2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/14/2026

194Steering complaints

71.9%Of all 270 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING194 · 71.9%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM24 · 8.9%

POWER TRAIN16 · 5.9%

SERVICE BRAKES13 · 4.8%

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)12 · 4.4%

Share of the 270 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx overview page.

What owners report

“THIS HAS HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES BEFORE GM DID THE "CAMPAIGN" TO LESSEN THE AFFECT ON THE STEERING. NORMALLY WHILE ACCELERATING HARD AROUND A CORNER…”NHTSA complaint 10537124 — filed 08/25/2013

“I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY 06 MALIBU MAXX. WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE, I CANNOT GET MY SPEED UP NORMALLY. I HEAR DING, DING…”NHTSA complaint 10535902 — filed 08/17/2013

“THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SOMETIME NOW. I START MY VEHICLE UP TO GO, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE CAR LOSES ITS POWER STEERING(STEERING…”NHTSA complaint 10510214 — filed 05/01/2013

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx: 194 of 270 complaints on file (71.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx have in total?

270 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, 5 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.