High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
When I was in a car accident I was hit on the rear passenger side of my vehicle, right near where my side air bags are supposed to be located. I was hit at 50 mph and the airbags did not deploy.
When I was in a car accident I was hit on the rear passenger side of my vehicle, right near where my side air bags are supposed to be located. I was hit at 50 mph and the airbags did not deploy.
On December 24, 2025, the contact's 2023 Chevrolet Malibu was involved in a severe side-impact collision. The vehicle was struck on the rear passenger side by a full-size pickup truck traveling at high speed (est. 60 mph) that failed to stop at a red light. The impact caused the contact's vehicle to spin approximately 180 degrees and strike a concrete median sideways, generating high lateral G-forces. FAILURE 1: AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT. Despite the severity of the impact and the violent spin into a curb (rollover trip point), the side curtain airbags and front seat-mounted side impact airbags failed to deploy. The failure of the restraint system caused the driver to be thrown against the driver-side door structure, striking their head on the window and B-pillar. The driver sustained a concussion, cervical strain, and lumbar strain. Medical records confirm the injuries are consistent with impact against the vehicle interior due to non-deployment. FAILURE 2: EMERGENCY TELEMATICS MALFUNCTION. Immediately post-collision, the driver attempted to manually activate the OnStar/SOS emergency buttons. The system failed to connect to an advisor. Instead, the vehicle's infotainment screen malfunctioned, opening a voice-to-text transcription application. The system then bypassed the vehicle's internal telematics module and attempted to route the emergency call to the owner's personal cell phone, indicating a complete failure of the vehicle's emergency communication hardware. This resulted in a 34-minute delay in coordinating professional assistance. Contact notes; while this vehicle currently shows 0 open recalls, the failure mechanism (sensor non-response during side impact) mimics the defect described in NHTSA Campaign 22V923000 (GM Recall N222392300), where improper welding of the front impact bar causes crash sensors to fail. The vehicle is available for inspection. Police and medical reports confirm the incident details. No warning lights were illuminated prior to crash.
On December 24, 2025, the contact's 2023 Chevrolet Malibu was involved in a severe side-impact collision. The vehicle was struck on the rear passenger side by a full-size pickup truck traveling at high speed (est. 60 mph) that failed to stop at a red light. The impact caused the contact's vehicle to spin approximately 180 degrees and strike a concrete median sideways, generating high lateral G-forces. FAILURE 1: AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT. Despite the severity of the impact and the violent spin into a curb (rollover trip point), the side curtain airbags and front seat-mounted side impact airbags failed to deploy. The failure of the restraint system caused the driver to be thrown against the driver-side door structure, striking their head on the window and B-pillar. The driver sustained a concussion, cervical strain, and lumbar strain. Medical records confirm the injuries are consistent with impact against the vehicle interior due to non-deployment. FAILURE 2: EMERGENCY TELEMATICS MALFUNCTION. Immediately post-collision, the driver attempted to manually activate the OnStar/SOS emergency buttons. The system failed to connect to an advisor. Instead, the vehicle's infotainment screen malfunctioned, opening a voice-to-text transcription application. The system then bypassed the vehicle's internal telematics module and attempted to route the emergency call to the owner's personal cell phone, indicating a complete failure of the vehicle's emergency communication hardware. This resulted in a 34-minute delay in coordinating professional assistance. Contact notes; while this vehicle currently shows 0 open recalls, the failure mechanism (sensor non-response during side impact) mimics the defect described in NHTSA Campaign 22V923000 (GM Recall N222392300), where improper welding of the front impact bar causes crash sensors to fail. The vehicle is available for inspection. Police and medical reports confirm the incident details. No warning lights were illuminated prior to crash.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, another vehicle collided with her vehicle on the rear end of the vehicle as well as the rear passenger side. The contact mentioned that the seat belt did retract during the impact. The air bags on the front driver and passenger sides deployed partially. The vehicle was still drivable. The insurance company informed the contact that they are waiting for a response from the auto body shop. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The contact stated she did not sustain any injuries. No Medical Attention. A police report was filed, however the police report was unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, another vehicle collided with her vehicle on the rear end of the vehicle as well as the rear passenger side. The contact mentioned that the seat belt did retract during the impact. The air bags on the front driver and passenger sides deployed partially. The vehicle was still drivable. The insurance company informed the contact that they are waiting for a response from the auto body shop. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The contact stated she did not sustain any injuries. No Medical Attention. A police report was filed, however the police report was unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
I brought in my used vehicle to the dealership the same dealership that I purchased my car from due to another issue i was having with the car. Upon inspection from the dealership a diagnostic test was done on the vehicle, the dealership gave me a invoice stating "airbag malfunction needs the airbag on horn". I purchased this used vehicle from this dealership 4-4-25,. 6-10-25 i returned for the issue I was having and the dealership gave me this invoice with the information concerning the airbag. Yes it is available for inspection. My safety is in jeopardy if no airbag deploys for the driver if im in any type of accident. I was not made aware by the dealership of not having a airbag. No the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representative. No, there was no warning lamps, messages before finding out this information at the dealership . I did receive a acknowledgement of vehicle accident history stating " This vehicle is a used vehicle that has had prior structural body repair work, indicating that the vehicle has previously been in an accident. " No further information. I have no information as towhen this accident took place.
I brought in my used vehicle to the dealership the same dealership that I purchased my car from due to another issue i was having with the car. Upon inspection from the dealership a diagnostic test was done on the vehicle, the dealership gave me a invoice stating "airbag malfunction needs the airbag on horn". I purchased this used vehicle from this dealership 4-4-25,. 6-10-25 i returned for the issue I was having and the dealership gave me this invoice with the information concerning the airbag. Yes it is available for inspection. My safety is in jeopardy if no airbag deploys for the driver if im in any type of accident. I was not made aware by the dealership of not having a airbag. No the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representative. No, there was no warning lamps, messages before finding out this information at the dealership . I did receive a acknowledgement of vehicle accident history stating " This vehicle is a used vehicle that has had prior structural body repair work, indicating that the vehicle has previously been in an accident. " No further information. I have no information as towhen this accident took place.
My car randomly shuts off when but still says it’s on at a stop light which causes a lot of problems because I have to push the start button to turn off and turn on again. Something is wrong with the wiring, in order for me to turn my car off I have to unplug my battery otherwise my car safety alarm will activate and hazard lights will go off and trunk will open. Which also cause my horn to go out. Everytime I turn my car on it says service ESC which I have no clue what that means and have asked multiple people . My air bag service light is on and it has no reason to be on as my car has not had any problems with my airbags. My car automatically brake while on the highway going 75 when a car swerved into my lane ahead of me and the hard activated the abs which caused my car to swerve uncontrollably and almost caused my car to flip.
My car randomly shuts off when but still says it’s on at a stop light which causes a lot of problems because I have to push the start button to turn off and turn on again. Something is wrong with the wiring, in order for me to turn my car off I have to unplug my battery otherwise my car safety alarm will activate and hazard lights will go off and trunk will open. Which also cause my horn to go out. Everytime I turn my car on it says service ESC which I have no clue what that means and have asked multiple people . My air bag service light is on and it has no reason to be on as my car has not had any problems with my airbags. My car automatically brake while on the highway going 75 when a car swerved into my lane ahead of me and the hard activated the abs which caused my car to swerve uncontrollably and almost caused my car to flip.
While driving, the driver side tires (2) went flat and four (4) airbags deployed, this happened with no warning.
While driving, the driver side tires (2) went flat and four (4) airbags deployed, this happened with no warning.