1998 Chevrolet Malibu Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 347 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 58,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake rotors” (10% of reports).
- 347service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 58,000median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 44%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake rotors: mentioned in 35 of 347 complaints (10%)
- Applying brakes: mentioned in 35 of 347 complaints (10%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu at $1,150, and half of them between $910 and $1,750.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2002), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 347 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 29,901 |
| 2020 Malibu | 6 | 3% | 95,774 |
| 2019 Malibu | 4 | 2% | 74,076 |
| 2018 Malibu | 10 | 1% | 93,500 |
| 2017 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 90,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 6 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 4 | 1% | 85,049 |
| 2013 Malibu | 2 | 0% | 80,450 |
| 2012 Malibu | 8 | 1% | 32,350 |
| 2011 Malibu | 6 | 1% | 51,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 15 | 1% | 54,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 9 | 1% | 26,236 |
| 2008 Malibu | 24 | 2% | 37,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 14 | 1% | 33,000 |
| 2006 Malibu | 16 | 1% | 49,250 |
| 2005 Malibu | 26 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 28 | 2% | 16,500 |
| 2003 Malibu | 45 | 8% | 15,330 |
| 2002 Malibu | 41 | 7% | 29,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 78 | 11% | 34,567 |
| 2000 Malibu | 228 | 25% | 33,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 292 | 37% | 41,348 |
| 1998 Malibu | 347 | 36% | 58,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 100 | 23% | 72,489 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
1998 chevrolet malibu. Consumer writes to express discontent with local dealership. *tgw the consumer stated the brake was spongy, the abs light illuminated and the ac worked erratically, depending on the blower speed and would sometimes quit blowing cold air and would start to blow warm air. The…
I bought a certified used car from bill heard in plant city before they closed down,from day 1 i had a problem with the car ignition not starting and the anti theft,i have been left stranded several time s cause of this problem,i have taken it back to them twice and they kept telling me there is…
I purchased my malibu in 2000 as a used vehicle. It had 24,000 miles on it. I have repeatedly had to replace the front brakes on this vehicle. I have had the rotors turn and replaced the rotors about 5 times. There is definitely a problem with the breaking system. I understand that brakes need to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Chevrolet Malibus have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 347 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu (36% of the 976 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 58,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,150 (half paid between $910 and $1,750), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “brake rotors”, in 35 of 347 complaints, followed by “applying brakes” (35).
Other 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Malibu years.