2020 Chevrolet Malibu Powertrain (other) Problems

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the vehicle into park, the transmission failed to shift into park after several attempts. The contact referenced TSB: 19-NA-206; as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the TSB. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with gear shifter failure. The gear shifter was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,198.

NHTSA ID

11752681

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

Mileage

50,198 mi

While attempting to enter a high-speed expressway, the transmission malfunctioned, preventing normal acceleration. The vehicle could only accelerate very slowly but managed to maintain a limited speed, creating a hazardous situation while trying to merge into fast-moving traffic. I was able to navigate the vehicle off the expressway, at which point the transmission completely failed and the vehicle died. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership service center, where technicians diagnosed a total internal failure of the CVT transmission requiring complete replacement. Mind you, the vehicle is under 6 years old and has fewer than 90,000 total miles, and this is the second time the transmission on this vehicle has suffered a total failure and required a complete replacement. Prior to this mechanical breakdown, there were no warning lights, abnormal symptoms, or performance issues indicating an impending transmission failure. The vehicle is currently available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11749433

Incident

Jun 25, 2026

Ejesitais to shift. Most of the times. Also shif to park when is o ready park.

NHTSA ID

11745075

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

Shift to park displaying when car is in park so it won't turn off and stalling out randomly with no warning or anything and being hesitant to go

NHTSA ID

11736695

Incident

May 5, 2026

Several things have been going wrong with this car. I have only had it for about 7 months. Minimal driving. Got the car with 84,000 miles and it now has 88,000 miles. About 2 months ago the check engine light came on. Got it into a shop and they said an oil change may possibly help with this. Got the oil change, cleared the code, drove it around and check engine light came back on. Brought it back to the shop and now the entire valve cover needs replaced. It’s been about 2 weeks since then haven’t had it fixed due to low funds. A couple days ago I was driving with two [XXX] olds in the car and was at a stop light. After about a minute the cars engine turned completely off lost all power including the center screen that displays your settings and radio, all lights, and the screen behind the wheel all with my foot on the break at a stop light. Due to this situation I was unable to turn my hazards on to alert the cars coming up being me at a green light absolutely panicked that we were going to get into an accident. A little while after the car turned back on, but unfortunately when trying to push down on the gas pedal nothing was happening. No revving sound and no movement of the car. Car still in drive. A police officer pulled up behind me to check if we were okay. He stayed to keep us safe until people came to push the car off to the side. During the push the wheel was almost completely locked up as well as the breaks. This is not the first time the breaks have locked up on me. Next day we got the car to a safe area to be parked. A couple days later went to try and turn the car on and immediately the car is shaking violently and making horrible noises. The car is unsafe for me to drive and unsafe for people on the road. This car is completely unable to be driven now also due to the horrible shaking. No recalls were found under my VIN, but all of these signs seem to be a problem for other people. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11718928

Incident

Feb 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the failure was more noticeable. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The RPM fluctuated before the transmission slammed into gear. The vehicle then returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbocharger had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Prior to the most recent failure, the contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle failed to function as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ID

11715330

Incident

Jan 30, 2026

Mileage

77,000 mi

This is a 2020 Malibu with only 18,000 miles on it now. We are having intermittent loss of power. Car will be moving fine when suddenly it looses power when pulling into traffic from a stop. It has also happened on the highway(right after leaving the dealer service department) when going to pass a vehicle…all of a sudden power drops and rpms go up and car slows up. When it suddenly happens, pulling into traffic is very slow. The only way to get power back is to turn off traction control via a button. It is back at the dealer now. They have had it the last two weeks. They fixed a shift to park issue but cannot duplicate the loss of power. So they are saying it is ready to pick up. Once, recently, a check engine light come on along with a message saying something like low power mode. We went straight to the dealer with the vehicle. They had the car for three five out of six weeks and were able to duplicate the loss of power once. We wanted them to contact Chevy to help resolve this, but we are unsure if they actually did. These problems first were serviced in April of 2024. This car is very scary to be in, the way this happens and when it is happening.

NHTSA ID

11706146

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

My vehicle displays a "shift to park" message on the dashboard, even when the gear selector is in the park position. This prevents the car from being shut off, and in sometimes, the doors may not be able to be locked. Not understanding the issue initially has thus caused me to have to replace my car battery numerous times for battery drainage.

