Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 38, in the owner's own words
Weld on the back, right side of the driver's seat broke causing the seat to rock while driving. This is the second time this has happened, as we replaced the original seat when this happened to it.
Driver side seat weld has failed causing seat to lean & become unstable. This failure put my entire family at risk.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the weld to the driver’s seat fractured. The contact had pulled over to inspect the damage and was where the seat had started to lean. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the entire seat needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
HAVE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS LEANING TOWARDS THE BACK AND RIGHT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE BROKEN WELDS ON THE FRAME. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
POWER SEAT WELD AND FRAME BROKE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON NOTHING WRONG MIRROR POWER ADJUSTING DOES NOT WORK
THE METAL ON SIDE OF SEAT BROKE CAUSING THE SEAT NOT TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST. ALSO, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS LIGHTER HAD SHORTAGE AND SPEAKER SOUNDS INCREASE AND DECREASE WITH BEING ADJUSTED, AND THE LIGHT FOR THE TIRE PRESSURE REMAIN ON EVEN WHEN THE TIRES HAS SUFFICIENT AIR. I DIDN'T NOTICE AN EXACT TIME THE DEFECT HAPPEN. I JUST NOTICE THE AFFECTS WHILE DRIVING.
I GOT INTO MY CAR AND THE DRIVER SEAT COLLAPSED ON THE BACK-RIGHT SIDE. AFTER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE WELD BROKE, CAUSING MY CAR TO BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE! I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FILED WITH NHTSA FOR THIS ISSUE. WHY ISN'T AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION BEING CONDUCTED REGARDING THIS DEFECT? I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY RECALL AND GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS!
BROKEN WELDS UNDER THE SEAT WHERE THEY SHOULD NEVER BE BROKEN, VERY DANGEROUS! SEAT IS ALL THE WAY DOWN, DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAS COLLASPED
THE SEAT BELTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE SOME ISSUES. I WAS INVOLVED IN A WRECK LATELY AND I WAS HURT REALLY BAD FROM THE SEAT BELT ON THE CHEVY . THE SEAT BELT DINTED INTO MY BODY CAUSING SOME REALLY BAD PAIN WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
THE WIRING ON MY VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MESSED UP CAUSING MY CHECK LIGHT ENGINE TO STAY ON AT ALL TIMES. I'VE HAD MULTIPLE MACHINISTS LOOK OVER MY VEHICLE AND HAVE SPENT LOTS OF MONEY TRYING TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED.
WAS DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ WHEN I NOTICED THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT STARTED LEANING TO THE RIGHT SIDE. I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE TO SEE THE CROSS BAR BROKEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE. NOW THE SEAT ROCKS AND IS VERY UNSTABLE. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF REPORTS CLAIM THAT MY THE SAME DESIGN FLAW. WHY IS GM NOT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?
DRIVERS SEAT STARTED LEANING TO THE RIGHT OVER TIME. THEN ONE DAY WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR, THE SEAT WAS WOBBLY. THOUGHT MAYBE A LOOSE BOLT, BUT FOUND SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MALIBU, BUT NO RECALLS. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY CHEVY.
"TAKATA RECALL".... WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE MAKING A LEFT TURN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, POSITION GOT UNCOMFORTABLE HAVE TO SIT VERY VERY LOW WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES SEAT KIND OF LIFT UP WHEN MOVING. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND TELLS ME MY SEAT IS BROKE AND IT REQUIRES A NEW ASSEMBLY. HOW DOES A SEAT JUST BREAK? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX SO DRIVING UNSAFE IS NOT GOOD AT ALL.
DRIVER FRONT SEAT TRACK CRACKED AT WELD SPOT, SEAT LEANS TO THE RIGHT. ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS AND APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD MANUFACTURE DEFECT. COST TO REPAIR IS $1200 THROUGH A DEALERSHIP FOR A WHOLE NEW SEAT FRAME. UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS HASN'T BEEN RECALLED.
I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON 11/30/2018 AND NOTICED NOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SEAT BELTS. MY CAR BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED.
