2020 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical Problems

The shifter will not read when the vehicle has been placed in park.

Th e brakes are not working at all. We have to go slow then the brakes are hard to press. Th I s makes it keep driving anc brake pedal doesn't stop it.

A liAdjustmentght came on my dashboard. State power engine reduce period then it stalls when I press my foot down on the accelerator not giving it any power to go period then when I try to break it actually pushes my foot back off and it's hard to break period and when I press the start button to turn the engine on. It turns right back off after about.Maybe four or five seconds and no I just had to have a towed to my home. The special Coverage adjustment code in 182188250 is what my vehicle would apply to, but that code only covers the 2016 and 2018 models. What can I do now? Because it is under that code. But the dealerships won't cover it because they're saying my model is not but twenty twenty I need help please. I have 132k miles. Good condition. Why wouldn't letter models be covered under the same act?What would make it stop if it's doing the same thing?It did for those twenty sixteen and twenty eighteen models

Shift to park

Will not shift into park with out hitting the shifting lever

Shift to park

After pressing the button to turn the vehicle off the message board displays a "shift to park" alert. The vehicle will not completely turn off until you clear the message. I do not know how to clear the message so the vehicle will completely turn off and to keep this from happening again. It requires me to turn the vehicle off, restart it, put it in drive, stop, put it in park, then turn it off. Simply turning the vehicle off and back on does not clear the message. It takes me at least 3 tries to get the vehicle to finally turn off normally without the "shift to park" message. This does not happen every single time when I turn the vehicle off and at no particular frequency. It is very annoying because it happens when you least expect it. When you are on a time schedule you do not have 5-10 minutes to re-start and turn off the vehicle again numerous times to get the message to disappear. It is also not good for the engine and transmission components to keep having to go through this process. This issue has been occuring for approximately 1 year. I thought it was fixed because the message stopped coming up for awhile but the issue is occurring again at no particular frequency. Please check into this and issue a recall. From what I can see, I am not the only one having this issue.

I was driving in the interstate at about 4pm on May 16th and the check engine light came on. Thus is nothing new because since I bought the car on Feb. 14th, 2024 the check engine light is on about 75% of the time. I went to use my brakes and the pedal was hard as a rock. I had to use both feet to depress the pedal to get the car to slow down. I brought the car to Autozone and they did a scan and it showed the Power Brake Booster Vacuum Sensor needed replacement. I ordered it and had a friend who is a mechanic replace it and the problem still persisted. My friend thought it was the Power Brake Booster Vacuum Pump. I ordered it and he replaced it and the brakes are back to normal. My research regarding this has found that his is a VERY common issue with this vehicle which has lead to costly repairs for many people and has resulted in a class action lawsuit. This is a SERIOUS safety issue! When a person can’t hardly press their brakes when driving that endangers the lives of the driver, the occupants of the car and every other person on the road. Why do we have to wait for people to be killed before this is fixed?

My car is in Park. But the dash board is flashing Shift to park. I need to turn it off and on multiple times until it finally stops. I can not lock my car if this is happening and I can’t just let it go because it will drain my battery.

Malibu displays “shift to park” message because of a known issue with the electronic shifter. The shifter fails to detect when the vehicle is properly in park, requiring adjustments until the system recognizes the correct gear position. Informed by dealer to just move gear shift back and forth until message clears then can turn off vehicle. This can take up to 10-15 minutes. Also advised to keep emergency break on or vehicle could roll away!!! Apparently this is a known issue per the mechanic. Said the electronic shifter may or may not resolve this and if it doesn't resolve the problem can also affect the transmission.

“shift to park” message appears after car has already been shifted to park. Will not allow car to be turned off as the car thinks it’s still not in park. Known issue with earlier models of the malibu that warranted a recall of models 2019 and before. Seems like this is a continued issue in the 2020 model

Shift to park detected when I have gear in park

The problems listed in my vehicle are the following • U0073: Control Module Communication Bus A Off • U0100: Lost Communication With Engine Control Module • U0121: Lost Communication with Electronic Brake Control Module • U0140: Lost Communication With Body Control Module • P0700: Transmission Control Module Requested MIL Illumination I believe this is due to a bad design in the wiring. Also the electric brake vacuum broke which is a common problem.

Yes my car has just started to displaying a shift to park message on the message center when you shift the car into park. I know there are recalls on 2016-2019 Malibu and now it’s doing it on my 2020. Come on Chevy

So far it is only once in a while when I shift into park and turn off the engine the ‘Shift to Park’ message will be displayed in the dash. Sometimes I can jiggle the shift lever a little to make it go out, other times I have to start/stop engine , shift out and into park several times to make it go out. I don’t want to leave the vehicle without making sure it’s in park. I read in another complaint that the doors won’t lock, and that it goes into accessory mode and could drain the battery down if left that way, but I did not check if that happens on my vehicle. It just started doing this a few weeks ago. I have not contacted the dealership yet, but I understand that GM has put out a recall on the Malibu and other models concerning this issue. I am hoping it will cover my VIN. number soon. Thank you for taking time to read my complaint.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while attempting to shift into park(P), the gear shifter failed to function as intended. The message to shift into park(P) was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred; however, the failure was diagnosed as an electrical failure and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The TMC and MAF sensor goes out within 100,000 Mileage

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 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.

