2010 Chevrolet Malibu Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 55,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (54% of reports).
- 144air bags complaints
- 55,000median miles at failure
- 26mention a crash
- 22mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 78 of 144 complaints (54%)
- Service airbag: mentioned in 14 of 144 complaints (10%)
- Goes off: mentioned in 13 of 144 complaints (9%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 13 of 144 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 103 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 144 complaints, 26 mention a crash, 22 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Malibu | 7 | 10% | 29,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 4 | 4% | 90,000 |
| 2021 Malibu | 6 | 7% | — |
| 2020 Malibu | 4 | 2% | 78,537 |
| 2019 Malibu | 6 | 3% | 21,898 |
| 2018 Malibu | 14 | 2% | 22,494 |
| 2017 Malibu | 14 | 2% | 55,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 18 | 2% | 45,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 49 | 18% | 48,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 16 | 5% | 74,000 |
| 2013 Malibu | 59 | 7% | 74,863 |
| 2012 Malibu | 101 | 11% | 67,000 |
| 2011 Malibu | 93 | 10% | 60,822 |
| 2010 Malibu | 144 | 11% | 55,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 62 | 4% | 71,500 |
| 2008 Malibu | 64 | 6% | 85,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 75 | 8% | 97,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 33 | 3% | 114,690 |
| 2005 Malibu | 25 | 3% | 121,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 26 | 2% | 95,500 |
| 2003 Malibu | 27 | 5% | 93,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 18 | 3% | 103,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 116,750 |
| 2000 Malibu | 31 | 3% | 110,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 40 | 5% | 132,681 |
| 1998 Malibu | 40 | 4% | 88,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 25 | 6% | 91,751 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving down the highway when the passenger side curtain airbags deployed for no reason. Air bag deployment stunned the driver, but fortunately did not cause accident.
Connector for airbags sensor wiring has a problem which is address in General Motors document Recall 13040A Dated April 2014. There is a warning on the dash about the airbags not operational. We have never been contacted by General Motors about this problem, but other Chevrolet Malibu owners are…
The passanger air bag light stays on and the radio lights up but no sound for radio or turn signals.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2010 Chevrolet Malibus have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 144 owner complaints about air bags for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu (11% of the 1,363 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 55,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 78 of 144 complaints, followed by “service airbag” (14).
Other 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2010 Chevrolet Malibu problems or air bags problems across all Malibu years.