Check a VIN

2016 Chevrolet Malibu: airbags did not deploy in a crash

6 of the 841 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu describe airbags did not deploy in a crash.

owner complaints
6
of this car's complaints
1%
typical mileage
60,000
recalls
4
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls and 7 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Airbags did not deploy in a crash by model year

What owners say

Filed Sep 18, 2023 · Brakes · 14,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her dad was driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated and decelerated. The contact stated that the vehicle was speeding up and then slowing down independently. The brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to crash into a pole, however, the air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. While the mechanic was driving the vehicle, the vehicle drove as designed. However, the contact stated that while her dad was driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the wheels were extremely hot. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no open recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

Filed Aug 15, 2023 · Brakes, Seat belts · 70,000 miles · IN · crash

The contact's finance owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake pedal would hardened when depressed without warning. While driving at 15 MPH, the contact crashed into another vehicle due to the hardened brake pedal. The driver side air bag failed to deploy as needed; the air bag slightly popped out of place but did not deploy. A police report was filed; no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the mechanic verified that the vacuum pump needed repair. In addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would independently downshift while driving at a high rate of speed as the "engine reduce speed" warning message would appear on the instrument panel. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified the failures; a case was filed with the manufacturer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Filed May 19, 2023 · Airbags · 113,537 miles · LA · crash · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle was involved in a rear collision. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact's friend sustained rib, back, and neck injuries. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,537.

Filed Aug 3, 2019 · Airbags, Brakes · 60,000 miles · MO · crash

I was driving northbound on I-435 when avoiding an accident. I pressed my brake as hard as I could. My vehicle did not stop so to avoid causing a serious accident I went off road in the center of the two highways. After hitting the guardrail to stop my vehicle from falling inbetween the overpass. My airbags did not deploy . I feel some concern after having my breaks checked and told they were good. Then if I'm at stop and I release the break for my car to start back up. I give it a second and then press the peddle it does not move which has almost caused me to hold up traffic or almost being hit when vehicles were at safe distances.

Filed Mar 30, 2018 · Brakes · 19,950 miles · PA · crash

2/2/18. Was traveling at 47 MPH when a truck stopped in front of me. I was approximately 10 car lengths away. I hit the brake to stop, felt the pedal vibrate for a few seconds and then the pedal went to the floor and the vibration went away. Pumped the pedal again and slowed the vehicle and was able to get over to the right before hitting the truck. The air bags did not deploy, the auto stop feature did not work. The onstar did not activate.the roads were dry, and the road was flat. Gm sent someone to retrieve the data from the computers, we have copies of the report. The data shows 5 seconds before the crash. According to the braking data, the brake was applied at 47 MPH and the vehicle slowed but did not stop. After getting the vehicle back from the body shop, we had the codes pulled and found numerous codes in the different modules. There was a code u0415-71- invalid data received from electronic brake control module present as a history code. We took the vehicle to a chevy dealer and they confirmed all the same codes. We had to take the car back to the original dealer that did the body work in case it was accident related. The second dealer is claiming that even though codes are present there is nothing they can find wrong. I believe the ABS failed on this vehicle and was the direct cause of the accident.

Filed Dec 23, 2016 · Brakes · 4,100 miles · AZ · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet malibu. While driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed. The wheels locked up and the contact's vehicle slid into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair facility for repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,100.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Air bags: sensor: occupant classificationReported June 14, 2018 · 66 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
Risk
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.

Recall number 18V400000 · Recall details

Air bags: side/windowReported October 26, 2016 · 18 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured November 18, 2015, to June 7, 2016. The fabric of the side-impact air bag cushion may tear during deployment.
Risk
If the air bag tears during deployment, the air bag may not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 27, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 16079.

Recall number 16V781000 · Recall details

Air bags: side/windowReported March 11, 2016 · 3,137 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Malibu vehicles manufactured February 16, 2016, to March 5, 2016. The two weld studs that mount the front and rear side impact air bags may fracture and separate from the air bag during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk
Fractured weld studs may allow the side air bag to move out of position during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 31820.

Recall number 16V151000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontalReported March 2, 2016 · 1,579 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured January 19, 2016, to February 2, 2016, Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured January 9, 2016, to January 26, 2016, and 2016 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured January 21, 2016, to February 4, 2016. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Risk
An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 28030.

Recall number 16V125000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu no deployment

Is airbags did not deploy in a crash a common problem on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu?

6 of 841 owner complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu (1%) mention airbags did not deploy in a crash. The model year with the most reports is 2010.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu?

There are 4 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu

Check engine light 181Loss of power 110Stalling 30Engine failure 26Battery drain 18Water leak 18Won't start 18Headlights 16Misfire 14ABS 13Grinding brakes 13Hesitation 13Won't shift 13Jerking 12Steering lock-up 9Brake failure 8Adaptive cruise 7Door locks 7Knocking 7Start-stop 7Warning lights 7Backup camera 6Fuel pump 6Overheating 6Fire or smoke 5Key fob 5Transmission failure 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Malibu

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2016 Chevrolet Malibu?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history