2020 Chevrolet Malibu: What to check before buying

A false "Shift to Park" message is the dominant complaint. The shifter sits in Park, yet the car beeps, refuses to fully shut off, and in some reports keeps the electrical system awake, draining the battery or stopping the doors from locking. Reports run from about 20000 to 113,000 miles, and several owners paid for a shifter assembly after warranty claims were denied. A smaller group describes sudden power loss, hard shifts, and transmissions failing with metal debris in the fluid near 106,000 miles.

The stuck "Shift to Park" warning shows up here too. Owners wiggle the shifter for minutes before the car will turn off, and some are told to set the parking brake as a precaution. The more dangerous reports involve a failing brake vacuum pump that leaves the pedal rock hard, often alongside a reduced engine power message that drops speed to 20 mph or less. Others describe battery charging warnings, low voltage, and the car shutting down on the freeway.

Brake vacuum pump failure dominates this category. The pedal turns rock hard or goes to the floor, sometimes at highway speed, and drivers resort to the parking brake or swerve off the road. This category includes 3 crashes and 3 injuries. Failures appear from about 40,000 to 85,193 miles, sometimes with code P0556 or a check engine light. In several cases the pump breaks apart, damages the camshaft, and sends metal into the engine, with repair quotes of $10,000 to $12,000. Some owners have replaced the pump more than once.

Sudden loss of power at highway speed is the main pattern, often while passing a truck. The car shows reduced engine power, lights the check engine and traction lamps, and may not exceed 25 mph. Some problems begin within the first few thousand miles. Dealers often cannot find a cause, and repairs including a throttle body, cylinder work, and injectors do not always stop the problem. Other reports describe stalling, a mass air flow code, and vacuum pump failures that broke the camshaft.

Power steering assist cuts out, usually together with Service ESC, check engine, and other warning lights. In many reports the car slows sharply or shuts off while moving, leaving a heavy wheel at highway speed. Some describe gauges going dead or jumping, and the car braking hard on its own after losing communication with the brake control module. Dealers often cannot duplicate the fault, and repeat visits bring new codes without a lasting fix.

The car loses power with little or no warning and won't respond to the gas pedal, in some cases crawling at 5 mph in traffic. A Service ESC or flashing check engine light often comes on, and power may return after about 30 seconds. One pattern starts near 19,500 miles under hard acceleration and then spreads to steady cruising. One report describes the opposite: the dash going blank and the car accelerating on its own. Dealers rarely reproduce the problem.

All 4 complaints involve crashes, with 3 injuries. One describes air bags that did not deploy when the car hit a guardrail. Two describe the steering wheel air bag failing violently, with metal parts breaking off the wheel. One of those caused severe jaw injuries, and the other was filed on behalf of a driver who later died. A fourth owner says the car was sold without air bags. The count is small, but the outcomes are severe.

Worn front-end parts and transmission snatching make up these two filings, which show no clear design pattern. One buyer of an as-is car from a small used lot says it needed axles, a ball joint, and a lower control arm soon after purchase. The other reports struts and rear shocks needing replacement at 32,200 miles, plus a transmission that snatches in drive and reverse, none of it covered by warranty.