ON 10/17/18 I WAS JUST ABOUT TO PULL ONTO THE SUBURBAN SIDE STREET THAT I LIVE ON, GOING APPROXIMATELY 10 MP, WHEN I SUDDENLY HEARD A VERY LOUD "CLUNK" OR "SNAP" AND IMMEDIATELY FELT MY DRIVER'S SEAT SHIFT DOWNWARD AND TO THE RIGHT. AFTER COMPLETING MY TURN, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT MY VEHICLE IN PARK AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS "LOOSE." I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS TILTED TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE, ON A DOWNWARD ANGLE, THE SEAT WAS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH/UP & DOWN WHEN I GENTLY TOUCHED IT. WHAT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN A SUBURBAN SIDE STREET AT A LOW SPEED, THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AN ACCIDENT? ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT SHORTLY PRIOR TO MY SEAT BREAKING, I HAD USED MY AUTOMATIC CONTROLS ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT TO ADJUST MY SEAT SLIGHTLY. I ADJUSTED THE HEIGHT AND TILT OF THE FRAME (NOT THE ANGLE OF THE BACK OF THE SEAT). IT APPEARS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, THAT IS SCARY! I AM WAITING TO GET AN ESTIMATE FROM THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP I GO TO, AND I AM HOPING IT IS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY CAR IS A 2011 MALIBU AND IS JUST UNDER 50,000 MILES. IT IS SERVICED REGULARLY BY THE SAME DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT AT, THERE IS NO REASON WHY THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED!!!!!!! VERY SCARY TO DRIVE WITH A SEAT THAT IS NO LONGER SECURED PROPERLY. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THIS IS BEING ADDRESSED BY CHEVROLET, EITHER AS A RECALL, SAFETY INVESTIGATION, OR ETC. IF THIS HAPPENS TO 1 OR 2 PEOPLE, MAYBE COINCIDENCE, BUT GOOGLE IS FULL OF REVIEWS WITH THIS COMPLAINT. IN FACT, WHEN SEARCHING ON GOOGLE FOR "DRIVER SEAT BROKEN" THE FIRST THING THAT COMES UP IS THIS EXACT ISSUE IN A MALIBU!!! THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER SEARCH RESULTS ON THE FIRST PAGE THAT ARE THIS EXACT ISSUE IN A MALIBU AS WELL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS NOT COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE AND THE SEAT MOVED WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,112.
I WENT TO ADJUST MY SEAT FORWARD USING THE AUTOMATED ADJUSTER AND HEARD A SNAP. THE SEAT WILL ADJUST FORWARD BUT NOT AS MUCH AS USUAL AND LEANS TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE. I CAN FEEL THE BACK, LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE SEAT LIFT FROM THE ACTUAL FRAME WHEN TURNING. I IMAGINE THIS MAKES FOR AN AWFUL SAFETY HAZARD IF I WERE IN A CRASH. I'M GLAD THE SEAT DIDN'T BREAK WHILE I WAS MOVING THE CAR. IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND MOST CERTAINLY WOULD'VE CAUSED ME TO CRASH. I'M EXTREMELY NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO COLLIDE WITH ME. WILL THE THE REST OF THE WELDS ONTHE SEAT FRAME HOLD? I'VE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ONLINE ALREADY. IF I'M IN A FENDER BENDER OR (GOD FORBID) WORSE, WILL THE SEAT STAY IN THE CAR? THE SEAT BELT IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT AND I'M WORRIED. WHAT'S TO KEEP ME FROM GOING THROUGH MY WINDSHIELD?! THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN! THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL!
THE DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN, CAUSING A SHARP LEAN TO THE RIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT THE FRAME NEEDS TO BE RE-WELDED. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOUND A GOOD NUMBER OF THE SAME ISSUE. THE PICTURES ONLINE LOOK EXACTLY LIKE MY PROBLEM. (THE ATTACHED PIC IS ONE I FOUND WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT NOT MY ACTUAL SEAT)
I CALL WYLIE MUSSER MOTOR S FOR SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY WILL REPAIR WHEN THEY HAVE THE ORDER. IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS AND STILL NO CALL BACK FOR SERVICE.
