Problems · by component
2008 Chevrolet Malibu air bags problems
66 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu cite air bags, 6% of all 1,017 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
66
6% of all complaints
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“On 5/23/2022, we were involved in a crash where a loaded asphalt dump truck pulled out in front of us on major highway. Vehicle was totaled from front end impact. Air bags did not deploy!!”
“Air bag sensor is reading airbag as a foreign object and not apart of the vehicle. Airbag has never been deployed, nor has it ever been changed. This should not be happening.”
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 20MPH ON CITY STREETS MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A BUSINESS AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON, AND IT WOULD DRIVE FOR A SHORT WHILE BEFORE POWER STEERING WOULD SHUT OFF AGAIN, USUALLY WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO TURNS ON ITS OWN WHILE SITTING STILL. I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING A GRINDING, POPPING NOISE AND FLASHING "CHECK AIRBAG" MESSAGES WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING ISSUE TO BE A BROAD GM VEHICLE PROBLEM. CHEVY MALIBUS FROM 2004 TO 2010 I BELIEVE WERE ALL COVERED FOR A RECALL. MY VIN HOWEVER IS NOT ON THIS LIST AND I AM SUFFERING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS ALL OF THESE OTHER CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS. MY VEHICLE HAS 128,XXX MILES.”
“FIRST TIME CAR WAS IN PARK. THEN THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES BUT DOESN'T TURN OFF. ALSO MESSAGE POPS UP SAYING TO SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. NEXT WAS STATIONARY, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. NEXT WAS STATIONARY AND THE CAR TURNED ON BUT THEN THE CLUSTER INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DIDN'T COME ON IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK. ALSO WHILE IN MOTION CAR RPM DIDN'T READ ANYMORE AND IT WAS SHIFTING HARD. ANOTHER THING IT SAYS SERVICE TIRE SENSOR AND SERVICE AIRBAG”
“CARS PURCHASED ON OCTOBER 31ST 2018 THE CAR CAN I PASS INSPECTION WITH NO ONE TO DMV THEY GAVE US A CALL BACK SAYING THE CAR WAS TOTALED IN THE SALVAGE CAR DECLARED IN 2016 THE CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOLD FOR $2,700 WHEN CONTACTED DEALER HE REFUSED TO GIVE US OUR MONEY AND HE SAID ONLY I CAN GET ANOTHER CAR IF I PAY YOUR CAR NOTES AT THIS TIME WOULD JUST LIKE FOR MY MONEY TO BE REFUNDED THE VEHICLE CANNOT PASS INSPECTION AND IS UNSAFE TO BE DRIVEN ON THE STREET I WOULD LIKE MY MONEY BACK HE'S PUTTING MY LIFE IN DANGER”
“DRIVING DOWNTOWN DES MOINES MY MESSAGE CENTER STARTED DINGING, THE MESSAGE OUTPUT WAS: "POWER STEERING" THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN MOVING ON ITS OWN BACK & FORTH, JERKING AND GRINDING. AT ONE POINT JERKED OUT OF MY HAND. IT BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE. I PULLED INTO A CONVIENCE STORE, BOUGHT POWER STEERING FLUID AND STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING SEEMED NORMAL. THE CAR WAS NOT LOW ON FLUIDS, I DIDN'T TRAVEL FAR BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. BY THE TIME I MADE IT HOME MY RIBS WERE HURTING FROM TRYING TO MANAUVER THE CAR HOME. THIS MALFUNCTION IS THE EPS SYSTEM AND RECALLS OF THE 2008 BEGAN IN 2014. MY VIN# WASN'T INCLUDED ON THE LIST. HOWEVER, MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. AT ONE POINT MY STEERING WHEEL JERKED SO HARD IT YANKED STEERING WHEEL AWAY FROM MY GRIP AND I CAME CLOSE TO HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE ABOVE OCCASION, I WOULD BE STOPPED AT A SIGNAL LIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL GRINDED JERKED BACK AND FOURTH AND UNFETTERED.”
Showing 6 of 66 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.