general problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

My 2016 chevy Malibu limited is experiencing electronic brake control module (ebcm) failure symptoms that match recall 39440, even though my VIN is not listed in the recall. Details of the problem: -the brakes would randomly feel like they were sticking and the car being held back -brake lights would remain on -car would float all over the road -abs and stabilitrak warning lights illuminated in the dash once. -abs and esc functions stop working, leaving only based braking available. -these failures occur intermittently but increased to everytime. -all 4 brakes are dragging, pulsing (no lights illuminated), reaching 240 degrees -confirmed by mechanic ebcm this is a safety hazard. The vehicle becomes more difficult to control in adverse conditions without abs/esc. I transport my special-needs child in this vehicle, and I am deeply concerned for our safety. Why I believe recall expansion is needed: gm has acknowledged this exact defect in recall 39440 (affecting other 2016 Malibus built during specific production dates). My vehicle is showing the same failure, and I request NHTSA investigate whether the recall population should be expanded to include additional vins.

When I was driving my car with my child in it my break tightened up and I couldn’t apply them to stop I had to let my foot off the gas and let my car slow its self down safely. When I got my car home my husband looked at it and found out that my vaccum pump had went out and part of it broke off in the engine. This is very unsafe and this needs to be investigated because people can’t know when the vacuum pump is going to go bad this issue lays on gm and chevy to make sure the parts they are using will hold up and be safe.

Stability track warning randomly appears while driving and spontaneously causes total brake failure and the brakes fail to slow or stop vehicle. It has newer brakes but it’s very dangerous to drive. Currently being sent to Chevrolet dealership.

The check engine light came on and we brought it to the shop where they said the code is for the electronic brake system modulator. It is also causing the abs to malfunction and be hypersensitive. There is a recall for the same make/model/year of vehicle, except the month before her car was manufactured. I believe this is a safety issue that needs to be looked into and that her car should also be a part of this recall. We purchased the car in mid November and the engine light showed up a couple weeks later. I contacted gm who said to contact this site to request further investigation for safety risks.

Vacuum pump failure. Brakes failed while driving the car, brakes became manual power but was able to pull over safely. There was no previous warning or error codes. Car is currently at a mr. Tire facility. The manager ran diagnostic code - "reduce engine power" error and found the cause as the vacuum pump. Due to the time of the failure, late Saturday 9/14/24, the part cannot be ordered until Monday from the local chevy dealership. The facility will not know if there is additional engine damage until the part is remove and inspected. There is known issues with vacuum pumps failing and a class action lawsuit currently in ligation.

Update to claim #11614644. Car was inspected by auto lenders in lakewood, NJ. Vacuum pump failed and cam shaft has to be replaced, was told the engine **should* be salvageable. They won't know until they start taking it apart. Was told it will take 12 hrs for each part at $180 an hr. Damage is estimated at $4500. Car is currently under an extended warranty, we are waiting to hear if the warranty will cover the damage. My son still owes $9000 on the car, we bought it 2 yrs ago. Beyond angry that chevy/gm has not recalled this car!!!.

I am having to replace the vacuum pump for the second time. Each time the pump breaks it spreads contaminants inside the camshaft compartment causing further issues. This is a common problem according to the many complaints I've seen on auto sites. This should be a recall.

Brake vacuum booster failed resulting in the brakes failing.

Brake booster vacuum pump failed and pieces broke off in the engine. . It failed in the middle of driving with my 9 year old daughter. . The brakes padel was hard and was hard to stop. . Could have caused a real bad accident even caused death if happened while driving. .

Brake booster vacuum pump failed and pieces of the pump broke off and in the engine. .

The car has a seat belt electrical problem it makes sound once in a while indicating for the driver to put their seat belt on. Also there is issues with the brake sensor. The #1 issue is the transmission accumulator pressure pipe, when it breaks all your transmission oil pours out from the bottom of the vehicle. The part is about $20 but if not installed right you will think that your transmission is dead but it's not.

The electrical chip in my ebcm has a malfunction and the brakes will grab and grind at random times. Also at the time electronic stability control will mess up increasing the risk of a crash. Other Malibu vehicles with the same year have had a recall on these parts. Mine however was not included but has the same malfunctioning part.

Vehicle engine light reported codes p050f, fe8:engine, and fe9. It was determined the brake booster vacuum pump was leaking oil and was faulty. It has been replaced and brakes better. Engine light went off. The other diagnostic by my mechanic showed the oil control intake and exhaust variable valve timing (vvt) solenoid needed to be replaced too.

I am very upset right because I purchased this chevy Malibu 2016 from vroom. It was fine at first and then things start to go downhill. For starters my tire light came on first only a week after having the car, then the shift into was appearing on the dashboard as well as the engine light. Then my husband spent almost 2000 on the brakes because the car was making this horrible sound and I almost couldn't stop the car because the pedal was stuck and would not push down. Thank god no one was hurt. Then my car just shut off twice one day at a busy intersection, it went completely dead with my children in the car. This is a ongoing issue. Now I had a diagnostic test ran on my vehicle and it was said I needed a new motor only after having the car for only a year. This car is very dangerous and I wish they would take it off the market, because it will also reduce your speed while driving out of nowhere. Chevrolet should be responsible for all problems before they are aware of these issues!.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu e2. The contact stated that while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the service brakes were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually stopped. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, however the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed brake master cylinder and the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised that the parts to repair the vehicle are no longer in production. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her dad was driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated and decelerated. The contact stated that the vehicle was speeding up and then slowing down independently. The brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to crash into a pole, however, the air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. While the mechanic was driving the vehicle, the vehicle drove as designed. However, the contact stated that while her dad was driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the wheels were extremely hot. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no open recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

I was driving on the highway started to exit the exit ramp at the top of the exit ramp. There’s a stop sign. Want to stop for it previously to this my brakes were fine then I went to press on them to come to the final stop at the stop sign and they were super hard. And.

The contact's finance owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake pedal would hardened when depressed without warning. While driving at 15 mph, the contact crashed into another vehicle due to the hardened brake pedal. The driver side air bag failed to deploy as needed; the air bag slightly popped out of place but did not deploy. A police report was filed; no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the mechanic verified that the vacuum pump needed repair. In addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would independently downshift while driving at a high rate of speed as the "engine reduce speed" warning message would appear on the instrument panel. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified the failures; a case was filed with the manufacturer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

I took my car to to firestone to have the brakes checked because I had a stiff brake pedal and could only use my emergency brake to stop. They did a basic and advanced diagnostic and said that the brake booster that I have has been recalled and also other equipments on my car has been recalled and I must bring it to a dealership. I searched my VIN and nothing popped up even though months ago I was emailed a recall notice on the fuel pump system and air bags and it has never been repaired in my car even from the past owners. There have been 10 recalls from Malibu's manufactured in 2016 and my car shows every sign and indication that it is one of those few selected. My VIN should be updated or investigated for parts in my vehicle that have been recalled. The car stops when idle for two minutes or longer and shuts off the engine and air if you use the usb outlet there is a serious electrical problem which is also a safety hazard according to NHTSA guidelines.

My 2016 chevy Malibu had brake vacuum pump failure. No warnings. Brake pedal got hard and could not stop. I was returning home with my 13 yr. Old daughter from tennessee and had to get it fixed so we could get home. Mechanic said this is a common problem and that there is a class action lawsuit on this problem with these cars about having a recall. This put me out of pocket 1986. 00 dollars which is unacceptable and could have ruined my entire engine.

When pressing on break it goes straight to floor sometimes or locks up and throws service needed code and reduce power steering.

I just bought this car 2 weeks ago. Had to replace the windshield wiper pump. There are at least 10 tsbs on the vehicle I'm on disability I can't afford to fix all that. The rear hub bearing was barely making noise when I bought it. Now tire feels like it's going to fall off. I believe there's a TSB on when you put the car in park and shut it off then it's not going in to gear even though it said it's into gear so I have to get that fixed as well. Can't chevy fix thermostats just like I have to fix my mistakes in life.

My vehicle has not been inspected, but while I was driving the brake pedal became stiff, luckily my e brake was able to prevent any wrecks. I saw that the 2016 chevy Malibu has a known issue with the, "ebcm" and that would certainly cause these kinds of issues, my brake pads and rotors still have plenty of life left. Also, the driver side seat switch stopped working, according to reviews by other 2016 chevy Malibu owners, and mechanics, that's because of the design flaw in the switch, it somehow rubs itself raw until there's nothing left and it snaps, leaving the switch nothing to grab on to. So, my driver seat is stuck, all the way reclined, and all the way forward. Which, according to the manual in my Malibu says is a safety issue, because of the design of the seat, if it's reclined while driving and there is a collision, it can cause the seat to slide, which can cause serious injuries or death, I'd say that goes for both though.

The brake booster pump needed replacing because of malfunction. I was driving on fredrick douglas bridge and needed to brake. . When I tried to brake, the brake pedal was very stiff (alot of pressure) and it took awhile just to slow the vehicle down. I had to apply all my force and push the pedal all the way down to try and slow the vehicle. The break pedal continued to stay that while I had to drive very slow to get to a safe place where I can park and wait for a tow of the car. The tow truck driver experienced the same problem trying to get the car up on the tow bed. My mechanic also experienced the issue with my car. No warning light was given on the dashboard at all. I took a look online and saw there were numerous complaints about this issue and chevy has not issued a recall notice of this defect.

