What 921 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Limited

Driver going 60+ mph hit metal guardrail, spun and slammed into concrete side of bridge. No airbags deployed

NHTSA ODI 11722735

I got sick and I split a utility pole. The airbags did not deploy

NHTSA ODI 11683959

My instrument cluster is failing

NHTSA ODI 11678651

Service air bag notification is on. Which is a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11651085

Unknown

NHTSA ODI 11646129

Service airbag

NHTSA ODI 11639409

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and DTC: B101D – (Air bag module failure) was retrieved. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638295

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage after two weeks, he started the vehicle and reversed onto the driveway. The driver's side and passenger's side air bags deployed without impact or warning. There were no reported injuries. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

NHTSA ODI 11573302

Air bag warning light stays on and will not reset. Driver power seat controls buttons out of plastic control cover and jammed in metal part of seat. Can not get seat control unjammed and no way to adjust driver seat.

NHTSA ODI 11568244

The airbag maintenace light comes on every time I start it. Alot of my friends who own GMC say that it is a normal problem with a GMC vehicle and there should be a recall on it. But there is none.

NHTSA ODI 11557326

After my car battery was professionally replaced my airbag light came on. GM dealer service got a code of B101D requiring the airbag control module to be replaced. There are no new compatible modules available in the US. Two GM dealers advised getting a used module that had not been in an airbag deployment. Upon obtaining a compatible module the dealer is now getting a code of B3902, this code indicates that the environment identifier of the module does not match the vehicle and prohibits further programming permitting the airbags to function properly. So GM has intentionally prohibited compatible modules from salvage cars and they are no longer making new modules for my car. How is this ethical, legal, safe or environmentally sound? Are consumers expected to junk a perfectly good automobile absent a $100 part? Is this practice required by some regulation prohibiting airbag modules from being salvaged and reprogrammed?

NHTSA ODI 11549251

MY CAR FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE OF "SERVICE AIRBAG" LIGHT DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD.

NHTSA ODI 11408060

MY CAR WAS RUNNING IN THE DRIVE WHEN IT DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. I HAD TO JUMP START IT AND AFTER THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS LIGHT ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A CHEVY DEALER WHERE I WAS CHARGED $80.00 TO BE TOLD THAT THE SDM AIRBAG MODULE NEEDS REPLACED AND ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS IS $1100.00. MY CAR ONLY HAS 108232 MILES ON IT AND TO KNOW THAT IT COULD COST ME EITHER MY FAMILIES LIFE OR $1100.00 EVERYTIME THE BATTERY DIES IS NOT A CHOICE ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE. AIRBAGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE MOST DEPENDABLE PART OF A VEHICLE AS IT SAVES SO MANY LIVES. HOW DO I KNOW IF THEY ARE EVEN WORKING WITH THE LIGHT OFF IF IT IS THIS SENSITIVE? I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE EVEN IF I GET IT FIXED AND SINCE I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR RECENTLY I OWE TO MUCH TO TRY TO BUY ANYTHING ELSE. HOW CAN PART OF THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAIL SO EASILY AND NOT BE ON RECALL? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT HAD DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD INSTEAD OF IN THE DRIVEWAY PUTTING THE CAR INTO GEAR? AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP IT NOW HAS A NEW CODE BUT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT TO FIND OUT WHAT ELSE IS WRONG.

NHTSA ODI 11397792

ON MOST OF THE 2013 CHEVY MALIBU THE AIR BAG HAS BEEN RECALLED MY CAR HAS HAD THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2013. I DON'T FEEL SAFE AND WHEN I CALLED CHEVY DIRECTLY THEY TOLD ME TO JUST KEEP CHECKING MY VIN # SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL FOR THE AIR BAG SOON. IT'S STILL NOT SHOWING UP. I KEEP GETTING A WARNING LOW ENGINE POWER, SOME ONE SAID DON'T DRIVE A CAR THAT SAYS THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11376790

[XXX] THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER MY PASSENGER SEAT WAS READJUSTED WHILE IT WAS PARKED. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 54000 MILES ON IT. I READ WHERE THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE SENSOR WHICH I WAS QUOTE OVER $1000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11375422

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PHILLIPS CHEVROLET OF LANSING (17730 TORRENCE AVE, LANSING, IL 60438) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11366445

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR HAS GONE BAD MAKING IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE BECAUSE ANYTHING ELECTRONIC ON THE DASH WILL TURN OFF, AS WELL AS THE A/C AND RADIO ETC. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. I'VE SEEM NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AIRBAG SENSOR ISSUES YET EVERYTIME I'VE CHECKED, THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE SENSOR RANDOMLY WENT OUT WHEN THE CAR WAS HARDLY 3 YEARS OLD, THAT IS NOT NORMAL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GM HAS NOT DONE A RECALL FOR THIS. THIS COULD RESULT IN DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS OR DEATH OF A PASSENGER.

NHTSA ODI 11353151

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN APRIL.2020, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND THE PUT IT ON A MACHINE TO CHECK AND SEE IF IT NEEDED TO BE RESET. THEY TOLD ME AT THAT TIME THE 2013 MALIBU HAD A RECALL ON OVER HALF OF THE MALIBU AIRBAGS FROM THE SAME YEAR. THEY CAN FIX IT. AND FOR ME TO KEEP CHECKING FOR MY VIN TO SHOW UP ON THE RECALL LIST. AND THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL IT GETS REPLACED. PLEASE AD MY VIN# TO THE RECALL LIST ASAP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11350740

MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WON'T GO AWAY, I NEED THIS VIN # [XXX] ON THE RECALL LIST FOR AIR BAGS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11350520

THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON RIGHT AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. AT THAT MOMENT I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT CARS AND THE SALES PERSON TOLD ME THEY FIXED MY ISSUE AND THAT I SHOULD BE FINE WITH THE VEHICLE. I CAN GET MY ENGINE LIGHT TAKEN CARE OF SINCE IT WAS MY FAULT, BUT I SEE SO MANY RECALLS OUT ON THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE FOR THE AIRBAG AND THERE IS NONE FOR MINE. I REALLY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THE AIRBAG AND I BELIEVE IT IS A RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11339160

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AFTER REPLACING BATTERY. CAR HAS 25000 MILES ON IT. AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN WARNING LIGHT IS ON. DEALER CHARGING $940. TO REPLACE AIR BAG MODULE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET MALIBU. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET. NEEDS TO BE A RECALL OR SPECIAL PROGRAM REPAIR ISSUED BY GM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11327433

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,100.

NHTSA ODI 11324461

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LUMBERTON CHEVROLET BUICK GMC CADILLAC LOCATED AT (500 LINKHAW RD, LUMBERTON, NC 28358) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11316075

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG 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.

NHTSA ODI 11299087

MY BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED AND I NEEDED A JUMP. THE JUMP ENDED UP NOT WORKING SO I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY. NOW THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I SEE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND STILL NO RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU ECO. THE FORUMS ARE SAYING IT'S A PROBLEM WITH THE SDM COMPONENT. CODES B101D-00(ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT HARDWARE) AND U0184-00(LOST COMMUNICATION WITH RADIO).

NHTSA ODI 11269828