Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||||
| 050850001 | 01/01/2005 | 10013487 | Front seat back trim panel falling off loose detached from seat frame. *eh | 04/19/2005 | |
| 050853001 | 01/01/2005 | 10013450 | Front seat rear trim panels falling off. *tt | 04/19/2005 | |
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - HEAD RESTRAINT | |||||
| 050850002 | 01/01/2005 | 10013448 | Front set head restraint uncomfortable, positioned too far forward. *tt | 04/19/2005 | |
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||||
| 050850014 | 11/01/2005 | 10018699 | Addition of front seat track synchronization procedure. *ak | 01/10/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||
| 01/20/2013 | 92110 | 1 | |
| As i sat down in drivers seat the seat seemed to lean to the right and tilted back slightly. i looked under seat to see what was wrong and noticed a bar across front side of seat was broke away from it's original welded position. after removing seat i noticed that the bar had indeed broken free from weld. not only was the weld broken but the bar which wasn't really a bar but a pipe slightly thicker walled than a piece of type m copper piping broke off with a piece missing. also noticed same problem with the pipe that encases the bar at rear of the seat that allows the seat back to tilt back or forward. the pipe has also broken the weld and missing a piece of the pipe.we bought this car brand new and my wife is the primary driver .weight average 155 lbs. so i don't believe weight plays a part of this poorly designed work of failure. mileage is less than 10,000 per year owned. this is extremely upsetting. is chevrolet responsible or since warranty is over they can get away with this poor design and safety issue? *tr | |||
| 01/20/2013 | 92110 | ||
| As i sat down in drivers seat the seat seemed to lean to the right and tilted back slightly. i looked under seat to see what was wrong and noticed a bar across front side of seat was broke away from it's original welded position. after removing seat i noticed that the bar had indeed broken free from weld. not only was the weld broken but the bar which wasn't really a bar but a pipe slightly thicker walled than a piece of type m copper piping broke off with a piece missing. also noticed same problem with the pipe that encases the bar at rear of the seat that allows the seat back to tilt back or forward. the pipe has also broken the weld and missing a piece of the pipe.we bought this car brand new and my wife is the primary driver .weight average 155 lbs. so i don't believe weight plays a part of this poorly designed work of failure. mileage is less than 10,000 per year owned. this is extremely upsetting. is chevolet responsible or since warranrty is over they can get away with this poor design and safety issue? | |||
| 11/13/2012 | 34000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the right side of the driver's seat suddenly collapsed to the floor. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised the contact that the seat needed to be welded or replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 34,000. the vin was not available. | |||
| 11/13/2012 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the right side of the driver's seat suddenly collapsed to the floor. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised the contact that the seat needed to be welded or replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 34,000. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 11/13/2012 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the driver of the vehicle was sitting down in the seat and driving when the right side if the seat fell to the floor. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the seat needed to be welded or replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but they provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 34,000. ap | |||
| 07/17/2012 | 151000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the driver seat leaned to the side when the driving. the contact stated that the bracket that held the seat to the frame was fractured and caused the seat to lean. the contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or call the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 151,000. | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 97000 | 1 | |
| Front driver's seat is completely loose on right side. not secured down, cannot adjust and tilts when you make a turn or go around a curve. have to drive with seat all the way down which is hard because i am a short person. when i get out of the car the whole seat acts like it is just connected on left side and comes up on right side. i had someone lift the seat while i looked underneath. something is broke. bracket will not hold seat up, just falls back down and seat will not stay in place. also a safety issue with seat moving and not secure. in reading other complaints, i feel that i have the same issue of a broken frame which is a definite defect. i am not real heavy and that seat should not have broke. i have had this car for over three years and this has been my personal vehicle. however, i do not feel it is safe to drive like this, but have no choice! oh! these are power seats. thank you. ## vin passed ## chevrolet malibu lt 2004 ##. *tr | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 86000 | 1 | |
| Safety issue with driver's seat. tilts and leans, broken weld. this is a safety warranty and should be fixed by the manufacturer. *tr | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 86000 | ||
| Safety issue with driver's seat. tilts and leans, broken weld. this is a safety warranty and should be fixed by the manufacturer. | |||
| 05/21/2012 | 96420 | ||
| Was backing out of parking space and heard a metallic clank from under the driver seat. the seat tipped back and to the right, as if the right rear corner of the seat is no longer supported. the car is not safe to drive, as the seat moves around freely and would not be as safe in an accident. after a very short internet search, i found this is a very common problem to this model and year. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 35000 | ||
| Drivers seat broken. appears a metal weld under the seat broke and causes the seat to lean back and to the right. | |||
