General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, the air bag inflator may explode due to being overpressurized.
Safety risk
If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Manufacturer remedy
GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 8, 2010, to October 11, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
Safety risk
If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.
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 vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Safety risk
Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
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 letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Electrical system
242
80,000 mi
Steering
225
89,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
174
84,000 mi
Engine
163
75,000 mi
Exterior lighting
129
100,000 mi
Power train
111
78,450 mi
Air bags
95
60,070 mi
Vehicle speed control
87
72,000 mi
Unknown or other
64
84,000 mi
Seat belts
53
70,800 mi
Service brakes
39
75,000 mi
Seats
37
90,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
33
82,576 mi
Structure: body
15
60,000 mi
Traction control system
15
70,909 mi
Suspension
11
37,800 mi
Wheels
11
34,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
10
18,210 mi
Visibility/wiper
9
81,875 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
6
51,000 mi
Tires
5
17,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights
4
90,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module
1
82,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring
1
70,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
1
70,000 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner
1
—
Exterior lighting: headlights: bulbs
1
—
Seat belts: front: anchorage
1
—
Seats: front assembly: head restraint
1
—
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
1
69,621 mi
Steering: electric power assist system
1
—
Structure: body: door
1
—
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
1
19,800 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
1
60,000 mi
Vehicle speed control: throttle
1
100,000 mi
Visibility
1
25 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system
1
20,000 mi
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
1
1,500 mi
The 2010 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2012 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.