2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems & reliability
194 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
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 | 57 | 29% |
| Electrical System | 56 | 29% |
| Unknown OR Other | 44 | 23% |
| Service Brakes | 41 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 9% |
| Steering | 15 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 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%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 66,500 miles (middle 50% between 45,599 and 86,260 miles), based on 44 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 2020 Chevrolet Malibu experienced a sudden and severe electrical failure after driving through normal roadway water. Immediately afterward, the vehicle displayed multiple safety‑critical warnings including loss of power steering assist, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) faults, brake control faults, and reduced…”
Steering · filed Aug 5, 2026
“So while I was driving my car going 60 on the highway it seemed to be having electrical issues all the lights on my dash popped on then popped off and only a few lights actually stayed on I can't remember exactly but the check engine and my abs stayed on and then on my screen it read to me warning power steering fault…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 31, 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…”
Power Train · filed Jul 24, 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
769 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The 10 most recent:
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
This Preliminary Information addresses an issue with the odometer displaying dashes and provides direction for the dealership/technician.
PIC6636 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 19, 2025
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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 66,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.