| 12/02/2011 | 81371 | ||
| As i turned my 04 malibu to the lt my drivers side front seat broke on rt side causeing me to lean hard to the rt and rearward almost loosing control of car. i have 81371 mi. on car. appears to me to be a safety issue. i thought gm stood by their products.looking at all the other complaints about this same issue and gm refuseing to fix this safety issue,i am worried about how safe this car really is.i also had my heated seats come on all by their over 300 documented times while under warranty and said there was nothing wrong with it. the seats came on even when no one was sitting in the seat. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 35000 | ||
| Drivers seat broken. appears a metal weld under the seat broke and causes the seat to lean back and to the right. | |||
| 12/02/2011 | 81371 | ||
| As i turned my 04 malibu to the lt my drivers side front seat broke on rt side causeing me to lean hard to the rt and rearward almost loosing control of car. i have 81371 mi. on car. appears to me to be a safety issue. i thought gm stood by their products.looking at all the other complaints about this same issue and gm refuseing to fix this safety issue,i am worried about how safe this car really is.i also had my heated seats come on all by their over 300 documented times while under warranty and said there was nothing wrong with it. the seats came on even when no one was sitting in the seat. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 67000 | ||
| Drivers seat unstable. dealer reports that two welds on seat rail are broken. right side of seat tilts back when seat is raised above lowest position. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 35000 | ||
| Drivers seat broken. appears a metal weld under the seat broke and causes the seat to lean back and to the right. | |||
| 12/02/2011 | 81371 | ||
| As i turned my 04 malibu to the lt my drivers side front seat broke on rt side causeing me to lean hard to the rt and rearward almost loosing control of car. i have 81371 mi. on car. appears to me to be a safety issue. i thought gm stood by their products.looking at all the other complaints about this same issue and gm refuseing to fix this safety issue,i am worried about how safe this car really is.i also had my heated seats come on all by their over 300 documented times while under warranty and said there was nothing wrong with it. the seats came on even when no one was sitting in the seat. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 67000 | ||
| Drivers seat unstable. dealer reports that two welds on seat rail are broken. right side of seat tilts back when seat is raised above lowest position. | |||
| 12/02/2011 | 81371 | ||
| As i turned my 04 malibu to the lt my drivers side front seat broke on rt side causeing me to lean hard to the rt and rearward almost loosing control of car. i have 81371 mi. on car. appears to me to be a safety issue. i thought gm stood by their products.looking at all the other complaints about this same issue and gm refuseing to fix this safety issue,i am worried about how safe this car really is.i also had my heated seats come on all by their over 300 documented times while under warranty and said there was nothing wrong with it. the seats came on even when no one was sitting in the seat. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 67000 | ||
| Drivers seat unstable. dealer reports that two welds on seat rail are broken. right side of seat tilts back when seat is raised above lowest position. | |||
| 10/20/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 65 mph the drivers seat snapped out of place and leaned to the right. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and stated the failure was caused by the drivers seat brackets. the vin was unknown. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 102,000. rvk | |||
| 09/12/2011 | 110000 | ||
| The driver's seat broke causing me to fall/rotate to my right and to the rear of the car. seat failure was caused by a structual failure of 2 welds on the bottom seat frame. welds located at the right bottom rear and right bottom front of the main support members. the seat frame have been replaced by a local service repair shop. i kept the frame after seeing what caused the seat to fail. i can provide pictures if you need them. | |||
| 07/20/2011 | 50000 | ||
| The drivers seat frame welds broke, leaving the seat unstable and leaning to the right. the vehicle had 50,000 miles on it and was driven primarily by one person and maintained well. the primary driver was @ 200 lbs. | |||
| 05/31/2011 | 28253 | ||
| Bought my 2004 chevy maibu in june of 2010 and just recently the support beam on the right side of the seat gave way. i don't jerk around in my seat i just get in and drive my car. never had this happen before and i was heavier when i bought the car! i have a warranty which i hope covers it. however, i have noticed other people have made complaints about this very same thing happening on the right side of the seat and documented it online. i want it to be checked out as a safety issue for possible recall by chevy. | |||
| 05/17/2011 | 108000 | ||
| One day, i was adjusting the power seat while sitting in it and the seat suddenly dropped down on the right side, so that i was tilting back and right. the frame weld had broken, so now adjusting the seat up/down only affects the left side. since the seatbelt is attached to this frame, it strikes me as a serious safety hazzard; in a crash, more stress would be put on the intact left weld and if it failed then the seat would come free from the rest of the car... i have not sought to get this fixed yet as i am weighing my options on a potential $1,000+ repair/replacement. | |||
| 03/11/2011 | 105000 | ||
| Chevy malibu driver side seat frame broken welds. the welds in the frame have broken causing the seat to become unstable. if the car was involved in a minor accident the seat would fall apart. i am average size and weight and believe this is a factory defect. | |||
| 04/11/2011 | 131000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving 75 mph the right drivers seat detached from the metal base. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer filed report 71937106775 but would not assist with the repair cost, because of the age of the vehicle and since the warranty expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 131,000. | |||
