Used 2021 Chevrolet Malibu Consumer Reviews
Used Malibu for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Malibu, so we've included reviews for other years of the Malibu since its last redesign.
Broken electrical system warning
Christian, 11/17/2021
updated 03/10/2022
2020 Chevrolet Malibu LT 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
While driving my 2020 car with 36k miles on it, my car randomly stopped in the middle of the road and would not turn back on. This was 2 months ago. After getting help at Jim Ellis Chevrolet, they "fixed" the problem. A faulty AC compressor caused my car to stop driving in traffic, with no warning or problems with my engine. They diagnosed the problem as "AC compressor clutch plate and pull completely seized. Seized compressor resulted in overheating and damaged starter". They said they replaced all the parts and fixed it. and because the car was a 2020 car and should not be breaking this soon, Ellis Chevrolet paid for it. Yesterday, November 16th 2021, my car did the exact same thing while I was driving. Stopped in the middle of traffic, while I was driving. This could have easily caused an accident. It is currently sitting at the same certified repair shop until they can guarantee my car will not randomly stop while I am driving. I write this as a warning to anybody buying a new or used Chevy Malibu, don't. Sure, when the car is working it's fine; nothing special, just ok. However, the risk of getting in a car accident presented by this car is disturbing. I refuse to drive it again until they can guarantee that the problem is fixed. If you are in the market for a new car, or a used car that is relatively new, do NOT get a Chevy Malibu. 3/9/22: The first problem I had happened 600 miles after the bumper to bumper warranty ended. The car stopped while I was driving and would not turn back on. The certified dealer said the fuse box blew too much electricity in my car and shot everything. They fixed the car. 2000 miles later, the same problem happened. The certified dealer and corporate Chevy were unable to duplicate the problem and sent me on my way after telling me to turn off the auto stop function. the 3 problem my car has is the check engine light and the fuel gage. It read that I was good on oil, but I was not. I took it to the chevy dealer, got an oil change, and they insured the oil sensor was fixed. the 4th problem I have is with the car's battery. The Battery voltage varies wildly from 9.5 to 14.5. One day the check battery light came on, and then turned off 5 mins later. A battery check at an auto zone showed that the voltage regulator in the alternator was not charging my battery correctly. I am now in the process of paying hundreds of dollars, on top of car payments and regular upkeep, to fix a 2020 car in 2022. including hundreds on just diagnostics at certified Chevy service centers. This is a 2020 car that acts like a car built in the 90's. When it works, the car is fine, some might even say great. I would strongly recommend not buying this car.
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Nightmare on wheels
SM, 11/01/2023
2020 Chevrolet Malibu L 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
Terrible car! Where should I begin? Purchased in June 2022 with 57k miles from Off lease only. Within a month, CEL(check engine light) comes on with P0420 code, which has to do with the catalytic converter not working efficiently. Mind you, I did research via google and found out that most cars either never need a new cat converter during their lifetime, or at the least, last up to at least 100k miles driven. Pretty much ignored it, since it didnt seem to affect driveability. FF another month(2 mos after purchase), I happen to glance at my dash one evening while driving home and noticed that the engine temp gauge's needle has crept past the midway point and was moving near the red. Came to a stop light and the needle moved back to the normal range and hadnt done crept back anymore the rest of my drive. I thought "hmmm thats strange" and quickly dismissed it. 2 weeks later, same thing happens while taking my kids to school. Only reason I noticed it this time is because the message center on the dash began chiming and displaying the message "engine too hot, turn off a/c to prevent further overheating". I immediately pull over to let car cool off. Go under the hood and I see the coolant reservoir has about a tablespoon of coolant in it. Luckily I was very close to an autozone, so I drive over and buy some Prestone 50/50 coolant made specifically for GM cars. I top the reservoir off right there in the parking lot and think to myself, "ok, maybe thats why it started overheating 2 weeks prior, just probably low on coolant from when I first purchased it. problem solved" Another 2 weeks go by and coolant is back down to a teaspoon level again. At this point Im thinking, I obviously have some type of leak, but didnt see any visible signs of one (nothing leaking out on the ground below or in the engine bay). It got to the point where I was buying 1 or 2 gallons of coolant every week just be sure i had coolant, because thats how often i