Malibu (Chevrolet)

On May 8, General Motors confirmed that it will halt production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan this fall at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas to prep for production of the new Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Production of the Cadillac XT4 small SUV will continue until the plant is shut down in 2025 to retool for production of the Bolt. 

"To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine-generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025," GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly said in a statement.

“When production resumes in late 2025, Fairfax will produce both the Bolt EV and XT4 on the same assembly line, which gives GM flexibility to respond to changes in customer demand," Kelly said.

GM previously announced it would invest about USD 390 million in Fairfax to make the Ultium-based Bolt after ending production of the previous generation Bolt at GM's Orion Assembly plant in December 2023.

Based on Detroit News article on May 8, 2024

On November 10, SAIC-GM filed a recall plan with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), deciding to recall the following passenger vehicles (PVs) in batches from May 31, 2024.

1.       A total of 611,260 Buick vehicles manufactured between September 5, 2019 and July 12, 2023: partial 2021, 2022, and 2023 Envision S, next-generation LaCrosse, and next-generation Regal; partial 2022 and 2023 Envision Plus and Enclave; and partial 2023 Envista.

2.       A total of 195,819 Chevrolet vehicles manufactured between May 28, 2020 and July 12, 2023: partial 2021, 2022, and 2023 Equinox and Malibu XL; partial 2022 and 2023 Blazer; and partial 2023 Seeker.

3.       A total of 327,006 Cadillac vehicles manufactured between April 9, 2020 and June 15, 2023: partial 2021, 2022, and 2023 XT4, XT5, and XT6; and partial 2023 GT4.

These vehicles have an issue of poor fuel pump control module moisture resistance, which, after wading, may cause moisture to intrude into the module and thereby trigger anomalies. In extreme cases, loss of power could occur when the vehicle is driving, posing a potential safety hazard. SAIC-GM will replace improved fuel pump control modules for these vehicles free of charge to eliminate the safety hazard.

From an SAMR press release

On September 20, General Motors announced it is idling its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas where 2,000 hourly employees work, citing the impact of a strike by the UAW at nearby Wentzville, Missouri. 
The layoff is tied to a shortage of stamped parts supplied by Wentzville’s stamping operations to Fairfax, where the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and Cadillac XT4 SUV are built. 
GM's last offer included a 20% general wage increase and other gains, which UAW President Shawn Fain deemed inadequate, prompting GM President Mark Reuss to reply in an opinion piece that his company’s contract proposal was a “record offer” and said the union’s demands would be “untenable.”
Reuss noted that GM, which is pushing to have an all-electric lineup in 2035, is "at a pivotal point” in the transition to an all-EV future. 
In 2023, GM is launching production of all-electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado, Blazer and Equinox — three of its most popular internal combustion engine products.
The Silverado EV will be built by UAW members at Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center and at Orion Assembly in Lake Orion. 
The Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV are manufactured in Mexico.

(Detroit News article on September 20, 2023)
Keyword: plant operating status, contract renewal negotiations