NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The power steering went out on the car as I was driving down the highway going 65 mph
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The power steering failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with STRG shaft torque failure. The contact was informed that the STRG shaft torque needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to contact the dealer. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the recall repair was performed in 2015. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. There were three audible dings with the message "Power Steering" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact reset the steering wheel and the battery, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power steering warning light appeared then steering wheel tightened while slowing down to make a turn into my apartment. This occured two times in 3 weeks.
My power steering goes in and out as I'm driving depending on the speed. I have trouble swerving if needed because the power steering is not working correctly all the time.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was pushed back into the parking space. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated that the steering gear was previously replaced due to a similar failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
I purchased this car about a month ago in April of 2025 as of today June 2025 I have lose my power steering it’s so hard to turn and I’ve called the dealership and they told me the car has already been fixed for the recall and it was odviously not because the problem is still present!
MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT CAUSING WHEEL TO BE TIGHT AND HARD TO TURN.
My electric power steering has gonna out then came back and now its not working. There's been a recall for that on my so not sure if my car is available.
Steering got stiff and hard to turn and it shakes while idle
No incident yet but will happen if not recalled and fixed. My EPS keeps going out while driving and will yank the steering wheel hard in either direction at any given time. Uncontrollable
The contact's granddaughter owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the "Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact replaced the electronic power steering fuse; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.
the tire rods, front axle and transmission all collapsed while driving. now the vehicle is at an auction ready for a resell? Igot robbed by my insurance company and car company i was paying them, what worries me the most is that mopar salvage yard is putting this unsafe vehicle up for auction because of the motor? I'm being told all of this by someone else. the front tire went sideways , the front wheels is what saved my life? If this vehicle resells in any way shape or form, somebodies death is in your hands. traction contol stayed on all the time, the steering suspension system locked up sterring wheel, the malibu would accellerate upbto 70 80 miles, unvoluntarily. all the recalls ya'll found were on the car, several recalls were fixed, yet when the tire rod front axle all broke at one time, the tranmission got affected too. insurance claim 24-918702376, progressive ins. santander consumer u.s.a.
I recently acquired this 2006 Chevy Malibu that belonged to my parents. It only has 29K miles on it to date. It is mint inside and out, and has been well taken care of in regard to routine maintenance. Looking through repair records I see a pattern of various power steering issues with this vehicle. The car was purchased new in 8/2006, then in 4/2009 the power steering shaft had to be replaced at the dealership. The recall in 2014 was also power steering related and was repaired at the dealership. Fast forward to the present. This vehicle now had the electronic power steering module fail - causing the steering to not work - making the car not drivable. I had it towed to a mechanic who performed an inspection and noted the electronic power steering module needed to be replaced. After 2 weeks, they confirmed no parts were available and it was best to try and deal with GM directly. I opened a case with them #9-14673786524 regarding this part and they would only work with a certified dealer so it was towed to the original dealer it was purchased at that has all of these repair records on file. As of today, it has been sitting at the dealership since 2/28 waiting on this part with no ETA in site. I feel GM should have included this with the other recall. It's pretty obvious the power steering in this year and model has serious failure issues. Had it been getting driven more - it most likely may have failed a lot sooner while it was being driving on the road - and who knows what sort of accident this may have caused. GM doesn't seem to see it that way and keeps telling me the vehicle is old - There are plenty of old vehicles on the road - so I think it's irrelevant to keep bringing up the age when the poor power steering is the issue at hand. I want to have the vehicle fixed and I think GM should be held accountable for everything. Please help because nobody is helping me at all at this point.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering assist assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 204,000.
Steering wheel very stiff after driving 70 miles an hour Sometimes very stiff when vehicle is started.
Sent the car to fix recalls and they said it has another problem and want to charge to fix the steering recall N140772 problem. They said is not free.... Do not know if the other recalls were repaired.
My steering wheel began moving back and forth on its own. This happened both while I was driving and while idling.
Steering wheel stop working and dealer do not fix it. 15V064 Recall
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. The contact was able to get through the turn and stated that the steering functionality had resumed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was reoccurring. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering). The contact stated that the recall repair was performed in 2015. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
While son is driving down the road the power steering goes out and an alarms sounds saying the Power Steering is out. We can turn the vehicle off and turn it back on and the power steering comes back. Happens about 2 times a week.
in 2014 there was a GM safety recall #[XXX] to replace Torque sensor assembly on electric power steering. Recall was completed by GM. Now, the electric power steering has failed again with the same warning signals that GM originally advised would happen. Issue has been diagnosed as failure of the power steering assist motor. In two separate conversations with GM one with (Sam) & another with (Chasity), GM case #[XXX], one says repair should be covered by GM & the other says it will not be covered. The NHTSA campaign ID # for this recall is [XXX]. Requesting that NHTSA help me get to the bottom of this situation. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The power steering goes out when making a slight turn, an alarm on the dash sounds
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering was seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was independently turned off. The contact's son was able to get the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering wheel torque input sensor. The contact was informed that the steering wheel torque input sensor needed to be replaced. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000(Steering) however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Opened my trunk two days ago and the carpet on the driver side was soaked, as well as the carpeted panel that covers the spare tire. The panel is warped and moldy. I removed my spare tire, to find that my jack was completely rusted out, along with a pool of water in the bottom of my trunk. I then put my back seats down and could see the metal beneath them was also rusted out. Apparently, it’s been leaking for some time. I then proceeded to clean the rest of my car out, and found my rear and front driver side floor boards were also soaked. I do not know where any of the water is coming from but I believe it’s causing electrical components to fail in my vehicle, such as: Doors won’t lock or unlock using the lock switch inside the car Driver door won’t look or unlock using switch inside car or remote Power mirrors only move up and down, not side to side Half of the controls on radio don’t work and it doesn’t display all the info that should be available Radio does not turn off after turning off ignition and opening driver door and removing key Power outlets stay on after car is off
Each time I’m driving my vehicle, I’ll hear a ding, ding, ding and my power steering will stop working. This seems to happen, most times, immediately after starting my car, while backing up. I did have it happen once, while in the middle of turning onto the road. Each time this happens, I must put the car in park, turn it off and restart it.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to turn independently, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the electronic power steering control module and steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
While driving, the power steering stopped working and I couldn’t turn the wheel. This will be the 2nd time in 7 months that I will have had to replace the electrical power steering
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was in reverse(R), the steering wheel began shaking. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions, while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the power steering pump and another unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
While driving the power steering message came on screen. And all electrical power steering assist stopped working. Had to use all my strength just to turn the steering wheel.
Power steering will suddenly go out while driving, making it harder to maintain control of the vehicle. The car dings three times and then it goes out. The only way to reengage is to turn the car off and back on. At first it was intermittent and has progressively become worse. It seems the same thing that was recalled years ago is happening again with these cars
The electric power steering went out while I was driving. I will not be able to send the part in for inspection until it gets replaced. My safety and others were at risk because it made it really difficult to change lanes which could've resulted in a crash. The problem hasn't been reproduced on my vehicle specifically, but has been produced on enough vehicles to have a recall issued. There weren't any warnings prior to the power steering going out. Just a beep and a warning on the radio display as it went out. My vehicle was manufactured in May of 2006 but want recalled, although the affected vehicles were made from April - June 2006. This is the second one that has gone out on me and there is still no recall for my vehicle. First one happened October of 2020, got it fixed then the second one went out November of 2023.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,000.
There are many recalls for the year make and model of my vehicle. They just didn't recall my exact vin. The breaks are recalled, air bags were recalled and they were buying back the vehicles, the fuel delivery system was recalled, headlights were recalled, cruise control was recalled, steering column and yoke was recalled, and a few more. None were recalled for my vin number when it should have been. I took my car to the dealership today, Chevrolet did a few things under "warranty" instead of issuing a safety recall. (They issued 10 recalls on this year make and model) (one recall was the air bags, my vehicle is doing the same thing). The fuel delivery system and fuel pump was recalled but not on my vin number. I just really need help getting my car repaired. I cannot afford to fix all of this when there's records dating back to the purchase of the vehicle, showing that there are problems and Chevrolet neglectfully didn't recall it and instead tried to brush it off as a warranty instead of safety recall. My car leaks gas, the steering it messed up, headlights no longer work due to the electrical issue, the instrument cluster was damaged due to the ecm issue, there's just so many problems... My car could potentially catch fire for the fuel leak, carbon monoxide smell, electrical wiring and the air bags could potentially deploy.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an alarm sounded, and the message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road to restart the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Another local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering); however, the contact stated that the vehicle was never repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Dashboard cluster is not working properly and now I am getting and loud noise when I go to make or a slight turn
I had my 5 year old in the back seat we had just left gymnastics. I was about to pull out on to state route 87 and my car just stops running. Everything shut down, no power steering, was hard to brake, and engine stopped. The dashboard lit up with all the lights anti-theft, oil, traction control, engine. I couldn't get it to turn over and when I tried it made no noise at all. I was in a dangerous spot about to pull out into oncoming traffic. Luckily there was a gentleman in a truck whose child was also at gymnastics and pulled me into a driveway with his truck to keep me and my child safe as we waited on a tow. This car also started having power steering problems early this year, I took it to a good mechanic who replaced the power steering lines and fixed what ever could be causing a leak/ power steering problems. I don't drive my car a lot, just in town usually, and after a few weeks the power steering is all messed up again (which there is a recall on the power steering issue for this year, make, and model but does not appear to include my VIN). Today this scary and dangerous incident mentioned above, when my car just stopped with no warning, happened to me and my five year old.
Good afternoon. The electrical power system has gone out of the vehicle. It was recalled in 2015 for this same issue and it was serviced in 2015 but it’s still having the same issue. Whenever I’m driving, the steering wheel just completely locks up on me and the EPS goes out completely making it extremely difficult to steer. This happened as my wife and I were turning away from Cannon AFB, NM where we’re stationed and during the outward turn, the steering locked up making me go onto oncoming traffic. Luckily there wasn’t a vehicle directly in front of me. I called a GM dealer and they said it is not covered under warranty because the recall is no longer active.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to pull over, but the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to pull over, shut off and restart the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The failure mileage was 241,000.
The contact stated that his daughter owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his daughter was attempting to drive out of a parking spot the steering wheel was hard to maneuver. The power steering wheel warning light illuminated. The contact was unaware if the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic or a dealer for diagnosis. The contact stated that his daughter informed him that the diagnosis was a malfunction with the power steering assist that needs replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The daughter was also informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering) however the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that his daughter called the manufacturer who confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power steering goes in and out
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to shake and vibrate. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over and turned the vehicle off and on and regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to a recall that had been completed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering functionality, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Random power steering loss that happens more often in the winter. There is a recall on my model vehicle for power steering loss but not my particular VIN. I think Chevy needs to widen the range of vehicles since I am experiencing this problem as well.
Power steering assistance fails at random times. The DIC does show "POWER STEERING" warning when it happens. Also, when parked, the steering wheel will jerk slightly left and right a few times on its own. The power steering usually fails after this, too.
The power steering for my Malibu max has stopped working. The steering wheel shakes, it also locks and won't allow you to turn its wheel. The part that it needs is called power steering assist motor. There's been many recalls on this car about the same issue. There's been an incident where I almost had a collision because of this problem unexpectedly which was the last time I've used my car since. Please let me know how I can get a recall for my car issue since my VIN # isnt listed Thank you.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel failed to turn left or right. The vehicle continued to move forward. The power steering assist fault light was illuminated. The contact had to push the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her about a power steering sensor failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The power steering is randomly going out, no way to predict. This was a recall issue several years ago, which I had repaired at the dealership (when I did not have the issue), and now the issue is happening. Current diag says I need the Torque position sensor and power steering motor and module
When steering under power on acceleration or under a turn, the steering locks up and lose control of my car. This even happens anytime i raised the engine rpm up. Found out the previous ownwe was in an accident because of this. The had 20, 000 miles on it when i bought it in 2021.very dangerous. I want chevy to fix my car at no cost to me
Car randomly stalls due to the Anti-theft system and I have to go thru this 30 minute thing turn the key to on position and off for 10 minutes three times and sometimes that doesn't work so I have to get a tow ,last time it didn't work and now my car has been in my parking lot for three weeks still trying the Anti-theft thing , and this is something a lot of gm owners are having it's very unsafe,when it dies out of nowhere you lose power steering and brakes, and on highway very scary.concern owner.