83 complaints reported

2010 Chevrolet Malibu Air Bags

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
83
Crashes
16
Fires
0
Injuries
15

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 2025

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2025
Nov 2024

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 have the same problem.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2024
Jan 2021 Crash Injury

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRBAGS/SIDE AND FRONT ARE DEFECTIVE FOR MY VEHICLE? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP IN FINDING OUT WHAT I DO NOW...THE VEHICLE AND I WAS INVOLVED IN A WREAK AND I WAS INJURED BADLY AND WAS HOSPITALIZED.....? I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HWY AT POSTED SPEED WHEN I WAS STRUCK...FIRST THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THEN THE L-FENDER AND HOOD...THE VEHICLE THAT HIT ME ROLLED 3 OR 4 TIMES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2020
Oct 2020

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. IF I MOVE PASSENGER SEAT SOMETIMES IT GOES OFF. 37,000 MILES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2020
Apr 2020 Crash

I GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT ON 04/08/2020 AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2020
Apr 2019

WHEN DRIVING CAR AIR BAG LIGHT HAS FLASHED ON AND OFF ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS EACH TIME AS SOON AS STEERING WHEEL MOVE POSITION THE LIGHT GOES OUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE MAKE AND MODEL YEAR BUT MY VIN IS NOT LISTED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Apr 2019

MY AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF AND COMING ON. MY CAR WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR BUT I FILL AS THOUGH IT SHOULD OF BEEN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2019
Jan 2019 Crash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN THE SNOW, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A JUNKYARD. THE MANUFACTURER FILED A CLAIM FOR THE CONTACT AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2019
Jan 2019

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF. PURCHASED CAR USED AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE PROBLEM. I WANT TO BE SURE THAT THIS IS A SAFTEY ISSUE FOR SOMEONE IN THE FRONT SEAT. NO ACCIDENT YET,BUT I HAVE CONCERNS. IT IS ON GOING AS TO A CERTAIN DATE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2019
Jul 2018 Crash Injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A GREEN LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE STRUCK THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE STRUCK A POLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES THE REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2018
Apr 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE REGARDING THE WIRING CONNECTOR FOR THE SIDE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT IF A RELATED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE SERVICED PER THE 'SPECIAL COVERAGE PROGRAM'. IN ADDITION, IF THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATION RELATED TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES TO DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE HAD A POTENTIAL FAILURE RELATED TO THE 'SPECIAL COVERAGE PROGRAM'. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE, BUT WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY AND THE POTENTIAL OF A FAILURE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2018
Apr 2018

"SERVICE AIRBAG" DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY BOTH WHEN CAR IS AT REST OR IN MOTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR GOES OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2018
Feb 2018

CODES: B0014, B0021 ABS WIRING HARNESS LIGHT ILLUMINATING "SERVICE AIR BAG"

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2017
Feb 2018

AIR BAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. WHEN OFF AND I HIT A BUMP IT TURNS BACK ON. I HAVE CHILDREN AND I AM SCARED OF AN EMERGENCY IT WILL NOT FUNCTION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2018
Jan 2018

RED WARNING :SERVICE AIRBAG". CHECKED VIN ON "TAKATA RECALL" WHICH SAYS MY VEHICLE IS NOT INVOLVED. CAME ON A WEEK AGO. GOES OFF WHEN I TURN OFF CAR. USUALLY COMES ON WITHIN 5 TO 15 MINUTES OF STARTING CAR. NO INDICATION AS TO WHICH AIRBAG.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2018
Dec 2017 Crash

SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN A CAR SMASHED INTO THE SIDE OF ME ... I WAS DOING 30MPH WHEN I WAS HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. POLICE REPORT WAS MADE EVEN THO THE AIRBAG DIDN'T GO OFF...

