Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu STEERING

Power steering light came on, steering stiffened. unable to turn car. put car in neutral, turned off, restarted, until i could steer car into a parking lot. each restart gave me a few seconds of steering. dealer replaced electronic power steering motor, other adjustments, plus $115 charge to diagnose, plus rental car for 3 days: for a total repair cost of $1,023.36. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that a noise was heard while making a turn. the contact also mentioned that there was a popping noise and vibration while decelerating. the vehicle was taken to independent repair shop who replaced the rack and pinion, the outer tie rod, the brakes and drums. the failure recurred. the failure was reported to the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 70,000. the current mileage was 100,000...updated 08-07-13 *bf the consumer stated the rack and pinion, as well as the outer tie rods were replaced twice, and the consumer continues to experience problems. the consumer was informed the rack and pinion and outer tie rods needs to be replaced again.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph on a ramp, the steering wheel became very tight and the contact had to use extreme force to move the vehicle off the roadway. the contact shut off and restarted the vehicle and it resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while traveling to approach a stop or when a turn was made the steering wheel was extremely hard to turn. the electric power steering failed intermittently. the contact had to apply force to turn the wheel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who replaced the steering column and the ignition switch. the failure recurred and the contact was not able to turn the key to start the ignition along with the vehicle stalling intermittently. the anti-theft sensor illuminated, service engine sensor and a lock symbol on the radio continued to illuminate. the radio was not working. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v153000 (steering). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000. dyd

Power steering light comes on. needed to replace the steering column. *tr

Was very satisfied with performance of car until this episode. fortunately, my son & i made it back from california, the day before we came down donner pass. next day started to take car and verily got going when i couldn't steer, very hard almost didn't make it back home. power steering message displayed across radio system along with bell sound. i immediately took car to dealers which cost $120. for them to diagnosis. they reported the brain (motor/module code co807) needed to be replaced for $958. first, then they would check steering column which would involve additional cost. i don't have the money for repair & ended up bringing car home safely after paying for diagnosis. i have the invoice which they gave with their recommendations and my decline of service. here it sits, i'm too scared to drive and am lucky enough to have access to another vehicle for the time being. going to trade in and will never buy another chevy product! this is definitely a hazard and an accident waiting to happen. a "recall" needs to be issued for everyone's safety. *tr

I was driving and my power steering went out-completely. it was the hardest thing to turn that i have ever driven and i own a 66 mustang that was not equipped with power steering. there is literally no way to steer the car when driving very slow like when you go to pull into the driveway. my father-in law builds/designs production cars for a living and he took my car to a dealership he works with and they told him that the defective part goes out about every 30,000 miles. the cost to replace just the part is around $800 without labor. the actual part that is defective is not sold on its own so you have to buy a whole new steering column since the small part that is defective is riveted to the column. the dealership said they could not do anything for my car. the column had been replaced once before by a dealership and apparently did not fix the problem. chevy will not cover their bad parts/design and it is one of the most unsafe things that can happen while driving. its like when toyotas priuses accelerator would get stuck-its just as dangerous. what needs to make a recall happen? it has affected so many people and it is very dangerous. do we need to wait until the problem causes multiple tragedies to say now its worth the time to fix the problem and do good business? back your product chevy. *tr

trying to access interstate, picking up speed to enter traffic in high density area--steering quit working. applied brakes to avoid entrance into traffic or hit the bridge abutment. was able to straighten car out and continue. upon braking--steering returned. went to local chevy dealer--complaint--locking up situation, noise and when cold-- vibration of steering wheel in older models was called "morning sickness". regal chevy passed it off as normal--showed me a notice of default (shut down) if system driven to hard. refused to replace motor in spite of other issues. noise has continued and gotten worse--morning sickness (turning vibration/sticking) still present. noted: now a new campaign---n140115. *tr

When driving and turning to the right..the steering gets stiff and the power steering alarm comes on. once stopped i can turn the vehicle off and crank it again...the power steering resets. as you can imagine this is what i have to do each and everytime. the dealer finds nothing wrong with it when i take it in..so please advise. the fluid is good and there is no leaks. *tr

