10.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
106,650 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace entire seat or at least base (1 reports)
  2. replace seat frame (1 reports)
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problem #2

Oct 012020

Malibu LT 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 128,000 miles

click to see larger images

seat not working properly

Driver seat felt weird after sitting down. My son, who is sitting behind me at the time, says "Dad your seat is really crooked". I get out of the car and proceed to enter the backseat. At first glance the drivers seat is significantly leaning to the right (towards center of the car). So I grab the seat with both hands (by back support) and try to gently push it the opposite direction (towards driver door). The entire seat moves by several inches. Upon further inspection I see that the support bar in the front of the seat is broken off at the weld. Not cracked but completely broken. The weld either wasn't properly penetrated or it's a design flaw.

We have power seats and I suspect that using the power seat adjustment somehow put too much stress on the support bar causing it to brake at the weld. The weld doesn't appear to be fractured at all. Instead it looks as though it just completely broke off the support bar. I have seen several complaints about this happening to the drivers seat in 2009 to 2014 Chevy Malibu's. From all of the threads I read about this specific problem, it is not fixable. Instead you must replace the seat. The dealer wants to charge close to a $1000.00 to replace the seat. Currently we are unable to drive the car until we get it fixed.

As stupid as that sounds it is an extremely unsafe situation. If we were to get into an accident with the seat like this, the seat could completely come loose. Imagine that.... literally the driver seat coming completely loose with you sitting in it. I have never filed a complaint before but I had to on this. It's not something that should ever happen. Your AC, suspension, engine and transmission all have wearable components that wear out over time. But your seat.... seriously? GM needs to step up here. Someone is going to get into an accident with their seat like this and get severely injured. Why does it take people dying or filing a lawsuit for GM to act.....

- jessejamesw, Conroe, US

problem #1

Apr 132016

Malibu 1LT 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,253 miles

I went to the dealer to get an inspection and asked them to look at the seat as it was not operating properly. They came back and told me that the seat weld and frame was broke and It would cost me 1000.00. I said how is that possible, I have heard of seats breaking but not the frame. This is a safety issue and I believe a defect as there are a number of issues for the same thing online. This is insane really. I just called GM and they have to make a report then they have to call the dealer and they said they will contact me within 48hours. If I have to pay for this out of pocket I will look at getting a lawyer. Because I think this should be a recall.If I or my wife get into an accident we will be defiantly injured due to the seat frame not being installed properly.

- mrjayzee, shoemakersville, PA, US