had to be turned off and back on so that the steering wheel would function normally. the failure occurred intermittently at various speeds without a warning. the steering shaft was replaced and the vehicle was functioning properly when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 79,000. the failure mileage was 89,000. updated 03/14/10 *bf updated 05/06/10.*jb

Power steeering failure while car is in motion-when car slows down it is almost impossible to control. happened 2x-car towed to dealer they replaced power steering motor. happened again 2 weeks later-dealer replaced steering column-$1400 total repairs! gm will not help because car is out of warrenty *cn

This car loses power steering while driving. 1st time i was merging into high speed parkway traffic and was frightened when directing the car was almost too difficult for me. my petite daughter would not have been able to do this if she had been driving. turning corners is extremely difficult as the turning radius is greatly reduced. my wide arched turns bring me dangerously close to other vehicles on the road. i have chronic muscle pain from the muscle use it takes to turn the wheels of my car. i have been told by the dealer's service manager that they are aware of this issue but will charge approximately $900.00 to remedy it. the power steering system is electronic not hydraulic and i fully expect it is the same system presently recalled on the chevy cobalt. the problem descriptions of the cobalt and malibu are identical. this failure occurs whenever i drive my car - everyday!

Loss of power steering! driving less than 1 mile i loss all power steering! i made a left hand turn down a cul-de-sac street and when turning around at the end of the road i lost my power steering! i was shocked that after driving to the same bus stop morning after morning with my child in the car that i had lost control of the steering wheel due to the power steering system that failed! it was very hard to make the simplest turn. the difficulty that i had experienced took me by surprise. i put the car in park and shut the car down as soon as i was in a safe area. i waited then re-started the car and the power steering had come back. i could feel that it came back in the steering wheel as i barely accelerated forward worried that i might lose the control of the wheel again i waited for all the kids at the bus stop to board the bus before i drove back home! i immediately looked online about recalls for my car incase there was a known problem, not sure that there was actually a problem with my make & model & somewhat surprised i found alot of similar situations on the nhtsa website. there seems to be others that without warning like myself loss the power steering. i even found a suggestion that read to turn the car off if possible then re-start to have power steering come back. even though that's what i did for the safety for the kids & others. i thought are you kidding me? turn the car off to re-gain power steering should i lose it again? i sure hope that i am not on a busy highway or where kids are close to the road should this happen again. i called gm to complain of this safety issue seeing as how i did find posted bulletins about power steering loss i had believed that gm would want to inspect the safety of my car . since it is an known problem of safety.. i was told by gm to bring the car in & pay for an inspection to look at the power steering system. gm said the cost to look at my car could start at $65-$95 maybe be higher depends on what they do!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving approximately 10 mph she lost power steering without any prior warnings. she was able to safely restart the vehicle and resume normal vehicle operation. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 80,500. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

The power steering freezes up on my 2006 malibu maxx. it seems to happen when the rpms are way up, like when passing. when this happens there is no steering at all!!! the wheel is locked right tight. the dealer said that it could not happen that way. the car also looses steering at low speeds. the steering wheel turns but the tires do not. *tr

I have a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. it currently will shut down the power steering and reduce engine power without warning. this is a unsafe condition and i have read about alot of these incidents on the web that results in the whole steering column to be replaced. *tr

Power steering failure. locks up, will not unlock, steering column defect, multiple occurances, last six months. *tr

My 2006 malibu maxx loses power steering randomly at various speeds. the wheel tightens, is impossible to steer, the warning bell sounds and the phrase "power steering" flashes on the display. car must be stopped and turned off repeatedly sometimes to reset. car has done this in traffic, on highways and freeways, and in parking lots. the failure occurs randomly and at random driving speeds. the replacement cost is over $1000 at the dealership. chevy claims the problem can only be corrected by replacement parts that can only be issued and installed at a chevy dealership. the failure has occurred since the car reached 40,000 miles. after the corresponding recall of chevy cobalts and pontiac pursuits, i expected the recall to eventually cover malibu maxx. *tr

The power steering failed during a turn and caught me by surprise. this almost caused me to hit another car in the turn because the steering got really hard to turn. *tr

Electric power steering in the 2006 chevy malibu maxx is defective. it goes out while driving. i have read on several blog and community websites that several others that own 2006 chevy malibu maxx have the same problem. the company should recall this at once and fix all impacted vehicles before someone dies. *tr

While driving, when you accelerate, the steering wheel locks up and you can't steer the car, losing all control. it locks up for a second or two. this car was recalled for the steering and many other issues, and we took it in to bunnin chevrolet in culver city, ca for the repairs. they repaired it under the recall, but it did not fix the problem. the steering still locks up and it will do it multiple times in one driving session.

I was driving (with my daughter in the car). i turned the corner to pull into the parking lot at my place of employment and the steering wheel locked up. i could get it into the garage and into a spot but only with a great deal of effort. i had the car towed to a repair shop. he told me that it was an electric steering system and that it had to be replaced -- the cost would be in the vicinity of $640 plus. i took the car to a gm dealer to have it diagnosed. they confirmed that it was the steering column and it needed to be replaced. the car has approx. 52k miles. i think there needs to be a recall on this model. i am reading a great deal about many other instances similar to mine. i see there is a bulletin about the 2005 model but not the 2006. this is an extreme hazard. gm do right by the people trying to support american cars. please. *tr

2006 chevrolet malibu maxx - 1st incident was turning into a parking lot, the wheel was extremely hard to turn "power steering" flashed on the console display, parked the car and turned it off and on, and it was working fine; about 12 times since may, i start the car and the wheel will not turn, the check engine light comes on and the "power steering" display on the center console flashes, it sometimes takes about 10 tries, but it eventual starts correctly; about 4 of the 12 incidents have been while driving, it usually happens on turns, switching lanes, all at relatively slow speeds; it has been in a chevrolet dealership five times with expensive repair bills (a sensor module replaced/repaired, steering column was replaced, sensor modules/solenoids replaced, a relay/sensor replaced in the column, last visit there was no code, so the mechanic said he could not do anything and to wait until it does it again and keep it running and they would come tow it, however the last time it happened, i was on business 2 hours away and it wasn't possible for them to do it) and the problems continues and appears to be getting worse (more frequent and takes more restarts to work properly); even more disheartening is that the dealership claimed to have never heard of this problem, but i've found many blogs with owners with the same problem. *tr

Electric power steering does not work sometimes when you start the car. if you shut the car off and restart the car and it starts working again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering warning light illuminated then the vehicle became difficult to steer. the contact also mentioned that the ignition warning light sporadically illuminated at various speeds and there was an abnormal metal odor in the cabin. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the steering column and rack and pinion was replaced. the contact was also informed that the rear brake calipers needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 128,000. updated 7/7/14*cn updated 07/14/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. the contact stated that the power steering warning light would illuminate intermittently. within moments, the power steering would fail. the dealer replaced the power steering column however, the failure persisted. the current and failure mileages were 107,000. updated 05/24/10 *bf the consumer stated he has almost several accidents due to the failure of the power steering. the consumer stated on one occasion, he hit a block of wood in the road and blew a tire, due to the power steering failure. updated 05/28/10

As i drive out of nowhere the steering locks up. it started off once in a great while then got worse with time. i have heard that this is a common problem with this model and other models of malibu. i just think it's very dangerous to know this is an issue and not do anything about it. a mechanic at chevy said that more and more cars were coming in with that problem. *tr

Usually while turning the power steering goes out on the malibu maxx. there are several complaints on it and the dealership has a bulletin regarding it. they want over $500 to fix their mistake. it happened 4 times on a 94 mile trip just last weekend. it usually happens a couple times a week. there is no warning as to when it will occur and you have no control over the car. the dealership told me to shut the car off and restart and the power would reset. that works most of the time but not a good idea if you are in heavy traffic. there will be a serious accident from this problem as it is reported more and more. people don't have the money to spend on repairs while the motor companies get "bail out" money. i want a recall. *tr

Filing a complaint regarding my 2006 chevy malibu maxx...what is a safety-related defect? the united states code for motor vehicle safety (title 49, chapter 301) defines motor vehicle safety as ?the performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in a way that protects the public against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring because of the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle (the steering column is a genuine gm defective part(s), and against unreasonable risk of death or injury in an accident, and includes nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle.? a defect includes ?any defect in performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment.? generally, a safety defect is defined as a problem that exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that: poses an risk to motor vehicle safety, and may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture, or items of equipment of the same type and manufacture. examples of defects considered safety-related steering components that break suddenly causing partial or complete loss of vehicle control. * the above listed united state vehicle safety code is the reason for this complaint being file. i understand that chevy used the same column unit in its 2004, 2005 and 2006 malibu models and all three years are experiencing the same problem. once odometer reaches a certain mileage reading the steering column electronic assisted steering column fails, it turns off, leaving the driver at the mercy of a manually hard to steer vehicle, in my wife and mine's case it is a metal death trap on the road when making a right hand turn. i have written directly to chevy/gm motor corporation with out recognition of my complaint. this car is a large road safety issue and needs to be addressed immediately. i want chevy to buy my car back of replace this vehicle. please help!! i don't want to die in this vehicle, nor loose my wife. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx . the contact stated when driving various speeds, the power steering will fail and the steering wheel would become extremely difficult to maneuver. the contact would shift into neutral and restart the vehicle in order to reset the power steering assist. the dealer was informed of the failure and stated that they would need to diagnose the vehicle to determine the exact cause of failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 117,000.

Power steering goes out when i accelerate and the reading on my radio says power steering and the alarm is activated as well to let me know there is a problem. when i take my foot off of the gas, i get my power steering back. this happens regularly. *tr

While driving my 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx, i was backing out of my driveway when i lost power steering. i parked the car, shut it off, turned it back on and the power steering was working properly. a few days later i was driving down the road and again lost power steering. i pulled over and shut the car off and restarted and gained power steering back. it happened again nearly right away after doing the last restart. i again pulled over, shut the car off and turned it back on and power steering was back. this has happened 6 to 10 times in the last 1 to 2 months and there is no rhyme or reason to when the power steering gives out. this makes every trip in the car a potential hazard. *tr

Knocking noise in the steering column. had to have iit fixed twice and it now does it again. this is a repetative problem and it appears that this car has a design issue. *tt

I have a 2006 malibu maxx 3.5 v6. my wife was parallel parking when the power steering locked up on her. it was very difficult to park and maneuver the vehicle. no damage was done. i went online to find out about why it just shut off and found the link to this web-site. i sure don't want to see this go out when turning around a corner. this is a safety hazard not for us but anyone else on the road as well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving at any speed, the power steering fails. the dealer advised the contact to bring in the vehicle for a diagnosis. the vehicle will be repaired at the owner's expense and is becoming very difficult to drive. the failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was 77,000.

I started the car and thought it had stalled because the power steering had failed. i restarted the car and found it was the power steering. the car sat for about 4 hours and when restarted the power steering had returned. while driving down the road it failed again and almost caused an accident. it has not been repaired yet. *tr

The electric steering assist system continues to fail on a regular basis. it will lock up and the steering wheel will not turn. so far, this has only happened at low speeds and has not caused a crash. i have had it into dealerships 4 times so far. although dealership personnel have experiences the failure, no code is generated therefore chevrolet will not pay for repair. the car is under warranty and only has 25,000 mile on it. *tr