| 04/11/2011 | 131000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 75mph the driver seat right side detached from metal base. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer took a report 71937106775 but would not assist with the repair, because of the vehicle age and the warranty expired. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 131,000. li | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 94000 | ||
| My front seat broke on one side causing me to sit lop sided while driving. my mechanic repaired 3 times and said it had to be replaced. the front and rear blinkers continuosly go out. the bulbs are fine the connection is just loose. | |||
| 06/06/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Broken weld on drivers side front seat | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 94000 | ||
| My front seat broke on one side causing me to sit lop sided while driving. my mechanic repaired 3 times and said it had to be replaced. the front and rear blinkers continuosly go out. the bulbs are fine the connection is just loose. | |||
| 06/06/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Broken weld on drivers side front seat | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 94000 | ||
| My front seat broke on one side causing me to sit lop sided while driving. my mechanic repaired 3 times and said it had to be replaced. the front and rear blinkers continuosly go out. the bulbs are fine the connection is just loose. | |||
| 06/06/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Broken weld on drivers side front seat | |||
| 12/06/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while sitting her seat she noticed a discomfort and that it would move as she was driving. she then took the vehicle into a dealer and advised her that the welding had fractured and that she needed to replace the entire drivers side seat. the manufacturer was contacted and advised her that they would not assist due to the mileage on the vehicle. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. tb | |||
| 11/08/2010 | 111000 | ||
| 2004 chevy malibu driver side seat frame broken welds. the welds in the frame have broken causing the seat to become unstable. given that the welds are breaking under normal use and that the seat restraints are anchored to this frame causes safety concerns. if the vehicle owners are unaware of a defective weld and the seat should break under crash impact the safety restraint could fail possibly causing greater harm. i have experinced this problem under normal conditions and can see that the integrity of the seat and safety restraint could be compromised. i subsribed to some car forums and was suprised to see the number of people with the same problem on the 2004 and 2005 chevy malibu models which indicates some form of defect. i am of average height and weight and and did not misuse the seat in anyway. | |||
| 10/13/2010 | 100000 | ||
| The welding under the driver seat is broken causing the seat to tilt to one side and sometimes rock. if a collison occurs the seat will not hold the driver securely in the seat. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 1 | ||
| Driver's side power seat. steel frame is broken causing seat to rock front to back and side to side. noticeable rust. unable to weld, only fix is to replace seat. not a safe seat if there is an accident. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 83295 | 1 | |
| 2004 chevrolet malibu lt sedan failure: weld under driver seat broke in two places. causes seat to set lower on one side placing driver at awkward position to controls. if a collision occurred, the seat would fail causing the driver to be thrown who knows where. correction: seat removed for inspection, must be replaced as unable to repair. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| My electric drivers seat was not working properly, so i set it to my position and left it that way for over a year. my wife complained about it so i removed it to find the bad motor ( assumed) but found the main cross member weld broke. if i had been in an accident, i may have gone through the windshield. contacting gm and the local dealer resulted in no correction. i personally repaired the weld, but since the tubing was also torn, it may not hold. my concern is that others are not aware of this weld issue and believe like me that it is an electric failure. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| I have not been able to drive my 2004 chevy malibu due to the supports under the drivers seat breaking on one side. it is a 6-way power seat and the breakage is causing the one side of the seat to float. it is not secure when you have the seat raised off the floor. the seat will move when you shift in your seat, make a turn, or go over any bumps. new parts to fix the seat cost $500 (not including labor), for a few screws and some metal bars. searched junk yards for a replacement seat and noticed the same issue starting to occur on several seats that were there. also inquired with a mechanic who stated that this is a common occurrence in the 2004 and later malibu sedans, he knew the exact part numbers that needed to be replaced without even seeing the car. i would like for chevrolet to recognize this as a real safety concern. *tr | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - SEAT HEATER/COOLER | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2004 malibu customer has had problems with loss of electric power steering and wants out of the lease without penalty**cc the radio was inoperative, the cruise control was inoperative at times, it would turn off, but not engage. the pcm was replaced. the passenger side directional lights and brake lights were inoperative. the dealer replaced the bulbs. the heated seats came on by themselves. the intermediate shaft was replaced, because the consumer stated there was a noise when turning the steering wheel. the transmission cooling lines were leaking, the rear defogger on the passenger side was inoperative. when the windshield wipers were on intermittent, they would go full speed by themselves. *jb | |||