2004 Chevrolet Malibu Seats Problems
- Complaints
- 69about this part
- Share
- 6%of 1,148 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 96,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 69 complaints about the seats of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, 6% of the 1,148 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 96,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The driver side seat that is welded to the frame of the car has broke. The right side of my drivers side seat now collapses when driving which is extremely dangerous not to mention the seatbelt is attached to the right side of the seat and buckled into it which is now collapsed which could cause a major issue if I was to ever get into an accident. I have done some reasearch online and this appears to be a common issue amongsts most 2004 Malibu owners. …”
NHTSA complaint #11342187, filed 2020-07, 60,390 miles“While driving went to put on the brakes and the driver seat made a loud thump and shifted forward to the right I had to grip the steering wheel and pull over because the seat was leaning forward to the right and made it hard for me to drive. I got out and the bar under the seat that guides the seat was broken had to manuever it to drive after puttting a block of wood under it to stabalize the seat so I could drive. …”
NHTSA complaint #10538040, filed 2013-08, 146,312 miles“I got into my car and sat down and something under the driver side power seat broke. Looks like a support bar weld cracked. Now the seat is tipped to the right. If I raise or lower the seat, only the left side goes up and down. I'm not sure if there is enough strength holding the rest of the seat together. I've been waiting for a recall, since I believe this is a safety issue. I can find many complaints on line, so my case is far from isolated.”
NHTSA complaint #10616601, filed 2014-07, 114,830 miles“The driver's seat broke causing me to fall/rotate to my right and to the rear of the car. Seat failure was caused by a structural failure of 2 welds on the bottom seat frame. Welds located at the right bottom rear and right bottom front of the main support members. The seat frame has been replaced by a local service repair shop. I kept the frame after seeing what caused the seat to fail. I can provide pictures if you need them.”
NHTSA complaint #10429339, filed 2011-10, 110,000 miles“As I sat down in drivers seat the seat seemed to lean to the right and tilted back slightly. I looked under seat to see what was wrong and noticed a bar across front side of seat was broke away from it's original welded position. After removing seat I noticed that the bar had indeed broken free from weld. Not only was the weld broken but the bar which wasn't really a bar but a pipe slightly thicker walled than a piece of type m copper piping broke off with a piece missing. …”
NHTSA complaint #10493604, filed 2013-01, 92,110 milesSeats: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 5% |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 | 1 | 1% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0% |
| 2017 | 6 | 1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 1% |
| 2015 | 10 | 4% |
| 2014 | 6 | 2% |
| 2013 | 23 | 3% |
| 2012 | 36 | 4% |
| 2011 | 38 | 4% |
| 2010 | 25 | 2% |
| 2009 | 30 | 2% |
| 2008 | 8 | 1% |
| 2007 | 16 | 2% |
| 2006 | 8 | 1% |
| 2005 | 62 | 6% |
| 2004 | 69 | 6% |
| 2003 | 2 | 0% |
| 2001 | 5 | 1% |
| 2000 | 2 | 0% |
| 1999 | 3 | 0% |
| 1998 | 6 | 1% |
| 1997 | 4 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
799 complaintsElectrical system
151 complaintsExterior lighting
84 complaintsBrakes
64 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
64 complaintsSuspension
31 complaintsFuel system
29 complaintsVehicle speed control
27 complaintsAir bags
26 complaintsElectronic stability control
22 complaintsOther or unknown
21 complaintsEngine cooling
20 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology