Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's daughter owns a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,111.
I was driving and lost power randomly it came back in less than a minute but just lost power could certainly cause an accident... And the service airbag light is on and seemingly has the same issues as the 2010 Malibu Maxx which was recalled and replaced free of charge and frankly I don't have the 1200 $ to make sure it doesn't kill me I'm not sure why with as many 2007s that this is an issue in why it isn't recalled...
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). Prior to receipt of the recall, the contact experienced a failure. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the ignition shut down without warning and the vehicle crashed into a pole. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. There was one injury that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition was faulty. The vehicle was repaired by a mechanic; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently. The brake pedal was depressed, but failed to slow down the vehicle. The contacts son lost control of the vehicle and crashed through a steel gate and also into a tree. The driver air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact sustained brain injuries, a lacerated liver, and loss of eyesight in the left eye. The contact required extensive medical attention. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,798. The vehicle was destroyed. Updated 06/23/16.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 55 MPH, the contact lost control of the steering wheel and the front driver side tire experienced a blow out. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was pinned between two trees. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000. Updated 09/01/17
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, a vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle causing the contact to coast into a ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained shoulder and right leg injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
1 year ago I was driving and I got hit in the side. For some reason the airbags didn't deploy and I got hit pretty hard because the driver driver side doors were not able to open. I drove home with and they said that it was fixable although it didn't look like it. Its fixed now but ive always had my suspicion that it is part of the recall. It was moving, on a street, about to turn when she hit me. I did not brake.
I used to get a warning to "service airbags" on the stereo display, and a chime, typically when I first started up the car. This started when I was living in southern illinois. I drove with my backpack on the passenger seat, and occasionally that seat would chime for passenger to buckle up. The service air bag message would stay up for about 5 miles of driving, then would not illuminate again. Finally caught it in the act, got it to a dealership, where they told me their diagnostic came up with a passenger seat occupancy sensor was failing/had failed. The only remedy offered was to clear the computer, or consider a brand new passenger seat (which at that time exceeded the estimated blue book value). Clearing the computer of that trouble code lasted about a week. …
My 4 year old son was in the vehicle with me helping to clean out the car when he was able to put the car into drive without any keys or anything. Luckily, I was in the car and was able to get the car back into park but only after it hit a fence and damaged the vehicle because of this issue. I am able to put the vehicle into drive while the car was not running and there were no keys in it. There have also been several instances where I was able to leave it in drive after turning the car off and taking the keys out. It will also allow you to put the vehicle into drive without pressing the brake first. There have been several computer related issues that have also began to happen such as the gas gauge not working properly. It says that I am on empty when in fact the tank is full. …
That morning about 10:30 am, traffic was slowing during light rainy road conditions on interstate 70, westbound, in st. Charles, missouri, when the driver of the car in which I was the only passenger, applied his brakes to slow down and slid into the back of the car in front of us, colliding the front end of the Malibu into the rear end of the Mazda sedan in front of us, twice impacting the Mazda sedan, totaling the Chevrolet Malibu in which I was the passenger. At no time did any air bags in the Malibu deploy. I suffered a torn meniscus in my left knee which remains scarred and periodically painful. The two passengers in the Mazda May have been injured, as well. Medical attention was required but not at the accident scene. A missouri highway patrol officer was dispatched to the scene. Both vehicles were towed.
Airbag complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 75 complaints about the air bags of the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, 8% of the model year's 977 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2007 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 3 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 2007 Chevrolet Malibu airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 0 fires and 10 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.