06 malibu. 2.2 starter wont engage and steering wheel wont lock.

The wheel (all theft and safety) locks are connected to other components. They are on shifter, brake, and steering wheel. Try putting vehicle in neutral and with foot on brake see if it will start like that. It may just be a little off for wheel, brake, and shifter to mesh and lock up. They all have a say in how it goes. If vehicle is on hill of any kind it can keep locks from going, if wheel is turned to odd spot, or lock from shifter is off, they can all keep system from locking up. Would guess that it is not starting because one of the neutral safety switches is not engaged and wheel lock is kind of a side affect of this also. If you can take key out of ignition but wheel is not locked there is clearly an issue with the lock up system. But the wheel lock points are not at every inch of wheel turn. Sometimes you turn vehicle off with wheel at a point a little off from one of the holes and you just turn wheel a bit and lock will engage. But try starting in neutral - try moving shifter all the way back and then into park (with brake pushed) and see if they will get back in sync. You may have to push / roll vehicle a little to get weight off shifter and wheel, but if shifter moves from park with no brake, or key comes out with no wheel lock (or with shifter not in park) something in the 3 way lock system has come out of sync.

Hi Beth usually when shifter is stuck there is a locking mechanism and keeps shifter from engaging unless brake is depressed to release the lock. If you hear a clicking sound when pedal is depressed then switch is probably ok and its probably the steering wheel lock. First try with your spare key to start the vehicle(old key may be worn ). If that doesn't do it then try with WD 40 a very little in ignition key hole or on the key work it slowly and see what happens. If none of these suggestions work its probably the steering wheel lock and that requires surgery. Keep me post best of luck

Usually turning the wheel one way or the other and holding it tight while trying the key works. Does the ignition turn?
You could try to jump the starter relay, if it is old style, visible round thing with two big wires from the battery and two little wires. Make sure the car is in park or neutral.

With your info about turning the wheel to get it to crank, sounds like it might be the ignition switch. But, without some testing its hard to know for sure based on your info.

Hi Aldene, Your vehicle seems too young to have a problem with a worn key so I suggest that the problem was related to the position of the steering wheel and the tongue of the locking mechanism. Sometimes when the lock engages it is under the load of the weight of the front wheels, if they are not in the straight ahead position. A small movement of the steering wheel is usually enough to release the steering lock. Regards John

Shake ya sterring wheel from side to side and try turning ya key. The lock could be stuck and needs to be freed up. This should do the trick.

Sounds like your linkage from your gearshift lever to your transmission is out of sync.

The Neutral safety switch in the Transmission is the problem. If it doesn't send the signal to the computer when it is in park it won't crank over. Replace the Neutral safety switch and the problem should be resolved. Make sure you check the linkage for proper adjustment if you have a center console shift. That doesn't actually connect directly to the transmission except through a linkage and it may show to be in park but not actually be fully engaging in park. Sometimes you can turn the lower part of the steering column by hand to get it to lock fully in park if this is the case with your situation then for sure it is the linkage being out of adjustment.

neutral safety switch on the driver side of the trans where the shift cable hooks up.

sounds like he broke neutral safety switch