GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
DCS4987
URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY
Date:

March 6, 2019

Subject: N182194790 - Special Coverage
Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
Models: 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu
To:

All General Motors Dealers

General Motors is releasing Special Coverage N182194790 today. The total
number of U.S. vehicles involved is approximately 437,063. Please see the
attached bulletin for details.
Customer Letter Mailing
The customer letter mailing will begin on March 21, 2019.
Global Warranty Management (GWM)
The Investigate Vehicle History (IVH) screen in the GWM system will be updated March
06, 2019. Please hold all warranty transactions until IVH has been updated.
END OF MESSAGE
GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
Release Date:
Attention:

March 2019

Revision:

00

The vehicles in this special coverage were previously involved in safety recall 15031. Dealers must
initially perform the safety recall if IVH shows the vehicle as “open” under status in the required field
actions section. If a customer returns for the condition stated in this special coverage and IVH shows
safety recall 15031 as “closed”, dealers are to perform the correction under this special coverage.
DO NOT perform safety recall 15031 and special coverage N182194790 at the same time. This
special coverage is intended for customers who return AFTER safety recall 15031 has been
completed for the condition stated below.

Make
Chevrolet

Model
Malibu

Model Year
From
To
2011
2012

RPO

Description

Involved vehicles are identified on the Applicable Warranties section in GM Global Warranty Management system. This
site should always be checked to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required inspections and/or repairs.
Condition

Special
Coverage
Adjustment

In certain 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibu vehicles, if a driver repeatedly sits on the seat belt
cable cover located at the base of the driver’s seat when entering the vehicle, it may cause the seat belt
pretensioner to bend sharply over the seat side shield. If this continues to occur over an extended
period of time, which is very rare, the seat belt pretensioner cable may fatigue and eventually separate,
which could reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle’s seat belts. Before any damage occurs to the
pretensioner cable itself, signs of wear will be visible on the pretensioner cable cover where it has been
repeatedly bent over the seat side shield.
This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles
(193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service,
regardless of ownership.
For vehicles covered by Vehicle Service Contracts, all eligible claims with repair orders on or after March
06, 2019, are covered by this special coverage and must be submitted using the labor operation codes
provided with this bulletin. Claims with repair orders prior to March 6, 2019, must be submitted to the
Service Contract provider.

Correction

Vehicle owners or lessees who paid for repairs referenced in this Special Coverage (“Customers”) are
eligible for reimbursement of their reasonable and customary expenses in accordance with the
procedures specified below. The conditional right to reimbursement is provided by GM solely in the
interest of customer satisfaction and is personal to Customers. Customers may not assign and GM
does not consent to any assignment of any Customer’s right to submit reimbursement claims, or to
receive reimbursement, or any other rights granted by this Special Coverage to any third party,
including but not limited to service contract providers, and this Special Coverage is not intended to
and does not confer any third party beneficiary, subrogation or contribution rights, or any other rights
to reimbursement, against GM, whether in law, equity or otherwise, on any third parties.
Dealers are to inspect and replace the driver seat belt lap anchor pretensioner and replace if necessary.
The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer.

Parts
Quantity
1

Part Name
Tensioner, Driver Seat Belt

Part No.
19210346

Important: Due to limited initial parts availability, dealers are encouraged not to order these parts for use as shelf
stock.
Reminder: Parts may be removed from RIM management. Dealers should review the affected parts to confirm RIM
managed status. Parts may have quantity limiters in effect.

Copyright 2019 General Motors. All Rights Reserved.

Page 1 of 6

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
Warranty Information
Labor
Operation
9900594
9900595

9900596
9900597
*

Description
Inspect Only – No Further Action Required
Replace Front Seat Belt Anchor Plate Tensioner (includes
inspection and pyrotechnic devise disposal)
Customer Reimbursement Approved
- For USA and Canada dealers only
- For Export dealers only
Customer Reimbursement Denied – For USA dealers only

Labor
Time
0.2
0.6

Trans.
Type
ZREG
ZREG

Net
Item
N/A
N/A

N/A
0.2
N/A

ZREG

*

ZREG

**

For USA and Canada: Submit the dollar amount reimbursed to the Customer in Net/Reimbursement. Submit $20.00
administrative allowance in Net/Admin Allowance.
For Export: Submit the dollar amount reimbursed to the Customer in Net/Reimbursement.

**

Submit $10.00 administrative allowance in Net/Admin Allowance.

Service Procedure
1.

Move the front driver side seat to the full downward position and forward of the center pillar.

4286619

4286620

2.

Inspect the safety belt shrink sleeve for any cuts or cracks. Bend the seat belt cable toward the inside (1) and outside
(2) of the vehicle and carefully inspect for any cuts or cracks in the shrink sleeve.

Page 2 of 6

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable

4286617

4286618

3.

If a sleeve is cut or cracked on the cable (1) or where the cable meets the buckle (2), replace the front seat belt
anchor plate tensioner. Refer to Front Seat Belt Anchor Plate Tensioner Replacement in SI.

5239571

4.

If the cable has a permanent bend (3), replace the front seat belt anchor plate tensioner. Refer to Front Seat Belt
Anchor Plate Tensioner Replacement in SI. If no damage is found, inform the customer that their vehicle is not
displaying the condition described in the bulletin.

