{"id":"2020_chevrolet_malibu","make":"Chevrolet","make_slug":"chevrolet","model":"Malibu","model_slug":"malibu","year":2020,"url":"/chevrolet/malibu/2020/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":41492,"model":"Malibu","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (variable gear ratios)","cyl":4,"displ":1.5,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":true,"city":29,"hwy":36,"comb":32,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Midsize Cars","co2":298,"fe_score":7,"ghg_score":7,"fuel_cost":1950,"save_spend":1500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"GMX","modified":"Wed Nov 27 00:00:00 EST 2019"},{"id":41425,"model":"Malibu","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic 9-spd","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":22,"hwy":32,"comb":26,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Premium","vclass":"Midsize Cars","co2":344,"fe_score":5,"ghg_score":5,"fuel_cost":3000,"save_spend":-3750,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"GMX","modified":"Wed Nov 27 00:00:00 EST 2019"}],"vclass":"Midsize Cars","segment":"Midsize car","recalls":[{"campaign":"21V649000","component":"SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS","mfr":"General Motors, LLC","reported":"2021-08-20","owner_notified":"2021-09-17","units":402,"summary":"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.","consequence":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"N212333380","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":1,"critical_count":0,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":92,"grade":"A","complaints":{"count":196,"crash":10,"fire":0,"injured":7,"deaths":1,"comps":[["Engine",59],["Power Train",58],["Electrical System",57],["Unspecified",44],["Service Brakes",42],["Vehicle Speed Control",18]],"by_year":{"2020":5,"2021":17,"2022":23,"2023":36,"2024":40,"2025":46,"2026":29},"excerpts":[["2022-04-01","Engine","Vehicle lost power after trying to go around a truck on the highway. Car will decline in power and traction light and engine light blinks for a period of 60 minutes some times longer. While in traffic you can not press the gas to go, leaving your car to decline in speed on the highway. Please recall the 2020 Malibu bef\u2026"],["2022-03-16","Power Train","I need my pistons and rings replaced. My car only has 57,000 miles. My car has been diagnosed with excessive piston blowby from 2 different independent service centers. Both times I have been to Chevy to get it fixed under warranty, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve charged me $200 for diagnostics each time and told me it is my PCV valve that\u2026"],["2022-03-13","Engine","Engine loses power while driving. This happened the first time on 8/24/2. I was on the NJ Parkway in highspeed traffic . The vehicle would not drive over 25 miles an hour putting all occupants in the car at risk. The dealership repaired the vehicle The same loss of engine power re-occurred on 3/12/22 while driving at o\u2026"]]},"investigations":[{"action":"EA25005","component":"AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE","opened":"2025-10-21","closed":"","campaign":"","subject":"DTN Air Bag Inflator Rupture","summary":"The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has become aware of eight vehicle crashes in which a rupture of a Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN) air bag inflator occurred during the deployment of the driver side air bag. All eight drivers in these crashes sustained serious or fatal injuries that appear linked to the ruptures. Six of those drivers sustained fatal injuries and two sustained severe injuries. In all eight incidents, the subject inflators had been installed as replacement equipment after the vehicle was involved in a previous crash. Information gathered during NHTSA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s initial analysis of these incidents indicates that the inflators were potentially "}],"ncap":[{"desc":"4 DR FWD","overall":4,"frontal":5,"side":4,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.103,"seats":5,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":32,"ncap":4,"complaints":196},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}