There are 50 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On [XXX] around 1pm me and my mom were in a bad accident we were driving on [XXX] through Columbus Ohio to go down to Kentucky we were at least 50 feet from the truck that was pulling a camper when all of sudden the camper had no brake lights and was not moving my mom pushed the brake all the way to the floor you could feel the car trying to stop but it wasn’t stopping we were only going 25 and should have been able to stop . But we didn’t by till we were in the camper bumper driver side airbag went off but mine in the passenger seat didn’t forcing my head to fly forward then back my seat belt locked to hard I felt I couldn’t breath and I had just had my appendix removed two days before the accident I was screaming in pain I was later on took to the hospital to make sure I was not bleeding on the inside I now sit in my bed feeling hopeless in so much pain . Since I was been laying in bed I Kelly blue booked our 2011 Chevy Malibu to see what I could possibly get from it but then found out there was not one but three recalls Airbag, brakes, and seat belts but I was never notified i did some more digging and found out these are all new my question is why was I never notified about this we have had this car five years and I found all these recalls going all the back to 2020 and we have had it since 2021. I blame Chevy for my car accident they failed to tell me something major was wrong with my brakes and airbag. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the steel cable used to anchor the front driver’s side lap seat belt had fractured. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V269000 (Seat Belts). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt lap strap had separated from the floor anchor bolt. The contact stated that the lap belt failed to properly restrain the driver while seated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V269000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 66,800.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the "Service Air Bag" warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
AIR BAG LIGHT JUST KEEPS POPPING ON AND OFF. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL, BUT NOT FOR MY VIN
SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS DISPLAYING NO ACCIDENTS OR DAMAGE AT ALL
AIR BAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY COMING ON. IN ALL STATE. IN MOTION AND STANDING STILL. .
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STANDSTILL, THE SEAT BELT CABLE FRACTURED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V269000 (SEAT BELTS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GATEWAY CHEVROLET CADILLAC (LOCATED AT 501 38TH ST S, FARGO, ND 58103, (701) 282-5522) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PRETENSION CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.
THESE ARE RECALLS THAT I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED.
I HAVE HAD 2 FRONT END COLLISION WITH WILD HOGS THE SECOND WAS REAL BAD. THE ENTIRE FRONT END ON THE PASSENGER SIDE INCLUDING THE DOOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE AIRBAG NEVER EXPLODED NEITHER TIME. WHEN I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE IN 2012 OR 13 THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON BUT GO OF FOR AWHILE. I COMPLAINED ABOUT IT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WOULD ALWAYS SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT.
BROKEN WELDS UNDER THE SEAT WHERE THEY SHOULD NEVER BE BROKEN, VERY DANGEROUS! SEAT IS ALL THE WAY DOWN, DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAS COLLASPED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DICK GENTHE CHEVROLET (866-874-7380, LOCATED AT 15600 EUREKA RD, SOUTHGATE, MI 48195) AND THE CONTACT WAS ASKED IF SHE WANTED THE VEHICLE REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V269000 (SEAT BELTS). THE CONTACT APPROVED THE RECALL REPAIRS. SIX DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT READY AND SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SEE OR RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS CALLED TWO HOURS LATER TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE MADE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND IT NEEDED TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO AIR BAG FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A $250 DISCOUNT TOWARDS THE REPAIRS ("TAKE OR LEAVE IT"). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,865. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *AS *TR
I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN A VERY BAD CAR CRASH AND I AM INJURED FROM THE AIR BAG . IT HIT ME VERY HARD IN THE HEAD CAUSING ME TO LOOK CONSCIOUSNESS .
THE SEAT BELTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE SOME ISSUES. I WAS INVOLVED IN A WRECK LATELY AND I WAS HURT REALLY BAD FROM THE SEAT BELT ON THE CHEVY . THE SEAT BELT DINTED INTO MY BODY CAUSING SOME REALLY BAD PAIN WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATED ITSELF. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT STAYS LIT MOST OF THE TIME. IT SAYS SERVICE AIR BAG AND TRACTION SYSTEM. TRACTION SYSTEM LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON, BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. DOESNT RESET EVEN WHEN UNHOOKING THE BATTERY AND REHOOKING IT UP. CAR MAKES RATTLING NOISE FROM FRONT END. PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT.
THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN GOES AWAY. IT WAS ON FOR FOUR DAYS THIS LAST TIME, WENT AWAY FOR ONE DAY AND CAME BACK ON TODAY. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DECIDED TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR AND THERE ISN'T. SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE IF THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.
INTERMITTENTLY THE SERVICE AIRBAG WARNING COMES UP AND AT OTHER TIMES IT IS NOT ON. HAVE BEEN TOLD IT COULD BE LINKED TO DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT. THE CLIP HAS BEEN CHANGED AND STILL DOES IT.
THE CABLE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE. EVIDENTLY, OTHER MALIBU'S THIS YEAR HAD A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. BUT, MY VIN # IS NOT ACCEPTED. CHEVY IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN THE OUTCOME IF THIS HAPPENED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN IT CAME COMPLETELY APART.
107,000 MILES SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT SENSE SEAT BELT IS BUCKLED. SEAT BELT ALARM CHIMES WITH BELT BUCKLED. DEALER SAYS PART IS NOT COVERED BY SPECIAL CAMPAIGN. THERE WAS A RECALL A FEW YEARS AGO FOR SEAT BELT ISSUE AND I THOUGHT THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES.
MY AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTH. THERE ARE RECALLS ON 2011 MALIBU'S FOR AIRBAG BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL, HOWEVER THE SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN ON
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026