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 2003 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at approximately 55 MPH and attempting to merge into another lane, the vehicle crashed into two barrels. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle stalled. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard. The contact sustained a left knee, left ankle, and whiplash injuries that needed medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v40000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,200. Updated 04/20/16 consumer stated the ignition switch locked and GM says due to air bags imploding consumer had power. Consumer was behind the steering and it locked no brakes. Updated 06/05/18
Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. On May 25, 2008, while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle began accelerating faster than normal. The contact had to merge out of traffic. She could not feel the brakes working and sped through a stop sign. She drove into a parking lot to avoid crashing into other vehicles. The vehicle finally stopped when it crashed into an embankment. The front driver's side air bag failed to deploy. The vehicle was taken to the body shop to replace the driver's side door and headlamp. The manufacturer stated that an investigator would investigate the failure. They are currently stating that due to the body work that was performed on the vehicle, they will not investigate the acceleration failure, only the air bag failure. The contact has a back injury that was aggravated due to the crash. A police report was filed. The failure and current mileages were 24,000.
2003 Chevrolet Malibu. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall, steering and airbag malfunctions. The consumer was involved in an accident on May 19, 2011. She lost control of the steering which sent the vehicle in the opposite lane hitting another car. Her vehicle went out of control and ended up going backwards into a sign and then hitting two parked vehicles in a parking lot. The air bag did not deploy until after she hit the sign. The consumer stated she was unaware there was a problem with ignition switch. She stated she had several keys on her ring at the time of the accident.
While driving on the freeway I was rear ended and pushed into the center divider and bounced off only to be struck again from the rear. The front and rear quarter panels were damaged the frame was compromised. My complaint is that the airbags never deployed. I suffered back, arm, leg & knee injuries in the collision. The car has been totaled by my insurance company but I am still curious as to what happened to the safety air bags.
I was traveling on a snowy/icy road when I lost control of my vehicle at about 50 MPH. My vehicle went sideways until traveling into a ditch at which point the vehicle collided with a tree. The front end was completely destroyed and pushed the motor back a good 2 feet. My head slammed into the windshield and airbags were not deployed. The impact of the front end was just a little off center to the passenger side.
Airbag red warning light is flashing on dashboard when turning the ignition. This happens intermittently. I am afraid the airbag will deploy at any time even if there is no car crash. This has happened at least 2 times. Once when the car was sluggish and I had to turn it off at atop light because it would not accelerate over 40 miles and hour. The other time it happened just when I was starting the car. I
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the air bags in the vehicle failed to deploy after a head on collision. An injury was sustained and a police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified. The speed was unknown. The failure mileage was 111,000.
While driving consumer was entering a parking space and vehicle accelerated at a very high speed, leaving skid marks in the parking space where she was trying to park. Then, vehicle jumped the curb and hit a tree. Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The consumer was injured.
Car veered off the road at approximately 45 MPH. Crashed into a strawberry field and rolled multiple time ejecting driver from the car. Car sustained major damage. Airbags never deployed. Passenger May have grabbed at steering wheel causing the car to veer off the road.
I was traveling with the right of way at the posted speed limit when someone pulled into my path causing me to hit them. My air bags did not deploy and I took the full force of the collision into my chest.
Airbag complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 5% of the model year's 569 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 1 fire and 13 injuries 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.