I was t-boned on the front side panel near the door at a high rate of speed. I would estimate well above the posted limit of 35 mph and my front and side airbags failed to deploy. I have video from the intersection and dash cam demonstrating the impact. My head hit off the steering wheel causing a concussion, neck and spine dislocations, bruising, and cracked xiphoid, dislocation on the left side of my chest, and cut on my ear. I went to the hospital, have the police report, and the two videos are also available. My car was totaled and towed to the lot off of Lamb, north of Craig Road.
Chevrolet Malibu no deployment problems
258 of the 19,367 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Malibu describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 258
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 70,000
Is there a fix? There are 9 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Steering lock-up 9Brake failure 9Stalling 7Seat belt 7Airbag light 7Power steering loss 6Headlights 5ABS 5
Trouble codes mentioned
U0415 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving very slowly into a parking space, the brake pedal was pressed to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and suddenly accelerated forward at a very high rate of speed and crashed into a furniture store showroom window. During the incident, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged, but no air bags deployed. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.
I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle was previously involved in accidents prior to my purchase and had known mechanical issues, including a gear shifting problem that was not properly repaired. In February 2024, while the vehicle was insured under Ocean Harbor Casualty Insurance Company, it sustained a significant front-end collision impacting the driver side. The impact was severe enough to cause structural damage, including a dent to the vehicle frame. Despite the severity of the collision, the airbags did not deploy at all. Based on the extent of the damage, airbag deployment would reasonably be expected. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had ongoing issues following repairs, including system errors and concerns that repairs may not have been properly completed by a certified facility. This raises concern that the airbag system may have been defective, improperly repaired, or compromised prior to the accident. I was not informed of any airbag or safety-related defects at the time of purchase from HGreg. I am submitting this complaint due to concerns of a potential safety defect involving failure of the airbag system during a serious collision.
Driver going 60+ mph hit metal guardrail, spun and slammed into concrete side of bridge. No airbags deployed
When I was in a car accident I was hit on the rear passenger side of my vehicle, right near where my side air bags are supposed to be located. I was hit at 50 mph and the airbags did not deploy.
On December 24, 2025, the contact's 2023 Chevrolet Malibu was involved in a severe side-impact collision. The vehicle was struck on the rear passenger side by a full-size pickup truck traveling at high speed (est. 60 mph) that failed to stop at a red light. The impact caused the contact's vehicle to spin approximately 180 degrees and strike a concrete median sideways, generating high lateral G-forces. FAILURE 1: AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT. Despite the severity of the impact and the violent spin into a curb (rollover trip point), the side curtain airbags and front seat-mounted side impact airbags failed to deploy. The failure of the restraint system caused the driver to be thrown against the driver-side door structure, striking their head on the window and B-pillar. The driver sustained a concussion, cervical strain, and lumbar strain. Medical records confirm the injuries are consistent with impact against the vehicle interior due to non-deployment. FAILURE 2: EMERGENCY TELEMATICS MALFUNCTION. Immediately post-collision, the driver attempted to manually activate the OnStar/SOS emergency buttons. The system failed to connect to an advisor. Instead, the vehicle's infotainment screen malfunctioned, opening a voice-to-text transcription application. The system then bypassed the vehicle's internal telematics module and attempted to route the emergency call to the owner's personal cell phone, indicating a complete failure of the vehicle's emergency communication hardware. This resulted in a 34-minute delay in coordinating professional assistance. Contact notes; while this vehicle currently shows 0 open recalls, the failure mechanism (sensor non-response during side impact) mimics the defect described in the federal safety agency Campaign 22V923000 (GM Recall N222392300), where improper welding of the front impact bar causes crash sensors to fail. The vehicle is available for inspection. Police and medical reports confirm the incident details. No warning lights were illuminated prior to crash.
The contact owned a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while backing out of the driveway, the engine revved up and accelerated independently. The contact's vehicle accelerated independently in reverse(R) and clipped the tow hitch of a vehicle parked on the street, and that was where the vehicle came to a stop. No air bags deployed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was inspected. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while parking in reverse into the contact's assigned parking space, the engine revved up and accelerated independently. The vehicle accelerated in reverse(R) and hit a tree, where it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the back windshield was shattered, the rear bumper fell off, and smoke was emitting from under the hood. Â A police report was not filed. The contact was taken to the hospital by a family member later that day. The contact sustained minor injuries; a contact had a CT scan due to hitting the steering wheel. The contact sustained minor cuts from the flying glass from the back windshield. The contact stated that the day after the accident, her daughter turned on the vehicle, and the air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was left at the residence pending an inspection from a mobile independent mechanic. The contact stated that prior to the accident, the gear shift failed to function as intended. When the contact moved the shift lever to park(P) and the contact turned off the engine, the light on park(P) would stay on. The contact then turned on the engine and turned it off the engine, and the light on the gearshift turned off. The insurance company was not contacted. However, the contact did not have coverage for the accident. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I got sick and I split a utility pole. The airbags did not deploy
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 15 MPH, and the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle crashed into a building before coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact shifted the transmission to park (P) and turned off the vehicle. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely firm and unable to depress. The vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and medical attention was not received. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the vacuum brake booster and camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at 65 MPH, the contact's daughter was run off the road by another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the vehicle was forced to crash into the guard rail. The contact's daughter was knocked unconscious and sustained a concussion due to hitting her head on the driver's door glass. The contact's daughter was transported to the local medical center. The contact stated that a police report was not filed because it was a single-vehicle crash. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was 94,073.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 19V019000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- 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/window
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
- Risk
- Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
Recall number 16V870000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- 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/window
- 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: frontal
- 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
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Recall number 15V666000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
- Risk
- If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.
- Remedy
- Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1‑877‑477‑1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.
Recall number 06V417000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fasteners that secure the passenger air bag module to the instrument panel tie bar were omitted.
- Risk
- If the air bag deploys, the module could separate from the instrument panel striking and injuring an occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the air bag module for the presence of the fasteners and, if necessary, install any fasteners that may have been omitted.
Recall number 97V107000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Malibu no deployment
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (21 complaints), 2012 (20 complaints) and 2009 (18 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix airbags did not deploy in a crash on the Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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