Complaint volume
188 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Chevrolet Malibu Complaints
188 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, grouped by component category.
188 Total complaints
10 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
5 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, electrical system, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 10 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 5 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 43 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 66,281 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, electrical system, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Chevrolet Malibu?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu complaints?
10 Crash
0 Fire
5 Injury
1 Fatality
18 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Chevrolet Malibu complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 26
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
ENGINE 14
SERVICE BRAKES 9
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 5
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5
AIR BAGS 4
188 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The TMC and MAF sensor goes out within 100,000 Mileage | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Car had numerous times of completely turning off mid drive and was taken into a certified dealer for inspection, with a conclusion that nothing was wrong. The transmission has failed (03/22/24) and has been recently replaced upon diagnostics from certified dealer. 2 days later after receiving vehicle from transmission fix (04/20/2024) the vehicle began to experience Electronic Stability Control errors and caused steering assist to also fail mid drive and cause a locked steering wheel. These errors occurred (04/22/2024 and 04/23/2024) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? All of these factors explained above have happened during a drive and has put me at risk of numerous accidents that could have been fatal. The most recent one dated above, happened in the middle of the road with little to no where to safely pull over and restart the car system. Again, could have resulted in a fatal accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Electronic errors of the vehicle shutting off was unable to be reproduced or confirmed by dealer. Transmission failure has been confirmed and replace. ESC and steering assist has yet to be confirmed from dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? This vehicle has been inspected by numerous dealers and or auto shops with little to no help in fixing any problems. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? I also have warning lights from all times I have experienced failures or warnings from the vehicle and will be providing this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Electrical issue , Continuously losing communication to EBCM causing the car to go haywire with warning lamps on the dash board and then it brakes on its own , while driving on the highway at high speeds. This is very scary and extremely dangerous and this could eventually cause a serious accident. This has been occurring for 3 months now. I’ve had the car serviced 3 times within the last 3 months , costing me a lot of money but with no real resolution. Problem has been confirmed by independent Mechanics , they stated the codes are a loss of communication to all control modules , they then reset / reprogram modules , which is only a temporary fix because it always happens again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Where the warnings appear, it keeps saying shift to park. If this continues the car battery will not work. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to exceed 15 MPH. The Power Steering Reduced and Service ESC messages were displayed, and the check engine and low fuel warning lights were illuminated. The engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was cold. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was carbon build up. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced and the orifice tube needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 73,000 |
| Jan 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Brake vacuum pump locked up causing camshaft to twist and reluctant wheel to turn which damaged the engine. I'm being quoted $10,000 to fix which was actually $1,000 more to fix but they accidentally under quoted me and have to honor the original estimate. I don't have that kind of money and still owe almost $14,000 on the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. The contact also stated that excessive effort was needed to stop the vehicle with the ABS warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact replaced the vacuum pump; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 74,000 |
| Dec 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she became aware that the trunk was damp and wet. The contact stated that after having a flat tire, she noticed mold on the rear windshield. There was half-inch of water in the trunk. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the third brake light was leaking, and water was leaking into the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that the headliner and rear seat was wet. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 61,000 |
