General Motors Recalls 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu for Air Bag Calibration Issues
General Motors is recalling 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles because the passenger presence system may be miscalibrated, potentially causing air bags to deploy incorrectly.
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 in the air bag system that can increase the risk of injury in a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.
Plain-English summary
General Motors LLC is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The recall addresses a defect in the Passenger Presence System (PPS), which may have been installed with incorrect calibration to the vehicle's seat type during servicing.
This miscalibration may prevent the system from properly distinguishing between an adult passenger and a child passenger in the front seat. As a result, the air bag may fail to deploy when necessary or deploy when it should not. In the event of a crash, this improper deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- CHEVROLET MALIBU
- Brand
- CHEVROLET
- Manufacturer
- General Motors LLC
- Affected units
- 66
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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