Steering. Review the 667 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

37 crash reports2 fire reports25 injury reports

What owners actually said

977 reports

60,989 miles · Feb 20, 2014

Steering

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DRIVING ON FREEWAY STEERING OFF TO ACCESS ROAD,WHEN STEERING WHEEL STARTED ALTERNATING BETWEEN PULSATING AND LOCKING UP. MANAGED TO GEAR INTO SIDE OF ROAD.I WAS SCARED.CHECKED TIRES. I DID NOT HAVE A BLOW OUT. CALLED FAMILY AT THE HOSPITAL,WHERE MY MOM WAS DYING,TOLD THEM I WAS GOING BACK HOME.DROVE REAL SLOW WITH EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON.STEERING WHEEL WOULD START GYRATING AT TIMES.THOUGHT ALL IT NEEDED WAS AN ALIGNMENT.GOT A ESTIMATE IN ACCESS OF 700.00. ANOTHER GOOD MECHANIC STATED IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AS HE CHECKED IT WELL.WELL I GOT A BIG LEMON.P.S. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I PARKED IT FOR A LONG TIME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565140

130,000 miles · Feb 19, 2014

Steering

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THE PROBLEM STARTED AS A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN I WOULD TURN MY STEERING WHEEL. POWER STEERING WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT AND COME BACK UPON RESTARTING CAR. NOW IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS GONE AND IF IT DOES WORK IT GOES OUT AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, AFTER DINGING TO LET ME KNOW. AFTER HAVING MY CAR LOOKED AT I FOUND OUT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST MODULE COSTING ME ALMOST 1400.00 IN REPAIRS FOR A FAULTY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I AM LEGITIMATELY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL '05, '06, AND '07 MALIBU DRIVERS. THIS IS SO UNSAFE. I'VE COME CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT 5 TIMES NOW DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS THE WOMAN SAID THAT THEY CHANGED THE POWER STEERING ON ALL MALIBU'S AFTER '07 THIS TELLS ME THEY KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM BUT JUST DON'T CARE. THEY ALSO OFFERED TO HELP PAY FOR THE FIX WITH THEIR 70,000 MILE/5 YEAR WARRANTY, BUT WON'T RECALL THE PARTS OR VEHICLE AND MOST FAIL AROUND OR AFTER 100,000 MILES. THIS IS UNJUST AND DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVERS OF THESE CARS BUT ALSO TO EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565026

167,000 miles · Feb 19, 2014

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

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FIRST NOTICED ISSUE WHEN LEAVING DENTIST OFFICE AND I STARTED CAR , TRIED TO BACK OUT AND STEERING DIDN'T WORK. I COULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, LIKE HAVING NO POWER STEERING BUT WORSE. SO I TURNED OFF CAR AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THEN THE POWER/ ELECTRONIC STEERING WORKED. THEN TWO DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 114 GOING TO WORK EARLY MORNING, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF ME DRIVING THE STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD SOME OLD CARS WHERE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND I HAD TO "MUSCLE" THE STEERING SO I DID THAT THE REMAINDER OF THE WAY TO WORK. GOOD THING I AM PHYSICALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO DO THAT OR I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. GOT TO WORK CUT CAR OFF AND STARTED IT BACK AND THE STEERING RETURNED. I NOTICE NO RECALLS FOR THE 2007 MALIBU AND DEALERSHIP WAY MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD TO FIX. DID HAVE ANOTHER LICENSED MECHANIC REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM AND ELECTRONIC STEERING AND SO FAR SO GOOD. HOWEVER THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MY COST FOR A DEFECTIVE SYSTEM IN THE MALIBU WHERE A LOT OF OTHER MODELS GOT RECALLS BUT NOT THE 2007. I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED MY FUNDS TO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10564972

130,135 miles · Feb 14, 2014

Steering

TURNED THE CAR ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. A FEW HOURS LATER I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND IT WORKED FINE. HAVE TURNED IT ON A FEW MORE TIMES SINCE AND EVERY TIME THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN OUT AND THE MESSAGE ON THE RADIO HAS COME UP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10564306

184,000 miles · Feb 12, 2014

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE UNTIL AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND ONCE RESTARTED, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 184,000.

NHTSA ODI #10564018

121,000 miles · Feb 1, 2014

Steering

THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON THE RADIO INTERMITTENTLY, THEN I HEAR THE ALERT AND A CLICK IN MY STEERING WHEEL AND THEN I LOSE POWER STEERING. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10562487

149,500 miles · Jan 29, 2014

Steering

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY,I HEARD A DINGING NOISE. I LOOKED AT THE AUDIO DISPLAY AND IT SAID POWER STEERING. IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. ONCE I SHUT IT OFF,IT RESET AND THINGS SEEMED NORMAL. A WEEK AND A HALF LATER IT DID THE SAME THING AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESET IT ONCE MORE. IT HAS HAPPENED EVERY TIME I HAVE TURNED THE CAR ON SINCE. I HAVE NOTICED THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS FOR SAME MAKE, MODEL, DIFFERENT YEAR AND YET NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE DRIVING THE 2007. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT COULD RANGE FROM $600.00-$1,200.00 DEPENDING ON WHAT THE"CODE"READ. I CANT AFFORD THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THEM NOT TO GUARANTEE A FIX. I DRIVE OVER 40 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK A DAY AND WOULD LIKE SOME ASSURANCE I CAN MAKE IT THERE AND HOME SAFELY. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10562111

101,000 miles · Jan 29, 2014

Steering

THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING WITH NO PRIOR NOTICE CAUSING THE CAR TO BE VERY HARD TO DRIVE AND UNSAFE. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ELECTRICT POWER STEERING. THE 2005, 2006 AND 2008 MALIBUS HAVE HAD RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT THE 2007?? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10562060

134,000 miles · Jan 24, 2014

Steering

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO SHUT OFF AND RESTART THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO RESET THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10561360

100,000 miles · Jan 23, 2014

Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SENSOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE POWER STEERING ASSIST SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE POWER STEERING DEFECT WAS INTERMITTENT BUT THE DE…

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NHTSA ODI #10561199

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)