NHTSA ID

11701454

Incident

Oct 6, 2022

Problems with my transmission for over two years, I’ve searched the website and have taken it to a dealership since. The vehicle has had a hard shift and problems to accelerate. The issue continues to get worse and my car has stopped while in drive, only allowing me to go backwards. It was within warranty and low miles. I was told that that’s what new cars do. Transmission fluid has always been full and topped off. In order to know what is wrong I am told I would have to pull my transmission and was suggested to replace it because it would be an easier fix. The steering also pulls. I’ve contacted the dealership and was told to contact Chevy for recall and since it was not in their data they could do nothing for me.

NHTSA ID

11701372

Incident

Jun 10, 2022

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal properly. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who discovered metal debris inside the transmission and advised the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

NHTSA ID

11700027

Incident

Nov 3, 2025

Mileage

106,000 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting from drive(D) to park(P) the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact had shifted to park (P). The contact repeatedly shifted from neutral(N) to park(P) before the warning light turned off. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. Additionally, if the contact had not reset the "Shift to Park" issue, the electrical system and the audible chime were still active even though the vehicle was turned off. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11692330

Incident

Sep 19, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

Transmission is snatching in drive and reverse. the car has 32,200 miles on it. it was purchased brand new. Need for front struts and rear shocks. Customer is 79 years old and don't understand why warranty want cover any of this.

NHTSA ID

11691634

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle decelerated and failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact was able to drive to the destination and turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment Number: N182188250; however, the model year was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.

NHTSA ID

11678214

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

Mileage

131,000 mi

Put the car in drive and it sounded like a bomb went off and the car jerked very hard. Every light on the dash came on. The car did not want to go…when shutting off the car it says it is NOT in park and it is.

NHTSA ID

11676255

Incident

Jul 25, 2025

My car is displaying a "Shift to Park" message on the dashboard even when the shifter is already in the park position, preventing the vehicle from being turned off and potentially leading to a dead battery or the vehicle rolling away. The "Shift to Park" issue poses safety risks, as it can prevent drivers from turning off their vehicles and potentially lead to unintended movement. This issue is getting worse everyday.

NHTSA ID

11670615

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

P1101 AIR FLOW SYSTEM! I replacement almost every things ,but still have the p1101 code Park to Shift!

NHTSA ID

11668551

Incident

Apr 30, 2024

Car is not recognizing that is in park and displays a "shift to park message". Chevy has yet to address this WELL known issue and expects consumers to pay $700-$1000 for something they should be required to fix. This is a major safety issue

NHTSA ID

11667903

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

When putting my car in park and turning the car off I get a shift to park message.

NHTSA ID

11664982

Incident

Jun 4, 2025

When putting the vehicle into park, the vehicle says it is still not into park even though we shift it into park. The vehicle will roll down a grade.

NHTSA ID

11653386

Incident

Apr 7, 2025

Park switch in gear shift is faulty

NHTSA ID

11652506

Incident

Oct 14, 2024

I had a constant message when turning off the car to shift to park. When the car was off, it would say shift to park on my screen. Apparently there is a recall for this, but my VIN number was not included in the recall. I had Several instances where I had been driving and my brakes locked up, and it caused my car to stall out. I would have to turn my car off and back on and sometimes it would work and that message would go away to shift to park. I eventually had to get a new transmission on a four-year-old car.

NHTSA ID

11648844

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

When the car was turned off a message appeared that said shift the park the gear indicator already stated the car was in park and the car gear shift was already in park. Looked into this issue and apparently there is an open recall for the year and make of my car but it for some reason does not include my vin number

NHTSA ID

11648208

Incident

Mar 13, 2025

"Shift to park" error message and "engine power is reduced" error message

NHTSA ID

11644621

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the shift-to-park warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted the gear shifter until the warning light turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission shifter assembly. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 31,803.

NHTSA ID

11634421

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

Mileage

31,803 mi

Trouble going into forward gears. hard shifts into reverse. Hard idle, had transmission valve body replaced in october. Same issues before and after replacement

NHTSA ID

11630078

Incident

Dec 11, 2024