2020 Chevrolet Malibu: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
194 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
194 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 32.33
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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, a…
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
Reduced Engine Power Light: The car limits acceleration, often accompanied by a check engine light. Stalling or Hesitation: Engine stalls or acts sluggish when accelerating, particularly in traffic. Limp Mode: The vehicle restricts speed, making it difficult to accelerate. The car stop working in the middle of the freeway and I was in the car with my child when it stop acceleration all gages in the car were going cra…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V649000 | Seat Belts:Critical Fasteners | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors… |
EPA combined 32 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (59 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 42/100, computed from 194 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 20/08/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.