Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Malibu AIR BAGS

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

Airbag off light stays on

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.

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

Red air bag light is on also service air bag message is on. this is on while stationary and while moving. no issues to the vehicle that would have caused this to occur.

My airbag light is on airbag issues, i have had my headlights checked three times and they keep going completely out there is an issue with the headlights the steering is always shaky its been an ongoing issue with my car

The air bag light comes on and it says to be serviced. sometimes it comes on and it can stay off for long periods of time. the service air bag light can come on while the car is in motion and then turn off, sometimes it does stay on. my vehicle is giving a strong smell of fuel coming from the rear of the car. i notice it being a stronger smell after i station it after a drive. i have not seen a noticeable leak yet. i will have a mechanic check that for me.

Air bar warning light and tire sensor warning lite both came on at the same time. took vehicle to dealer and was advised that that the drivers side air bag was faulty.

Service air bag light is on

Power locks have only worked for front doors for as long as ive had the car, about a year..... over the past month - service air bag light came on shortly after starting the car one day. a few weeks later, service esc and traction control popped up after starting the car. now my power steering has gone out and does not reset upon restarting the car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the driver side air bag warning indicator illuminated. the dealer diagnosed that the air bag was deploying from the driver seat and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer informed the contact that a sensor failed, but it was not a concern. in addition, the contact observed a leak coming from the vehicle and took the vehicle back to the dealer. it was diagnosed that the head gasket failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, one month later, the contact observed a leak again, the check engine warning indicator illuminated, and an abnormal clicking noise was heard. the dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to the head gasket being previously repaired improperly. the engine was replaced. one month later, the vehicle would not start and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring was done improperly and not up to safety standards. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 93,723.

Passenger air bag error message that air bag sensor does not work.

Service air bag light is on taken to garage scanned no errors reset light back on taken back to garage scanned again no error code.this issue should be up for a recall.

A few weeks ago my wife was driving here 2008 malibu and she smelled a slight burning and very strong chemical odor in the car, shortly after that the service warning light came on for the air bag system. windows had to be opened for the remainder of the 30 minute trip. sometime later my wife removed something from the front passenger seat and notice a color change to circular pale yellow with a central charred mark in part of the cover material, upon touching seat cover material disintegrated and disappeared into the seat. a picture is attached of the passenger seat. later i investigated the service light and found b0081 symptom 71 was set. i believe the seat sensor shorted out causing the seat cover and foam to smolder possibly on its way to an open flame before the power source failed. the vin number [xxx]. a copy of this letter will also be send to the nhtsa. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Front end was wreck, daughter lip busted , no airbag explode

Bought my car 3 months ago from a chevy dealership, 3 days later my service airbag lights came on. i took it back to the dealership and was told i would have to pay to get it fixed, they said that my airbags would not deploy if this light was on. why should i pay for a safety feature that should not have problems? its like selling a car with a passenger seatbelt only. i do not feel i should have to pay for my airbags to be worked on. with all of the recalls for airbags i think they missed my year make and model. its rediculous

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

My gas tank started leaking for no reason (no wear and tear-every mechanic said that is almost unheard of), my power windows and lock stopped working 2 years after purchase and was told that i had to pay almost $300 to fix each motor for the door locks and windows, the service airbag light has been on for more than a year, my ac also have issues; the sensor and thermostat has been changed 6 times within the last 4 years. i am sick of all of these issues and have no assistance with it. no matter how many times i called the local dealerships here, coincidentally, my warranty was up on every issue i faced. gm has really taken a lot of money out of my pockets. i was informed of the power steering issue and was told my vehicle would be in the shop for 1 day, which turned into 5 days, and i was denied to be reimbursed for the rental fees, which were almost $600. someone needs to do something about these issues, because my car is extremely unsafe for myself and 3 children. the windows will not go up or down at times, whether the vehicle is parked or not. the ac is the same issue, the parts will go out whether i am driving it or not. the gas leak issue is awful, because the car wreaks of gas, and my car burns gas whether it is powered on or not. the door locks have not worked since the end of 2010 and we have to manually lock and unlock. the issues with my car are there 24/7, and happens if the car is in motion or not. although, the issues i have been having have been going on for a while, except the gas leak issue which is recently, i have no choice but put the start as today's present date, because each issue started at different times and continue to cause issues, even after many attempts to repair with some issues.

An airbag warning light shows on and off advising that the airbag system needs checked.

Electrical and module problems safety hazards with traction control. tc on when it should not be. fuel system problems. car powers off during driving. gm refused repair without charging 120 to look at. had to disconnect fuses and had to pull actuators pressure. sensors fuel and electrical. door latches going up and down even when car is off. cannot drive highway. gm refused vehicle from repair or compensation.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. after the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 44,687. updated 11/06/15*lj updated 11/10/15. *jb

Takata recall, the vehicle constantly displays service air bag system and will not activate. doesnt matter if in motion or not the warning goes on and off at random.

