Model year guide

2006 Chevrolet Malibu

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 209 on record.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2006 Chevrolet Malibu at a glance

Safety recalls9
Owner complaints1,385
Combined22 mpg
Typical price$2,856

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu recalls 9

Electrical System:wiring NHTSA Campaign #14V252000 · 14/05/2014

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 manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicle…

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 will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim le…

Steering:electric Power Assist System NHTSA Campaign #14V153000 · 31/03/2014

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 may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

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, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin …

Steering:electric Power Assist System NHTSA Campaign #15V064000 · 04/02/2015

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 vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

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 Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an exp…

Power Train:automatic Transmission NHTSA Campaign #14V224000 · 30/04/2014

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 vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007,…

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 at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.

Steering NHTSA Campaign #14E044000 · 21/07/2014

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 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a prema…

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 at 1-800-523-2492.

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump NHTSA Campaign #11E009000 · 28/02/2011

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 CREATING A STALLING CONDITION.

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 TI AUTOMOTIVE AT 1-866-867-3759 OR LOG ON TO WWW.RECALLRESPONSE.COM.

Exterior Lighting NHTSA Campaign #09E012000 · 07/04/2009

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 STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

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.

Equipment:other:labels NHTSA Campaign #05V486000 · 19/10/2005

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 TIRE SIZE.

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 CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

Air Bags:frontal NHTSA Campaign #06V417000 · 31/10/2006

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 COVERS CAN CAUSE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION.

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 IN GM'S LETTER TO OWNERS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT GM AT 1-877-…

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 1,385 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Steering
Steering should be tight and centered — no play, clunks or wandering. Test at low and highway speed; listen for power-steering whine.
Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Service Brakes
Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu 4-DR. w/SAB. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu MPG & running costs

Combined22 mpg
City19 mpg
Highway27 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,817

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu worth?

Low
$1,200
Typical price
$2,856
High
$4,700

From 206 comparable 2006 Chevrolet Malibu listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$14,085
Depreciation (5 yrs)$1,600
Total$15,685
Per mile$0.21

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($2,856) with the same model 5 model-years older ($1,247), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2006 Chevrolet Malibu trims & engines on record

Trims
LT · LS · LS Fleet · SS · LTZ · Base LS
Engines
3.5L 6-cyl · 2.2L 4-cyl 170 hp · 3.9L 6-cyl

2006 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles on record

Other Chevrolet Malibu model years

2006 Chevrolet Malibu — frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls for the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu?

Based on 1,385 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are steering, electrical system, service brakes.

What is the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu crash-test ratings of frontal 5★, side 5★ (out of 5; this model year pre-dates NHTSA's overall score).

What gas mileage does the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu at about 22 mpg combined (19 city / 27 highway).

How much is a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu worth?

Comparable 2006 Chevrolet Malibu listings run roughly $1,200–$4,700, typically around $2,856 (from 206 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.