The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·12V224000·Announced 2012-05-18

GM Recalls 2013 Chevrolet Malibu for Airbag Deployment Software Defect

General Motors is recalling 2013 Chevrolet Malibus because a software defect may cause airbags to deploy unintentionally or fail to deploy in a crash.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where airbags may fail to deploy in a severe crash, increasing the risk of personal injury, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for significant injury reports or structural defects.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured between October 24, 2011, and March 31, 2012. The recall involves the Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM) software.

After an event of hard braking, the SDM may reset itself. If this occurs during an aggressive turning maneuver and a potential vehicle rollover is subsequently sensed, the roof rail airbag may deploy unintentionally. Additionally, the airbags and/or seatbelt pretensioners may fail to deploy during a severe crash, which increases the risk of personal injury.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM free of charge. The safety recall began on June 13, 2012. Customers may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit safercar.gov for more information.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET MALIBU
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Category
Vehicle — Passenger Car
Hazard
Affected units
4,304

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • MALIBU

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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