General Motors Recalls 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Over Side Airbag Issue

General Motors is recalling the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu over an issue with the front and rear side impact airbags.

The defect: in affected vehicles, two weld studs that mount the front and rear side impact air bags may fracture and separate from the air bag during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 214, “Side Impact Protection.”

The hazards: fractured weld studs may allow the side air bag to move out of position during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.

Injuries or deaths: currently unknown.

Affected vehicles: 2016 Chevrolet Malibu manufactured February 16, 2016 to March 5, 2016

Number of vehicles affected: 3,137 units (United States figure).

The fix:  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. GM has not yet provided a notification schedule

Owners should: customers looking to find out if their vehicle is included in this General Motors recall should visit recalls.gm.com. There, owners will be able to enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see any open recalls as well as customer satisfaction programs. If the vehicle is part of the recall, customers should take it to a General Motors dealer.

Owners can also contact Chevrolet customer service with questions by using the following information.

Contacts:

• Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
• GM Recall Number: 31820
• NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
• NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
• NHTSA Website: www.safecar.gov
• NHTSA Recall Number: 16V151000