469,000 CHEVY MALIBU’S RECALLED FOR FAULTY SEAT BELT
General Motors just announced its biggest recall of 2015 so far: Nearly 469,000 Chevrolet Malibus from the 2011 and 2012 model years are being summoned back for seatbelt attachments that can fail. Hey, at least it’s not the ignition switch again.
The Detroit News reports that a flexible steel cable that attaches the Malibu’s safety belts to the vehicle can fatigue over years of use, exacerbated by passengers moving around in their seats while restrained. The solution is to replace the outboard lap belt mounting brackets, relocating the belt tensioner slightly rearward. As part of the recall repair, dealership technicians will inspect the cable and replace the lap belt pretensioner if necessary.