What 191 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the RPM was unexpectedly elevated while driving, and the vehicle was hesitating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the throttle body needed to be cleaned. While driving approximately 35-40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered with white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The contact stated that the engine warning light was flashing with the reduced power message displayed. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: PIP5812. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who associated the failure with the turbocharger. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11715468

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 ODI 11715330

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 15 MPH, and the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle crashed into a building before coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact shifted the transmission to park (P) and turned off the vehicle. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely firm and unable to depress. The vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and medical attention was not received. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the vacuum brake booster and camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646026