Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 | 4 | 9% | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 | 6 | 6% | 30,000 miles |
| 2021 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2020 | 49 | 25% | 86,000 miles |
| 2019 | 27 | 14% | 71,000 miles |
| 2018 | 69 | 10% | 75,000 miles |
| 2017 | 72 | 10% | 60,000 miles |
| 2016 | 104 | 12% | 60,000 miles |
| 2015 | 16 | 6% | 40,000 miles |
| 2014 | 45 | 13% | 60,000 miles |
| 2013 | 46 | 5% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 74 | 8% | 50,000 miles |
| 2011 | 44 | 4% | 75,000 miles |
| 2010 | 199 | 15% | 72,000 miles |
| 2009 | 153 | 10% | 68,000 miles |
| 2008 | 89 | 9% | 70,000 miles |
| 2007 | 51 | 5% | 76,000 miles |
| 2006 | 70 | 6% | 75,000 miles |
| 2005 | 70 | 7% | 102,000 miles |
| 2004 | 64 | 6% | 56,000 miles |
| 2003 | 63 | 11% | 28,000 miles |
| 2002 | 55 | 10% | 33,000 miles |
| 2001 | 89 | 12% | 39,000 miles |
| 2000 | 250 | 27% | 41,000 miles |
| 1999 | 308 | 39% | 43,000 miles |
| 1998 | 376 | 39% | 61,000 miles |
| 1997 | 111 | 25% | 72,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I rented this 2024 Chevrolet Malibu from Enterprise Rent A Car in Union City, GA. While driving the vehicle on the highway early on [redacted] a vehicle came to a complete stop and in front of the vehicle directly in front of me. This action almost caused a multi-car pile-up. I immediately engaged the brakes. I was met with force and pressed down as hard as I could to stop the vehicle. The brakes on this vehicle failed to function properly. This caused me to crash into another vehicle. I have no information regarding maintenance and inspection of the vehicle at this time.
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 won't move and the brake light and ignition light comes on and it won't move when I press the gas! I almost had an 4 car pile up. Now it is stalling when I am driving on the street! See the uploads. The first time they said it was a speed sensor and the second time they said it was the wrong tire size.. My Onstar diagnostic report says failed braking system. It also says critical oil level and yet they said they performed a multi point oil inspection. Look at the uploads. Does GM want a fatal accident lawsuit? Why doesn't a dealership know how to repair my vehicle? I was told by 2 dealerships there is NO remedy for the GM back up camera. They would not fix my broken back up camera.
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 their vacuum pumps multiple times, while others have described serious safety incidents involving brake problems. I am concerned that these reports may indicate a recurring safety defect that could put drivers, passengers, and other road users at risk. A vacuum pump failure that affects brake assist could make it difficult to stop a vehicle safely and potentially cause a serious crash. I became aware of these reported safety concerns on October 13, 2026, after seeing multiple Chevrolet Malibu owners discuss these problems. …
The brake pedal on my vehicle intermittently becomes stuck in the fully raised position and will not depress when I attempt to apply the brakes. When this occurs, I am unable to slow down or stop the vehicle, creating an immediate and serious safety hazard. The problem happens without warning and has occurred multiple times while driving at various speeds. When the defect occurs, the pedal feels locked or jammed, and I have to use extreme force or pump the pedal repeatedly before it finally releases. This delay in brake response puts me, my passengers, and other drivers at risk of a crash. The issue is unpredictable and does not appear to be related to weather, temperature, or driving conditions. I have not made any modifications to the braking system. The defect has occurred both during normal city driving and while approaching intersections. …
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while his mother was driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact's mother was able to pull to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to roll to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was related to the vehicle tracker. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the RPMs dropped to zero. The traction control and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the failure could not be replicated. …
I was driving and all of a sudden all the warning lights start going off on my vehicle's dashboard and the car jerks back and forth while decelerating. This has happened twice on the highway putting me in danger of crashing or making cars around me crash. On a seperate occasion my brakes failed, causing the car to jerk abruptly in traffic, thankfully I was able to pull over. Some times the car will limit my speed to below 60mph for "safety" reasons. The same set of issues have happened to me at least six different times. Every time I take it into the dealership for repair they always charge me for something new saying they finally fixed it and yet I always keep coming back for the exact same thing. This car is not safe to drive and I've taken it to two dealerships with two very smart teams of people and none of them have been able to figure this out.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH and approaching a stop light the braking system malfunctioned when pressing the brake pedal causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of a second vehicle. The contact indicated that the vehicle did not reduce speed when pressing the brake pedal and the collision avoidance feature did not activate. A police report was taken at the scene. The police officer also confirmed no skid marks at the crash site. During the crash, the contact sustained injuries to the left arm and right shoulder that did not require medical attention. Both the driver and front seat passenger of the second vehicle sustained undisclosed injuries and were transported to the hospital. The vehicle was towed away and later deemed destroyed by the insurance company. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 15 MPH, and the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle crashed into a building before coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact shifted the transmission to park (P) and turned off the vehicle. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely firm and unable to depress. The vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and medical attention was not received. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the vacuum brake booster and camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Related recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
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.
Remedy: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc
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.
Remedy: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ABS controller. Owner notification began on June 16, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (376), 1999 (308), 2000 (250), 2010 (199) and 2009 (153) model years. Brake complaints make up 39% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Malibu brake problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 18V-576 (caliper, Aug 30, 2018); 14V-247 (vacuum, May 14, 2014); 14V-240 (disc, May 8, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Malibu brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles; 40% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › rotor (412 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (379).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.