The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·12V484000·Announced 2012-10-04

GM Recalls 2011-2013 Buick Regal and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu for Turn Signal Defect

General Motors is recalling specific Buick Regal and Chevrolet Malibu vehicles because a burned-out front turn signal bulb may not alert the driver, increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a defect that increases the risk of a crash due to lack of driver awareness of a failed turn signal, fitting the criterion for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Buick Regal and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with two turn signal bulbs in each front turn signal. If one of the two front turn signal bulbs burns out in either front turn signal lamp, there is no indication to the driver that the bulb has failed.

As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." If the driver is not aware that a turn signal is not functioning properly, they may continue to drive the vehicle. If half of a front turn signal is not illuminating, other drivers may not be aware that the affected vehicle is turning, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Buick at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 12212. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
BUICK, CHEVROLET REGAL, MALIBU
Brand
BUICK
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Lighting / Turn Signals
Hazard
Affected units
120,426

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 (2)

  • REGAL
  • MALIBU

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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