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Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Malibu EXTERIOR LIGHTING

On average, the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu starts to “feel” problems with the EXTERIOR LIGHTING and its various aspects after 91 143 miles.

Components Affected by EXTERIOR LIGHTING Issues

We have classified the 44 complaints from 2006 Chevrolet Malibu about EXTERIOR LIGHTING into the following categories.

BRAKE LIGHTS 13 TAIL LIGHTS 3 HEADLIGHTS 1

Recently reported EXTERIOR LIGHTING problems on 2006 Chevrolet Malibu

Brake lights illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights do not illuminate when the pedal is pushed.; difficulty moving the gear shifter out of the "park" positions without pushing the brake. gm says there was never a recall, but a service bulletin was issued in regards to this problem.

I was driving in detroit mi i was at the light when my my car lights start blinking off and on and my air bag popped out

2006 chevrolet malibu: power steering locks up! locks up to the point it take two people to turn the wheel, this happens while driving! headlights and brake lights go out and when bulb is replaced they burn instantly. t/c never turns off! recent complaints from people in other states have been made there are also evident recalls but chevrolet fails to honor the recall and refuse to fix because the cars are 2006 and the uear now is 2018. this is not fair! what are we supposed to do? this is a saftey issue! it is morally unethical and illegal for chevrolet not to acknowledge and honor this recall regardless if the car we have is used. if the recall was made and was not fixed they must acknowledge that the repair was not made and fix the problem for the car owner! i am sure chevrolet has a database and is aware at what and how many vehicles have been repaired due to this recall. what are they waiting for a lawsuit? i demand that this recall be honored and this problem fixed asap. if i or my family are harmed due to this i will sue so help me god! i am sure there are many people out there who agree that what chevrolet is doing is wrong! the issue happened several time this year and happened again today!

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. when the vehicle was started, the brake lights remained illuminated until the brake pedal was depressed. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electronic stability control). the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was approximately 158,709.

Brake lights stay on

Brake lights illuminate when brake pedal is applied. will go off when foot is taken off of pedal, but will go back on and stay on when pedal is not applied. this happens both when in neutral and in park and the car is stationary. i believe the problem is where increased resistance in the body control module (bcm) connection system can result in voltage fluctuations or intermittency in the brake apply sensor (bas) circuit that can cause brake lamp malfunction. the brake lamps illuminate without the brake pedal applied. recall on this problem dated march 2017, # 13036. this recall problem and number does not show up in the nhtsa database.

The power steering goes out completely at random times while driving. i called chevrolet about the recall on it and was told that they closed the recall and are no longer fixing the issue. the brake lights also stop working randomly. the rear blinkers have stopped working completely.

Brake lights are on when not pushing the pedal. as soon as you push the pedal, the lights go out. you come really close to getting rear-ended because the person behind you doesn't realize that you are stopping.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the tail lights failed to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times for the failure however, the failure was not corrected. the contact recently received the manufacturer letter concerning the warranted repair for the tail light failure however, the vehicle was over the qualifying mileage of 150,000 and over fifteen years of age. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Power steering fails when accelerating. brought car to vandergriff chevy initially to be repaired, and was charged over $600. found out about recall notice, but dealership denied one was issued and refused refund. continued to have problems. turn signal lights blow out and must be replaced regularly (about every 3 months). brought car to graff chevy for power steering and light signal recall repairs. continued to have problems. informed graff chevy and returned for repairs. still having the same problems in spite of repairs done.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the brake lights would fail. in addition, when not depressing the brake pedal, the brake lights would illuminate. the contact indicated that the remedy for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system , electronic stability control , exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic , vehicle speed control ) was previously performed in the fall on 2015 but the failure reoccurred in may 2016. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

I'll start by saying my vehicle had approximately 84,000 miles on it when this issue occurred a few weeks ago and is very well cared for and maintained. while driving on the highway at night i noticed that my break lights were not coming on when i pressed the break (i didn't see them illuminating the car behind me). while stopped in traffic i noticed that if i pressed the break pedal as far as it could go the lights would come on. the breaks lights then started working properly for about 15 minutes, then they started working in reverse order (breaks not pressed and light switch on, breaks pressed and break lights switch off). i brought the vehicle into a chevy dealer to have this issue looked at, and referenced that it was showing the symptoms described in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000. the dealer noted that i had already had the repairs for 14v252000 back in 2014 so it could not be due to that issue. in the end the deal changed my break switch and pedal position sensor, which has resolved the issue. i would ask that 14v252000 be updated to require the break switch and pedal position switch be replaced. i believe gm's response to original complaints of 14v252000 is not adequate. i am fortunate to be very observant of what my vehicle is doing, others will be much less fortunate and the results will lead to a crash.