I was making a left hand turn when the "power steering" error appeared. all lights turned off in the vehicle and the steering wheel locked; it was as if the vehicle had turned off. i coasted down the street until i parked the car and actually turned the vehicle off. at that point, i was unable to restart the vehicle. the next morning we found the timing belt was broken; once replaced, the vehicle restarted. since then, the "power steering" error has displayed numerous times. when turning the wheel extremely left or right, the steering wheels locks. i then have to turn off the vehicle and restart it in order for it to reset. just yesterday, i was reversing out of a parking spot when the "power steering" error displayed and my steering wheel locked up again. this time i did not have to turn the vehicle off; as it reset on its own. i have been advised by gm that my vehicle is not included in the current recall (gm recall # n140115) as my vehicle was not assembled in the same plant as the recalled vehicles. clearly my car has a problem with it's power steering. per gm recall # n140115, "in the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (eps) assist that could occur at any time while driving". *tr

When turning and accelerating , the control center dings and shows loss of power steering, if you let up on the throttle power steering comes back, it needs the steering control module replaced and gm says it is not covered on this model. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the steering wheel became very hard to maneuver. in addition, the contact mentioned that the brake lights were constantly failing. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who advised him that the vehicle was not included in recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering) and nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control , exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic , vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was 18,000 and the current mileage was 58,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel required excessive force in order to maneuver the vehicle. the vehicle was restarted and the vehicle resumed to normal. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering sensor needed to be replaced. the power steering sensor was reset but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

I lost power steering when i ignite my car. there is chiming and message for checking power steering. turn off the motor, and power steering was back. while i accelerated onto highway, i heard the same chiming. had no time to look at the message. i searched online, and found that my power steering was lost for several seconds. this is horrible. this is absolute a safety issue. i wonder why there is no recall on this. gm took billions of dollars from tax payer's pockets to bail it out, but can not make a right car. shame on gm. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed and the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver. the contact mentioned that the power steering warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering column was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 77,000.

While driving the steering column on the 2006 chevrolet malibu, locks up. *tr

While making a right turn the power steering warning chimed three times and "power steering" was displayed on dic. the wheel was had to turn right. problem went away but warning message still displayed on dic. if i were driving at a higher speed i wouldnt have been able to keep control of my vehicle and could have injured or killed myself or someone else!! this is very dangerous!! i am scared to drive my car that i have owned for 1 week! *tr

I just purchased my 2006 chevrolet malibu about a month ago. it had really low miles for a car that old( (99939 at the time of purchase). i love my car and it has done nothing really to anger me. i got a power steering warning through my radio display. the car drove normal so i paid it little or no attention. the one day i walked to the car and noticed that there was fluid leaking from under the car. since i only had the car a very short time i took it to the warranty center to be looked at, they put my car on the computer and no defect codes came up. the mechanic asked me what color was the fluid that was leaking, like i would remember that! i told him i didn't know. put a white piece of paper underneath there and wait a little while. the shop has had my car over a day and can tell me nothing. i am not one of those people that waits on something to happen. warning lights and defect codes pop up for a reason. the reason i don't know but i will eventually. with all i have read on the internet about the steering all the problems started with defect codes. is there a serious problem with the steering or with the fault display system? *kb

I was driving on my way back home and suddenly i lost steering causing me to get hit by another vehicle , this happend in piedras negras mexico and my insurance didnt cover the damage , thank god it was just a small hit on the fender but after looking for the issue online i found that the problem is caused by a malfunction in the power steering assitant motor , im not the first person that has that issue , in fact the 2005 malibu and pontiac g6 had the same issue and gm already recall that to fix it , i dont see why the are not accepting recalling this model since uses the same component. i hope that no one else get in an accident due to this. here's a link from a web forum where you can find more users with same issue http://www.fixya.com/cars/t595753-2006_malibu_maxx_electric_power_steering *js

