Steering. Review the 810 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

41 crash reports6 fire reports17 injury reports

Steering complaints

810 reports

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114,000 miles · Jun 27, 2017

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND THE VEHICLE PULLED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND LOST POWER STEERING ABILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (HARBIN CHEVROLET IN SCOTTSBORO, SC) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN OR THE STEERING ASSIST MOTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

NHTSA ODI #11001668

203,000 miles · Jun 20, 2017

Steering

I HAD ONE RECALL ON IT WHEN CHEVY REPLACED A PART IN THE STEERING ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE AFTER. AS OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS THERE IS A RATTLE AND PULSATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE AND A FEW OF THEM HAD SOME PARTS CHANGED BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. PLE…

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NHTSA ODI #11000330

126,456 miles · Jun 2, 2017

Steering

TAKATA RECALL I BEARLY MERGED ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR,S STEERING WHEEL GOT HARD TO MANUEVER AND THE VWHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN. I HAD TO STRUGGLE TO SLOWLY PULL OVER MY CAR ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY AMD TURNED IT OFF. MY CAR WOULDNT START UP AMD WHEN IT DID MY STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN.

NHTSA ODI #10992817

160,000 miles · Apr 28, 2017

Steering

WHILE ACCELERATING QUICKLY TO ENTER A HIGHWAY OR TO PASS A VEHICLE THE CAR LOSES THE POWER STEERING. RESULTING IN TWO NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS. ONCE THE VEHICLE SWERVED INTO THE OTHER LANE ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER CAR, SECOND WHEN THE CAR SWERVED I ALMOST STRUCK A CONCRETE BARRIER. GM IS AWARE AND THE CAR IS LISTED IN A RECALL. GM STAT…

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NHTSA ODI #10981347

113,000 miles · Apr 7, 2017

Steering

MY CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN SERVICED AS A PART OF THE EPS RECALL (N140115- BULLETIN 14116). HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE JUST STARTED EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS WHEN I TURN IT ON: LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER STEERING MESSAGE DISPLAYED IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. IF I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTART, SOMETIMES THE MESSAGE AND …

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NHTSA ODI #10971131

130,000 miles · Mar 24, 2017

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURES UNTIL THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PER AN EPS RECALL. THE CONTACT NOTICED A WEEK AGO THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO FAILURE UNTIL THE DEALER PROVIDED THE REMEDY. THE VIN AND RECALL DETAILS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA ODI #10968378

132,000 miles · Mar 22, 2017

Steering

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I HAVE INTERMITTENT ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ISSUES WITH MY 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU 2LT 3.5V6. THE MAJORITY OF THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING, USUALLY DURING ACCELERATION, FOLLOWED BY AN AUDIBLE, MULTI-NOTE CHIME, AND THE WORDS "POWER STEERING" DISPLAYED ON MY RADIO DATA DISPLAY. THIS OCCURRED ALMOST EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN BOTH GM RECALLS #14116 & 10183. FROM RECALL #14116: "THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 14V153." GM HAS DENIED MY CLAIMS CONTENDING THEY ONLY HAVE TO FIX IT IF THE ISSUE RETURNS IMMEDIATELY, EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK THEM 8 YEARS TO ISSUE A RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUE HAS NEVER BEEN SATISFACTORILY REMEDIED AND I AM HOPING YOU CAN HELP ME RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITHOUT FURTHER DANGER AND COST TO ME. HISTORY: THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 3/2016 AND TO THE BEST OF KNOWLEDGE, THE ISSUE STARTED WITHIN 3 TO 6 MONTHS OF PURCHASE. IT WAS ANNOYING, BUT INITIALLY OCCURRED SO INFREQUENTLY AND RANDOMLY THAT IT WAS NOT WORTH FIXING. IT WAS REPAIRED AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES (10/2012) B/C OF RECALL 10183. THE ISSUE WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE, BUT RETURNED AND WAS REPAIRED AGAIN AT ABOUT 88,000 MILES (4/2015). AGAIN IT WENT AWAY AND RETURNED AT ABOUT 2/2016 & 105,000 MILES. IT BECAME VERY DANGEROUS FOR A WHILE, BUT WENT AWAY WITHOUT REPAIR. THE ISSUE HAS RETURNED AGAIN IN 1/2017 AT ABOUT 132,000 MILES AND HAS LEFT ME ALMOST COMPLETELY WITHOUT EPS. ISSUE SPECIFICS: THE PROBLEM STARTED AS TEMP. LOSS OF EPS DURING ACCELERATION FOLLOWED BY CHIMES & A "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE. IT ADVANCED TO INCLUDE LOSS OF EPS DURING ACCELERATION AROUND CORNERS (EX: ON RAMPS) AND THE EPS TRYING TO FORCEFULLY STRAIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT WHILE CORNERING. NOW, I EITHER DO NOT HAVE POWER STEERING AT STARTUP, HAVE A SHAKING STEERING WHEEL OR LOSE EPS DURING TRIPS.

NHTSA ODI #10967881

96,000 miles · Mar 22, 2017

Steering

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BROUGHT CAN USED 2 MONTHS AGO.CAR NOW IS DISPLAYING POWER STEERING MESSAGE IN DIC, OFTEN. DASH WARNING BLINK AND GO DEAD. FIND A GM SPECIAL MESSAGE THAT ADDRESSES ISSUES FOR ALL MAKES OF GM CARS IN YEAR FRAME, EXCEPT THE MALIBU. SPECIAL MESSAGE #10183. BUT ONLY FOR CARS NO MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD, UNDER 100K. OUR CAR HAS 96K BUT IS 11 YEARS OLD. GM WILL NOT HONOR BECAUSE OF BEING 11 YEARS OLD, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM MESSAGE ADDRESSES. GM HAS NO RECORD OF EVER FIXING THIS VIN FOR THIS KNOW SAFETY ISSUE, BUT WILL NOT REPAIR UNDER THE MESSAGE. PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #10967676

90,000 miles · Mar 13, 2017

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFTER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED, BUT THE ISSUE …

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NHTSA ODI #10960411

124,627 miles · Mar 2, 2017

Steering

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THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TORQUE SENSOR ASSEMBLY. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED, BUT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS FAILED 2 MORE TIMES SINCE THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OCCURRED 11,210 MILES LATER AND WAS COVERED UNDER THE 12,000 MILE PART WARRANTY, BUT THE THIRD REPLACEMENT OCCURRED WITH 29,917 MILES AND WAS NOT COVERED BY THE 12,000 MILE PART WARRANTEE. THE RESULTING REPAIR WAS $348.08. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART #23232310 "SENSOR KIT-SH" IS NOT FUNCTIONING ANY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINALLY RECALLED PART AND THE RECALL IS NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. THIS RECALL WAS MADE BECAUSE IT EFFECTS THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING OF THE VEHICLE WHICH WHEN LOST: "THE VEHICLE WILL REVERT TO A MANUAL STEERING MODE, BUT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF A CRASH".

NHTSA ODI #10958021

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)