In sept 2014, i had my 2006 malibu repaired under gm recall 13036. at the end of june 2015, i noticed that my brake lights were malfunctioning. i took my car to a local mechanic for repair, which was the same work that was done for the recall. at the end of july 2015, the malfunction return again. i contacted chevy via email and phone, and was first told that there wasn't a recall for this problem. i called again and explain that i was having the problem described in recall 13036 (" these fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed"). i was then told that there was a recall, but that mine was "closed" since i had already had it done once. i am concerned that i will be rear-ended because of the malfunctioning brake lights, which is a problem that chevy/gm is aware of, having already issued a recall.

While driving my car days after i purchased it , suddenly the instrument panel lights started flashing on and off. this includes gas gauge, oil light, check engine soon , abs, speedometer , dome light, radio,... also showed on instrument panel an image of a car and a lock. etc.. it flashed on and off for a while then completely went out. so i was unable to determine speed, how much gas was in the tank no inside light or radio.. the weather was below zero with a wind chill factor and i assumed it had something to do with that. after a few days everything came back except radio. an additional couple of days and radio came back . the car went in for inspection with in 10 days of purchase . nothing was said, about electrical or instrument panel. now on or about june 10th the same thing is happening more continuous flashing and electrical going out. it flashes when you start the car and continuously flashes while you drive sometimes just going blank for a while.. thank you.

I can't use my headlamp cause something is wrong with the wire harness if i use my headlamp while drive smoke will come from under the hood i have to always keep them off while drive or sitting still cause i don't want it to catch a fire. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the roadside assistance diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the brake lights failed to operate. the vehicle had not been towed to the dealer for repairs. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control) the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

2006 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to recall notices. *tgw the consumer stated two days after the first recall repair, because the repair was not fully completed, due to lack of parts, she experienced two episodes which she deemed unsafe. while sitting with her foot on the brake, and the vehicle in drive, she suddenly felt a slight shift, as if the vehicle was trying to move forward, which it did, without any warning. the vehicle bumped a car in front of her. the consumer referenced recall # 14v252000. *jb

2006 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to torque sensor assembly; wiring harness to the bcm or mag beam and transmission shift cable that may fracture at any time. *tgw the consumer was informed, the parts were not available. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at 10 mph, the brake light illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. as a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. the driver did not sustain any injuries. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the contact received notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system , electronic stability control , exterior lighting , service brakes, hydraulic , vehicle speed control) and believed that the crash was related to the recall. the approximate failure mileage was 95,075.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving 40 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and the brake lamp failed to illuminte. the contact also stated that the brake lamp would illumninate when the brake pedal was not depressed. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact received recall notifications for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), 14v153000 (steering), and 14v224000 (power train). the parts needed to perform the recall repairs were unavailable. the dealer was uncertain when the parts would become available. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the recall repair was performed for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), but it did not repair the vehicle. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer because the brake lights illuminated constantly. the contact was experiencing an electrical failure with the driver side brake light not illuminating. the contact attempted to use the charger for the phone and the gps, but there was no electric current to charge the gadgets. the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer more than three times and they were not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. the contact stated that they replaced the fuses several times, but the failures recurred. the contact was pulled over by the state police and the sheriff departments because the brake lights remained illuminated. also, the rear tail lights failed to work. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 13,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair and was later informed that the part was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 11/20/14*lj updated 8/12/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control); however, the parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Headlights have started to fail on a regular interval. i have replaced the low beams 4 times. i just purchased two more because the right low beam has failed again. no, i do not touch the quartz halogen lamp. i have worked with these bulbs for many years. *tr

When i press down on the gas my brake lights come on and when i press down on the brakes they turn off. however, the brake lights do come on when i press the brakes all the way down to the floor. *tr

I have had to replace the headlights and brake lights repeatedly over the past year. when i turn the air conditioning off when i am already sitting, stopped, the car lunges forward and the brake has to be pressed further down in order to stop the car again. *tr

Brake lights coming on without depressing brake pedal when driving car. *js

Cruise control went off. tried to reset to no avail. drove approximately 20 miles. reset cruise control and it worked then stopped working. stopped the car and checked the brake lights which were steady on. pushed the brake hard and they went off when the pedal was released. pushed the brakes again and the brake lights flashed off and on intermittently. drove another 10 miles and the cruise control was working. a person following me stated my brake lights stayed on whether i was accelerating or stopping. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he was informed that the brake lights were illuminated despite the brake pedal not being depressed. the contact purchased a brake sensor from a dealer and installed the component himself however, the failure recurred. he then installed a second sensor but the failure continued to recur. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 224,821.

While driving vehicle i was being followed by my daughter who thought i was riding my brakes. it turns out that the brake lights are going off when the brakes are applied and coming on when brakes are released. this also affects the cruise control as it will not work when the brake lights come on. this is a very dangerous issue. people driving behind me don't know if i'm stopping or not! there are countless numbers of people with this same problem and the dealerships don't have the answer to fix it. this should be a recall if there ever was one! *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

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.

Brake lights stay on when driving, but do not come on when applying the brakes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while the vehicle was parked the contact noticed the exterior brake lights would illuminate without depressing the brake pedal. the contact later noticed the tail lights completely stopped functioning. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 108,900.

