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2020 Chevrolet Malibu: engine and transmission complaints
58% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 76% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Looking at a specific Malibu?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Check a VINComplaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
Cleaner alternatives
Same car, a better year
Other midsize sedans with no elevated signal
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
Three of 111 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (1)
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu
- Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
- Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
- Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
- 1 recall campaign on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
- Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.