2020 Chevrolet Malibu Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 72,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “shift park” (59% of reports).
- 58power train complaints
- 72,500median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Shift park: mentioned in 34 of 58 complaints (59%)
- Off message: mentioned in 5 of 58 complaints (9%)
- Gear shifter: mentioned in 5 of 58 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 16 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 58 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Chevrolet Malibu power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 6 | 14% | 45,000 |
| 2023 Malibu | 8 | 11% | 30,310 |
| 2022 Malibu | 23 | 23% | 38,000 |
| 2021 Malibu | 28 | 31% | 60,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 58 | 29% | 72,500 |
| 2019 Malibu | 67 | 35% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 171 | 24% | 43,150 |
| 2017 Malibu | 139 | 20% | 48,875 |
| 2016 Malibu | 166 | 20% | 42,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 31 | 11% | 83,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 52 | 15% | 51,890 |
| 2013 Malibu | 54 | 6% | 66,500 |
| 2012 Malibu | 49 | 5% | 74,500 |
| 2011 Malibu | 112 | 11% | 78,225 |
| 2010 Malibu | 133 | 10% | 74,200 |
| 2009 Malibu | 121 | 8% | 88,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 86 | 9% | 88,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 47 | 5% | 88,921 |
| 2006 Malibu | 43 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Malibu | 65 | 7% | 88,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 64 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 54,500 |
| 2002 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 114,045 |
| 2001 Malibu | 18 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 26 | 3% | 47,597 |
| 1999 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 50 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 9 | 2% | 57,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
While attempting to enter a high-speed expressway, the transmission malfunctioned, preventing normal acceleration. The vehicle could only accelerate very slowly but managed to maintain a limited speed, creating a hazardous situation while trying to merge into fast-moving traffic. I was able to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Chevrolet Malibus have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 58 owner complaints about power train for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu (29% of the 198 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 72,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 34 of 58 complaints, followed by “off message” (5).
Other 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems or power train problems across all Malibu years.