2014 Chevrolet Malibu Air Bags & Restraints Problems

I haven’t been in an accident or even tapped anything with my vehicle but a system warning stating the airbags may be malfunctioning continuously flashed on the driver dashboard and now my “check engine” warning light is continuously lit.

Was in a bad wreck, other drivers car deployed airbags, mine did not but engine shut off and hazards stayed on. Crash was about 30 miles an hour or so at impact.

I went to put my seat belt on, car was parked, (driver side front) and the cable that holds it the floor snapped in half. Can not use seat belt until I get it replaced. Called dealership and I knew car was out of warranty, but this is a safety issue. Said nothing they could do. The belt itself is ok, it's the cable on floor that broke in half. Car on has 30,000 miles on it. This Happened today Nov. 4 2021. Car is available for inspection

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, WHEN A DEER SUDDENLY CAME FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO IT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NECK, INTERNAL BRUISING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR BODY, CHEST AND ABDOMINAL AREA INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,194.

WHILE TRAVELING FROM WORK (BOULDER) TO HOME (WESTMINSTER) I HIT A PATCH OF SLUSH WHICH PULLED MY CAR TO THE RIGHT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT THE CARS PULL, THE BACK END OF THE CAR SLID OUT FROM BEHIND ME CAUSING THE CAR TO GO SIDEWAYS FOR A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE CAR GOT TRACTION AND WENT FRONT END FIRST INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN/BARRIER. I THEN GOT OUT OF ANY ONCOMING TRAFFICS WAY, PULLED OVER, AND CALLED 911. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY. THE SEAT BELT NEVER LOCKED UP TO PROTECT ME AND THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. I HIT THE WALL HEAD ON ONCE MY CAR CAUGHT GRIP.

CAR WAS SITTING STILL AND IT WAS REAR ENDED HARD AND SENT MY CAR FORWARD INTO THE CAR WITH B FRONT OF ME MY AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. IT WAS A HIGH IMPACT CRASH AND THEY SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF I WAS SEEN IN EMERGENCY ROOM WITH POSSIBLE FRACTURES TO MY STERNUM AND THIRD RIB. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED AND THE CAR MAKER NEEDS TO BE AWARE IN THE EVENT OTHER CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. MY CONTACT IS (XXXX) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE CAR WAS REAR ENDED AT A FAST SPEED AS IT WAS PROCEEDING AT A SLOW PACE AS TRAFFIC WAS STARTING TO TAKE OFF FROM BEING AT A STAND STILL. THE PERSON DRIVING WAS SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE SAME TIME THE SEAT BELT FLEW OFF AND THE BUCKLE STRUCK THE DRIVER ON THE ARM CAUSING INJURY THE SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT BACK INTO PLACE AND ALSO THE DRIVER'S KNEE HIT THE STEERING CAUSING THE KEY TO BREAK OFF INTO THE IGNITION CAUSING INJURY TO THE KNEE AND LEG. THE CAR ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE LEADING TO THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS MOVING AT A SLOW PACE BECAUSE TRAFFIC HAD STOPPED THEN PROCEEDED TO GO. IT DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GO FULL SPEED BEFORE BEING STRUCK. I BELIEVE THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CAUSED THE SEATBELT TO MALFUNCTION I DON'T KNOW WHY THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND AN ABNORMAL RINGING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY THAT THE AIR BAG MIGHT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT CALLED KELLER CHEVROLET (3600 GENESEE ST, BUFFALO, NY 14225, (716) 650-4589) AND WAS INFORMED TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WE HAVE A FAMILY MALIBU, PURCHASED BRAND NEW. MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER GOT OUT AT ONE STOP, AND GOT IN ON THE NEXT STOP. THE BACK SEATBELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAS FREEZE FOR NO APPEARENT REASON, NOT ALLOWING THE SEATBELT TO COME BACK OUT PAST A FEW INCHES. IT IS NOT FOLDED,ECT AND IS STILL NEARLY NEW. A TRUCK DID PULL OUT IN FRONT OF US IN NOVEMBER 2017 WHILE THE FAMILY WAS IN THE CAR, WE HIT IT GOING ABOUT 15 MPH, BUT THAT WAS 8 MONTHS BACK AND LIKELY ISN'T RELATED. (AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF DUE TO LOWER SPEED).

BRAKING BEFORE POTENTIAL COLLISION, ESPECIALLY SMOOTH BRAKING, REVEALS THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS AN INHERENTLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY UNSAFE DESIGN. *TR THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT HAS DELAYED AND INCONSISTENT LOCKING, OFTEN NOT LOCKING IN BRAKING OR LOCKING LATE. EVEN WHEN IT DOES LOCK EARLIER, IT ALLOWS TOO MUCH TRAVEL, I.E. 1/3 DISTANCE TO WHEEL. UNDER MODERATE BRAKING, BEFORE ENOUGH DECELERATION OCCURS TO LOCK THE BELT, THE DRIVER CAN TRAVEL VERY FAR FORWARD AND IT'S HARD TO HOLD ONESELF BACK. EVEN WHEN READY FOR THAT, THE FORCE NEEDED IS A DISTRACTION FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE ROAD AND MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO STEER. ALSO, EXPERTS HAVE SAID THAT BEING TENSE DURING A COLLISION MAKES INJURIES WORSE OR MORE LIKELY. THE COMPLAINANT HAS TESTED THIS MANY TIMES UNDER STRAIGHT BRAKING ON 25-45 MPH ROADS WITH THE SEAT AS FAR BACK AS IS DRIVABLE AND THE WHEEL AS FAR AWAY AS PRACTICAL FOR A SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE SIZE GUY. UNDER MODERATE BRAKING, THE BELT LOCKED WITH MY HEAD 1 INCH FROM THE WHEEL. IF A COLLISION FOLLOWED, MY HEAD WOULD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY AT NEARLY POINT-BLANK RANGE TO HEAD AND CHEST. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT HAS AN ALTERNATE MODE ACTIVATED BY PULLING THE BELT ALL THE WAY OUT, WHICH ACTIVATES A RETRACT-ONLY RATCHET SO IT WILL HOLD THE PASSENGER CLOSE TO THE SEAT UNTIL RELEASED. THE DRIVER'S BELT DOES NOT HAVE THAT FEATURE. SUGGEST CRASH TESTING WITH BRAKING FROM 70 TO 40 MPH JUST PRIOR TO COLLISION RATHER THAN CRUISING INTO THE BARRIER AT STEADY 40. WITH THE 2014 MALIBU'S RESTRAINTS, THE DUMMY COULD EASILY BE 1/3 TO FULLY AGAINST THE WHEEL AT MOMENT OF COLLISION. THE PERSON SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT DOES NOT FEEL AT ALL SAFE WHILE DRIVING WITH THIS DEFECT IN THE PRIMARY DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THIS IS A 3-YEAR-OLD CAR THAT HAS NOT BEEN IN A COLLISION, GOING BY RECORDS AND PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE AT A STOP AND ATTEMPTING TO YIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED FACE INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR CENTER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.