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

What owners actually said

1,115 reports

7,331 miles · Mar 19, 2014

Steering

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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE I NOTICE A FAIR AMOUNT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT I OBSERVED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHIMMY OR MOVE RIGHT TO LEFT ON ITS OWN. I AM NOT A MECHANIC BUT I KNEW FROM YEARS OF DRIVING THAT STEERING WAS AN ISSUE. WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD REPROGRAM THE STEERING SYSTEM AND IF IT RECURRED THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE STEERING MOTOR. THIS DIDN'T REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND IT PROCEEDED TO GET WORST. I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RECEIVED LITTLE TO NO ASSISTANCE. THEY DID INFORM ME OF A BULLETIN THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED AND CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THIS I ASSUMED WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE, BUT IT DIDN'T. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT GM WOULD ONLY AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH WAS DONE OR SO I WAS TOLD. THIS DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AS NOT ONLY DO HAVE THE SHIMMY, WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AND THE CAR BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER. WHEN THIS OCCURS WARNING CHIMES SOUND AND POWER STEERING APPEARS IN INFORMATION AREA. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT THE MANUFACTURE NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10573558

36,000 miles · Mar 17, 2014

Steering

AS I WAS DRIVING I HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM MULTI TIMES OVER LAST COUPLE YEARS AS U ARE DRIVING OUT OF KNOW WHERE THE POWER STARING COMES ACROSS THE RADIO AND DINGS THEN THE POWER STEERING IS GONE I HAVE TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND THEN TURN ON AND OFF THE CAR TO RESET. IT I HAVE KIDS AND IT VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING THIS WAY WHY IS IT…

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NHTSA ODI #10572801

68,000 miles · Mar 15, 2014

Electrical SystemFuel System, GasolineSuspension

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I HAVE BEEN REPETITIVELY TURNED AWAY BY VARIOUS GM DEALERSHIPS TO ADDRESS SERIOUS ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE & POTENTIAL RECALLS. MY ISSUES INCLUDE - STEERING MALFUNCTIONS MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, FAULTY FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE & VEHICLE TO STALL, UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATIONS WHEN BREAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS NEARLY CAUSING ME TO WRECK, POPPING SOUNDS IN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM, AND FINALLY UNEXPLAINED ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS SUCH AS RADIO SWITCHING CHANNELS ON ITS OWN, FAILURE OF KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM, FAILURE OF REMOTE ENTRY SYSTEM, BUZZING OF LIGHTS WHEN DIMMING, AND FLICKERING OF HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALERSHIPS THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS A "FLEET CAR" THAT IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR ANY RECALLS. PROBLEMS BEGAN WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. STEERING WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. AT AROUND 65,000 MILES, SYSTEMS BEGAN TO FAIL DESPITE MY REGULAR CARE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH I HAVE DOCUMENTED. AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, I WAS ROUTINELY TURNED DOWN FOR RECALL INSPECTIONS. A RECENT EMISSIONS INSPECTION CAUSED CONCERN BY THE MECHANIC OVER THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE AND I WAS ENCOURAGED TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS AGAIN. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10572555

97,980 miles · Mar 15, 2014

Electrical System

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOURS, BUT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS 85 MILES PER HOURS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10572534

115,690 miles · Mar 13, 2014

Air BagsSteering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING FOR ONE MONTH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,690. ..UPDATED 04-23-14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE AIR BAG BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 04/24/2014 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10568974

87,000 miles · Mar 13, 2014

Steering

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STEERING POPS AND SNAPS. SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE IT HAS A "CATCH" IN IT OR ABOUT TO LOCK UP. I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 06 MALIBUS. ARE YOU GOING TO WAIT UNTIL IT'S A FIASCO AND MORE PEOPLE DIE LIKE THE CURRENT COBALT AND HHR MESS? THIS MALIBU PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. I HAVE TALKED, NETWORKED WITH MANY OTHER MALIBU OWNERS. YOU NEED TO STOP CODDLING AND SNUGGLING WITH GM AND GET THESE MALIBUS RECALLED FOR STEERING SAFETY ISSUES. THEY ARE UNSAFE! I CAN SEE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ALSO NAMING YOU AS COMPLICITE. DO YOUR JOB AND QUIT SUCKING GM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10568948

Mileage unknown · Mar 9, 2014

Fuel System, GasolineCrash

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I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE GM STATING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM IE FUEL PUMP ON MY 2006 CHEVY MALIBU. THIS RECALL CAUTIONED THAT INTERMITTENT STALLING MAY CREATE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN VEHICLE. AS A RESULT I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS CONDITION CORRECTED ON THE DATE OF THE APPOINTMENT I ARRIVED WITH THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION AND WAS TURNED AWAY. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THIS WAS A LIMITED RECALL AND THE RECALL FOR REPAIR HAD EXPIRED. I WAS ADVISED OF THIS RECALL BY MY REGULAR MECHANIC WHILE IN FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE. IT WAS THEN THAT HE INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GM TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM WITH NOT CHARGE TO ME. BEFORE I HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THIS RECALL, MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT THAT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM IE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED ON THIS VEHICLE, AS A RESULT ANOTHER VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH MINE CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES AND POTENTIAL INJURY TO THE 2 OCCUPANTS OF MY VEHICLE. IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ACCIDENT I WILL HAVE TO GET EITHER A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND INSURANCE CLAIM INFORMATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS NECESSARY. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ODI #10568059

170,166 miles · Mar 5, 2014

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSE…

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NHTSA ODI #10567387

135,117 miles · Mar 3, 2014

Steering

WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED POWER STEERING APPEARED ACROSS THE RADIO AND ALSO LOSS OF POWER STEERING WAS A RESULT. SINCE THEN WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING WILL COME ACROSS THE RADIO AND ALSO A LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10566845

63,000 miles · Mar 3, 2014

Steering

I HAVE AN 06 MALIBU THAT LOST POWER STEERING FOR NO REASON I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME STEERING WAS EXTREMELY HARD I HAVE BEEN READING THE WEBSITE ABOUT RECALLS AND WAS WONDERING IF MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER THIS RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10566806

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)