Side/window Air Bag Problems of Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph a second vehicle crashed into the front end of the vehicle. During the crash the top section of the front passenger side seat belt malfunctioned and did not secure the passenger causing the passenger to make contact with the front windshield. Also, both the front driver and passenger side airbags did not immediately deploy upon impact. The front passenger sustained bruising of the bottom torso, back, neck and head injuries. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 96,336.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the front passenger side airbag system sensor light had remained illuminated indicating that the passenger air bag system was faulty. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer dave white Chevrolet(5880 monroe st. , sylvania OH) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 87,000. Jft.

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Tamara recall of driver side airbag deploying. Barely bumped someone from behind going under 5mph & both driver side airbags deployed.

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Passenger side airbag sensor activates even though there is no passenger. Radio shorts and turns off for no apparent reason.

(dyd dealer info) tl- the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the driver and a front passenger had been seated in the seats, the vehicle was started and with no warning the side air bags on both sides inadvertently deployed with force. In addition, another air bag in the ceiling deployed as well. An unknown substance emitted into the interior of the vehicle. The insurance company was notified of the failure and the manufacturer to determine the cause of the failure. There were no injuries reported. The contact was waiting for the manufacturer to diagnose and provide a solution to repair the vehicle. The contact was uncertain if high humidity was a factor. The failure mileage was not available.

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On Friday, 19 may 2017 at approximately 9:15 pm I was driving westbound on thunderbird road and 84th avenue in peoria, arizona while operating my white in color 2009 Chevrolet Malibu at forty mph when all of a sudden, I heard a loud bang, saw a flash of light and smelled a fire. Instantly, shrapnel flew throughout the car and my seatbelt tightened. The first thing I thought was have I been shot or is my car on fire? I immediately lost my hearing for several minutes and had pain on the left side of my chest. My passenger curtain side airbags had deployed suddenly and without notice. The airbag failure mileage was 62,000. (photographs attached) I was in shock, I didn't know if I was hurt or what had happened. I was right near my home and the car could still drive, so I went the couple of blocks home. I pulled into the driveway, turned off the car, and carefully took off my seatbelt. I went inside to the mirror to examine my body, to see how hurt I was. I wasn't bleeding, but it felt like I had been burned, my chest was stinging and I had burns and welts on my chest that were approximately three inches in length and two inches wide. I was very concerned so I then took a shower to wash the chemicals and whatever had flown throughout the vehicle off of my body. (photographs attached) **time sensitive - I need to make a decision on what to do by December 14th-.

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The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 40 mph making a right turn, the contact struck another vehicle. The driver and passenger side air bags deployed, but failed to fill up. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,000.

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The contact owned a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu classic. While driving approximately 30 mph over a bump, the front driver and passenger side air bags deployed without impact to the vehicle. The air bag released into the contact's face and caused him to crash into a parked, unoccupied vehicle. The contact suffered from swelling to the face and mouth area that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was unavailable.

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2010 chevy Malibu lt2. . Apx 76,000 miles. . **side air bag problems** I was pulling out of a parking lot going about maybe 10 mph and all of a sudden I hear a big like "gunshot" sound it was smokey and like a powder residue in the car causing me to cough a little and it felt as I got in a accident or hit something. My side airbag deployed for no reason there is no damage to my driver side or anything . . I am traumatized and just have minor injuries such as back pain, for a minute my head was spinning and I had a headache. . I was just so confused as to what had just happened. It happened so quick thank god I wasn't going fast because it could have been a lot worse. To make even matters worse my 5 year old son was in back glad he was safe. Gm really need to look into this major safety issue and address it correctly. Now I'm out of a car basically until I hear back from them.

Tl-the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parked and entering the vehicle the driver left side air bag deployed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the pressure sensor for the seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the notification. The failure mileage was 81,735. The VIN number was not provided. Ng.

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The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu. While the vehicle was at a complete stop, the front passenger and driver side air bags deployed without warning and shattered the front passenger side of the windshield. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,751.

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Passenger side air bag will not reset itself.

Airbags and side airbags didn't deploy, steering locked up and wheel separated form axel.

The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the front driver side air bag deployed while exiting the highway and traveling less than 20 mph. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who scheduled an inspector to diagnose the failure. The contact indicated that the inspector could not confirm if there was a defect with the air bags. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.