THE FRAME ATTACHED TO THE BASE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE COLLAPSED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING ME TO SWERVE BUT I WAS ABLE TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANYTHING AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE SEAT IS LEANING TO THE RIGHT . I GOT IT TO THE GM DEALERSHIP AND REQUESTED THEM TO REPAIR IT AND FILED A REPORT CASE# 8-3168765111. FILE NOTICE WITH GM AND I AM AWAITING A DETERMINATION ON MY CLAIM, I AM HOPEFUL THAT GM WILL HONOR MY CLAIM AND INVESTIGATE PRODUCTION ISSUES THAT MAY HAVE LEAD TO THIS ISSUE. I REVIEWED CARCOMPLAINTS.COM AND NOTICED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS .HOPEFULLY NHTSA CAN INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM,
DRIVER SEAT FRAME BREAKING - NO NOTICE THE DRIVER SEAT RIGHT SIDE SAGS AND IS LOOSE MOVES AROUND. NORMAL GETTING IN AND OUT OF CAR. HAD DEALER LOOK AT IT AND SAID FRAME BROKEN. SEAT NEED TO BE REPLACED 1100.00 VERIFIED SEAT FRAME BROKEN WITH CHEVROLET DEALER IN GA HAZARD DRIVING WHEN DRIVER SEAT FRAME BREAKS WITHOUT NOTICE.
FOR SOMETIME NOW IN THE PAST FEW YEARS WHEN I GET INTO THE DRIVER SEAT IT FEELS LIKE THE SEAT IS SHIFTING TO THE RIGHT. THE ISSUE WAS FELT BUT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AS I AFTER 1-2 YEARS WENT TO THE BACK SEAT TO THE REAR OF THE SEAT AND PUT MY HANDS UNDER THE LOWER RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SEAT AND LIFTED. THE SEAT MOVED! I THEN CALLED CHEVROLET TO SEE IF THEY HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT OR THE FRAME AND I WAS TOLD NO. I THEN TALKED WITH MCDERMOTT AND I WAS TOLD THE SEAT WOULD COST ME CLOSE TO $1,000 DOLLARS. I THEN CONTACTED CNA NATIONAL WARRANTY CORPORATION AND I HAVE BUMPER TO BUMPER COVERAGE THROUGH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. CNA IS REFUSING TO COVER THE SEAT FRAME BUT WOULD COVER THE SEAT TRACK. I CALLED CHEVROLET AGAIN ON 03/27/2017 AND THEY TOLD ME BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE SEAT? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAVE DEALT WITH A DRIVER SEAT BREAKING ON A CHEVROLET PRODUCT. I WEIGH 200LBS AND THE SEAT FRAME SHOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS SEAT IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND MOVEMENT FROM A HUMAN BODY WITH A SEAT BELT? I HAVE A CASE NUMBER FROM CHEVROLET: 2844719955. I'M WORKING ON GETTING A CASE NUMBER FROM CNA TODAY. I HAVE ALSO READ ABOUT THE 2006, 2010, 2011 AND 2012 MALIBU ISSUES WITH CAR SEATS. I NEED THE SEAT REPLACED AND IT HAS DONE SOME DAMAGE TO THE CENTER CONSOLE FROM THE MOVEMENT FROM THE SEAT. THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT CHEVROLET AND CNA IS REFUSING TO FIX.
THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAS BROKEN. IT IS THE RIGHT SIDE AND IT IS SITTING LOWER THAN THE LEFT SIDE. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. THE OTHER ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS VERY WORRISOME. WHEN YOU ARE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT OR ANYTHING AND YOU GO TO TAKE OFF IT FEELS LIKE CAR SHUTS DOWN BRIEFLY AND THEN IT KICKS IN. THE PROBLEM CAN NEVER SEEM TO BE REPLICATED AT A DEALERSHIP IMAGINE THAT.
I DID HAVE A RECALL ON THE FRONT SEAT BELTS, NOT SURE IF THE SEATS WERE REMOVED. SINCE THEN THE DRIVERS SEAT FELT AS IF IT WAS CLOSER TO THE CENTER CONSOLE AND LEANING MORE TO THE RIGHT NOT TO MENTION A TOOL (BATTERY POWERED ANGLE DRIVER) WAS FOUND IN THE BACK LEFT SEAT LATER AND RETURNED TO MCDERMOTT. MY SEAT IS LEANING MORE AND MORE AS TIME PASSES AND I WENT TO THE REAR SEAT TO LOOK AT THE DRIVERS SEAT AND THE RIGHT SIDE MOUNTED TO THE FLOOR RAIL IS LIFTING UP? I THE SPOKE WITH CHEVROLET DIRECT ONLINE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I WAS TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND ME THE SEAT WITH MY SEAT BELT ON WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND MY SEAT IS ALSO DAMAGED FROM THE MOVEMENT, LEATHER SEAT. THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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