Chevrolet Malibu seat problems

SEATS

Transmission has been slipping since the day I bought the car in 2023 approximately at 90,000 miles, I have been keeping up with the manufactured recommendations on the transmission and march of 2026 I went to move the passenger seat and it no longer moves

NHTSA complaint #11749453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

There is a frequency coming from the front of the driver's seat, steering wheel, and under the instrument panel that sends a electrical shock as you drive. If you have aluminum foil or any type of material that blocks electrical signals in the driver's seat it will shock you as well. This could definitely cause an accident while driving . This happens daily. It started in April 2026.

NHTSA complaint #11748260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The driver's seat bracket broke causing the seat to sag to the right and for the back of the seat to rise up. Pictures were taken and are attached. Available for inspection until fixed. The view is from the front. My finger points to the failed weld. In an accident, the seat might break off causing the driver to sustain serious injury. The sudden shift in the seat could cause the driver to panic resulting in an accident. I have not yet taken it into the dealer for review. This problem has been reported to your website as well as RepairPal and The Center for Auto Safety websites. No one has, as of now, inspected this failure. There are no warning lights or other sources avaliable to inform of this danger.

NHTSA complaint #11726490 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

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.

NHTSA complaint #11722790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The catalytic converter and exhaust manifold are suspected to be malfunctioning. These components are part of the vehicle’s exhaust system, and their failure is believed to be contributing to hesitation and skipping during operation. Both components are available for inspection upon request. The hesitation and skipping reduce the vehicle’s responsiveness, creating a safety risk in traffic. This issue could hinder safe merging, overtaking, or maintaining consistent speeds. Additionally, malfunctioning exhaust components may lead to increased emissions and pose a risk of toxic gases entering the cabin if leaks are present. Check engine light displays. The problem has been confirmed by a professional auto mechanic during their inspection and diagnosis. The components have been inspected and diagnosed by an independent service center (the auto mechanic). They have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps or error messages were displayed on the dashboard prior to the diagnosis. The symptoms, including hesitation and skipping, began approximately [insert timeline, e.g., two weeks ago] and have been recurring during normal driving, particularly during acceleration or at lower speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11633324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

I am filing a complaint regarding a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that I purchased from a dealership on November 22, 2024. The vehicle was advertised as being in “excellent condition” at the dealership’s site. During the test drive, I raised concerns about potential transmission issues, but the dealership assured me that the vehicle was “clean” and safe to drive. Unfortunately, this assurance turned out to be false, as the vehicle has since displayed significant mechanical failures, including overheating issues, that pose serious safety risks. Within a week of purchase, the vehicle broke down twice: first on November 29, while driving to work, and again on November 30, while on I-10 Katy freeway. The second breakdown created a life-threatening situation as the vehicle suddenly lost power in traffic. I incurred towing costs of $125 to return the vehicle to the dealership. After an attempted repair, the vehicle was returned to me on December 5, 2024. However, it broke down again on December 8, 2024, requiring another tow. Since that time, the vehicle has remained at the dealership, yet no adequate resolution has been provided. Additionally, I have since discovered that the vehicle has persistent overheating issues that were not disclosed at the time of sale. These overheating problems pose a serious safety risk as they could result in a fire or explosion, endangering my life and the lives of others on the road. The dealership’s negligence in addressing these critical safety concerns demonstrates a disregard for consumer safety. I believe the dealership knowingly sold me a defective vehicle with significant mechanical issues that were either hidden or misrepresented. The sudden and repeated breakdowns, particularly in hazardous driving conditions, and the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating, warrant immediate attention from the NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11632052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

I have an electrical problem with my car. Driver seat is electrical and the seat has been stuck in one position. The siding of the seat where the buttons are broke. The seatbelt gets stuck from the plastic being broken. I’ve had the car for a year and within 3 months of purchase I had to change brakes and it needs brakes again.

NHTSA complaint #11611964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Not starting due to loss of power I believe it's electrical.

