Chevrolet Malibu Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 1,315 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Chevrolet Malibu across 24 model years. The 1998 model year has the most (347). The words owners use most often: “brake pads” (12% of reports).
- 1,315service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 63mention a crash
- 33mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $880typical repair cost reported by owners
- 42%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 pads: mentioned in 163 of 1,315 complaints (12%)
- Applying brakes: mentioned in 103 of 1,315 complaints (8%)
- Front rotors: mentioned in 81 of 1,315 complaints (6%)
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 Chevrolet Malibu at $880, and half of them between $520 and $1,250.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2005), 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 339 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,315 complaints, 63 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 33 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 (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Model years: 2018
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through May 2, 2014, and equipped with a 2.5L engine with the auto stop/start option. The affected vehicles may experience a complete loss of brake vacuum assist, disabling the hydraulic boost assist. As such, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: If the hydraulic boost assist is disabled, slowing or stopping the vehicle will require additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance. Both of these effects increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic brake control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Lacrosse vehicles manufactured January 29, 2014, through March 31, 2014 and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured February 7, 2014, through March 31, 2014, and equipped with 17 inch front brake rotors. The affected vehicles may have had brake rotors intended for the rear of the car accidentally installed on the front. The rear rotors, while the same diameter, are thinner and may result in a front brake pad detaching from the caliper.
Risk: If a brake pad detaches from caliper, there may be a sudden reduction in braking, lengthening the distance required to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake rotors, and install the correct rotors with new brake pads, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14128.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Model years: 2004
Problem: Some of these passenger vehicles have an electronic control unit (ecu) that may calculate a higher than actual vehicle speed because of an erratic rear-wheel speed sensor signal, and cause abs activation where it is not needed or needed abs activation to be extended during braking as the vehicle speed drops to about 3 mph.
Risk: Unexpected abs activiation could increase stopping distance up to about 11 feet dpending on the grade of the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the abs controller. Owner notification began on june 16, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond and seized, causing the contact to engage the parking brake. The contact was able to pull over while awaiting tow truck assistance. The vehicle was towed to a…
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate and attempting to exit the ramp at 40-45 MPH, the brakes failed. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number…
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the brake was inoperable, and the contact was unable to properly stop the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the freeway and depressing the brake pedal to slow down, the brake pedal was difficult to depress, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. During the failure, the check engine and traction…
The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the brake pedal became inoperable. There was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal failed to function properly while attempting to stop the vehicle. Additionally…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Malibus have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,315 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the Chevrolet Malibu. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Malibu service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $880 (half paid between $520 and $1,250), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “brake pads”, in 163 of 1,315 complaints, followed by “applying brakes” (103).
Other Chevrolet Malibu problems
- Steering problems (5,556)
- Electrical System problems (4,721)
- Engine problems (2,167)
- Exterior Lighting problems (1,924)
- Power Train problems (1,666)
- Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems (1,236)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,181)
- Service Brakes problems (1,102)
See all Chevrolet Malibu problems.