2020 Chevrolet Malibu recalls

1 safety recall, 200 owner complaints and a 4-star NHTSA crash rating. Official NHTSA data.

1Recalls
200Complaints
10Crashes & fires reported
4/5NHTSA overall rating

Not every 2020 Chevrolet Malibu is affected by every recall. Check your VIN to see open recalls on your exact vehicle.

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2020 Chevrolet Malibu recall list

Seat Belts recall

21V-649
August 20, 2021 · General Motors, LLC
Problem
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.
Safety risk
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.

2020 Chevrolet Malibu owner complaints

200 complaints filed with NHTSA, including 10 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries and 1 death.

Problems by component

Engine60
Power Train59
Electrical System57
Unknown or Other45
Service Brakes43
Vehicle Speed Control18
Steering16
Fuel/Propulsion System14
Service Brakes, Hydraulic6
Fuel System, Gasoline4

Recent complaints

October 29, 2026Power TrainService BrakesEngine

I got the engine light ON on dashboard! I need someone to check out for me, please. Thank you

October 19, 2026Unknown or Other

The back up camera randomly fails. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to it. It will work completely fine for days sometimes weeks and the all of a sudden it will only show a black screen that states system failure. Sometimes it will remain in system failure or a day or a week, its completely random. I see that there was a recall on the cameras for the Chevy malibu not working on the 23-25 cars but I think this might be an issue that goes back further and needs to be addressed. My car only has 70k miles on it and basic functions shouldn't be failing. The 2020 rear cameras need to be added to the recall

September 8, 2026Power TrainElectrical System

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 Required: Shift to Park" appears on the driver instrument dashboard display.This exact failure previously occurred in 2022, two years after purchasing the vehicle. It was formally repaired and covered under an extended warranty policy. However, the underlying manufacturer defect has recurred, proving that the extended warranty repair did not permanently resolve the systemic design flaw.The vehicle was

September 8, 2026Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond and seized, causing the contact to engage the parking brake. The contact was able to pull over while awaiting tow truck assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that a Lexus engineer retrieved the EDR; however, there was no failure found with the braking system. The failure mileage was 120,000.

September 8, 2026Steering

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the message "Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care" was intermittently displayed on the instrument panel while driving. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel. In addition, the message "Service ESC" was displayed, and the steering failure became more frequent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was provided with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact declined the diagnostic test.

2020 Chevrolet Malibu crash test ratings

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2020 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Driver aids on the tested 2020 Chevrolet Malibu: electronic stability control standard, forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional. Rollover risk: 10.3%.

2020 Chevrolet Malibu recall FAQ

Does the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The most recent, filed August 20, 2021, concerns the seat belts.

What are the most common 2020 Chevrolet Malibu problems?

Owners have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA. The most reported area is engine (60 reports), followed by power train.

Is the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu safe?

The 2020 Chevrolet Malibu earned up to a 4-star overall safety rating in NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program crash tests.

How do I get a recall fixed on my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu?

Contact any authorized Chevrolet dealer. Recall repairs are free, even if you are not the original owner or the warranty has expired.