2011 Chevrolet Malibu

The defect

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.

The risk

If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The 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 · up to 1,145 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

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.

The risk

If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

The 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 · up to 437,045 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

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.

The risk

Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 2,440,524 vehicles across all model years covered

Everytime I turn on my car, I get a warning for ESC power steering and I have no power steering. Usually it will fix itself have shutting it off once and starting it again immediately. There has been a couple times where it has taken multiple starts to fix itself.

NHTSA complaint 11746504. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

122,000 miles

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ESC and traction control warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, while the cruise control was activated and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact stated that the gear shifter was able to be moved without the brake pedal being depressed. The cause of the failures were not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, …

NHTSA complaint 11744231, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The Powersteering is failing in my 2011 Chevrolet Malibu with 93K miles on it. The warning light on the dashboard appears randomly then it becomes difficult to steer. This has become a safety issue because when driving on the highway or trying to navigate turns requires a lot of strength and can be a hazard while driving in traffic or alone. I have taken the vehicle to an auto repair shop for a diagnostic and they were unable to fix it due to the Chevrolet dealership who no longer makes the part. I have researched and found that GM had a special coverage 15356 for this problem but no recall. The special coverage is now expired. I am not sure if it has been inspected by the manufacturer as I …

NHTSA complaint 11727609, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Weld on the back, right side of the driver's seat broke causing the seat to rock while driving. This is the second time this has happened, as we replaced the original seat when this happened to it.

NHTSA complaint 11722790. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

30,000 miles

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35–40 MPH, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the RPM was elevated while driving, and the transmission shifted abnormally rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the transmission was rebuilt. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the local dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA complaint 11716754. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.