Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving on I95 the major highway my cars steering wheel started to shake and I heard like a popping noise then, a bell or chime rang and the information center read POWER STEERING. Suddenly the steering wheel was hard,I was taken by surprise, and almost went into the other lane. Thank God my son was with me he helped me get onto the first exit off the highway while other cars were speeding by. The next day I looked on the internet for any other people who had the same problem and I found out about the recall, called Chevrolet and spoke to the information about the recall and was told that the original owner had the work done and I was not eligible for any kind of help. …
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. …
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 started losing steering when I accelerated. Then the vehicle security system would t allow me to take the gear out of park then the car suddenly stopped working all together and all the lights on dash flash, the radio says power steering loss, the steering wheel starts moving back and forth all on its own, the vehicle dies and fries the alternator and won't start.
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
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 10 MPH around a curve, the brakes did not respond and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when depressed. The traction control light became illuminated and the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained an injury to the right arm that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 161,000.
I do not recall exact accident date as I received nothing from insurance. Car was placed in park and turned off. Car had been parked and sitting for 30 minutes. Car came out of park and rolled into another parked car causing damage to that vehicle and to my vehicle.I do not think it went into park to start with. My insurance covered repair of the other vehicle and I repaired my own vehicle. My insurance told me that they would contact Chevrolet concerning accident. Later I noticed my insurance had listed this as a moving violation and raised my insurance. I have contacted my insurance concerning this as this was not a moving violation. I was not driving nor was I in the car and this seemed to involved a recall. I will report my insurance to the state insurance commission to look into this matter has I should not be punished for this problem. …
If you think GM had a big problem with the ignition switches here is a bigger one. I have owned GM since 1972 and have always found that the delco batteries are the best. You could go 8 to 8 1/2 years before you needed to replace the battery because an internal plate would separate from the bank of plates. But something changed in the 1990s.I have had two delco batteries do this and I read about a man in florida that died in his car because it happened to him. Your get in your vehicle, start the engine, put the car in gear, the door locks activate, and the engine quits. You put the car back in park, and try starting the vehicle again, nothing !! All electrical circuits are dead. The positive battery cable and post have seperated from the battery. To get out of the car you have to trip the manual door locks. …
I have owned my 2006 Chevy Malibu since later 2018. It is now nov 1st 2020. A few months after I got the vehicle I had issues. I have had all recalls replaced by fredericksburg virginia Chevy dealership (they say that they did?) the entire time I have owned this vehicle the steering vibrates at high speeds. Also the entire time I've owned this car, when I speed up any hills my steering locks up my battery light comes on and the car pulls to the left or right depending. This is extremely unsafe! Dealer didn't know what could cause it. I learned to immediately take my foot off the gas and the steering goes back to normal. This is not easy on a curvy hill road. This can cause a serious wreck. I have a 10 month old baby. This is frightening if it one day it doesn't fix by taking my foot off the pedal. Now my steering is stiff and is so hard to turn when driving at slow speed. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the recall repair was performed for NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), but it did not repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer because the brake lights illuminated constantly. The contact was experiencing an electrical failure with the driver side brake light not illuminating. The contact attempted to use the charger for the phone and the GPS, but there was no electric current to charge the gadgets. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer more than three times and they were not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. The contact stated that they replaced the fuses several times, but the failures recurred. …
Electrical complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 142 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, 13% of the model year's 1,117 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.