I am having problems with the electric power steering and from what i have heard is alot of other people have similar problems. my steering is real stiff where it needs two hands to turn the wheel and a good strong grip. i think this is unsafe and should be fixed through gm before this fails on others and cause a accident. thank you. *tr

I was getting ready to make a left turn onto a side road and the power steering failed. there was no hint of failure prior to the failure. a power steering notice appeared on the dash after the failure, no warning ring tones or sound given. i bought this car used from a chevrolet dealer when it had appx. 36,000 miles on it. i was never notified by chevrolet or the dealer about this problem, which seems to be rampant. i researched this issue on the internet and it appears that thousands of people are having this problem with various year chevrolet models. this problem can cause injury or death. gm should be forced to issue recalls for all models affected at no charge to the consumer. that is the only fair and proper solution to the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 45 mph and heard a chime inside of the vehicle when suddenly, there was a loss of power steering. 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 vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who advised the contact that the steering column would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. the vin was unavailable.

Soon after i purchased this car i started having problems with the power steering system. in many occasions when i start the engine the power steering does not work. i cannot move the steering wheel. i turn the engine off, wait a few seconds and start the engine again, and the power steering works. i have had this problems at least 15 or 20 times since i purchased the car in january 9, 2012. it has never happened with the car moving. also when i move the steering wheel from one side to the other the power steering alert light comes on and off and i hear a clunk noise that i can feel in the steering wheel. it is like if something is loose in the steering system. i checked the rack and pinion in several occasions and found it had the screws that hold it to the frame loose. i tightened them but the noise does not go away. i drive this car with caution and fear because of the power steering problem and the noise in the steering system. this month (april 2014) i started having problems with the fuel level sending unit. sometimes it marks full and others empty with gas in the tank. at the same time the check engine light comes on and off. *tr

Got in my car this morning to go to work and all of a sudden my power steering doesnt work and power steering comes on up on my display. been reading online and this seems to be a high number of complaints with this same exact problem and there have been no recalls yet. of course the $2000 extended warranty i bought isn't going to cover it....*tt

The power steering went out when my wife was on her way home and was attempting to turn down our street. the bulletin says that when this power steering assist fails, the vehicle can still be safely turned, but i take exception to that. my wife is of average strength and if someone had been walking on our street she couldn't have steered clear of them or if a car was parked when she turned there would have been an accident.i had the car in the gm dealership service at 100,000 miles for front end issues and had over $1000.00 of repairs including new front brakes and rotors. i feel that whenever a vehicle comes in that has a special coverage listed that is as potentially dangerous as this, the system should be replaced. when it failed completely it had 106,000 miles and we are told by gm that we are out of luck for any help. this problem is like russian roulette and even though it resets itself when turned off and back on, it may go out again in a week, a month or an hour and cannot be driven with confidence. i am very disappointed with gm that they won't at least cover some of this repair. this is not the type of problem that goes out gradually as to alert you of an issue, but rather all at once and takes you totally by surprise. i'm sure accidents have occurred because of this defect and is much more serious than gm makes it out to be. they should either fix the problem parts or at least cover a part with proven defects even if it is just past their mileage. *tr

On may 20, 2014 i filed a complaint regarding the electronic power steering, the fuel level indicator and the clunk noise in the steering system on my car. i contacted general motors by e mail and they gave me a telephone number to call. today, may 27, 2014 i called general motors regarding their recall for the power steering problem. they informed me that my car was not included in the recall. they gave me the telephone number of a dealer in puerto rico where i have to take the car for a diagnostic. gm will not cover the cost of the repairs. why do we have to pay for the bad job the car manufacturers do when they make their cars? there must be a way in which consumers get compensated by these companies for the expenses they impose on us with their defective vehicles. for me this may be the last chevrolet i will buy. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the power steering warning lamp illuminated and the power steering failed. the contact stated that after turning the vehicle completely off and restarting, the power steering regained normal functions. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 135,277 .

