2005 Chevrolet Malibu Seats
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I WAS TURNING LEFT ONTO A CITY STREET WHEN I HEARD A LOUD SNAP AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT FELL DOWN AND STARTED TO FEEL LOOSE.
DRIVER'S SEAT IS WOBBLING AND FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS BROKEN OR DETACHED BENEATH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SEAT. I'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS IN A CHEVY MALIBU/MAXX. SHOULD BE A RECALL. MECHANICS ON THE PHONE ASSUME IT'S A WELDING ISSUE. THE WOBBLING OCCURRED OVER TIME. SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.
LEFT FRONT POWER SEAT WELDS BROKE. RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME BOTH FRONT AND REAR. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY
DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME ASSEMBLY MOUNT IS BROKEN. APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE SEAT TILTS TO THE RIGHT. IF INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THERE IS NO WAY THE SEAT WOULD REMAIN IN THE CAR. THE FACTORY WELDS HAVE BROKEN.
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BROKE LOOSE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE AND WOBBLES AND IN MY OPINION IS CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING.
VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION TRAVELING STRAIGHT AT ABOUT 10 MPH WHEN SEAT WELD ON RIGHT SIDE BROKE AND DETACHED FROM RAIL. THERE'S NOW NOTHING HOLDING THE SEAT IN PLACE ON THAT SIDE SO IT WOBBLES UP AND DOWN AND SIDE TO SIDE.
DRIVERS POWERED SEAT LOWER FRONT SUPPORT TUBE BROKE AND SEPARATED FROM THE SEAT RIGHT HAND SIDE BRACKET LINK, AT THE WELD ATTACHMENT, ATTACHING TO THE SEAT BOTTOM. THIS BREAKOUT OF MATERIAL LEAVES THE SEAT UNATTACHED TO THE TRACK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
THE DRIVER SEAT, REAR RIGHT SIDE IS BROKEN. DRIVER LEANS TOWARD CENTER CONSOLE. POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN IF THERE WERE TO BE AN ACCIDENT. SEEMS AS IF THERE WAS A STRUCTURAL FAILURE IN THAT LOCATION. DRIVER DID NOT NOTICE IT BREAK UNTIL SITTING DOWN ONE DAY TO START DAILY COMMUTE.
THE WELD ON THE FRONT TORSION TUBE OF THE DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTER IS DETACHED AND THE TUBE IS DISCONNECTED, ALLOWING MORE THAN 200MM OF FORE/AFT MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER SEAT BACK AND HEADREST IF SEAT IS IN FULL UP POSITION. THIS WILL CLEARLY NOT PASS FMVSS 207 OR 210. THERE ARE ALREADY DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THIS ONE ON THE NHTSA SITE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THIS INITIALLY OCCURRED.
DRIVER POWER SEAT/ BROKEN WELD ON METAL STABILIZER BAR ACROSS THE LOWER FRONT OF THE SEAT. CAUSES THE SEAT TO BE UNSTABLE AND SHIFT WHEN BRAKING OR ACCELLERATING.
THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT RAILS HAVE FAILED AND THE DEALER WANTS ALMOST $1000 TO REPAIR (WHICH I DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW). I AM AFRAID THAT THE SEAT WILL COMPLETELY FAIL WHILE DRIVING AND RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. IT APPEARS THAT THIS FAILURE OF THE FRONT SEAT RAILING WELD IS FAIRLY COMMON ON THIS VEHICLE AND I AM SURPRISED THAT THE NHTSA WOULD ALLOW A MANUFACTURER (GENERAL MOTORS) TO NOT FIX THIS APPARENT SERIOUS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING FLAW. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW, WEIGH LESS THAN 130 LBS, HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GENTLE WITH THE CAR. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT GM AND THE CHEVROLET DEALER WANT TO MAKE A PROFIT FROM ME TO REPAIR THEIR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I OFFERED TO PAY THE OUT OF POCKET COSTS TO REPAIR THE DEFECT (I THNK THIS WOULD BE ABOUT OF THE QUOTED PRICE FOR THE ACTUAL MECHANIC TIME/WAGES AND WHOLESALE PARTS PRICE), BUT WAS TURNED DOWN.
THE SEAT IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE SEAT TRACK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE SEAT LEANS TO THE RIGHT EVEN WITHOUT A DRIVER IN THE SEAT. THE FACTORY WELD HAS GIVEN OUT ON THE TRACK. WE FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE IF IT WAS TO BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT THAT CAUSED THE WELD TO FAIL OTHER THAN GOING AROUND A CORNER AT NORMAL SPEEDS. WHEN RESEARCHING REPAIR FOR THE VEHICLE WE HAVE NOTED MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVED ON THE TRACK AND WAS CROOKED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER SEAT FRACTURED CAUSING IT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT NEEDED TO BE WELDED OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER SEAT SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND THE FRAME RAILS BECAME FRACTURED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE SEAT WOULD INDEPENDENTLY MOVE WHICH EVER WAY THE WEIGHT OF THE DRIVER WAS SHIFTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
FRONT DRIVER SEAT WELD BROKEN. SEAT LEANS TO SIDE. UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING AND UNSAFE.
THE DRIVER SEAT WELDS HAVE BROKEN MAKING THE SEAT UNSAFE. *TR
DRIVER SEAT WELD ON TRACK ASSEMBLY BROKE. SEAT IS LOOSE. I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND ESTIMATE TO REPAIR IS $1000. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND NO RECALLS. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WELDING FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE SEAT TO LEAN TO THE RIGHT AND BECOME WOBBLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT WAS NO LONGER ADJUSTABLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRACKING UNDERNEATH THE SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 10/30/14*LJ UPDATED 4/27/2015 *JS
DRIVERS SEAT WELDING HAS SNAPPED UNDERNEATH CAUSING THE SEAT TO LEAN TO THE RIGHT AND BOUNCE UP AND DOWN. *TR
TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT MOVED ON THE TRACT AND WAS CROOKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
THE 6 WAY POWER SEAT BRACKET HAS BROKEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE AT THE ONE WELD HOLDING IT TOGETHER CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS WHILE SITTING IN IT. I GOOGLED IT AN IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN ISOLATED ISSUE. THEY ALL WERE BROKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE.THIS ALLOWS THE SEAT TO MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE, FORWARD AND BACKWARD AND UP AND DOWN. *TR
WHEN ENTERING MY PARKED 2005 MALIBU MAXX, THE CROSS BAR UNDER THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE SEAT SNAPPED AT THE CORNER WELD. FROM READING THESE POSTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN AFFORD $1000 TO BUY ANOTHER DEFECTIVE SEAT FRAME BEFORE THEY MAKE A STRONGER ONE, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF RECALLS I ALREADY HAVE FOR THIS VEHICLE. ( WHICH PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AS OF YET ) THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR
I WAS ADJUSTING THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WHEN I HEARD A METALLIC POP. SEAT HAD A SLIGHT TILT TO RIGHT THAT BECAME WORSE WHEN SEAT WAS RAISED UP. SLIGHT ROCKING MOTION WAS NOTICED WHEN SHIFTING BODY WEIGHT. VISUAL INSPECTION FOUND THAT RIGHT FRONT WELD HAD FAILED. *TR
POWER DRIVER'S SEAT SUDDENLY TILTED BACK AND RIGHT, AND I HEARD A LOUD POP. UPON INSPECTION A BAR THAT RUNS UNDER THE SEAT BROKE AT A WELD. SEAT NOW FEELS INSECURE AND BOUNCY. *JS
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2005 Chevrolet Malibu has 92 Seats complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.