2018 Chevrolet Malibu Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 24,112 miles. The words owners use most often: “vacuum pump” (31% of reports).
- 61service brakes complaints
- 24,112median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 34%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.
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 19 of 61 complaints (31%)
- Shift park: mentioned in 10 of 61 complaints (16%)
- Engine power reduced: mentioned in 6 of 61 complaints (10%)
- Brake booster: mentioned in 6 of 61 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 61 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 4 | 9% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Malibu | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2021 Malibu | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Malibu | 42 | 21% | 57,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 22 | 11% | 68,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 61 | 9% | 24,112 |
| 2017 Malibu | 68 | 10% | 56,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 94 | 11% | 54,500 |
| 2015 Malibu | 16 | 6% | 40,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 42 | 12% | 52,000 |
| 2013 Malibu | 44 | 5% | 55,640 |
| 2012 Malibu | 66 | 7% | 51,150 |
| 2011 Malibu | 38 | 4% | 75,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 184 | 13% | 73,400 |
| 2009 Malibu | 142 | 9% | 75,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 62 | 6% | 88,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 36 | 4% | 104,669 |
| 2006 Malibu | 50 | 4% | 84,000 |
| 2005 Malibu | 43 | 4% | 112,300 |
| 2004 Malibu | 30 | 3% | 100,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 14 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 11 | 2% | 82,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 6 | 1% | 125,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 8 | 1% | 170,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 4 | 1% | 155,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 4 | 0% | 80,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving in town through a stoplight when I noticed my brakes stopped working. Also when I had stopped the car still in drive and the car had shut off completely in the middle of the road and was not able to turn back on. The car would keep trying start but none were successful. My car also…
I own a 2018 Chevy Malibu. At approximately 57,000 miles, the original engine experienced a vacuum pump failure that resulted in catastrophic engine damage. The engine was replaced by General Motors under the vehicle's warranty. I then drove the vehicle for approximately another 52,000 miles with…
While coming down McClure pass in Colorado my brakes failed. The the car went to engine power reduced mode. After getting the car to an independent mechanic I was told that the vacuum pump failed and exploded the parts into the camshaft. After 2 days of repairs I was finally able to get my car back…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Chevrolet Malibus have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 61 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu (9% of the 700 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 2018 Chevrolet Malibu service brakes?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 24,112 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “vacuum pump”, in 19 of 61 complaints, followed by “shift park” (10).
Other 2018 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2018 Chevrolet Malibu problems or service brakes problems across all Malibu years.