2003 Chevrolet Malibu Airbags Problems

Your 2003 Chevy Malibu has an active safety recall for the airbag system, and there's a documented risk that the airbags may not deploy in a crash. When you brought the car to the dealer for this recall repair, you were incorrectly told the recall didn't exist — but you've now received a second recall notice confirming it does. This repair needs to be completed at a dealership that will actually perform the airbag system service as specified in the recall notice.

Your daughter was in a rear-end collision at 25-30 mph, but the airbag failed to deploy. She struck her head on the steering wheel as a result. This is a critical safety issue that requires immediate inspection of the airbag system to determine why it didn't activate during the impact.

AIRBAG RED WARNING LIGHT IS FLASHING ON DASHBOARD WHEN TURNING THE IGNITION. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. I AM AFRAID THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY AT ANY TIME EVEN IF THERE IS NO CAR CRASH. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 2 TIMES. ONCE WHEN THE CAR WAS SLUGGISH AND I HAD TO TURN IT OFF AT ATOP LIGHT BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MILES AND HOUR. THE OTHER TIME IT HAPPENED JUST WHEN I WAS STARTING THE CAR. I

I WAS TRAVELING WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT WHEN SOMEONE PULLED INTO MY PATH CAUSING ME TO HIT THEM. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I TOOK THE FULL FORCE OF THE COLLISION INTO MY CHEST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DEPLOY AFTER A HEAD ON COLLISION. AN INJURY WAS SUSTAINED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

CAR VEERED OFF THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. CRASHED INTO A STRAWBERRY FIELD AND ROLLED MULTIPLE TIME EJECTING DRIVER FROM THE CAR. CAR SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. PASSENGER MAY HAVE GRABBED AT STEERING WHEEL CAUSING THE CAR TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON A SNOWY/ICY ROAD WHEN I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AT ABOUT 50 MPH. MY VEHICLE WENT SIDEWAYS UNTIL TRAVELING INTO A DITCH AT WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A TREE. THE FRONT END WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND PUSHED THE MOTOR BACK A GOOD 2 FEET. MY HEAD SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT OF THE FRONT END WAS JUST A LITTLE OFF CENTER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I WAS REAR ENDED AND PUSHED INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER AND BOUNCED OFF ONLY TO BE STRUCK AGAIN FROM THE REAR. THE FRONT AND REAR QUARTER PANELS WERE DAMAGED THE FRAME WAS COMPROMISED. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED BACK, ARM, LEG & KNEE INJURIES IN THE COLLISION. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY BUT I AM STILL CURIOUS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SAFETY AIR BAGS. *TR

MY 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK'S PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS 'OFF' EVEN WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE SEAT WITH THE SEATBELT ON. I SAW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2007 MODEL BUT NOT ONE ISSUED FOR THE 2008 MODEL. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT AND THE BAG IS NOT FUNCTIONAL. *TR

TL* THE OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR CUTS AND BURNS AS A RESULT AND HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

MY DAUGHTER HAD A WRECK IN HER VECHICLE AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *TR

MY HORN WENT OUT ON MY 2003 CHEVY MALIBU DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG MODULE...I DON'T HAVE A HORN AND MY CAR FAILED THE SAFETY INSPECTION, I DO NOT HAVE THE 1100.00 TO FIX IT, THE DEALER TOLD ME TO CONTACT GM TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL DO ABOUT IT. *JB

DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG EQUIPMENT IN THE 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU STATING IT HAS A 1998 MALIBU AIR BAG SYSTEM.*MR SHORTLY AFTER THE CONSUMER BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE CONSUMER HAD A FACTORY WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE, SO HE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE AIR BAG SYSTEM PROBLEM BECAUSE THE AIR BAG WAS FROM A 1998 CHEVY MALIBU. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO HAVE OLD CAR PARTS IN A NEWER MODEL CAR.*SB *NM

SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. *NM THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT SOMEONE PIT PARTS IN THE VEHICLE THAT WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE AIR BAG. *JB

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET, MALIBU ON DEC.26, 2004 AND MY FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT A VERY HIGH SPEED, LEAVING SKID MARKS IN THE PARKING SPACE WHERE SHE WAS TRYING TO PARK. THEN, VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A TREE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK *TC

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THIS PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. GM WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *SC *JB

AIR BAG DEPLOYED AFTER IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED ON. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AND WAS NOT MOVING.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN CONSUMER. *AK

THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A CURB. *JB

THE VEHICLE HIT A GUARD RAIL AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY REPLACED THE CLOCKSPRING IN THE STEERING THAT SHORTED. SCC