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While cars continue to decline in popularity, the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu keeps making waves. The automaker claims that this Chevy car “totally measures up.” However, research shows a glitchy electrical system and poorly-functioning engine.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2018 2019 2021
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Electrical System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Air Bags |
Problems with the Electrical System
While the Malibu isn’t considered a luxury vehicle, it must still be equipped with a well-running electrical system. This Chevy model falls short of the mark in this department.
Here is one Edmunds review discussing some problems. “The screen is slow, laggy and of poor graphic quality. On top of that, if you go deep into a menu like music on Airplay, pressing the Music app button won’t bring you back to the main Music screen. You have to press, Back, Back, exit etc. Not very safe while driving. Also, you will have to put up with unexplainable control lags while changing songs. I pressed Next song on the steering wheel and it took 10 seconds for the song to change. I drove other cars (Mazda and Nissan) and the controls never lagged.”
The issues go even deeper. Service Bulletin #20NA011 talks about problems with the voice recognition and radio station adjustments within the Malibu. While it might seem like a simple inconvenience to have these systems malfunctioning, it could eventually lead to an accident, especially if the driver becomes distracted by the problems. So, what does the Malibu “measure” up to exactly? From the standpoint of owners, it’s nothing short of a lemon.
Problems with the Engine
The engine in the Malibu isn’t expected to provide as much excitement as a Corvette, but it should run properly. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Here is one NHTSA complaint to read. “Car lost power when passing a truck on the highway, hard start, immediately contacted dealership. They have had the vehicle for going on three weeks tomorrow. They haven’t been able to diagnose the problem. I have contacted GM and the service representative at the resolution center said the dealership was not answering emails and he could not give us any information. The service manager at the dealership said he and the master tech had driven the car and both said that they detected a problem. The service manager said the diagnostic computer showed excess, or unburned fuel in the #2 cylinder. The master tech said he put a bore scope into the #2 cylinder and saw a burned or discolored spot on the piston. The service manager said that a regional engineer had come down from Spokane, WA. And driven the car with another diagnostic computer. They still have not diagnosed the problem, and the dealer says that GM wants us to take the car back and drive it. We feel the car is unsafe and we are refusing to drive it. They are not coming up with a resolution to this safety problem.”
Chevy continues to address engine problems, one of which is illustrated with Service Bulletin #PIP5733. In this communication, we see trouble starting the engine or customers complaining of an extended crank situation. This is unacceptable with any newer vehicle and needs to be addressed, especially if the car wants to ever “measure up.”
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Complaint Data
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 22, 2023 |
| State | DE |
| Description | My 2020 malibu was placed taken to chevy dealership before with same issues in october 2022, now today 3/22/23, while driving car lost power while driving on freeway. Completely shut down with same warning stating service battery charging system, once I place car in park it started up and had the battery saver active warning with voltage of 9. 2 my car only has 38098 miles. In october it only had 35k. They did replace a fuse on the battery and stated everything was good but I'm confused what keeps making it cut off when it's brand new car. I don't understand how this car is even safe if everyone states the same thing. Wishing I kept my other reliable car instead of putting up with this. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Mar 12, 2023 |
| State | TX |
| Description | When I boght the car was with out airbags |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 10, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that she noticed that water had intruded into the vehicle. The contact then stated that water had leaked from the inner lining of the roof and entered through the rear center brake taillight. The contact stated that the vehicle was saturated with water. As a result, the check engine warning light, parking brake light, and alarm system warning lights intermittently illuminated and started to malfunction. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 27, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Vehicle through a "service engine" and lost partial power. The vehicle slowed considerably and was not able to accelerate as expected. Fortunately, this was rush hour traffic and it was slow. Normally, the traffic moves at 60 mph plus or minus 5 mph. The loss of power on i10 can be extremely unsafe. The dealer revealed that our car had a scan code p0299. They cleaned the thottle body and stated it was the likely problem. However, they said they tested the crank case pressure and it was at 0 psi, instead of the expected vacuum. There was no indication, that crank case pressure or the pcv was the root problem. I pointed out that crank case should be measured in inh2o. I think they mis diaganosed and were trying to lead me to replace the pcv, and ultimately the turbocharger itself. I think it is probably a sensor or perhaps another component. I took my car away from the lot and will report any other incidents or findings. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 27, 2023 |
| State | PA |
| Description | I put the car in park and it says a message that says shift to park but I am in park already and now my battery keeps draining and the lights on shifter blink continuously when I'm in park if I click shift button the message goes away but I don't think it should be doing this and I'm not the only person from what I have read. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 24, 2023 |