I was hearing a grinding noise when applying brakes so i had a mechanic change my brakes. He said they didnt need changing but i had him change them anyway. The noise didnt stop but we wasnt sure why it was making the noise. While driving down the highway, the break pedal became to hard to press. At that point I was in heavy traffic and had to use my emergency brake system to avoid collission with multiple vehicles. Upon taking my vehicle to the mechanic it was observed the vacuum pump had broken inside the motor. After the mechanic changed the part and cleared the broken parts out of the motor, within 6 months my breaks are acting funny again making loud noises when applying brakes. I'm terrified to drive long distances.

I was driving down the hwy and all of a sudden, my engine lost power and my brakes harden. I could not brake and nearly lost my life and my sons.

The vehicle goes to ESC mode loses power an all gauges go frantic. All warming lights come on and the brakes go stop working. Speed decreases while in motion, unable to go past 40 mph. Warning messages such as put car in park will appear while the car is in park, steering unstable , low fuel a many others . This is a hazard and I only had the vehicle for 1 year, however I reported the first issue in April 2023 to dealer of purchase an no fix at this time .

I purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu with 38,000 miles. I experienced a faulty air vacuum pump (first experience was at 45,000 miles and was replaced in August of 2021, two months after purchasing the vehicle in June of the same year), and then the replaced air vacuum pump again in February of this year (2023). This issue being brake related was unsafe. I experienced an intermittent reduced engine speed message on dashboard, with immediate reduction of speed down to 20 mph or less while driving. This made me and others unsafe. I experienced brake booster failure, among other issues stemming from all aforementioned. The car is now said by dealership to have indication of an internal engine issue and affected PCV lines dealing with a defective orifice (Kiriacopoulos, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:22-cv-10785, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan) The car remains at a dealership and has now been there for over 30 days. There was no warning lamps, messages prior to the air vacuum Pump/Brake booster issue. I got in the car to try driving, and it was hard to push the brake with foot, so for I knew something was wrong. In taking it in to service, was when it identified to be that issue. Those issues have been manufacturer inspected (dealership) and confirmed. I experienced these issues since purchasing the vehicle in June of 2021. I believe that GM knows of these issues and has put me at risk on the road, along with some other symptoms of the car failures that are also well documented, and that GM is aware of, with no recalls. These car parts/issues put me and others in further danger, the car's air vacuum pump and brake booster affecting car's ability to operate, damaging other parts (Johnson vs. GM).  Consumer rights to be protected and safe are at risk, not deserving to have faulty auto parts sold, further exacerbating issues with the car being dangerous on the road with defective brake related parts, and rendered inoperable. 

UNKNOWN- Complaint about Vehicle Turning Off While Reversing Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to bring to your attention an incident that occurred on August 9, 2023, involving my vehicle unexpectedly turning off while I was reversing. I believe this incident raises concerns regarding the safety and reliability of my vehicle, and I would appreciate your assistance in addressing this matter. On the mentioned date, as I was reversing, my vehicle suddenly shut off, leaving me with no choice but to place it in park and restart it. This unexpected shutdown created a hazardous situation and caused inconvenience. To ensure the safety of myself and others on the road, it is crucial to identify the underlying cause of this issue and take appropriate measures to prevent its recurrence. I have already taken some initial steps to investigate the problem, such as checking the battery terminals for security and corrosion. However, as a layperson, I am not equipped with the necessary expertise to accurately diagnose the problem. Therefore, I kindly request your expertise and resources to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. It is my understanding that the NHTSA plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and reliability of vehicles on the roads. I believe that by investigating incidents like mine, you contribute to the overall safety and well-being of drivers and passengers nationwide. I urge you to consider this incident as an opportunity to identify any potential defects or safety concerns that may exist within my vehicle model or its components. I would greatly appreciate it if you could guide me on the appropriate steps to take in order to initiate an investigation into this matter. If there are any specific forms or documents I need to complete, please let me know, and I will be prompt in providing the necessary information. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your guidance and support

About 3 months ago, I started experiencing the shift to park problem where my car would turn off completely and would be still and solid but the car wouldn't register being in park.

When shifting into park the display will show the car is in park but there will be an alarm informing me to put the car in park.

