2020 Chevrolet Malibu: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 194 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (25% of complaints); the 2021 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 2 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Aug 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 194 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Shift to park displaying when car is in park so it won't turn off and stalling out randomly with no warning or anything and being hesitant to go”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the freeway and depressing the brake pedal to slow down, the brake pedal was difficult to depress, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. During the failure, the check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was slowly driven to the residence and parked. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 85,547.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, who associated the failure with TSB: N222372590. An appointment was scheduled with the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“While driving the brake pedal became hard to push out of no where. Once the car got to the shop it stopped cranking. The shop is stating that the brake vacuum pump is the cause of the brake pedal messing up, and that it also caused other engine damages estimating $3000.00”Owner report · Service Brakes · Feb 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the vehicle into park, the transmission failed to shift into park after several attempts. The contact referenced TSB: 19-NA-206; as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the TSB. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with gear shifter failure. The gear shifter was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,198.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2026
“Throwing code p1101 for the mass air flow sensor. This is a listed recall amongst other Malibu's but does not include my vin number. Check engine is on.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2025
“December 12, 2025 I had to drive 20-30 miles an hour the car would not break I had to use parking break. When I would try to Stop it would continue to roll. The pedal was Hard! This is very dangerous and other cars have crashed There are also class action lawsuits regarding just this! Vehicle vacuum pump The Bill was $5200 I am asking for reimbursement! Vehicle vacuum pump engine light on tire sensor light on Saw there have been more cases”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2025
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal properly. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who discovered metal debris inside the transmission and advised the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Nov 2025
“The vehicle intermittently shows shift to park error message. It takes several tries of moving the shifter for the notice to disappear. This has been an ongoing issue since I purchased the vehicle and since the dealership couldn't replicate it at the time, they did not fix it.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2025
“While driving the cars speedometer and all gages will stop working, or they will constantly move up and down on their own, it will also not accelerate to speed limit in a timely manner.. when stopping the car it will brake extremely hard on its own and throw me forward it will also give a warning message on the dash that the power steering isn't working and to drive with caution. When parking the car and it is in park a message on the dash will appear saying shift to park.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Oct 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 7 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Malibu by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
NHTSA has 194 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The most complained-about area is power train (25% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 69,000 miles or less.
Does the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning seat belts:rear/other:retractor. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.