Chevrolet recalls 2,100 Malibu sedans over bad impact bar welds
Chevrolet has issued a recall that applies to approximately 2,100 units of the Malibu built during the 2022 and 2023 model years. Some of the sedans included in the campaign were manufactured with a front impact bar that might be improperly welded to the front frame rail.
Assigned recall number 22V-923 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 2,108 examples of the Malibu built from July 27 to August 3, 2022, though Chevrolet estimates improper welds are present in a scant 1% of the recalled cars. The firm explains that the sheet metal blank for the front frame rail’s outer panel was improperly loaded into the die by a supplier named Dieomatic. In turn, the front frame rail was cut about 10 millimeters (less than half an inch) too short and wasn’t properly welded to the frame rail.
Chevrolet notes that this problem can affect the left and right sides of the car, and it’s fairly serious: the front impact bar is a structural part located behind the bumper that plays a key role in keeping occupants safe in an accident. If it’s improperly welded, the front crash sensors may not work as intended which increases the risk of injuries in a crash, though Chevrolet isn’t aware of incidents related to this defect.
Owners of affected cars will be notified of the recall by mail starting on February 6, 2023. They’ll need to take their Malibu to the nearest Chevrolet dealers so that a technician can check the welds. General Motors will repurchase cars with an improperly-welded impact bar.
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