Customer Notification
General Motors will notify Customers of this special coverage on their vehicle (see copy of typical Customer letter included
with this bulletin). Customer safety belt cable shrink sleeve inspection sheet provided with customer letter (see back of
bulletin).

Page 3 of 6

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
Customer Reimbursement
Customer requests for reimbursement of previously paid repairs to correct the condition described in this bulletin are to
be submitted to the dealer prior to or by March 31, 2020. See General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual,
Section 6.1.11 – Product Field Action Customer Reimbursement Procedure (USA & Canada) or local Policies and
Procedures, for details.

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these technicians of
conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained
technicians have the tools, equipment, safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT
assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See your dealer for information on whether your
vehicle may benefit from the information.

We Support
Voluntary Technician
Certification

Page 4 of 6

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
March 2019
This notice applies to your vehicle, VIN: _____________________________________
Dear General Motors Customer:
As the owner of a 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibu your satisfaction with our product is very important to us.
This letter is intended to make you aware that certain 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibu vehicles were previously
involved in safety recall 15031, “Safety Belt Lap Anchor Tensioner Cable”. In these vehicles, if a driver repeatedly sits
on the seat belt cable cover located at the base of the driver’s seat when entering the vehicle, it may cause the seat belt
pretensioner to bend sharply over the seat side shield. If this continues to occur over an extended period of time, which
is very rare, the seat belt pretensioner cable may fatigue and eventually separate, which could reduce the effectiveness
of the vehicle’s seat belts. Before any damage occurs to the pretensioner cable itself, signs of wear will be visible on
the pretensioner cable cover where it has been repeatedly bent over the seat side shield.
Do not take your vehicle to your GM dealer as a result of this letter unless you believe that your vehicle has the
condition as described above.
What We Have Done: General Motors is providing owners with additional protection for the condition described above.
If this condition occurs on your 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibu within 10 years of the date your vehicle was
originally placed in service or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, the condition will be repaired for you
at no charge. Diagnosis or repair for conditions other than the condition described above is not covered under this
special coverage program.
What You Should Do: Please perform the inspection procedure enclosed with this letter, and follow the instructions
provided. If you are not comfortable performing this inspection, please take your vehicle to a General Motors dealer,
and they will perform this inspection free of charge. If you’ve performed the inspection and believe your vehicle has the
condition described above, please take your vehicle to your General Motors dealer for repair. For the repair to qualify
for this special coverage, it must be performed by a General Motors dealer. You may want to contact your General
Motors dealer to find out how long they will need to have your vehicle so that you may schedule the appointment at a
time that is convenient for you. This will also allow your dealer to order parts if they are not already in stock. Keep this
letter with your other important glove box literature for future reference.
Reimbursement: If you have already paid for repairs for the condition described in this letter, please complete the
enclosed reimbursement form and present it to your dealer with all required documents. Working with your dealer will
expedite your request, however, if this is not convenient, you may mail the completed reimbursement form and all
required documents to Reimbursement Department, PO Box 33170, Detroit, MI 48232-5170. The completed form and
required documents must be presented to your dealer or received by the Reimbursement Department by March 31,
2020, unless state law specifies a longer reimbursement period.
The right to submit reimbursement claims is provided by GM solely in the interest of customer satisfaction and is
personal to vehicle owners and lessees who previously paid for repairs referenced in this Special Coverage
(“Customers”). Customers may not assign and GM does not consent to any assignment of any Customer’s right
to submit reimbursement claims, or to receive reimbursement, or any other rights granted by this Special
Coverage to any third party, including but not limited to service contract providers, and this Special Coverage
is not intended to and does not confer any third party beneficiary, subrogation or contribution rights, or any
other rights to reimbursement, against GM, whether in law, equity or otherwise, on any third parties.
If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact your dealer or the appropriate Customer Assistance
Center at the number listed below.
Division
Chevrolet
Puerto Rico – English
Puerto Rico – Español
Virgin Islands

Number
1-800-222-1020
1-800-496-9992
1-800-496-9993
1-800-496-9994

Text Telephones (TTY)
1-800-833-2438

We are sorry for any inconvenience you may experience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your
continued satisfaction with our products.
Neelie O’Connor
Executive Director
North America Contact Center Operations
Enclosure
N182194790
Page 5 of 6

Special Coverage Adjustment
N182194790 Driver’s Front Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner Cable
SAFETY BELT CABLE SHRINK SLEEVE INSPECTION PROCEDURE FOR SPECIAL COVERAGE N182194790
Inspection Overview
This inspection is for the driver side safety belt shrink sleeve. If the driver side safety belt shrink sleeve is cut or cracked
either on the cable or where the cable meets the buckle, the vehicle should be taken to the dealer for further inspection.
If the sleeve shows only scuffs or wear marks (no cuts or cracks), replacement is not necessary at this time. Keep these
instructions with your other important glove box literature for future reference.
Inspection Steps
1.

Move the front driver side seat to the full downward position and forward of the center pillar.

2.

Inspect the safety belt shrink sleeve for any cuts or cracks. Bend the seat belt cable toward the inside (1) and outside
(2) of the vehicle and carefully inspect for any cuts or cracks in the shrink sleeve.

3.

If a sleeve is cut or cracked on the cable (1) or where the cable meets the buckle (2), take your vehicle to the dealer
for further inspection.

Page 6 of 6