| State | IN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved loudly while coming to a stop. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power while driving uphill. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer confirmed that the vehicle performed as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to technical service bulletin: 21-na-004 (continuously variable transmission). The failure mileage was 27,344. |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 19, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | Shift to park alarm will not stop beeping. Looked into it on the internet found it to be a known issue with gm. Can prevent the doors from unlocking and would drain battery and annoyance. Replaced shifter assembly at a cost of 7. 28 I believe gm knows of the issue and should recall the defective parts. I am making this complaint on behalf of my 85 year old mother that purchased the 2020 malibu with the remaining 3 year/36000 miles warranty. In november of 2022 she had the alarm shift to park come up and would not stop. I return the car to the shop where she purchased it, expecting the issue to be covered by warranty. I found out the car was put in service in august of 2019 making the warranty expired. The mechanic that replaced the shifting assembly explained the problem to me and gave me the defective part. When researching the problem I found that gm it aware of the issue and should recall and fix the problem. I have contacted gm but they refuse to reemburse me. I filed a complaint with the bbb and I see that there is a class action lawsuit over this issue. I have my complaint on file in hope that gm will voluntarily recall or be forced to if enough people complain. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 17, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Shift to park error, no power to car, reduced engine power, camshaft positioning error, brakes failed (completely went hard unable to press) almost causing crash. |
| Category | Steering, Traction Control System |
| Date | Dec 15, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the service esc warning light and the steering assist reduced warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the traction control warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Nov 22, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu e2. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at the stop sign, the auto start/stop mode engaged, however the vehicle failed to restart upon releasing the brake pedal. The message "engine reduced power" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed and the camshaft reluctor was in improper position. The dealer diagnosed that the vacuum pump and camshaft needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. However, the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact stated while driving at 80 mph and merging lanes, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and the message "engine reduced power" was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer, vandergriff chevrolet (1200 w interstate 20, arlington, tx 76017), who informed the contact that he would need to tow the vehicle to the first dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle back to first dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The failure mileage was approximately 55,634. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Nov 17, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and depressing the brake pedal to slow the vehicle, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the oil change service light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the vacuum pump and engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 14, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the odometer and tachometer readings were incorrect. The services esc, power steering, power steering assist, and check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restated and operated normally; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle lost power brakes functionality. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by an authorized dealer. The failure mileage was 65,000. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 20, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | This car is a rental. After driving the car, I parked it at my final destination, shifted it into park, and attempted to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle would not turn off and flashed a warning on the instrument panel instructing me to shift into park even though the car was already in park. The car would only finally turn off after several attempts at shifting in and out of park. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 07, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Sometimes when I drive my car it loses power especially when I'm turning into on coming traffic it will lose speed and I've almost been hit on numerous occasions. I've taking the car to chevy dealership 4 times already the last time they discovered transmission issues they repaired it. They tell me they don't see anything else wrong. I have read reviews from other owners and they are experiencing the same exact problem |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift |
| Date | Jul 14, 2022 |
| State | MO |
| Description | A few days ago, when I put the car in park and turned it off, there was a message on the screen saying "shift to park." it was in park. I could not get out of the car because it was still getting power. If I tried to lock the doors, it sounded the alarm. I had to turn the car on and off multiple times to get it to go away. It would've drained the battery if I'd left it. Who knows if it was really in park either. It's been doing it ever since. I called the dealer and they want 0 to fix it. The guy told me they've been seeing this on malibu's and "now it's happening on the traverse models, too." I've been reading online how this has been happening since at least 2016, but there is no recall. Why not?? This is dangerous and they're aware of the problem. They've issued service bulletins on how to fix it! |
| Category | Engine, Fuel System, Gasoline |
| Date | Jul 13, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph the vehicle was jerking and then inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle immediately; however, eventually, the vehicle restarted and was driven to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jun 20, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The shifter gear control/ shifter assembly keeps failing on and off. It'll give me a warning shift to park. It did this while drive on a major highway then my car loss all power as I was in the second lane causing so much safety concerns. It is also alerting me when I'm in park now that I need to shift to park more frequently. Extreme issue. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jun 19, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | My car would completely shut off in the middle of traffics and restart right away. The lights would completely restart, the driver panel, the radio screen, and esc service light would come on interchangeably with the service engine light. When I would park my car overnight then start it up, the engine won't start. Then the batter saver mode gets turned on, I'd wait 10 minutes then turn on the car and it works. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jun 16, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently hesitate and stall with the traction control and check engine warning lights illuminated. Once the vehicle stalled, the contact had to wait a few minutes before successfully restarting the vehicle. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on multiple occasions however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate or determine the cause of the failure. The contact had the pistons, battery terminal, transmission, and wiring harness replaced; however, the failure persisted after each repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the nhtsa for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | May 14, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Reduce engine power warming lamp. Cars just suddenly loses power when driving at high rate of speed. Car slows abs f won't go over 2ph causing hazardous situations and endangering occupants and other drivers. This issue has been repaired twice abs is now the third time. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Air:antilock:abs Warning Light |
| Date | May 05, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the abs message was displayed, and the esc warning light was illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the mechanic performed an oil change and tire rotation; however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure due to the warning lights no longer being illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,300. The consumer stated the dealership resolved the issue. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 20, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | I was at a stop light ready to take off while driving for lyft with a passenger in back and the car just quit running as I took off when light turned green no warning whatsoever no dash lights no brakes no steering I had to wait til car stopped rolling so I put car in park then I couldnt put in neutral to push car out of traffic lane. So while I was trying to call a friend for help about 5 minutes passed and I tried the ignition I had a reading on dash that said batterry saver on so I waited and tried again after 5 minutes and car started with battery saver on not knowing how that really works I called nearest chevy dealer about issue they said it was out of warranty for them to look at so I drove to autozone a local parts store to get car checked out for car not starting and the guy found battery was good and charging system ok so there was no code or nothing after getting it looked at to this date of report I had no issues so far but im worried and hoping it wont happen while im driving on highway and get rear ended if it quits running on me again I heard and read about a sotware issue on chevy malibu so im puzzled and afraid to drive this car that I bought new on january of 2021 |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 20, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | While driving down a mountain in monterey tenessee from visiting a friend the car started blowing white smoke and all dash lights flickered before car shut off no brakes or steering while coasting down mountain almost got rear ended by pickup this was around 9pm it was dark I coasted into a gas station after a few attempts to start car . I called roadside assistance that night and got towed to dave kirk chevy dealer next town over after having issues with car I encountered issues with manager of dealer ship and roadside assistance neither could help til I started raising my voice I was stranded there in town for 2 days my friends felt bad the paid for my motel since I was so stressed out they didnt want to look at my car that manager said he knew nothing about after diagnosing my car they found a bad fuel injector that he said was open 100 percent so after 2 days I was on my way back to florida bad experience all the way around |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 01, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Vehicle lost power after trying to go around a truck on the highway. Car will decline in power and traction light and engine light blinks for a period of 60 minutes some times longer. While in traffic you can not press the gas to go, leaving your car to decline in speed on the highway. Please recall the 2020 malibu before someone get seriously hurt. Dealerships are aware. Do I need to get the news people involved? Mine has been happing since my purchase. ( new car purchase) service departments dont understand it either. Had my first cylinder and injectors replaced february 2022 , second cylinder and all injectors replaced april 1st. 2022. Horrible car |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 16, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | I need my pistons and rings replaced. My car only has 57,000 miles. My car has been diagnosed with excessive piston blowby from 2 different independent service centers. Both times I have been to chevy to get it fixed under warranty, they've charged me 0 for diagnostics each time and told me it is my pcv valve that needs fixed. I had them fix my pcv valve and I still have excessive piston blowby. Chevy just wants to keep bringing my car back in for more diagnostics. I have spoken with gm customer service 2 times and somehow every single time I give them my vin they hang up. My car is a 2020 with only 57,000 miles on it. There's absolutely no reason why I should need all new pistons and rings and why chevy service centers won't just get it done! I have diagnostic reports, receipts, and videos of everything. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 13, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Engine loses power while driving. This happened the first time on 8/24/21 I was on the nj parkway in highspeed traffic . The vehicle would not drive over 25 miles an hour putting all occupants in the car at risk. The dealership repaired the vehicle the same loss of engine power re-occurred on 3/12/22 while driving at over 50 miles an hour. The car just slowed without warning, and I was unable to increase speed on a busy roadway |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 13, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Engine loses power while driving. This happened the first time on 8/24/2. I was on the nj parkway in highspeed traffic . The vehicle would not drive over 25 miles an hour putting all occupants in the car at risk. The dealership repaired the vehicle the same loss of engine power re-occurred on 3/12/22 while driving at over 50 miles an hour. The car just slowed without warning, and I was unable to increase speed on a busy roadway |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 05, 2022 |
