2020 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
331 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 13/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 73,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2020 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“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.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Malibu
“When putting my car in park and turning the car off I get a shift to park message.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Malibu
“When putting the vehicle into park, the vehicle says it is still not into park even though we shift it into park. The vehicle will roll down a grade.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Malibu
“My car has the known shift to park error. Any time the car is put into park, it isn't registering as in park and won't shut down.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Malibu
“The brake pedal is hard. The car does not want to stop. The brake booster is not working. The car only has 40,000 miles”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 61 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 51,000 and 85,547 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has become aware of eight vehicle crashes in which a rupture of a Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN) air bag inflator occurred during the deployment of the driver side air bag. All eight drivers in these crashes sustained…
Model years named: 2020
Technical service bulletins
768 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2020 Chevrolet Malibu drew 331 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 13/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu are engine (62 complaints), electrical (57), and transmission & drivetrain (57).
At what mileage do 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 68,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 51,000 and 85,547 miles.
Does the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.