Power steering failure while driving at high speeds in highway traffic. intermittent failure. several months of driving it would sporadically fail and then return back to normal. eventually it failed completely. went to have the ps module replaced only to discover the column is to be replaced with it. the vehicle is drivable, but feels unsafe and puts others at risk. vehicle is not easily maneuverable at low speeds. needs large space to turn around. seems to be a common problem among this vehicle as i have seen many many complaints. why is there not yet a recall on the ps module/column failure of the malibu?? *tr

Bump sound in front end when starting from a stop or braking and turning. dealer says it is a power steering shaft. they lubricated it and tightened it before warranty expired. within 1,000 miles problems returned. now warranty has expired and it's my problem although gm has a replacement steering shaft that will correct the problem. *tr

We started having trouble with the power steering going out at very low speeds, especially in warm weather, only occasionally. then the problem worsened with the power steering going out frequently when turning to the right. only after we had obtained 100000 miles on the car did we receive a letter from the gm company stating there was a problem with the electrical power steering and upon contacting gm company they refused to fix their factory installed defective problem stating it was our problem. they refuse to fix the steering problem and it has caused us to have close encounters with crashes. the car is extremely hard to turn for my wife and is a real crash hazard. it was their mistake, but they refuse to honor their commitment to car safety like they advertise on tv. it is their problem and they should honor their safety commitment to their customers. we would like to have the car fixed at their expense not ours since it is their mistake. *tr

My wife was driving our daughter to school and was getting on the freeway and all of a sudden the electronic power steering went out making it very hard to steer the car. it happened twice that trip and the only way to correct it is to turn the car off and restart it. took it in to the shop and found that the power steering control module needs replaced. notice that there have been similar complaints like mine and wonder if it is going to take an injury or death to get it noticed? i hope not. *tr

In week leading up to the problem, steering was soft when turning the wheel to the left, and tight when turning to the right. a short time later, while driving, the power steering warning light came on and the on board display listed issue as power steering. the dealership has replaced the power steering motor 3 times and today, it has gone out again. i love the car, but i am tired of taking time out to take it to the dealership. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving 55 mph, the steering became loose. the contact overcorrected her turn. in addition, the steering wheel locks intermittently. the dealer stated that they have not had any other complaints related to the steering; therefore, they referred the contact to nhtsa to file a safety complaint. the failure mileage was 48,000 and current mileage was 48,050.

2006 malibu maxx power steering light comes on steering wheel freezes while car is moving steering column vibrates and yet no codes are present. *tr

Tie rod end failure.*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving 60 mph, the steering column locked. as soon as the contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal, he regained control of the steering. the failure has occurred approximately four times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they could not find any failure. the current mileage was 21,000 and failure mileage was approximately 16,000. updated 04-07-08 *bf

The electric power steering on my 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx (51,500 miles at occurrence) went out suddenly as my daughter was pulling out of a parking lot onto a busy highway. there was no warning and the car was extremely difficult to steer. she was able to pull into a home depot parking lot and call me. she could have easily been in an accident and i am really concerned what might have happened if she had been taking a curve at a higher speed or had been in heavier traffic. would you please investigate as i am finding that there have been similar incidents occur with the electric steering with this car? *tr

I was making a turn a turn that i have done for four years of my life and the vehicle steering failed. instead of turning the vehicle went straight into a wall. *tr

Chevrolet malibus and other makes have a problem with the steering rack and pinion. mine has been replaced about a year ago. it had a bumping noise that you could hear even standing outside of the car while someone else is driving. gm needs to do a recall before somebody looses their steering and has a major accident. this problem is very common on these cars and needs to be addressed. i am an ase certified technician and have been for many years. *tr

The power steering column started to clunk when turning when car was a year old..took it to a dealership and they greased the column...didn't work...took it back,l they greased it again... same thing....now i get a messages - power steering and reduced engine power when driving. this is very dangerous cuz i have little power so i lose speed on the highway and its very hard to turn the wheel. *tr