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the power steering failed. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that they were aware of the problem, but that the vehicle could be driven without power steering capabilities. the contact stated that the when the power steering failed, the vehicle would pull strongly to the left and it would become very hard to keep the vehicle straight. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage 102,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while exiting a parking lot, the vehicle exhibited an abnormally loud noise as the power steering failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the electronic power assist was failing. the contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated, but the clock and radio had to be reset when the failure occurred. the failure mileage was 98,700. updated 03/28/12 *bf updated 04/09/12

Power steering often stops working at low speed. *tr

Upon slight acceleration (i.e. merging from exit ramps or pulling out into traffic) the power steering fails. warning sound chimes. steering becomes unassisted without power for several seconds. this has occurred several times. i contacted the local dealer re: recalls/fix and was informed that i would have to pay them a service fee to look at the car for them to try to duplicate the problem. this is a gm/chevy problem and i should not have to pay for them to address this obvious safety risk/issue. this should be recalled/fixed immediately!! *tr

I have been complaining about these problems for years to my dealership and haven't received the proper help to get these problems taken care of. i have been having problems dealing with sudden loss of electric power steering. my car steering wheel will lock up as soon as i turn the car on or even in the middle of driving on the highway. this is a hazard and life threatening. i brought my car to the dealership, but they informed me that my car did not have a power steering problem. but my car was notifying me on the screen that it was my power steering and the wheel locks up as well as continues to shake. it is still currently happening and getting worse. my steering shaft makes a lot of noise and i can feel it in the steering wheel when i drive. my break lights as well as head light bulbs are always going out and keep having to buy new ones. i know they will g out sometimes, but how often mines goes out is not normal. the airbag icon on my dashboard as well as the reading on my screen shows that something is wrong with my airbag. i'm afraid that one day it will just explode in my face. i also have electrical problems with my windows and lights in my car. the windows get stuck and only one light in my car works (one of the overhead lights). i had my transmission checked out and they informed me there was no problem (but they told me that about me power steering) and i end up paying to get my solenoids replaced, but i was not reimbursed when i brought it in for the transmission recall. like i've said, i have been trying to get assistance from the chevrolet dealership for years with these problems, but they keep telling me i don't have any problems. i really feel my life is in danger with all the problems i am having with this car and i do not feel i am getting the necessary help i need. can someone just please assist me and help get these problems taken care of. *tr

When pulling out of my driveway, power steering illuminated across the screen and then steering was lost. i turned the car off and on 5 times but the same message kept reappearing with returned inability to steer. *tr

I was driving on the freeway at 65 mph when the power steering indicator came on with four bell tones - i lost the ability to easily steer the car. i had to struggle to get the car steered off the freeway. i turned the car off then on and power steering resumed. i got back on the freeway and within 15 minutes the problem occurred again and i had to struggle just to steer. this is a very dangerous situation as if the power steering totally locks up it can cause an accident. the power steering on the 2006 chevrolet malibu is electronic and its the same problem that the 2004 version was recalled for per my mechanic. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel but it became difficult to maneuver. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that the electronic power steering module would have to be replaced and informed the contact of a voluntary recall for the same failure with the power steering. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for replacement of the electronic power steering module. the approximate failure mileage was 72,800. updated 5/11/12 *cn the consumer attached a letter from gm regarding problems with the electric power steering.

I was just backing up at church and the dinging noise came on like when your car door is open. i look at the information on the screen and it says power steering. i could not turn my car without using 2 hands to do it. i was able to drive it home (2 blocks). after looking up the problem online and seeing so many complaints about the same problem and suggesting i turn off the car and turn it back on, i went out to try it and it worked. it's as if i had no problem at all. i went around the block and didn't have a problem, but what if i'm on the highway and it does it again. i think there should be a recall on this. i have had several problems with my front end. left front lower ball joint and both stabilizer end links loose, replaced control arm, axle falling off, shaft, you name it. and i don't abuse my car. just want to add yet another complaint to the rest. and yes, this will be my last chevy. we are now depending on our 1997 ford ranger with 212,000 miles on it. my chevy has 85,000. to say the least, i don't feel safe driving this car anymore. i always feel like i'm just minutes away from something going wrong with the front end. i feel like i need a safety inspection every month. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving 45 mph, the contact experienced difficulty maneuvering the steering wheel. the instrument panel indicators illuminated and the contact heard a chime sounding throughout the cabin of the vehicle. when the contact's foot was removed from the accelerator pedal, the steering returned to normal. the failure occurred on two separate occasions. the dealer recalibrated the vehicle, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while in reverse, the steering failed without warning. the contact had to apply abrupt force to the steering wheel in order to control the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer performed a diagnostic and located the failure at the steering column. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 61,000.