| State | LA |
| Description | Shift to park error |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Engine |
| Date | Mar 02, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle started shaking and inadvertently decelerated. The contact stated that the service esc and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 23, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Engine light came on before a full year of having the car. Started august 23 2021 the car will take forever to move like engine was lock up or something then when you put the car in drive it was go backwards and when you put it in reverse it will go forward. Car has a head of its own. I am pregnant I don't feel safe in this car and this car is not safe for my baby to be in I spoke to different people who has the same car as me they experiencing the same thing 2019 and 2020 .. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 24, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Was traveling at about 58 mph down the highway when all my warning gauges starting going off. My digital dash went blank and the car started accelerating on its own. I kept hitting the brakes trying to make it slow down and I could hear the abs function and feel it thru the brake while trying to slow down. After about a 1/2 mile of fighting the car the dash turned back on the check engine light stayed on and the car stopped trying to accelerate but wouldn't change gears and was stuck at 3500 rpms when I limped it off the road and had a tow truck come get it. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Oct 21, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with the auto start/stop safety feature. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the engine failed to start up while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and normal vehicle operation returned. The contact called the dealer and dropped off the vehicle to be inspected. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 21,647. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 14, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | This is an intermittent issue and hard to reproduce on demand. I have evidence in the form of multiple videos that may be provided anytime. Videos can be found here: https://www. Dropbox. Com/sh/zubc5ilgahayvxa/aabf3m1mlbikxqswv17yn-yqa? Dl=0 in the middle of driving on freeways, highways, or regular roads, the car will quickly slow down to a very low speed, around 5 mph causing other drivers to have to quickly swerve out of the way before wrecking into me. The power steering will also intermittently fail, as it becomes difficult to turn the wheel during these times. The car will also not accelerate at my will like it should at this time. Check engine lights will show up, as well as other warning notifications on the dash board. Some of the warnings include "service power steering. Drive with care", "fuel level low", and "service esc". The car will also intermittently show all gauges in the zero/off/empty position. The car will also say "shift to park" when trying to turn it on, even though it is already in shift. I have sent the car back to the dealer 5 times to date and am about to pick it up again today as they have called me and said "it's ready" again. Each time they take the car, they do not address the issue. The first time I took it in, they just performed a recall repair for the camera and suggested the problem may be fixed from that. They claim they cannot fix something they cannot reproduce but I suspect they do not want to spend the time/hours/money it will take to figure out the problem since it is still under factory bumper-to-bumper warranty. It is still under factory bumper-to-bumper warranty but monument chevrolet in pasadena tx refuses to repair anything and claim there is no evidence of the problem even though I've emailed them multiple videos of the problems happening. Auto nation in houston tx is who has the car now. It was recommended to me by general motors to try another dealer. This is where I'm at currently with the situation. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 02, 2021 |
| State | IA |
| Description | Shift to park displays when I put my car in park and the vehicle will not turn off. I have read that there have been recalls on this issue up to 2019 but nothing for 2020. My car is not even 2 years old... I shouldn't have a problem turning my vehicle off especially since it's been an issue in the past |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 31, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | P0556 code and brakes are hard to stop. 40,016 miles on the car |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 27, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | 1. Something under the car hood is making a whistle type noise. Is available for inspection. 2. I don't know if it is a safety risk. 3. The problem has not been confirmed by the dealer. 4. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership. 5. There were no warning lamps on or anything. The whistling appeared under the hood around may 23,2021. 6. The whistling appears under the hood of the car after driving it approximately 30mins with the air conditioner on. 7. I took it to the dealership and they seem resistant to fix the problem! |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 26, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 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 |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 23, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Why driving on the interstate with some congestion I made an attempt to accelerate from behind a slow moving truck and in doing so my car slows down as if it stalls in the middle of road. Engine light and traction comes on. During this I cannot apply acceleration until my car is ready. Normally I'd have to pull over but if I'm in traffic I can not. This has been reported to the dealership starting at 900 miles. I was told it's probably bad gas. I continue to report and was advised nothing is wrong. I have noticed a change in applying acceleration. Its more a force to go. This has been going on since the purchase. I am now at 19, 273 miles |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jul 31, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Speed reduced, reduced engine power , hard breaking and noise ,engine light one , all gages flash, service esc! On dash |
| Category | Power Train, Steering |
| Date | Jun 16, 2021 |
| State | SC |
