Chevrolet Malibu Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 1,102 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the Chevrolet Malibu across 28 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (184). The words owners use most often: “stability control” (9% of reports).
- 1,102service brakes complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 91mention a crash
- 42mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%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.
- Stability control: mentioned in 97 of 1,102 complaints (9%)
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 94 of 1,102 complaints (9%)
- Service ESC: mentioned in 76 of 1,102 complaints (7%)
- Brake come: mentioned in 59 of 1,102 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes repair on the Chevrolet Malibu at $1,500, and half of them between $570 and $2,150.
Based on 14 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2026), 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 problems happen?
Based on 681 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,102 complaints, 91 mention a crash, 42 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 (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.
I am reporting a potential safety concern involving the brake vacuum pump in Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. I have seen multiple reports from owners describing vacuum pump failures, brakes becoming difficult to press, and brakes reportedly stopping working. Some owners have reported having to replace…
Brake pedal assembly on 2024 Chevrolet Malibu became loose and wobbly under normal driving conditions at 36,300 miles. Dealer refused warranty repair."
I was driving on the tollway at 75 mph when I saw stopped traffic ahead of me, and when I tried to apply the brakes, they went from soft to hard and completely stopped working; I had to swerve across lanes into the grass to avoid a massive accident and to save my life, as well as the lives of my…
See attached document for complaint.
I have brought my vehicle to Preston Hood Chevrolet on two occasions for two major issues. Failed breaking system started as when I am at a stop light the car wonât move and the brake light and ignition light comes on and it wonât move when I press the gas! I almost had an 4 car pile up. Now it…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Malibus have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,102 owner complaints about service brakes 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?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list service brakes. 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 problems on the Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $570 and $2,150), from 14 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “stability control”, in 97 of 1,102 complaints, followed by “vacuum pump” (94).
Other Chevrolet Malibu problems
- Steering problems (5,556)
- Electrical System problems (4,722)
- Engine problems (2,168)
- Exterior Lighting problems (1,924)
- Power Train problems (1,666)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,315)
- Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems (1,236)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,181)
See all Chevrolet Malibu problems.