At around 40 mph, on a reasonable acceleration to pass another car, the steering completely froze. an alarm (ding ding ding), along with a message on the display console said "power steering". when reported to the dealer -- the dealer said they could not replicate and there was no problem. though i have since avoided any sudden accelerations -- the problem has recurred many times (even at slight acceleration). in all cases, the commonality has been -- with acceleration there has been an attempt to steer (attempt to move into passing lane). at lower speeds the problem occurs mostly during parking. especially when a few full lend/right tight turns are required to get in/out of parking spot. the steering completely freezes. the only solution i have found is -- to completely shut down the car. then wait a little and restart. a few months ago -- the console message was different -- "power steering loss". this was when i was pulling out of a parking at an apartment. it was a single tight turn in reverse, followed by straightening and putting the car in drive. again -- a full shut down, one minute off, and restart helped. only recently did the recall vindicate what i have been experience since less than a year after i purchased the car. the dealer consistently said -- there was no notice or complaints. a quick search online (now) reveals many have experienced such for a long time. even with the recall -- parts are not available, and it is not known when they can fix. it is absolutely criminal to have something so serious be left unacknowledged or fixed. though the notice says -- it would take a lot more effort to steer -- i can tell you from number of times i have experienced -- no amount of effort would have even budged the steering (at speed or even low speed). there is a huge difference between steering like a manual vs completely freezing). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu maxx. while driving approximately 20 mph a steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle became very difficult to steer. he coasted the vehicle onto the emergency lane and was able restart it. the vehicle started and the steering warning light shut off. the contact drove the vehicle to the dealer several times. twice the dealer replaced the intermit shaft, and another then the steering torque sensor. the contact stated that it was very easy to turn the steering wheel to the right but difficult when turning it to the left. the contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. he took the vehicle back to the dealer who stated that the steering column needed to be replaced for $580. the approximate failure mileage was 19,000 and the current mileage was 62,000.

Steering locked up when i was exiting the highway. i was going about 45 miles an hour. i heard the warning bell ding and the warning displayed "power steering failure". i almost crashed because i couldn't steer. it took all the power i could muster to steer. if my wife would have been driving it would have killed her. also my steering wheel sometimes will jolt back and forth sometimes when the car is idling in park. finally the steering makes a loud audible "thunk" whenever i turn the wheel out of neutral position, and it sounds like the wheels are going to fall off when i hit any kind of bump or rough road. as for the power steering failure i took it to the chevy dealership and they said that they could not duplicate it. it happened about a dozen times so far and the dealership shrugs their shoulders and says "it didn't do it for me". the knocking or thunking noise seems to be a problem on every 06 malibu on the road. is somebody going to do something about this? or do we just have to have enough fatalities to force something to happen? *tr

The gear box on the steering column makes a popping sound when you turn also the steering wheel jolts when it does this it has been replaced every month since then and it still does it. it will not do it for about a week when i have it replaced but then it starts to do it again. *tr

I had an uncontrollable immediate right hand turn at a very high speed that was not initated by me. i had pressed the accelerator pedal to pass another car when the steering wheel did an extremely hard right hand turn taht took the car off of the regular roadway and onto the outer edge of the shoulder. when i released the accelerator pedal the wheel snapped back to the left and my vehicle was now sideways on a major freeway at 60 mph! i was lucky in that no accident/incident with anyone else occured. i turned this vehicle into my local dealership for repairs immediately that same day. they found the problem and corrected it. the vehicle, 2005 malibu maxx has electronic steering. the dealership said that a electronic part was putting out too much voltage and that is what caused the problem. i have since that time had other steering related prob lems that have been corrected by the same dealership. the dealership has been very helpfull with the corrections to this vehicle. my concern is that someone else that may not be able to handle a situation like this would lose complete control should it happen to them. i'm a defensive driver and usually keep both hands on the wheel. if i hadn't of had both hands on the wheel i probably would have rolled the car or at the least spun out into other traffic. i was lucky! *nm