2011 Chevrolet Malibu Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,822 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (55% of reports).
- 93air bags complaints
- 60,822median miles at failure
- 21mention a crash
- 18mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 30%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 51 of 93 complaints (55%)
- Service airbag: mentioned in 10 of 93 complaints (11%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 6 of 93 complaints (6%)
- Required medical: mentioned in 5 of 93 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 93 complaints, 21 mention a crash, 18 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.
Hi my name Is [XXX] . JD Byrider financed me this car knowing that it had open recalls putting me and my family's lives in danger. The car has had electrical problems since Ive had it. Every other day different lights appear on the dashboard Service Airbags ,Service ABS and traction ESC off are…
Steering locks while driving
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Chevrolet Malibus have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 93 owner complaints about air bags for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu (10% of the 978 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 2011 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 60,822 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 51 of 93 complaints, followed by “service airbag” (10).
Other 2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2011 Chevrolet Malibu problems or air bags problems across all Malibu years.