| Dec 2023 | AIR BAGS | When I was in a car accident, the airbag exploded. However, the airbag's balloon-like fabric material did not deploy, and a metal part even flew off the steering wheel and exploded, hitting me in the chin. So I lost about half of my lower jaw, most of my lower teeth, and some of my upper teeth. In the process, I underwent a total of three surgeries: emergency, infection, and reconstruction surgery. In the future, I may need to undergo additional implant surgery and additional reconstructive surgery as needed. There has been no formal component inspection by any agency since the accident and there were no relevant warnings or symptoms prior to the accident. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The steering assist is reduced will come on. The car randomly turns itself off and back on when at a stoplight; this has happened four times now. I worry that it will shut off and not restart creating a hazard on the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Started today, I would put my car in park and I’d would display in the dashboard “Shift to Park” even though I’m already in park. I tried to turn my car on and off and switch gears but everytime I turn it off and it’s in park, it would keep reading that message. It eventually stopped but I don’t want this to keep happening. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | I was hearing a grinding noise when applying brakes so i had a mechanic change my brakes. He said they didnt need changing but i had him change them anyway. The noise didnt stop but we wasnt sure why it was making the noise. While driving down the highway, the break pedal became to hard to press. At that point I was in heavy traffic and had to use my emergency brake system to avoid collission with multiple vehicles. Upon taking my vehicle to the mechanic it was observed the vacuum pump had broken inside the motor. After the mechanic changed the part and cleared the broken parts out of the motor, within 6 months my breaks are acting funny again making loud noises when applying brakes. I'm terrified to drive long distances. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The power train may be defective. The auto shut off on the vehicle completely shuts off when you stopped at a red light. The entire vehicle restarts, and then 12 lights appear on the dashboard. The car starts shaking sometimes when it's being driven. The vehicle is currently being looked at, at the dealership. I was told that the diagnostics is reading 19 codes and misfires. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | While driving on expressway, vehicle slows down suddenly. Service ESC, power steering, and engine light comes on and car tuns off. This has happened 8 times in two years with no fix from GM. This happens with no warning the car just stops driving and loss of power steering occurs. The dealership has tried to fix 8 times now with no real fix to the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ENGINE | I purchased a brand new, 2020 Chevrolet Malibu in March of 2020. The car had 90 miles on it when I purchased it. Those 90 miles were on it due to it being driven to me from Illinois because the dealership in Illinois had the exact car and color I wanted. In late 2020 I started having reduced engine power. The car would mis fire, randomly lose engine power and only allow me to drive below 40mph and the check engine light would come on. Early 2021, I kept having these issues and called the dealership where I purchased the car and they stated that the throttle body was bad. The throttle body was replaced along with a new hose clamp for the hose that connects to the turbo. I have continued to have the same issues since then. When accelerating above 4000rpm's, the car will stall and say "Engine Power Reduced." This causes the engine to completely stall and has almost caused me to be in numerous accidents. I called the dealership and they came and got my car from my house with a truck and trailer. I was advised to not drive it because one of the codes was "Engine Oil Pressure Circuit Stuck Closed." They picked it up on Monday, 10/2/2023. The next day, 10/3/2023, they called me with a diagnosis. Cylinders 3 & 4 were showing over 1,000 misfires, engine oil pressure circuit stuck off, engine oil pump pressure, and an under boost code. I was informed that my spark plugs may be bad. Turns out, according to them, it needed new spark plugs. The spark plugs and air filter were replaced costing me $500 on top of the $600 that I paid for the new throttle body and hose clamp for the turbo. I got my car back last Wednesday, 10/4/2023. Today, 10/10/2023. The dash said "Engine Power Reduced", the engine stalled, and I was almost hit again because my car would not accelerate. This is a common problem with Malibus and it is a serious safety risk! GM had a lawsuit against them in 2018 for this SAME ISSUE with Malibus. GM needs held accountable BEFORE a life and/or lives are lost!!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | I was driving down the hwy and all of a sudden, my engine lost power and my brakes harden. I could not brake and nearly lost my life and my sons. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | This issue started at approximately 19,500 miles. While accelerating to enter a highway or to pass a vehicle going less than 55mph on a two-lane, Service ESC light appeared on dash. Loss or power was also immediate and if I tried to accelerate to maintain speed, engine was very rough in responding with no acceleration. Engine continued to run. Within 30 seconds or so, acceleration is restored, and check-engine light was flashing. Check-engine light stopped flashing after a minute or so. Initially, this only occurred occasionally during fast acceleration as mentioned above. Lately this has happened during continuous acceleration, such as using cruise control, while climbing a low incline hill (~15˚). Over the past year or so, Chevy dealer has replaced, pistons, fuel injector, and did a carbon cleaning of engine. No solution yet. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Car has stalled out, or acted like it's going to stall out several times. No check engine light on so unable to identify the issue. There are recalls for other Malibs for similar problems, but it states this model is not affected. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ENGINE | The ingine turns off while driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The vehicle goes to ESC mode loses power an all gauges go frantic. All warming lights come on and the brakes go stop working. Speed decreases while in motion, unable to go past 40 mph. Warning messages such as put car in park will appear while the car is in park, steering unstable , low fuel a many others . This is a hazard and I only had the vehicle for 1 year, however I reported the first issue in April 2023 to dealer of purchase an no fix at this time . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | UNKNOWN Coming off a ramp to slow down and brakes were hard. Have to press down to brake. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | I purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu with 38,000 miles. I experienced a faulty air vacuum pump (first experience was at 45,000 miles and was replaced in August of 2021, two months after purchasing the vehicle in June of the same year), and then the replaced air vacuum pump again in February of this year (2023). This issue being brake related was unsafe. I experienced an intermittent reduced engine speed message on dashboard, with immediate reduction of speed down to 20 mph or less while driving. This made me and others unsafe. I experienced brake booster failure, among other issues stemming from all aforementioned. The car is now said by dealership to have indication of an internal engine issue and affected PCV lines dealing with a defective orifice (Kiriacopoulos, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:22-cv-10785, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan) The car remains at a dealership and has now been there for over 30 days. There was no warning lamps, messages prior to the air vacuum Pump/Brake booster issue. I got in the car to try driving, and it was hard to push the brake with foot, so for I knew something was wrong. In taking it in to service, was when it identified to be that issue. Those issues have been manufacturer inspected (dealership) and confirmed. I experienced these issues since purchasing the vehicle in June of 2021. I believe that GM knows of these issues and has put me at risk on the road, along with some other symptoms of the car failures that are also well documented, and that GM is aware of, with no recalls. These car parts/issues put me and others in further danger, the car's air vacuum pump and brake booster affecting car's ability to operate, damaging other parts (Johnson vs. GM). Consumer rights to be protected and safe are at risk, not deserving to have faulty auto parts sold, further exacerbating issues with the car being dangerous on the road with defective brake related parts, and rendered inoperable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | UNKNOWN- Complaint about Vehicle Turning Off While Reversing Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to bring to your attention an incident that occurred on August 9, 2023, involving my vehicle unexpectedly turning off while I was reversing. I believe this incident raises concerns regarding the safety and reliability of my vehicle, and I would appreciate your assistance in addressing this matter. On the mentioned date, as I was reversing, my vehicle suddenly shut off, leaving me with no choice but to place it in park and restart it. This unexpected shutdown created a hazardous situation and caused inconvenience. To ensure the safety of myself and others on the road, it is crucial to identify the underlying cause of this issue and take appropriate measures to prevent its recurrence. I have already taken some initial steps to investigate the problem, such as checking the battery terminals for security and corrosion. However, as a layperson, I am not equipped with the necessary expertise to accurately diagnose the problem. Therefore, I kindly request your expertise and resources to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. It is my understanding that the NHTSA plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and reliability of vehicles on the roads. I believe that by investigating incidents like mine, you contribute to the overall safety and well-being of drivers and passengers nationwide. I urge you to consider this incident as an opportunity to identify any potential defects or safety concerns that may exist within my vehicle model or its components. I would greatly appreciate it if you could guide me on the appropriate steps to take in order to initiate an investigation into this matter. If there are any specific forms or documents I need to complete, please let me know, and I will be prompt in providing the necessary information. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your guidance and support | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | Since last year I am having this problem in this car, even after parking the car, it is giving an error of "shift to park', I have already taken it to the car dealership twice to fix this problem and still the problem is not getting fixed in the car. Not even that I live in California and while coming back from Vegas last year, this car suddenly stopped working while on the freeway, luckily I was near truck station so I stopped the car. This is a new car and I didn't even drive 36000 miles on it and it is giving me problems. This car is a serious problem and I would request nhtsa to please step in and take action regarding the manufacturers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Car demonstrates random full vehicle power loss while in drive mode both at stop and while actually in motion and driving. Vehicle had a catastrophic loss of all break power while going downhill. Luckily while leaving the Lincoln Memorial in DC driver was traveling slow enough and able to get vehicle stopped without immediate injury. Car brakes would not reengage without 3k repair to import/export value(see receipt). 2 days later check engine light returned. 2 weeks later dealer is still in discussion with GM to identify cause of engine failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |