2006 Chevrolet Malibu Reliability
The 2006 Chevrolet Malibu has 1,389 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Compared with nearby Malibu model years (2004–2008), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Malibu's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
1,389
NHTSA owner complaints
9
Recall campaigns
54
Complaints citing a crash
7
Complaints citing a fire
2006 Chevrolet Malibu complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 model year, filed between 2006 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,019 | 73% |
| Electrical system | 170 | 12% |
| Service brakes | 93 | 7% |
| Exterior lighting | 71 | 5% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 60 | 4% |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 56 | 4% |
| Fuel system | 48 | 3% |
| Speed control / throttle | 43 | 3% |
2006 Chevrolet Malibu recalls
9 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2006 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05V486000 | Oct 19, 2005 | Equipment — other / labels | 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… |
| 06V417000 | Oct 31, 2006 | Air bags — frontal | 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… |
| 09E012000 | Apr 7, 2009 | Exterior lighting | 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… |
| 11E009000 | Feb 28, 2011 | Fuel system — delivery / fuel pump | 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… |
| 14V153000 | Mar 31, 2014 | Steering — electric power assist system | 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, there… |
| 14V224000 | Apr 30, 2014 | Powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission | 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… |
| 14V252000 | May 14, 2014 | Electrical system — wiring | 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… |
| 14E044000 | Jul 21, 2014 | Steering | 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… |
| 15V064000 | Feb 4, 2015 | Steering — electric power assist system | 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… |
How the 2006 compares with nearby Malibu years
Verdicts compare these Malibu model years with each other.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,698 | 9 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2005 | 1,393 | 6 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2006 (this page) | 1,389 | 9 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2007 | 1,036 | 6 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2008 | 1,017 | 5 | Steering | Avoid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
- Steering: check for a steering warning light, heavy or notchy steering and clunks over bumps; power-steering faults show up at low speed.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Lights: check headlights (low and high), brake lights and turn signals; condensation inside the housings is worth noting.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 9 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2006 Chevrolet Malibu can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2006 Chevrolet Malibu reliability FAQ
Is the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2006 Chevrolet Malibu has 1,389 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Compared with nearby Malibu model years (2004–2008), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Malibu's typical year.
What are the most common 2006 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu are steering (1,019), electrical system (170), service brakes (93), exterior lighting (71). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, including 05V486000 (equipment — other / labels) and 06V417000 (air bags — frontal). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu compare with the 2005 and 2007 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2005 has 1,393 complaints and 6 recalls (avoid); the 2007 has 1,036 complaints and 6 recalls (avoid). The 2006 has 1,389 complaints and 9 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2006 Chevrolet Malibu?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Chevrolet Malibu research
Other Chevrolet Malibu model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2006 Malibu, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.