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
293
86,000 mi
Exterior lighting
199
99,000 mi
Steering
196
104,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
133
94,000 mi
Air bags
101
61,000 mi
Engine
99
81,000 mi
Service brakes
66
50,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
54
60,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
51
93,000 mi
Unknown or other
51
90,000 mi
Power train
50
68,000 mi
Seat belts
49
55,000 mi
Seats
36
69,500 mi
Visibility/wiper
28
98,000 mi
Wheels
19
74,300 mi
Structure: body
15
73,000 mi
Traction control system
11
58,000 mi
Suspension
10
93,875 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights
7
90,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
6
22,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
4
34,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring
3
93,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
3
113,000 mi
Air bags: SRS malfunction warning lamp/light
2
—
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module
2
95,261 mi
Steering: steering wheel /handle bar: yaw/angle sensor
2
140,000 mi
Tires
2
39,987 mi
Visibility
2
9,600 mi
Child seat: latch adjuster
1
200,000 mi
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
1
77,100 mi
Electrical system: ignition
1
60,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
1
107,089 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
1
100,000 mi
Equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/CD etc.
1
47,607 mi
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
1
112,000 mi
Lane departure: warning
1
—
Latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: lock
1
87,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
1
83,000 mi
Seats: front assembly: head restraint
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: pads
1
42,700 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
The 2011 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2013 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.