2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems & reliability
198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles were involved in 139 fatal crashes with 83 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 59 | 30% |
| Power Train → | 58 | 29% |
| Electrical System → | 57 | 29% |
| Unknown / Other | 44 | 22% |
| Service Brakes → | 42 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 18 | 9% |
| Steering → | 16 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 19 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 45 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 68,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,198 and 88,400 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the message "Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care" was intermittently displayed on the instrument panel while driving. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel. In addition, the message "Service ESC" was…”
Steering · filed Sep 8, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond and seized, causing the contact to engage the parking brake. The contact was able to pull over while awaiting tow truck assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 8, 2026
“The vehicle's transmission shifter mechanism has failed for a second time, preventing the vehicle's computer from communicating with the gear shifter. When shifting the physical gear lever forward into the "Park" position and attempting to shut off the engine, a warning message reading "Action Required: Shift to Park"…”
Power Train · filed Sep 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DTN Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA25005 · opened Oct 21, 2025 · open
Technical service bulletins
770 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The 10 most recent:
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2026
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
PIP6032B provides diagnostic direction for dealers when encountering transmission leaks
PIP6032C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss
PIT6425D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's
PIT6425C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2026
This PI advised dealer technicians of possible causes of diesel fuel contamination in gasoline powered vehicles and advises of warranty direction.
PIP6098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Chevrolet Malibu has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Chevrolet Malibu?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 68,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.