2006 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,818 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 9 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 73/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 85,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2006 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“The power steering went out on the car as I was driving down the highway going 65 mph”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
“My car shuts off while driving. The low rpms will fluctuate and the power will turn off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
“Not sure when tank is full or not. Reads full when driving and empty light goes on when stop the car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
“Was driving on city street approaching an intersection when the vehicle loss power, steering, and abs brakes”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
“Lost power steering on acceleration onto highway several times over the last 2 weeks. Could not steer untill it reset at speeds of 50+ mph”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
“While driving the traction control light comes on and the engine turns off completely. When brought in to be looked at the system said that there was never a problem in the first place. We cant use heater or a/c without the car dying 100% of the time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,455 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 85,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 56,000 and 128,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (9)
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…
Fix: 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…
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010…
Fix: Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service…
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…
Fix: 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…
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available,…
TI AUTOMOTIVE IS RECALLING CERTAIN FUEL PUMPS, PART NUMBERS TU456 AND TU303, SOLD UNDER VARIOUS BRAND NAMES AS AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP MAY SEIZE, STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE…
Fix: TI AUTOMOTIVE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND WILL REPLACE ANY DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WITH A NEW OR REWORKED FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH CLOTH SEATS THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC AIR BAG PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM AND LATER REUPHOLSTERED WITH AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVER KITS ARE INVOLVED. TESTING HAS INDICATED THAT THE AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT…
Fix: BECAUSE A REPLACEMENT LEATHER SEAT COVER THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WILL REPURCHASE THESE VEHICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS STATED…
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THE TIRE LABEL TABLE SPECIFIED THE 15 INCH SPARE FOR THE FRONT DISC/REAR DRUM BRAKE SYSTEM AND IT SHOULD SPECIFY A 16 INCH SPARE…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE MAILED A CORRECTED LABEL WITH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS OR THE CUSTOMERS COULD HAVE THEIR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FOR THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2005. OWNERS MAY…
Technical service bulletins
767 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2006 Chevrolet Malibu drew 1,818 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 73/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2006 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu are steering (1,023 complaints), electrical (244), and fuel system (102).
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 85,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 56,000 and 128,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
9 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.