NHTSA Complaint #11072094 — 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

RECALL 14116, STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR WAS PERFORMED 1 APRIL 2016 AT 37560 MILES. ON APPROX. 1-05-18, AT APPROX. 76000 MILES, THE STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY RESULTING IN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS LESS THAN 2 YEARS AFTER THE RECALL REPLACEMENT. UPON DIAGNOSIS TECHNICIANS FOUND THAT THE STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR AND THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED. THE MOTOR CONTROL MODULE PROBABLY FAILED DUE TO INCREASED STRESS ON THE SYSTEM DUE TO THE TORQUE SENSOR HAVING FAILED. THE REPAIR SHOP HAD TWO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS FOR THE MOTOR CONTROL MODULE FAIL OUT OF THE BOX BEFORE A GOOD ONE WAS PROVIDED, AND BOTH UNITS HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY TESTED AND ADJUSTED BEFORE ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE WAS REACHED. BASED ON THE HISTORY OF THESE TYPE FAILURES IT IS APPARENT THAT GM HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. IT COST $747.36 FOR PARTS, AND $234.00 LABOR FOR THE REPAIR, NOT INCLUDING TAX. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT GM IS NOT ACTUALLY CORRECTING THE APPARENT DESIGN ISSUES WITH THESE SYSTEMS, BUT IS CONTINUING TO USE THEM IN VEHICLES EVEN WITH THEIR HISTORY OF FAILURE. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFERED NO HELP AT ALL FOR THE COST OF THIS REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEIR PARTS APPEAR TO BE DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAD MADE THE RECALL CORRECTIONS AT NO COST ONCE AND WOULD NOT DO IT AGAIN. YET THE OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS FAILED REPEATEDLY OUT OF THE BOX. IT SEEMS THAT GM SHOULD HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY AS THEY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS THAT APPEARS TO FAIL REPEATEDLY..