While driving on many occasions the last incident happened Friday April 28th 2023. My 2020 Malibu lost all communication on 231 Hwy. All dash gauges went haywire power dropped on vehicle RPM was accelerated but vehicle speed would not change engine light and traction light came on. I then had to pull over brakes made a loud thud noise when stopping. Turned vehicle off sat for about 15 minutes and restarted my vehicle engine light was still on but I was about four miles from home turned my hazard flashers on and made it home. When the car loses power it gives me NO warning at all it just happens. I've taken it to both Chevy dealers in my area Mr. [XXX] at Gilland GMC Ozark, Al explained to me that yes he saw the codes where car lost power and because they couldn't pinpoint the problem GMC had to be called and he was told that GMC has a team of engineers working on the Loss of Control problem but at this time they don't know anything. I'm risking my life on every day driving this vehicle in which I do have an extended warranty on but they can't fix what they can't find but yet KNOW for Fact that there is a problem. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

My 2020 Malibu was placed taken to Chevy dealership before with same issues in October 2022, now today 3/22/23, while driving car lost power while driving on freeway. Completely shut down with same warning stating Service battery charging system, once I place car in park it started up and had the battery saver active warning with voltage of 9.2 My car only has 38098 miles. In October it only had 35k. They did replace a fuse on the battery and stated everything was good but I’m confused what keeps making it cut off when it’s brand new car. I don’t understand how this car is even safe if everyone states the same thing. Wishing I kept my other reliable car instead of putting up with this.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she noticed that water had intruded into the vehicle. The contact then stated that water had leaked from the inner lining of the roof and entered through the rear center brake taillight. The contact stated that the vehicle was saturated with water. As a result, the check engine warning light, parking brake light, and alarm system warning lights intermittently illuminated and started to malfunction. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

My car would completely shut off in the middle of traffics and restart right away. The lights would completely restart, the driver panel, the radio screen, and ESC service light would come on interchangeably with the service engine light. When I would park my car overnight then start it up, the engine won’t start. Then the batter saver mode gets turned on, I’d wait 10 minutes then turn on the car and it works.

I was at a stop light ready to take off while driving for lyft with a passenger in back and the car just quit running as i took off when light turned green no warning whatsoever no dash lights no brakes no steering i had to wait til car stopped rolling so i put car in park then i couldnt put in neutral to push car out of traffic lane. so while i was trying to call a friend for help about 5 minutes passed and i tried the ignition i had a reading on dash that said batterry saver on so i waited and tried again after 5 minutes and car started with battery saver on not knowing how that really works i called nearest chevy dealer about issue they said it was out of warranty for them to look at so i drove to autozone a local parts store to get car checked out for car not starting and the guy found battery was good and charging system ok so there was no code or nothing after getting it looked at to this date of report i had no issues so far but im worried and hoping it wont happen while im driving on highway and get rear ended if it quits running on me again i heard and read about a sotware issue on chevy malibu so im puzzled and afraid to drive this car that i bought new on january of 2021

Shift to park error

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with the Auto START/STOP safety feature. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the engine failed to start up while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and normal vehicle operation returned. The contact called the dealer and dropped off the vehicle to be inspected. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 21,647.

*First incident: Unknown. Could have been stranded. Not confirmed by dealership. First appeared on 5-20-21. I started car. After car started, the cars body started to shake all over with a hard vibration. Car was inspected vaguely by dealership and I was told nothing could be found. No lights came on, no warning.*Second incident: unknown. First appeared 5-22-21. After car started, the cars idle felt shaky a little. Also the acceleration slowed down on its own to where I could not speed up and I had to pull over or I could have been hit by multiple cars. Crash safety issue and stranded! Not confirmed by dealership. Going to be inspected again on 5-24-2021. There were no warnings or lights!

Unknown. Started vehicle and warmed it up for one minute. After that the vehicle shook and vibrated then completely stalled. It Is available for inspection. Safety wasn't the greatest cause I thought the vehicle completely died and would not be able to be driven. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealership. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership. There were not any warning lamps or symptoms. This is the first time the car died.

MY CAR HAD ONLY 600 MILES AND IS BRAND NEW. AFTER SITTING ON THE DRIVE OVERNIGHT THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THERE WAS A LOT OF CLICKING NOISES, BUT THE ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN. THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE ERROR CODES ON THE BATTERY, AND THAT THEY RECHARGED IT. TODAY, THE CAR CLICKS AND WON'T TURN OVER AGAIN. THE CAR NOW HAS 1000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT CARS DRIVING BY THEIR LOT AT NIGHT WILL CAUSE RANDOM PARKED NEW VEHICLES WITH NO KEY IN IT TO FLASH LIGHTS, AND USE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS RANDOMLY AND IT KILLS THE BATTERIES. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN. I PARK THE CAR REGULARLY IN PUBLIC LOTS AT THE AIRPORT. I CAN'T HAVE MY CAR BATTERY DEAD ALL THE TIME SIMPLY BECAUSE IT DECIDES TO TURN ON AS OTHER CARS DRIVE BY.