Steering. Review the 207 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports

Steering complaints

207 reports

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59,550 miles · Mar 12, 2013

Power TrainSteering

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MY FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS WHILE DRIVING ACROSS A RAILROAD TRACK AT A SPEED OF 35 MPH....WHILE DRIVING I HEARD A DINGING AND LOOKED TO SEE MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME THAT I WAS CROSSING THE TRACKS....TRACKS WHERE UNEVEN SO I KINDA WENT AROUND THE UNEVEN PART AND COULDN'T HANDLE MY STEERING SO I ALMOST HIT A CAR COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION...SECOND OCCURRENCE HAS EVEN MORE LIFE THREATENING....WHILE DRIVIN ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 65MPH...I HEARD THE DINGING SOUND AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP COMPLETELY(LIKE WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF) I COULD NOT USE STEERING AT ALL AND I HAD A SEMI RIGHT BEHIND ME ....I WAS APPROACHING A CURVE IN THE HIGHWAY SO I SLOW DOWN SO THE TRAFFIC WOULD GO AROUND ME TO HOPEFULLY GET A CHANCE TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT TO RESET POWER STEERING....I HAD READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THAT WAS THE SOLUTION..I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHERE HE DID A ROAD TEST AND OF COURSE NOTHING HAPPENED....I ONLY HAVE 2 MORE PAYMENT ON THIS CAR AND TO FIND OUT THAT THE SITUATION WHEN FIXED ALWAYS RECURS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING....PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM KILLS SOMEBODY...MY FAMILY IS ALREADY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IF I GET INTO A ACCIDENT THEY WILL BE LOOKING CLOSELY INTO THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10502558

105,000 miles · Jan 16, 2013

Steering

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WHILE DRIVING A WARNING CHIME APPEARED THRU THE RADIO DISPLAY "POWER STEERING" AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ONLY TO GO OUT AGAIN. HAD THE COMPUTER RESET AND PROBLEM HASN'T HAPPENED AGAIN, YET! CHECK ONLINE AND THIS VEHICLE AND OTHER MODELS WITH THE SAME POWER ASSIST STEERING HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS RECENT AS 1212 IN CANADA, BUT NOT IN THE USA. EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET, INCLUDING GMS WEBSITE SAY THE STEERING COLUMN HAS TO BE REPLACED. WE CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AND THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS VIN #. THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS EVERYDAY, SO I AM HAVING THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AT A COST OF $550 OUT OF POCKET.GM'S WEBSITE SAYS IT IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT CAN STILL BE STEERED OFF THE ROAD. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S CAR AND SHE CAN BARELY HANDLE THIS CAR WITHOUT THE POWER ASSIST. I DROVE IT AND LOST THE POWER ASSIST AND I BUMPED A CURB TRYING TO TURN IT INTO A PARKING LOT. HOW CAN THIS NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE? CAN I BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF FIXING THIS PROBLEM? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10493145

89,000 miles · Oct 17, 2012

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE AN UNKNOW PART WITHIN THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEA…

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NHTSA ODI #10480820

20,000 miles · Oct 10, 2012

Power TrainSteering

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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

NHTSA ODI #10479647

147,000 miles · Oct 8, 2012

Steering

WHILE ACCELERATING ON TO THE FREEWAY, MORE WHILE HITTING THE PASSING GEAR, POWER STEERING IS ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST OR EVEN CORRECTING ITSELF BACK TO CENTER. THE "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE RADIO DISPLAY AND A CLICKING SOUND IS MADE. IT HAS SINCE HAPPENED AT SLOWER SPEEDS AS WELL. IT FEELS LIKE A VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM AN…

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NHTSA ODI #10479310

111,800 miles · Oct 2, 2012

Steering

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TURNED LEFT ONTO AN UPHILL ROAD AND GAVE IT A GOOD AMOUNT OF GAS TO ACCELERATE UP TO SPEED. HAD THE RPMS UP AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN THE STEERING WHEEL JUST LOCKED UP. I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF THE GAS AND THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. IT WAS QUITE UNNERVING BUT I WORKED ON MANY CARS YEARS AGO AND REACT ACCORDINGLY TO THINGS LIKE STUCK THROTTLES, AND THIS. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR SO I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF IT OTHER THAN THE CARFAX CHECK WAS CLEAN. IT APPEAR THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS STEERING PROBLEM BEFORE BUYING IT. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT EXTENDS THE WARRANTY ON THIS ITEM, TO ANY OWNER, TO TEN YEARS AND 150 K MILES. DO A SEARCH FOR IT ONLINE. GM WILL REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT I WILL END UP DOING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10478399

88,000 miles · Sep 14, 2012

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED VIOLENTLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT'S HANDS TO BE THROWN FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL REGAINED NORMAL FUNCTION AS THE CONTACT DECELERATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES, ONLY LASTING MOMENTARILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY FAULTY ELECTRONICS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000.

NHTSA ODI #10475455

126,141 miles · Aug 26, 2012

Steering

WHILE I AM DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP AND MY DASH BOARD WILL START BLINKING THEN THE MESSAGE CENTER WILL SAY "POWER STEERING" NOW EVERYTIME I AM GET TO 45 MPH THE MESSAGE CENTER WILL START BLINKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10472493

85,000 miles · Aug 24, 2012

SteeringCrash

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WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN TO ENTER ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY AND STEERING EITHER LOCKED UP OR BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER (IT ALL HAPPENED QUICKLY) CAUSING THE CAR TO HIT THE CURB AND SEVERELY DAMAGING THE WHEEL, ALIGNMENT, ETC. GM REPLACED THE FAULTY POWER STEERING BOX (RECALL) BUT HAS FOUND THEMSELVES NOT LIABLE FOR THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE SUSTAINED BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY POWER STEERING. GM SAYS I HAVE NO PROOF THAT THE DAMAGE THAT IS VISIBLE ON THE VEHICLE WAS DIRECTLY CAUSED BY STEERING FAILURE. REALLY??!! I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG CHEVY FAN, BUT THIS LEAVES A VERY BITTER TASTE THAT MAY NEVER GO AWAY!!!!! *TR *JS

NHTSA ODI #10472371

6,000 miles · Jun 27, 2012

Electrical SystemService BrakesSteeringCrash

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WE PURCHASED OUR 2006 MAILBU MAXX IN NOVEMBER 2005. TWO MONTHS LATER THERE WAS A VIOLENT SHAKE IN THE FRONT END, THE DEALERSHIP TURNED THE ROTORS BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED. THEN WE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT.THE REAR WIPER COMES ON BY ITSELF, INTERIOR LIGHTS BLOW CONSTANTLY AS WELL AS HEADLIGHTS. DOOR LOCKS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. KEYLESS HAS NOT WORKED FOR THREE YEARS EVEN WITH NEW REMOTE BATTERIES. SINCE THE CAR HAS HAD 40,000 MILES ON IT THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN ACTING UP. MY WIFE HAS HIT OUR GARBAGE CANS AND EVEN MY TRUCK PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. WE CANT EVEN TRADE THIS PIECE OF CRAP IN BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. OUR MALIBU HAS 78,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAVE PUT 4 SETS OF BRAKES ON THE FRONT WITH HEAVY DUTY ROTORS AND THREE SETS ON THE REAR. GM IS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS CAR IS CRAP AND THEY KNOW IT. WE SHOULD AT LEAST GET 200 PERCENT OVER TRADE IN VALUE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. LIKE A ROCK....MORE LIKE A TURD!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10463333

Official recalls

15V064000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 4, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006, and 2006-2007 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an expansion of recall 14V-153 to cover additional vehicles built between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006.

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. 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; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)