2.1

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,866 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #40

Apr 012014

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 111,799 miles
Driver seat weld on track assembly broke. Seat is loose. I took to dealership and estimate to repair is $1000. Not covered under warranty and no recalls. Not safe to drive.

- Vista, CA, USA

problem #39

Apr 012013

Malibu 6-cyl

  • miles
The drivers seat has broken when simply sitting down in the vehicle and can only be safely used in it's lowest position. If you try to raise the power seat, it tilts to the extreme right, and only the left side of the seat lifts. The car is very difficult to drive while sitting on such an extreme slant, and also hard to see when sitting in the lowest position, unless you are quite tall. Overall, the seat is now very wobbly and unstable if you shift your weight in the seat not that it has broken. I don't recall at what mileage this happened - but I was getting into the car in my driveway and heard a loud pop of something breaking loose, and the seat fell to the side. Fortunately it happened in my driveway and not while driving.

- Sturgeon Bay, WI, USA

problem #38

Mar 302014

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 198,836 miles
Driver's seat right front support bracket weld failed during slow turn. The corner of the seat dropped down, and now it wobbles up and down. The tube that connects the brackets on both sides of the driver's seat failed at the weld on the right side. The tube appears to be too thin for the application - the weld has peeled a piece of the tubing away. The seat belt is attached to the seat instead of the frame. So now the safety of the driver restraint system is in question, because the seat is unstable. After an internet search, it appears that this is not an uncommon problem, and is costly to repair or replace the seat.

- Paso Robles, CA, USA

problem #37

Mar 012013

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
The drivers seat rear inside mounting bracket is broken. It looks like the weld failed. Seat is very uncomfortable and unsafe as it lunges forward when brakes are applied as well as falls back when you accelerate. Looked online for a fix and it seems this is very common and Chevrolet has not recalled it nor is taking responsibility for this unsafe flaw. I haven't taken it to a mechanic as I heard and read that it is very expensive to fix or replace it with a junk yard part...which is not an acceptable remedy.

- Brandon, SD, USA

problem #36

Sep 152013

Malibu

  • 92,000 miles
Drivers seat, the weld has broken and now the seat sits to the right and moves with any bump or turn. Very unsafe.

- Orland, ME, USA

problem #35

May 022013

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the driver's side seat track weld became loose from the frame, causing the seat to detached and tilt toward the passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician verified the failure and stated that the seat frame needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileage was 95,000.

- Warnersville, PA, USA

problem #34

Apr 122013

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
I bought a use Chevy 2005 Malibu and the front rail for the frame of the drivers seat broke. After looking around I found it is a very common issue and feel it's a major safety issue! I was told by the old owner that it broke a year after buying the car and the dealer wanted way to much to replace it" if it's a matter of safety should they not fix it for free? should their not be a recall on it" again after looking around on the web and asking around to many dealer shops it is a very known issue that Chevy has not ever addressed. I just know that not only is it very hard to sit in, it also feels like it's going to come up off the floor every time I hit the brakes. I'm sure if I even got into the smallest fender bender it would eject me. Please do something to make GM repair this issue! also lets maybe address the issue with the failing power steering that has already caused injury's thanks

- Rensselaer , NY, USA

problem #33

Mar 252011

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Weld on drivers seat back left side failed. Seat now rocks back and forth. Seat may no long be able to handle crash loads applied to it. Please check www.chevymalibuforum.com/ forum for this issue. There are many case of this exact issue.

- Bolton, MA, USA

problem #32

Feb 012013

Malibu

  • 63,000 miles
The driver seat rocks when the car is in motion and it will not adjust. Dealer states that the seat track is busted and will need to be welded together or replaced.

- Normal, IL, USA

problem #31

Feb 142013

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 53,851 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu ls. The contact stated that the driver's side seat was not secured properly to the floorboard of the vehicle and would move freely when the contact was driving at any speed. The owner inspected the vehicle and noticed that two bolts were fractured, which could have caused the seat to move. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 53,851. Updated 3/22/13 the vehicle has since been sold.

- Honolulu, HI, USA

problem #30

Jan 092013

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 143,143 miles
Purchased car and realized that the seat is broken. It appears the driver's side frame has become un-welded at a joint on the right front crossbar causing the seat to lean toward passenger side and wobble in remaining frame as car is driven. Shocking that this defect is common for this vehicle, that there is the potential for injury and even fatality related to the shock of this breaking as one drives it down the road and the potential for a crash from the alarming nature of this defect. Took this to the local car repair shop to see if they could fix it, they had never seen anything like it before, and recommended we go to a junk yard to purchase a new frame. After seeing all the complaints related to this same side/position, it seems a recall to fix this defect should be in order.

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #29

Oct 292012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 124,880 miles
Driving approximately 10 mph heard a loud pop on the driver side seat and the seat now tilts to the right and is unsafe to be sitting in seat. The seat broke at the welding bracket.

- Alamogordo, NM, USA

problem #28

Sep 012012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
The frame that supports the drivers seat has a broken weld. The seat now wobbles, especially on bumps.

- Coxs Creek, KY, USA

problem #27

Aug 142012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 94,276 miles
I was driving home from work on the interstate and heard a loud pop. Suddenly I am sitting sideways in the driver seat. After pulling over and stopping, I noticed that the seat bracket/support had broke on the right side, next to the console. I bought the car used in April 2012 and have a limited warranty that does not cover this particular problem. Is there a recall for this particular defect? I do not feel safe driving the car or having anyone as passengers for fear of loosing control if the left side breaks. I contacted Chevy directly with this response...per our conversation this morning, I am very disappointed that Chevrolet is not concerned with this matter as a safety issue with it's 2005 Malibu driver seat frames. I pray that no fatalities come of this poor decision on Chevrolet's part.

- Robbins, NC, USA

problem #26

Jul 012011

Malibu 6-cyl

  • miles
The drivers seat frame broke and I had to replace. Also the car makes a popping noise when steered. Currently trying to get that into the dealer because it has been doing it for almost a year.

- Buckhannon, WV, USA

problem #25

May 172011

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
Drivers seat bracket broke, driver now sits lopsided.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #24

Feb 012012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
As I was driving my Malibu at approximately 40 miles per hour and negotiating a slight curve the drivers seat quickly tilted to the right and became unhinged. The entire drivers seat is now not attached to the "frame" on the bottom-which I am told needs to be "rewelded". I do not feel safe driving this vehicle anymore.

- Naugatuck, CT, USA

problem #23

Mar 172012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 88,000 miles
I have a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu lt model with a problem with the front driver seat weld that holds the top seat frame to the lower seat frame. The weld that's holds them together broke. This is the second time this has happen. The seat only has one weld on the lower right braket, but the left lower braket has two welds one on each side. This problem happen at 55,000 and 88,000 miles. I feel that this is safety issue that needs address.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #22

Feb 162012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 130,023 miles
The power seat dropped on the right side as I was in the middle of a sharp left hand turn. The sudden drop caused me to jerk the steering wheel and I almost lost control. When I arrived home I looked under the seat and the support bar that runs across the front of the seat had broken at the weld. It looks like a top of a tin can peeled back. I am not a big person. I weigh around 230lbs. I think that the weld was bad when it left the factory. I can't believe that something so simple could've cost me and my family our lives. I can't afford to have this fixed at this point so I had to wedge a piece of wood under it until I can.

- Belleville, PA, USA

problem #21

Feb 062012

Malibu

  • 75,000 miles
Weld on driver seat broke on front right side. Seat leans to right.

- North Bellmore, NY, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »