Chevrolet Malibu 2018 Air Bag Recall: Risk of Improper Deployment
Chevrolet is recalling 2018 Malibu vehicles with potentially misaligned air bags that could fail to deploy or deploy incorrectly during crashes. Owners must contact GM for free seat service kit replacement.
Use caution until it’s fixed
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
What happened, in plain English
Chevrolet is recalling 2018 Malibu vehicles due to a risk that air bags might not deploy or deploy incorrectly during crashes. This could lead to injury if the air bag fails to protect a passenger or activates when it shouldn't. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1224643-chevrolet-malibu-2018-air-bag-recall-risk-of-improper-deployment.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1224643-chevrolet-malibu-2018-air-bag-recall-risk-of-improper-deployment · Updated October 6, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #18V400000
Cite this page
“Chevrolet Malibu 2018 Air Bag Recall: Risk of Improper Deployment.” GovInfoNow, updated October 6, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1224643-chevrolet-malibu-2018-air-bag-recall-risk-of-improper-deployment. Based on NHTSA recall #18V400000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=18V400000).
Why it’s dangerous
The air bag system may not correctly identify adult passengers from children, causing it to fail to deploy during a crash or deploy unexpectedly. This could lead to injury from either missing protection or unintended deployment.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles with the faulty Passenger Presence System (PPS) seat service kit are most at risk. Drivers and passengers in the front passenger seat could be affected if the air bag malfunctions.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2018 Chevrolet Malibu has a Passenger Presence System (PPS) seat service kit installed during servicing. The recall started August 7, 2018, and affects vehicles from 2016-2018 models.
- Brand
Chevrolet- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Chevrolet Customer Service
Call 1-800-222-1020 to schedule a free replacement of the front passenger PPS seat service kit.
Get Free Seat Service Kit Replacement
Dealers will replace the faulty PPS seat service kit at no cost to you.
What NHTSA says to do
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 54 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #18V400000 (June 14, 2018)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 6, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.