Air bag warning light comes on and says to service airbags. will stay on until i turn off the car and restart it. will do this every couple of days. i have pictures of it. *tr

Went i bought the car had been give problem now the car smell like is leaking gas and the airbag system turn on my front wheel crack went i turn right or left i took to the dealership they said they fix the problem but still does same thing they don't help anything make me waste my time my car i peace [xxx] i wanted my all my money back. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The passenger air bag indicator light shows the passenger air bag is off when there is someone sitting in the seat, sometimes it works, sometimes not. this is a safety item and there should be a recall for this. *tr

My son was driving home from college and his driver and passenger curtain airbags and driver seat airbags deployed for no reason. he did not hit anything and nothing hit him. he sustained mild injuries due to this malfunction of the airbags. he will be going to the doctors due to residue in the eye, a burning feeling on side of face, and neck hurting. *tr

Gear shift indicator failed again. it was fixed under a previous recall back in july 2014. also there is an airbag light that has began to display, but chevy states that the recall covers 2008 impala, not the malibu models. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Messages: 1. svs air bag, also when passenger in car, air bag is off. 2. svs tire monitor, also thinks i have a flat when all 4 tires are filled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that after stopping at a stop sign, the contact crashed into another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed and there was one injury reported. the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

I received a recall for my malibu and at about the same time my service air bag light came on with message on my radio screen, so i went to our gm dealer, he said parts were not in for the recall. when told about air bags he said they would check it out for $89.00. i called gm they said to take it back and they would take care of cost. i went back on 8/12/14 and was told $1386.00+tx for code 56 defective passenger presence module. i called gm again on 8/12/14 they said they would prorate cost. i paid $825.00 on 8/14/14. i'm grateful that they paid anything but again i'm upset because my car isn't worth much as a trade-in ( it's in good shape plus lower millage) but i was forced into fixing something that shouldn't be a problem. i didn't dare drive it, because the light only can on sporadically and i sometimes have grandkids with. *tr

Air bag module is not working according to dealer. the air bag warning light came on and did not go off. this is a major safety item and should good for the life of the vehicle. owners should not have to pay for this very expensive repair. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 35 mph, the check engine, dome light, door ajar sound, seat belt warning lights illuminated at the same time. the engine lost power after the above warning signals displayed. the failure recurred three times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the body control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred with seat belt and service air bags light illuminated. the vehicle was not taken back to a dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 88,845.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the service air bag light remained illuminated. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

Air bag light came on dash, dealer says the harness is bad, and airbag will not function and needs to be replaced. this is not covered by any warranty or recall, however the forums online are filled with people with the same complaint. *tr

My "service air bag" sign lights up on my dashboard at random. i had it looked at by a local chevrolet service center last summer (2014). they came up with several scenarios that added up to more than 1,700 dollars. the problem is still not fixed. i wrote the chief executive officer of the general motors corporation to try to get any further fees associated with the air bag problem waived, because i thought 1,700 dollars was enough, and they did not agree to my request. in the meantime, i'm hoping that i don't have a seriously dangerous problem with my air bag. thank you for your time.

Service airbag light came on when starting vehicle. brought to dealer. was told both front impact sensors had failed. very expensive fix. *tr

I was driving down a bridge when the vehicles in front of me came to a sudden stop, i hit my brakes and slid into the back of a dodge ram and then was rearended by a chevy tahoe. my airbags never deployed and a light flashed in the dash saying check airbags. i wasn't aware this could be a defect in my vehicle at the time, it has since be totaled. *tr

On several occasions i received a message on the console "power steering" and could not turn the wheel. i would be in a parked position or pulling out (in reverse) of a parking spot. i would turn the car off and back on and the message would go away. also i got a message regarding the passenger side air bag was not working. this would happen each time i would start the car and it would stay on. *tr

Service passenger airbag light has been coming off and on intermittently. this has only occurred when a passenger is in the seat. when warning light comes on, passenger airbag light shows "off". *tr

Service air bag kept coming on, maybe for a day or two then would go off for many days. did this for many months. this past may the message came on more than was off. had it serviced to replace the sensor on passenger side. very costly!! *tr

Service air bag kept coming on, maybe for a day or two then would go off for many days. did this for many months. this past may the message came on more than was off. had it serviced to replace the sensor on passenger side. very costly!! *tr

Driving on straight road and car suddenly pulled right onto the shoulder. it felt like the car lost its steering capacity. tried to correct the steering onto the road and then car spun 180, then hit ditch. car rolled over 100 ft. in air and landed on wheels. the front, nor side air bags deployed even when car struck the side on the ground. canada has recalled 67,000 vehicles due to power steering motor control module defective. gm needs to recall these in the us before someone gets killed. (it almost killed us if we didn't have our seatbelts on!) *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. after starting the vehicle, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000. updated 7/10/15*cn the consumer stated the air bag light illuminated when there was no one sitting in the passenger seat. updated 08/06/15*jb

The passenger side air bag on/off light started to turn off and on while a passenger of 108 pounds was sitting in the seat. the red air bag light also was showing on the dashboard coming on then off. the air bag on/off light eventually stayed off after two days of the same things happening and the red air bag light on the dash is constantly on with a message to service the air bag. i took it to my local chevrolet dealership and was told that it was a sensor and it would cost $800.00 for the part alone and $100.00 - $150.00 for labor. *js

The service airbag light came on and too the car to the dealer. dealer stated that the code was "diag sir b0081 (71) pss1 invalid data received pps/3025". dealer stated that the passenger airbag may, or may not work properly in the case of an accident. the sensor in the passenger seat is not working properly. dealer stated that the issue was the responsibility of the customer and not the manufacture. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the driver side front and rear air bags deployed erroneously with the illumination of the air bag warning lights. the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and also stated that toxic fumes emitted from the air bags once deployed. the contact and a passenger, as well as a child passenger, sustained minor injuries from the shards and fumes of the air bag. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there was no failure and the repair of the air bags could cost approximately $5,000 at the contact expensive. the dealer offered no further assistance. the manufacture was not notified of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 67,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. additionally, the service traction warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised that the sensor in the steering column and the front driver and passenger side wheel sensors would have to be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the air bags unexpectedly deployed without warning. the dealer and manufacturer denied assistance with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.