IllustrationThe TMC and MAF sensor goes out within 100,000 Mileage
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 45 of 198 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
198 reportsWhat component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Car had numerous times of completely turning off mid drive and was taken into a certified dealer for inspection, with a conclusion that nothing was wrong. The transmission has failed (03/22/24) and has been recently replaced upon d…
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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Car had numerous times of completely turning off mid drive and was taken into a certified dealer for inspection, with a conclusion that nothing was wrong. The transmission has failed (03/22/24) and has been recently replaced upon diagnostics from certified dealer. 2 days later after receiving vehicle from transmission fix (04/20/2024) the vehicle began to experience Electronic Stability Control errors and caused steering assist to also fail mid drive and cause a locked steering wheel. These errors occurred (04/22/2024 and 04/23/2024) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? All of these factors explained above have happened during a drive and has put me at risk of numerous accidents that could have been fatal. The most recent one dated above, happened in the middle of the road with little to no where to safely pull over and restart the car system. Again, could have resulted in a fatal accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Electronic errors of the vehicle shutting off was unable to be reproduced or confirmed by dealer. Transmission failure has been confirmed and replace. ESC and steering assist has yet to be confirmed from dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? This vehicle has been inspected by numerous dealers and or auto shops with little to no help in fixing any problems. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? I also have warning lights from all times I have experienced failures or warnings from the vehicle and will be providing this.
Electrical issue , Continuously losing communication to EBCM causing the car to go haywire with warning lamps on the dash board and then it brakes on its own , while driving on the highway at high speeds. This is very scary and extremely dangerous and this could eventually cause a serious accident. This has been occurring for 3 …
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Electrical issue , Continuously losing communication to EBCM causing the car to go haywire with warning lamps on the dash board and then it brakes on its own , while driving on the highway at high speeds. This is very scary and extremely dangerous and this could eventually cause a serious accident. This has been occurring for 3 months now. I’ve had the car serviced 3 times within the last 3 months , costing me a lot of money but with no real resolution. Problem has been confirmed by independent Mechanics , they stated the codes are a loss of communication to all control modules , they then reset / reprogram modules , which is only a temporary fix because it always happens again.
Where the warnings appear, it keeps saying shift to park. If this continues the car battery will not work.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to exceed 15 MPH. The Power Steering Reduced and Service ESC messages were displayed, and the check engine and low fuel warning lights were illuminated. The engine temperature gauge indicated …
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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to exceed 15 MPH. The Power Steering Reduced and Service ESC messages were displayed, and the check engine and low fuel warning lights were illuminated. The engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was cold. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was carbon build up. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced and the orifice tube needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Brake vacuum pump locked up causing camshaft to twist and reluctant wheel to turn which damaged the engine. I'm being quoted $10,000 to fix which was actually $1,000 more to fix but they accidentally under quoted me and have to honor the original estimate. I don't have that kind of money and still owe almost $14,000 on the car.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. The contact also stated that excessive effort was needed to stop the vehicle with the ABS warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure,…
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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. The contact also stated that excessive effort was needed to stop the vehicle with the ABS warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact replaced the vacuum pump; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she became aware that the trunk was damp and wet. The contact stated that after having a flat tire, she noticed mold on the rear windshield. There was half-inch of water in the trunk. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the third brak…
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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she became aware that the trunk was damp and wet. The contact stated that after having a flat tire, she noticed mold on the rear windshield. There was half-inch of water in the trunk. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the third brake light was leaking, and water was leaking into the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that the headliner and rear seat was wet. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
When I was in a car accident, the airbag exploded. However, the airbag's balloon-like fabric material did not deploy, and a metal part even flew off the steering wheel and exploded, hitting me in the chin. So I lost about half of my lower jaw, most of my lower teeth, and some of my upper teeth. In the process, I underwent a t…
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When I was in a car accident, the airbag exploded. However, the airbag's balloon-like fabric material did not deploy, and a metal part even flew off the steering wheel and exploded, hitting me in the chin. So I lost about half of my lower jaw, most of my lower teeth, and some of my upper teeth. In the process, I underwent a total of three surgeries: emergency, infection, and reconstruction surgery. In the future, I may need to undergo additional implant surgery and additional reconstructive surgery as needed. There has been no formal component inspection by any agency since the accident and there were no relevant warnings or symptoms prior to the accident.
The steering assist is reduced will come on. The car randomly turns itself off and back on when at a stoplight; this has happened four times now. I worry that it will shut off and not restart creating a hazard on the road.