I have a 06 chevy mailbu my brake lights comes on when i am driving so it looks like i am riding my brakes i have been pulled over becase of this when i googled it there was a bunch of people with 2006 mailbus with the same problem i have had the brake light switch replaced about 5 times and that is not the problem no one can seem to find the problem not even the chevy dealership i think there should be a recall on this because it is dangerious to drive with the brake lights on when you press the brake pedal the brake lights go out for about 10 seconds then come right back on. *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

Made a transponder key, parts person at the gm dealership just started the engine with it and said it was already programmed.( he just tested to see if the key will start the engine.) when got home with original key and turned off the engine i tried to secure car with the remote and it did not work. tried original key to start car everything was dead including battery. disconnect and reconnect battery, now the security light does not come on, car can't start, there is nothing only the lights on dash with other icons. i don't know if the chip key that was made cause the system to fail. i hate to have to tow the car cause i know the dealer would charge me an arm and a leg. i hate to get the parts person in trouble. is there someone on line can help solve this problem? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the brake light remained illuminated without the brakes being depressed. in addition, the brake lights stopped illuminating when the brakes were being depressed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 16,000 and the current mileage was 20,000. *tr

Steering problems. i was in a turning lane with my son in the car. i heard a ding and power steering showed up on my display. i had no power steering! i am a small person and could barely turn the car and stay in my lane. when i got home i turned the car off for awhile, then went and turned it back on and the car was fine. i have driven the car only when i need to because i am afraid to drive it. i heard it will happen again. the car goes into the shop 1/3/11. there is also a knocking noise in the front end when i make a turn. exterior lights. i've had to replace my head light bulbs about every three months this past year. because of the lights going out. first one side then the other. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the brake lights would remain illuminated when the brakes were not applied. when depressing the brake pedal, the brake lights would shut off. the contact attempted to correct the failure by switching the brake lights on and off to no avail. the contact further inspected the vehicle and noticed that the wiring harness connector from the floorboard to the fuse panel was the cause as it had not sufficiently maintained electrical contact. the manufacturer was not notified. the current and failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

While driving my brake lights are staying on, i only know when someone tells me i have been taking my car to the dealership since 2007 and the problem still has not been fixed. i have cars hunk the horns at me and other drivers are flashing their lights because they don't know if i am stopping or going. *tr

The brake lights on my 2006 chevy malibu work in reverse. approx 45 seconds after the car is put into drive the brake lights come on and stay on until the brake pedal is depressed. this is not an intermittent problem but is continuous. i also cannot engage my cruise controls. it is a matter of time before a rear end collision occurs. i have researched this problem on line and it appears that many other consumers have had this problem too. all of which comment that their area dealers charged them a lot of money, were unsure of the fix, and in some cases the repairs made were only temporary fixes. several have mentioned replacing part # 15940467 which is a module. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated and would shut off when the brake pedal was depressed. the dealer replaced the brake pedal sensor. the following day, the contact could not get shift out of park and the abs braking system exhibited a noise when the brake pedal was depressed. the dealer stated that since the brake pedal sensor did not repair the failure, the ecm may need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired until the dealer spoke with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 32,000. updated 11/11/10 *bf

The brake lights come on while driving the vehicle under all conditions. the problem occurs repeatedly and without warning. the safety issue here is that drivers following behind are unable to tell if the brake lights are truly that brakes are being applied or just a phantom issue which could result in a rear-end collision. this issue may or may not be related to issues experienced with the cruise control of the vehicle either not engaging at all, or disengaging on their own. it may or may not also be related to brakes and rotors needing replacement more frequently than normal wear or problem experienced with the rear window defroster being unresponsive. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated when driving at night, the brake lights would remain illuminated at all times until the brake pedal was depressed. the contact was able to locate several complaints online pertaining to the failure. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted to report the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileage was approximately 50,700.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving various speeds, the brake lights illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed and dimmed when the brake pedal was depressed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 32,000.

4/16/2010 - brake lights flicker even when not depressed. took to dealership for repair on 4/17/2010. dealer stated that brake pedal was "out of position" and repositioned pedal. 4/26/2010 - brake lights on solid when the car is on. took to a dealership; replaced brake sensor switch. only 28k miles on the car. consequences - cars behind are unable to tell whether the car is truly braking or not, resulting in increased risk of accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated when she applied pressure to the brakes, the brake light would not illuminate and when it would illuminate, it would not shut off. in addition, she noticed that the check engine warning light was also illuminated. when attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal knocking from the engine followed by a violent jerking. the steering wheel also seized intermittently, making it difficult to control the vehicle. the dealer replaced the oxygen banks one and two, core pack, spark plugs and the prongs. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the current mileage was 155,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet malibu. while driving various speeds, the brake lights illuminated without depressing the brake pedal. the vehicle was taken to james martin chevrolet (6250 woodward ave, detroit, mi 48202, (313) 444-8226) to be serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, exterior lighting, vehicle speed control, electrical stability control), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was determined that the warranty was expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 200,000.

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