would need to re-top the reservoir. This got worse over the next 2 months, because now I had to start re-topping it every week, which meant this mystery leak was getting worse. Eventually, more issues manifested, including intermittent stalling out from a cold start every morning if I didnt let it warm up at least 5 minutes, thick white smoke coming from the tail pipe, significant loss of acceleration/power when driving from a complete stop. Then check engine light with about 5 or 6 trouble codes that would NEVER go away. Turns out my head gasket was leaking and on the verge of completely blowing, which caused all of the aforementioned issues. Not even a year after purchase, and already having a major, costly repair that would NOT be covered by warranty! Car wouldnt start without stalling out until the engine temp was at least 145 degrees F before driving. Complete nightmare and I always dreaded having to drive it to take my kids to school, myself to work, basically anywhere. Acceleration from a complete stop got so bad, that I would hold up traffic because it accelerated so slowly, felt like it was stuck in a gear that it couldnt get out of. Constant "reduced engine power" messages. These cars suck and I DO NOT recommend getting one. Finally had enough and ended up trading it in, which left me upside down on my loan. I didnt care because I was relieved to get rid of it. Please dont every consider buying one, theyre very poorly and cheaply made and GM knows this. Thats why their warranty is now only 36k/3 years compared to the 60k/5 years it was a few years ago. Consider yourself warned!
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Trap...
Mrs.Ford, 07/30/2022
2020 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
19 of 23 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2020 chevy malibu in January 2021, it looked like my dream car..little did I know the nightmare was just beginning. It was my very first car off a dealer lot, and it has been the worst car I have ever bought.. with in the first few months the transmission went out and parts on the transmission, over 10,000$ in repairs, then radio wiring was messed up, which it still goes crazy after long drives, and today I was heading home from work on I75 and running about 80mph and the car shut down completely and dash said to restart car.. wow... so glad my kids were not with me... so now this will be the 10th time my 2020 will go into the shop, and I'm sure it won't be the last...
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Sporty, fuel-efficient & fun 2021 Malibu RS
Mark M., 05/29/2023
2021 Chevrolet Malibu RS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Back in December 2022, I decided to stop by my local Chevrolet dealership, to purchase a more affordable, more fuel-efficient vehicle. At the time, I was driving a '14 Lexus GS 350 F-Sport, and my monthly car payments were pretty high, and it felt like I lived at the gas stations, due to that thirsty V6 engine. There was a 2021 Red/black Chevy Malibu RS, with just over 18,000 miles for sale, just chillin' in their certified pre-owned car lot. I was told it was previously owned by a Chevy employee, and all the recommended services/maintenance had been done regularly to this vehicle. I took it for a test drive, and barely noticed the sound of the turbo, but absolutely loved the linear power and its quick, 0-60 speed. Needless to say, I purchased the 2021 Chevy Malibu RS(turbo) and here are some of the "pros," & "cons" of owning it: Monthly payment: my payment is lower! Fuel economy: my gas mileage is lower! Regular maintenance: very minimal! (I've only had to do one oil change + tire rotation so far) Infotainment system works well+smooth. Rear back up camera/display very clean. Absolutely love the rim package on it! Really like the unique color : red/black. (It looks different, depending on lighting) The car handles very responsively, and the turning radius is fairly decent. Cons : The interior is very basic/boring. (cloth and black plastic, everywhere...) There are a few exterior scratches on the passenger side, from previous ownership. Top-end power is lacking, due to the small 1.5 liter engine. And that's all I have to say!
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Engine and transmission issues.
MalibuWho, 08/03/2021
2020 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
Got my 2020 Black Cherry Malibu SE December 17, 2019 fresh off the showroom floor with only 6 miles on it. As of today, August 02, 2021, my check engine light has been on over 8 times, I have done all maintenance on time. Today the car locked down, I received numerous error codes on the dash(Teen Driver warning, Power Steering, Traction and many more), my brake system went out and I could barely stop to pull into a gas station. I am now waiting for a tow truck to take my car and plop it at the dealership until it can be looked at. There must be a sensor issue that isn’t being recalled because this is insane. The touchscreen doesn’t come on or they don’t react to touch most of the time either, something is up with this car.
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