2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu include 1 fatality report, 10 crashes and 0 fires across 195 filings.

195
Complaints
1
Recalls
10
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
7
Injuries
66.8
Severity index

Severity index 66.8 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 66.8p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 36 of 103 by severity index among 2020 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 65% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2020 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 59 complaints (30.3%)59 30%Power TrainPower Train: 57 complaints (29.2%)57 29%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 56 complaints (28.7%)56 29%Service BrakesService Brakes: 48 complaints (24.6%)48 25%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 44 complaints (22.6%)44 23%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 18 complaints (9.2%)18 9%SteeringSteering: 15 complaints (7.7%)15 8%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 14 complaints (7.2%)14 7%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE5930.3%
POWER TRAIN5729.2%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5628.7%
SERVICE BRAKES4824.6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4422.6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL189.2%
STEERING157.7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM147.2%

Complaints filed per year

023462020: 52021: 172022: 232023: 362024: 402025: 462026: 28 (partial year)2021222324254626
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20205
202117
202223
202336
202440
202546
2026 (year to date)28
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 2.7x those in 2020 to 2022 (122 against 45).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
21V64900020/08/2021SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERSGeneral Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.

Other Chevrolet Malibu model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-29. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.