Turned steering wheel left to exit a fueling pump and the power steering went out. the panel display indicated "power steering" and an indicator on the dash had a amber color icon with a wrench. had to use a lot of force to turn vehicle to a safe place and turned the car off. got out and looked under the hood but could not discern any obvious problem. turned the car back on and the problem did not reappear as driving home approx. 2 miles from service station. concerned because of the comments seen on the internet regarding owners having similar experiences with these vehicles. fortunately, my speed was minimal. it would be virtually impossible to control the vehicle if this happened at high speed on a highway. gm needs to recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 20 mph, the power steering failed to operate with the illumination of the warning indicator. the contact drove to the side of the road and parked the vehicle in a safe location. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. prior to the failure, the steering wheel would vibrate upon starting the engine. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Power steering failure. had began to drive out of a parking lot when power steering went out and was very difficult to turn steering wheel. car has electrical power steering. i tried to step on brake, shift gear into park then back in drive but still could not get steering wheel to turn. was extremely difficult and would have been very dangerous if had happened while driving on a freeway with my kids. i have found a multiple sites with the same similar complaints about the 2006 chevy malibu from people who had this happened to them. they have even had mechanics try to troubleshoot and charge them horrendous amounts for repairs but continued having issues after either the steering wheel column was replaced, coils and harness were replaced, or other parts that mechanics tried troubleshooting. something must be done to issue a recall for this problem to be corrected before it does take someone's life. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics and the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

This has been a good car for the most part great on gas but last week the brakes felt real hard to push so i replace with new brakes front and rear the old brakes looked almost new now the brake tail light come when you start the car and don't go off unless you depress them. drivers think your stopping when your driving and when braking they cant tell because lights go out.also for the past 3 years the power steering light comes on and you lose your steering control i wonder if and when someone has to die before gm recalls and fix the problems. *tr

I was pulling out of my parking spot and my steering completely locked up on me. i almost hit my neighbors vehicle. with much effort i was able to get my car out of the street and onto the side of the road. *tr

My steering wheel locked up as i was pulling out of my driveway today and i was so close into hitting my sisters car, i was lucky enough that i was able to steer as much as a could went a little bit onto the bushes . but this is a dangerous hazard if i would have known this i would have never have bought this car.the steering wheel also gives somewhat of a vibration which i thought were the struts which were replaced and the disc brakes. which alot of money went into replacing those parts. i am the second owner of the vehicle i purchased it in august 2010 and now i am scared to drive around because i never know when it will lock up again. i don't have the warranty on the vehicle and i don't have the money to pay for this to get fixed as i am already paying for college. i have read numerous other messages from other chevy malibu owners facing the same issue. what can be done to fix this? *tr

After backing out of my driveway, i started down the road and my steering wheel locked up. i was able to pull to the side of the road and turn the car off. i restarted the car and it seemed fine. i didn't want to take any chances so turned around and pulled back into the driveway. i have started the car several times but the steering is still locked up. my car has only 48000 miles on it and would like to see a recall. i have read many, many complaints on this same situation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph and attempting a left turn, the power steering seized without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls . the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 89,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering wheel would shake when driving in reverse. in addition, the steering wheel would also seize sporadically when driving highway speeds. a local mechanic diagnosed that the electric power steering assist was defective and would need to be replaced. the dealer was notified and an appointment was made to have the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 37,100.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the steering failed while driving and the wheel became very hard to turn. the power steering warning light illuminated while the failure occurred. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 78,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the power steering failed to operate normally as the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician stated that the steering control module would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 40,000. the current mileage was 78,859.