Official recalls
121V649000 · Seat Belts:critical Fasteners; Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
Aug 20, 2021
General 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
General 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.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
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 may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA25005 · Dtn Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Opened Oct 21, 2025 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has become aware of eight vehicle crashes in which a rupture of a Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN) air bag inflator occurred during the deployment of the driver side air bag. All eight drivers in these crashes sustained serious or fatal injuries that appear linked to the ruptures. Six of those drivers sustained fatal injuries and two sustained severe injuries. In all eight incidents, the subject inflators had been installed as replacement equipment after the vehicle was involved in a previous crash. Information gathered during NHTSA’s initial analysis of these incidents indicates that the inflators were potentially imported illegally into the United States. In conjunction with this safety investigation, NHTSA is also working with appropriate authorities to address any illegal activities associated with the importation of these inflators. As a result of the significant safety concerns relating to these inflators, as well as extensive information already obtained by ODI relating to their field ruptures, ODI is moving directly to the Engineering Analysis (EA) stage of its investigative process rather than first opening a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA has taken a variety of actions to address the risks posed by the importation of substandard or counterfeit air bag components. However, until recently, these risks appeared spread across a variety of components and manufacturers. As part of ODI’s continuous monitoring of this issue, the agency has obtained information to suggest that at least eight incidents involve ruptures of inflators manufactured by DTN. In parallel with this dedicated investigation into DTN inflators, ODI will continue to monitor reports of field incidents to evaluate risks from other substandard imported air bag components. In 2012, ODI first became aware of substandard or counterfeit air bag modules sold through online marketplaces, such as auction sites. NHTSA obtained examples of these air bag modules and conducted testing. None of the inflators equipped in these modules were manufactured by DTN. This testing revealed that the inflators consistently malfunctioned during deployments, such as by failing to deploy the air bag or expelling metal shrapnel due to a rupture. This led NHTSA to release a consumer advisory in October 2012 to alert the public and repair professionals to the potential dangers of substandard or counterfeit air bag modules. ODI also worked with major vehicle manufacturers, who released advisories and notifications concerning the use of such air bag modules. Since then, NHTSA has continuously monitored for reports of malfunctioning air bags that may be associated with substandard or counterfeit components. These monitoring efforts have been supported by the increased visibility the advisories have brought to the issue, and by several standing general orders in place as part of separate investigations into Takata and ARC inflators, which require certain manufacturers to report any alleged or suspected inflator field ruptures to NHTSA. Until 2017, ODI was not aware of any field incidents involving an abnormal deployment of an imported substandard or counterfeit air bag module. In September 2017, ODI became aware of a crash involving a model year (MY) 2009 Honda Civic where the air bag ruptured during deployment, killing the driver. After inspecting the vehicle and air bag parts, ODI determined that the air bag inflator was not original equipment and that the air bag module was likely a substandard import. Insufficient information existed to determine the manufacturer of the inflator in this incident, however, it does not appear to resemble those manufactured by DTN. On June 16, 2023, ODI received a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ #11527380) alleging that the rupture of a driver side air bag caused fatal injuries to the driver of a MY 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. ODI’s assessment of the rupture indicated that the air bag inflator was not original equipment but was instead manufactured by DTN, a Chinese company (also known as Yoshibayashi Toku theanol Automotive Safety Systems Co. Ltd.). From June 2023 to July 2024, ODI became aware of four additional ruptures involving substandard air bag modules equipped on Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. At the time, insufficient information existed for these crashes to determine who manufactured the ruptured inflators. As a result, NHTSA released a consumer advisory on July 10, 2024, alerting car buyers and owners to be aware of cheap, substandard replacement air bag inflators that can cause death or serious injury in a crash. The advisory urged consumers who own or are considering the purchase of a used vehicle to learn the vehicle’s history and ensure the vehicle has genuine air bag inflators. In March 2025, NHTSA learned about another rupture involving a suspected substandard, aftermarket inflator that was equipped in a MY 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The driver of this vehicle sustained fatal injuries that appeared related to the rupture. In August 2025, NHTSA received a similar report of a fatal air bag rupture in a MY 2019 Hyundai Sonata. Most recently, in October 2025, ODI received a report of a fatal air bag rupture in a MY 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Photographs of the air bag components in these three crashes indicated that the ruptures all involved inflators manufactured by DTN. Further investigation of the inflator fragments in three of the prior incidents confirmed that they also involved DTN inflators. Photographs of the components involved in one of the other incidents also strongly suggest that the ruptured inflator was manufactured by DTN. This opening resume exceeded space limitations and is continued in an attachment uploaded to the investigation.