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I have several complaints about this car that I believe to be manufacturer defects. The most serious issue I found today (4/19/2014) when I smelled gas outside of my car. Upon looking underneath my car I found my gas tank leaking onto my exhaust pipe. I consider this to be a recall issue because there is absolutely no damage to the undercarriage of my car. One of the other serious issues I have found with my car include a brake light issue. My car was occasionally showing a "service traction/ esc" error code, which could not be explained by any mechanic or even a chevy dealership themselves. It wasn't until a friend following me pointed out that my brake lights didn't seem to be working right, did I realize I was having an issue. The brake lights do the exact opposite of what they should, but only on the occasions said error code is showing. I looked into the issue online and found this to be a common problem. Chevy has not been able to give me a solution to this problem. The third major safety issue I'd like to point out, I know from experience is not exclusive to my car. When I sit in the passenger seat of my Malibu, among every Malibu I have ever been, the passenger side airbag does not turn on. I am 26 and weigh 94lbs, so I don't know if my size is the reason I do not engage the airbag!? the final defect I had to deal with involved my driver side rim. I had a tiny little hair line crack on the inside of my rim, causing me to loose a lot of air in my tire. I consider this a manufacturer defect because my rim was not damaged in any other way shape or form. I had a hard time obtaining a new rim, because (according to everyone I called) the rim was in high demand. Please look into these issues and consider adding them to gm's current recall list. Thank you for reviewing my concerns. . . Updated 04-23-14.

While driving at 10mph after making a left hand turn my curtain side airbag on the drivers side deployed. There were luckily no injuries. The car filled with smoke, and my ear was ringing for 1 week. My hip was sore for a few days from the drivers seat airbag that deployed also. The road was clear, no pot holes, no rain. Snow or ice. It was a residential street. After supposedly investigating gm has not discovered any mechanical reason for the deployment. They retrieved all the information from the sdm and have stated that they want to purchase my vehicle back to research further. I am currently using a loaner car from the dealership near my home. Gm has still not offered me a good enough settlement for me to purchase a new car.

On several occasions I received a message on the console "power steering" and could not turn the wheel. I would be in a parked position or pulling out (in reverse) of a parking spot. I would turn the car off and back on and the message would go away. Also I got a message regarding the passenger side air bag was not working. This would happen each time I would start the car and it would stay on.

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Driving on straight road and car suddenly pulled right onto the shoulder. It felt like the car lost its steering capacity. Tried to correct the steering onto the road and then car spun 180, then hit ditch. Car rolled over 100 ft. In air and landed on wheels. The front, nor side air bags deployed even when car struck the side on the ground. Canada has recalled 67,000 vehicles due to power steering motor control module defective. Gm needs to recall these in the us before someone gets killed. (it almost killed us if we didn't have our seatbelts on!).

While driving the passenger side air bags turn off even with a passenger in the seat and it deactivates and activates intermittently throughout the course of driving. Dealership unable to duplicate the problem when servicing so I don't know if I actually have air bags when passengers are present. I was told the control module for the air bags may be bad, seems like this is a serious safety issue that somebody should be addressing.

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First noticed a crease in rear seat side airbags caused by rear door panel resting on it rather than having clearance. After the door had been opened/closed through use over a period of only 6 months, it is beginning to rub a possible hole in the material containing the airbag. Dealership service manager had never seen before and subsequent check of some new Malibus still on the lot revealed that almost all had some sort of indication of the same problem. Don't know what will happen if material on airbag is breached with a hole.

I was driving to work April 10th & I was side swipe by an 18 wheeler dump truck starting on my driver side passenger door. My front end was hit by the nose of the dump truck, I was spun 180 degrees slammed into a school bus to which the truck squashed me up against the bus dragged me up the q bridge leaving me there with no air bags deployed or onstar alert! my concern is I have front & side airbags & I am not sure why none of them went off. My car was towed away & I was unable to drive it away & is now totaled!.

My auto going thru green light intersection-struck on passenger side by auto who ran red light-damaged both passenger side doors (both replaced)-other auto doing approx 45mph -did $8000 damage to my car-right side air bag did not inflate.

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The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the driver's side air bag inadvertly deployed without any impact to the vehicle. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of th road. The contact sustained minor injuries to the shoulder, arm and leg. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

I stopped at the gas station to put some air in the tires, and when I got out and closed the door, both the driver side and passenger side airbags deployed. I am thankful that I was not sitting in the car when they just erroneously deployed.