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2017
Sep 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR RANDOMLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,400.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2016
Aug 2017

TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE A 2010 CHEVY MALIBU THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED INTO THE TAKATA RECALL. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR TWO WEEKS AGO AND "SERVICE AIR BAG" CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. AFTER FURTHER INVESTING, GM NEVER ISSUE AN ACTUAL RECALL FOR THE 2010 CHEVY MALIBU. INSTEAD THEY CREATED A "MALIBU SAFETY PROGRAM" THAT ONLY INCLUDES 2010 CHEVY MALIBU ENDING IN THE VIN NUMBERS OF: A4100001 A4166698 AF100056 AND AF271265. MY VIN NUMBER ISN'T INCLUDED IN THIS LIST. THEREFORE I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. FOR AN ISSUE THAT IS OUT OF MY CONTROL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2017
Jun 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND A FRONT PASSENGER HAD BEEN SEATED IN THE SEATS, THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND WITH NO WARNING THE SIDE AIR BAGS ON BOTH SIDES INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITH FORCE. IN ADDITION, ANOTHER AIR BAG IN THE CEILING DEPLOYED AS WELL. AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE EMITTED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO DIAGNOSE AND PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF HIGH HUMIDITY WAS A FACTOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2017
Jun 2017

THE "SERVICE AIRBAG SOON" MESSAGE KEEPS COMING ON. I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THAT THE AIRBAG MODULE IS FAULTY. THE CAR IS ONLY 7YRS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON IT, THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURES FAULTY PART I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART AS I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2017
Feb 2017

SERVICE AIR BAGS LIGHT REMAINS LIT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY REGARDING A CONSTANT WARNING LIGHT INDICATING A MALFUNCTION OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE AIRBAG MODULE AND WIRING HARNESS. AT THAT TIME, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THAT REQUIRED AIRBAGS.REPAIRS WOULD COST OVER $1100. NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THIS MALFUNCTION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2017
Dec 2016

AIR BAG NEED SERVICE

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2016
Nov 2016

FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS MAC GHANA LOCATED IN GHANA AT 105 SPINTEX ROAD ACCRA GHANA TEL: +233 (0) 302813919, HAS FAILED TO PROPERLY FIX THE RECALL NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 14V252 RECALL DATE: MAY 14, 2014 (MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: N130036). ALSO RECEIVED LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING THE AIRBAG NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE DEALER HAS NOT REPLACED IT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2016
Nov 2016

MY SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT RECENTLY CAME ON. IT STARTED ONLY COMING ON WHEN A PASSENGER WOULD GET IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. NOW THE LIGHT IS ON AND SENDS ME A NOTIFICATION THAT STATES "SERVICE AIRBAG" ACROSS THE DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD JUST UNDER THE SPEEDOMETER. THE LIGHT COMES ON AS SOON AS I START MY CAR AND REMAINS ON. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS HAVE NEVER DEPLOYED. WHY IS THE SERVICE AIRBAG NOTIFICATION COMING ON?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2016
Sep 2016

MY "SERVICE AIR BAGS" LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND THEN REMAINING ON CONTINUALLY. I FOUND A LETTER WRITTEN BY THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER & RELATIONSHIP SERVICES AT CHEVY BACK IN 2010 THAT ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM AND STATED THAT "TO ENHANCE SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION, YOUR GM DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE WIRING HARNESS FOR BOTH FRONT SEAT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FOR YOU AT NO CHARGE." I CONTACTED THE DEALER AT MESSER CHEVY IN LUBBOCK, TX, AND ALSO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHEVY. I OPENED UP CASE #8-2314213550 ON 8/19/16, AND I WAS TOLD TO GET A DIAGNOSTICS DONE AT THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. I THEN FOUND OUT THE CASE HAD BEEN ARBITRARILY CLOSED THE SAME DAY IT WAS OPENED! NOW CHEVROLET STATES THAT THE CASE WAS REOPENED ON 9/7/16. I JUST WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED FREE OF CHARGE SINCE THE PREVIOUS OWNER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS WHEN CHEVY WAS OFFERING THE "SOFT RECALL" REPAIR AT NO CHARGE. CHEVY CALLED IT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM AT THE TIME TO AVOID AN AIRBAG RECALL MEDIA HYPE. I ASSUME THIS ISN'T RELATED TO ANY TAKATA AIRBAG PROBLEM, BUT IT IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD! I AM GETTING THE RUNAROUND FROM BOTH CHEVROLET AND THE DEALER, AND I JUST THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. THE DEALER TURNED OFF THE WARNING LIGHT, BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE TO DATE!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2016

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu has 83 Air Bags complaints on file. 16 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.