2020 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System

Shift to park

Shift to park

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.

Will not shift into park with out hitting the shifting lever

“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

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.

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 TMC and MAF sensor goes out within 100,000 Mileage

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Shift to park error

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.