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The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the front driver's side curtain air bag unexpectedly deployed. As a result, the contact sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but the failure was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the dealer was awaiting a response from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 30,000.

The passenger side air bag shows off when the seat is occupied. All passengers are 110 lb and above. This happens less than half the time. My mother has a 2007 equinox with the same problem. The local dealership worked on it and then replaced the seat sensor but after a short time it started again, about three quarters of the time it shows off.

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the side curtain air bag independently deployed. The vehicle immediately stalled. The contact sustained an eye injury due to the air bags deploying and was transported to the hospital. The manufacturer advised that they were aware of the issue and advised that the vehicle should be left with the dealer. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer advised the dealer to maintain possession of the vehicle because they could not locate the failure. The contact believed the failure to be a manufacturing defect and they should be held liable for the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu lt. While driving with a passenger, the front and passenger side air bags would not engage. The air bag on light should have illuminated once the seats were occupied. The dealer advised that the vehicle was operating as designed. The dealer advised that the passenger would have to be at least 105-115 pounds before the air bag would activate, according to safety standards, and the passenger was only 100 pounds. The dealer advised he would have an engineer investigate the vehicle further. The engineer also advised that the vehicle was operating as designed. The failure mileage was 1,000 and the current mileage was 6,400. Updated 10/21/10. Updated 10/25/10.

The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu LS. The contact stated that while driving about 25 mph her daughter was involved in an accident. There was damage to the drivers front and passenger side. None of the air bags deployed at the time of the crash. Now the contacts driver side air bag compartment is cracked and the air bag seemed as if it would deploy. The vehicle had not been taken to an authorized dealership but the manufacturer sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle; the manufacturer offered no further assistance at the time of the complaint. The current mileage is approximately 90,094. Updated 10/14/jb.

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. While the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was struck on the driver's side by another vehicle driving at a relatively high speed. The crash caused $4,000 worth of damage and the side air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained moderate injuries, including several contusions and bruising. The dealer stated that a defective air bag sensor prevented the air bags from deploying. The contact has pictures of the incident after the failure, and is waiting for a copy of the police report. The failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 51,000.

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The passenger side air bag "off" light remains on when passenger weight is approximately 120 pounds or less. The "off" light will turn off when a heavier person is in the front passenger seat. The dealer said, after I bought the car, that the weight setting was not adjustable. Chevrolet and gm customer support on the internet was not helpful. The vehicle is used infrequently and seldom with a passenger. Current mileage is 17,000 miles. The dealer contacted their district office on 2/5/2015 and he said that the district office told him that the condition was within design parameters. The district office confirmed that when the "off" light is on that the air bag will not work. This is a safety hazard for lightweight adults and children who are riding in the passenger seat.

The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Malibu. While turning into the parking lot at an unknown speed, the tire struck the curve and the passenger side air bag deployed. Approximately five minutes later, the driver side air bag deployed. The weather was sunny and the streets were dry. The contact feels that this was a safety issue because he could have been seriously injured. A police report was filed. The failure caused the windshield to shatter. The contact sustained a concussion and was rushed to the emergency room. The failure mileage was unknown.

My 2006 chevy Malibu ltz was totaled in a 3 car accident. No front or side air bags were deployed. The point of impact was front driver side and head on front end. My vehicle was towed from the scene of the accident and was totaled, so how can it be that no air bags were deployed? I have a report from gm that said that the air bags functioned as designed. Makes no sense! please help!.

The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu sedan. While driving 30 mph, she crashed into a dirt mound and blacked out. When the driver side air bag deployed, the steering wheel was detached. There was smoke and some flames present around the steering wheel. The driver was able to regain consciousness, smelled smoke and stopped the vehicle by shifting the gear into park. The seat belt also broke, threw the contact into the rear seat and the vehicle flipped over into a field and was destroyed. The driver sustained a concussion, whiplash and the passenger had minor injuries. The passenger air bag deployed normally. Pictures and a police report and pictures are available. The fire department attempted to determine the cause of fire and was unsuccessful. The failure and current mileages were approximately 100,000. Rk updated 5/5/08.

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My grandson was critically inured while front seat passenger in 2002 chevy Malibu, this vehicle cannot sustain impact of 30 mph or less to front passenger side without causing fatal if not critical injuries to passenger. No side airbag, no protection whatsoever. Rated with three stars. . . . . . Ridiculous. My grandson lost one lung and part of his bronchial tube because there is no safety measurements on this vehicle to protect front passenger.