| Description | The vehicle will randomly shut off while driving. All warning lights light up on the dash and notification of "reduced steering" pops up. Taken to the dealership and has been there for 19 business days. They will fix a component, I have picked it up twice and it has shut off before I could even get home forcing me to tow it back. This last time they were bringing the car around and it shut off in their own parking lot before they could even give me the keys. Every time they run diagnostics it's a new code. Vehicle is unsafe to drive due to shut-off and loss of steering. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | May 24, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Unknown. Started vehicle for one minute and stalled. It is available for inspection. Safety was at risk cause I thought car wasn't going to start and stay idling. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. Vehicle has not been inspected by dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages. This initial problem appeared on 5-20-21. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | May 23, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | *first incident: unknown. Could have been stranded. Not confirmed by dealership. First appeared on 5-20-21. I started car. After car started, the cars body started to shake all over with a hard vibration. Car was inspected vaguely by dealership and I was told nothing could be found. No lights came on, no warning.*second incident: unknown. First appeared 5-22-21. After car started, the cars idle felt shaky a little. Also the acceleration slowed down on its own to where I could not speed up and I had to pull over or I could have been hit by multiple cars. Crash safety issue and stranded! Not confirmed by dealership. Going to be inspected again on 5-24-2021. There were no warnings or lights! |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | May 23, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Unknown. Started vehicle and warmed it up for one minute. After that the vehicle shook and vibrated then completely stalled. It is available for inspection. Safety wasn't the greatest cause I thought the vehicle completely died and would not be able to be driven. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership. There were not any warning lamps or symptoms. This is the first time the car died. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | May 23, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Acceleration slowed down and didn't want to speed up when gas pedal pressed. Car is available for inspection. Safety was at risk cause a car could of hit me. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. Vehicle has not been inspected. There were no warnings or symptoms. Problems appeared 5-20-21, 5-22-21, and 5-23-21. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | May 23, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Vehicle slowed down alot by itself upon driving and when pushing the gas pedal the vehicle would not go any faster. I had to pull over in someones driveway to get out of the way of multiple cars behind me! Car is available for inspection. My safety was very much in danger cause what happened to the car could have caused cars to hit me from behind! The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 22, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Vehicle seems to want to stall out from time to time when pressing the gas |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Nov 17, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My 2020 chev malibu promised on the web site and on the msrp that it would get "29 miles per gallon in the city". This was also promised on the 2021 model. I have only gotten 24 mph or less in the city. The car is one year old. I have had three meetings & service check outs with the dealership and they tell me that that there is nothing that they can do. So, I need government intervention to fix my vehicle so that it gets what was promised. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 25, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Rain in getting into the trunk area by a large amount of water. Leaving the spare tire site full of water. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 15, 2020 |
| State | ID |
| Description | Car lost power when passing a truck on the highway, hard start,immediately contacted dealership. They have had the vehicle for going on three weeks tomorrow. They haven't been able to diagnose the problem. I have contacted gm and the service representative at the resolution center said the dealership was not answering e-mails and he could not give us any information. The service manager at the dealership said he and the master tech had both driven the car and both said that they detected a problem. The service manager said the diagnostic computer showed excess, or unburned fuel in the #2 cylinder. The master tech said he put a bore scope into the #2 cylinder and saw a burned or discolored spot on the piston. The service manager said that a regional engineer had come down from spokane wa. And driven the car with another diagnostic computer. They still have not diagnosed the problem, and the dealer says that gm wants us to take the car back and drive it. We feel the car is unsafe and we are refusing to drive it. They are not coming up with a resolution to this safety problem. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 05, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | My car had only 600 miles and is brand new. After sitting on the drive overnight the car wouldn't start. There was a lot of clicking noises, but the engine wouldn't turn. That was three weeks ago. I brought it to the dealership and they said that there were error codes on the battery, and that they recharged it. Today, the car clicks and won't turn over again. The car now has 1000 miles. The dealership told me that cars driving by their lot at night will cause random parked new vehicles with no key in it to flash lights, and use other electrical components randomly and it kills the batteries. I think this is a major concern. I park the car regularly in public lots at the airport. I can't have my car battery dead all the time simply because it decides to turn on as other cars drive by. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 18, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My 2020 chev malibu, new 10/19, was promised 29 mpg city by chevrolet's web site and the vehicle sales sticker. I am only getting at the very most 25 mpg at the very most. I live in san diego and do drive in the city for almost all the current 2,000 miles. This is the primary reason I bought this car! I took it to the dealer on 1/17/20 & they told me all was working per spec's. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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I don’t think so, I had Malibu 201, 2019 and now I have the 2022 Malibu premiere… this was not the case in any of them… I wonder when you say I didn’t face this issue in Nissan and Mazda.. all Nissan cars have a very poor screen function….