NHTSA Complaint #10548481 — 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

MY VEHICLE LOST ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ASSISTANCE WHEN BEING OPERATED IN AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE. THE VEHICLE GAVE AN AUDIBLE ALERT AND WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. BECAUSE THE PARKING GARAGE CONTAINED TIGHT CORNERS AND REQUIRED SLOW SPEED OPERATION, I COULD NOT SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE. THE NEXT DAY, THE EPS WORKED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THIS UNPREDICTABLE AND INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN 2006 MALIBU MAXX VEHICLES. IN FACT, CHEVROLET HAS EXTENDED WARRANTIES AND CONDUCTED SPECIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS TO SELECT 2006 MALIBU MAXX OWNERS TO REMEDY THE DEFECTIVE EPS. EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS OTHER VEHICLES DETERMINED TO BE DEFECTIVE, MY VEHICLE'S VIN FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE RANGE IDENTIFIED BY CHEVROLET. THE VIN RANGE IDENTIFIED BY CHEVROLET IS INSUFFICIENT. OWNERS LIKE MYSELF WHO OPERATE VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE VIN RANGE ARE NOT BEING ALERTED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DEFECTIVE STEERING COMPONENTS. THE EPS COMPONENTS ARE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE IN 2006 MALIBU MAXX VEHICLES AND SHOULD TO BE RECALLED. *TR