Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Swerved to avoid a deer and struck a guard rail, head on. Air bags didn't deploy and seat belt didn't lock up. Police, fire, ambulance and tow truck driver couldn't believe the bags and seat belt failed. Daughter was driving and receive a concussion, a v shape cut in scalp requiring 17 stitches to close and severe bruising all over. Police thinks her head struck the steering wheel or possibly the rear view mirror. Slack in seat belt allowed too much body movement and the air bags failure cause the head trauma. Entire front end of car is destroyed so sensors should have activate.
I was driving on a residential street and realized I was going the wrong way. I turned left to make a u-turn and drove onto the easement (dirt). When I turned the steering wheel to the left all the way, both airbags deployed. I was burned by the chemicals over the left side of my neck and chest, left ear and inside left wrist. I was traveling less than 5 MPH while making this turn. The passenger airbag knocked my window camera off and broke it and sent part of a handheld fan clipped to the passengers visor, into my head and ended up in the backseat. I did not hit anything as it was just dirt.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the frame separated from the vehicle causing it to flip and crash into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained head and neck injuries which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Dt: on 07/19/2005 the contact's vehicle was hit from behind which caused it to nose dive into a ditch. Upon impact the air bags did not deploy. There were no lights illuminated on the dash prior to the accident. The contact did not know how fast the other vehicle was traveling at the time of impact. The impact of the crash bent the vehicle's doors and busted he windshield.
While driving at 35 MPH, the consumer hit a pot hole and then she lost control of the vehicle. The front end of the vehicle impacted a ditch and then the vehicle bounced onto a field. None of the front air bags deployed upon impact. Consumer fractured her back.
Sitting at a red light in a complete stopped position the car rolled forward with the brake still being depressed and completely went to the floor as I quickly tried to pump the brakes to stop and an oncoming vehicle struck me. Troopers and other personal checked my brakes at the time of the accident and said that there wasn't any brakes. No brake problems had been experienced prior to this. I was severely struck by the other vehicle which completely turned the direction of my vehicle and caused total damage resulting in a total loss. The impact was so hard, the other drive was cited for his high-speed hit to my vehicle. The airbags never deployed and is a great concern of mine at this point in time as well as the brake failure. I received notice in December 2007 from GM that there was a settlement of a pending district court case (delmas Ford, el al. V. …
Dt*: the contact stated the frontal airbag deployed while pulling the vehicle into the driveway at 5mph. There was no impact or warning prior to the deployment. The vehicle has not been inspected and manufacturer has not been alerted.
Vehicle was involved in an accident while driving at 45-50 MPH both driver's and passenger's side seatbelts unbuckled when vehicle rolled over. Also their was no deployment of driver's or passeger's side airbags. Cause unknown.
While driving 55 MPH and without warning, vehicle was involved in a front end collision. Upon impact, air bags did not to deploy and driver sustained major body injuries. Also, vehicle was totaled.
Air bag light on control panel started blinking. I contacted the dealer. The service department checked it the following day. The mechanic thought I had been in a wreck because of the codes and behavior of the airbag system. I have not been in a wreck. Following is the tech comment: scanned computer and found codes 18,24,25,26,and 71. Performed diagnostic tests and found vehicle to need a new pass side air bag and control module. (som). Vehicle May need more. He felt the driver's side airbag would give the same reading. I know I am slightly over my warranty, but this is for a safety part that has never been used. He stated that the ballpark figure of a replacement airbag and controller on the passenger side alone would near $1,200. This is totally ridiculous...more so, if the driver's side must have the same thing. What kind of assistance can you give me?
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fasteners that secure the passenger air bag module to the instrument panel tie bar were omitted.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the air bag module for the presence of the fasteners and, if necessary, install any fasteners that May have been omitted.
Airbag complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, 6% of the model year's 443 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 97V-107 (frontal, Jun 28, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries and 1 death to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.