NHTSA complaint #11579084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Air bag warning light stays on and will not reset. Driver power seat controls buttons out of plastic control cover and jammed in metal part of seat. Can not get seat control unjammed and no way to adjust driver seat.

NHTSA complaint #11568244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Air bag light is on dashboard and my driver seat won’t recline back up to a normal driving position. Brought it to the mechanic to have it checked and was told I am in need of a new driver seat do to a faulty airbag. The car is not even 10 years old yet and I can’t use the seat properly to drive safely.

NHTSA complaint #11549010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

shift to park

NHTSA complaint #11532546 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

My vehicle has not been inspected, but while I was driving the brake pedal became stiff, luckily my e brake was able to prevent any wrecks. I saw that the 2016 chevy malibu has a known issue with the, "ebcm" and that would certainly cause these kinds of issues, my brake pads and rotors still have plenty of life left. Also, the driver side seat switch stopped working, according to reviews by other 2016 chevy malibu owners, and mechanics, that's because of the design flaw in the switch, it somehow rubs itself raw until there's nothing left and it snaps, leaving the switch nothing to grab on to. So, my driver seat is stuck, all the way reclined, and all the way forward. Which, according to the manual in my malibu says is a safety issue, because of the design of the seat, if it's reclined while driving and there is a collision, it can cause the seat to slide, which can cause serious injuries or death, I'd say that goes for both though.

NHTSA complaint #11527359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Driver seat frame bar broke. Is weld and the weld broke when I was on the road. Safety concern when I turn left or right driver seat moves a lot. I can’t drive my malibu like that, Im putting myself in risk and other drivers. First time happens to me this kind of situation. I had other oldest vehicles and driver seat never broke. Not good for a 2012 malibu with a broken frame bar driver seat. GM should fix this problem that comes from manufacure. I did a research about this and Im not alone there is a lot of people complaining about this safety concern issue that chevy malibus from 2009 and 2012 had and dealers dont want to pay attention to this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11512046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

I seem to have a short in the drivers side seat adjuster. At times when adjusting the seat a warning comes up to replace air bag and sometimes shuts off the radio. I have read that there was a recall at one point for this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11473178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Engine light continues to come on repeatedly. Resetting does not fix the problem. Engine shuts off while driving. Then suddenly the engine comes back on at an accelerated speed. Engine shuts off at traffic light when my foot is on the brake. When I remove my foot from the brake and press the accelerator the car jerks into gear. Sometimes the STABIL TRACK appears on my dash board. Also, STEERING REDUCE BE CAREFUL appears on my dash board. Sometime the driver side window will not go up or down. I have CAR SHIELD but I can not find a mechanic to accept it. They all say that CAR SHIELD is a rip-off.

NHTSA complaint #11463906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

I went to move the Lever to the driver side seat to adjust the back of the seat for support. And I went to go pull the level and the seat assembly snapped and broke off causing the seat to move backwards and forwards(up and down) and won't sit still. the seat can move at almost all angles. It does not slide just moves side to sides. It was a perfectly fine and I never used that level before until the first time ever and it just complete fell apart. It still looks like it's intact but I took it to the dealership and they said part of the assembly snapped.

NHTSA complaint #11455385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

My driver seat is powered and it is inoperative. It remains stuck in a reclined position. At first the seat would not return to an upright position but all the other power functions (reclining the seat, moving it forward and back, tilting the seat, moving it up/down) still worked. I took the car to a shop and they said that the cause was some of the wiring had disconnected. They took the seat out and made sure everything was plugged in correctly. The seat worked again but only for a short while. Now, the issue is present again and the driver seat will not move forward/back or return to an upright position. This is hazardous because the seat is not able to offer the driver the correct seating position to drive.

NHTSA complaint #11448320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Driver seat not moving. This rode came out of the bottom of seat that causes the seat to move front to back. The the left side the seat moves

NHTSA complaint #11447245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.