In November 2022 my vehicle (2016 Chevrolet Malibu) experienced a vacuum pump failure resulting in the brake system being inactive. Once the brake pedal was pressed, it remained locked and further stopping was not possible. Luckily I wads able to stop onto the shoulder, however it was on a busy highway where I was nearly unable to stop as we were merging from an exit ramp with no emergency area. Both myself and my girlfriend safety were at risk of injury had we not been able to safely pull over. After being towed to an auto repair shop the vacuum pump was replaced with no issues experience until 4/2/2023. As of April 2023 this same error occurred once again after entering a busy area. A second time I was lucky enough to have been away from traffic, however it could have resulted in personal injury or the injury of another individual had I not been able to pull off into an emergency lane. The car has since been towed to a certified Chevrolet dealership where I am awaiting an estimate on repairs. Initial review from the mechanics state damage has been done to the brake boosters as well as to the cars cam. Estimates on repairs could be as high as $5,000 or more including labor, diagnostics, and parts. Prior repairs done in November were nearly $700. 00.

-braking system failed and is available upon request. - my safety, my family’s safety, and other parties on the road were affected as well. -not confirmed by a dealer but multiple people have had this same issue and experience. -the components were inspected by police, dealerships, onstar, and collision center. -no lights or indications of brake problems.

Had car looked and I was told that the break box is defective.

I was parked idling in a parking lot for about five minutes. I went to leave pulled out of the parking lot, hit my brakes at the light and it sounded like my whole front end was going to fall off the brakes had no pressure and it sounded like it was metal on metal, I had to get home so I thought I could take the long road home that has barely any lights on it. By the time I got down the road they were back to normal and now it’s done it twice again. I also have some electrical stuff happening where my radial to shut off or not work at all. Also had a couple pistons that had to be replaced earlier and they tried to get me for failure to maintenance but I took my car in faithfully every time I needed oil and I also took it in early because I was using fully synthetic had another 2000 miles to go for me to not have any oil in my car was ridiculous. They ended up only charging me for the seals, but in the beginning it was like 3900.

After driving during the morning with no prior issue with brakes I proceeded to drive along a residential street going 15 miles per hour. When I began to press brakes while approaching a stop - the brakes began to grind horribly, I let up off the brake and pressed again, same sound (grinding as if something was going to fall out the bottom of the vehicle around the pedal). I put the car in reverse and brake again, same sound, tried going forward a bit further, same grinding sound. Car seemed to be immobile, undrivable. Called a tow immediately and towed to dealer - they kept vehicle overnight but the issue could not be duplicated while in their possession. They inspected the brakes and found nothing wrong. I picked up car but felt it was unsafe to drive so I drove only local area for the next week. The same issue occurred while leaving home about 1wk. Later. Car was not drivable - brakes were hard and grinding horribly. I towed the car a second time immediately to another gm dealer. The vehicle was kept for several days, the issue would not repeat itself @ dealership so it went undetected (they actually insisted that I needed a battery and a dead cell could cause the issue I was having and more) while this mad no sense, I went in to the dealer myself and drove the vehicle around the lot until the issue occurred again. The technician came out an said, that's horrible and unsafe I know exactly what that is, it's the brake booster and it was very dangerous to drive like that. This faulty issue could have resulted in an accident had I been on the expressway, or even worse. It took 2 tows and 2 dealers to find and confirm the issue. This issue is a dangerous hazard and - there should be a recall on the brake booster! it resulted in a costly $$ and dangerous hazard that could be avoided by having the vehicle recalled. E. G. Engine light displayed intermittenly when this issue occurred but the dealers were unable to detect the issue or any diagnostic problem.

The brake booster vacuum pump failed, twice. There wasn’t any warning messages prior to the failure. It is available for inspection. Both incidents happened on the freeway, which put mine and other drivers at risk. The first time it failed was in July 2022, then 3 months later in September after being repaired, failed again. The problem has only been confirmed by multiple mechanics. Not only did the vacuum pump fail, it’s extremely difficult to find a replacement part, new or used.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at unknown speed, she attempted to depress the brake pedal when the brakes locked and failed without warning. As a result, the contact rear ended the back of another vehicle. The contact sustained soreness and the other driver of the other vehicle sustained injured the back. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her place of residence. The contact scheduled and appointment with an independent mechanic. The dealer was not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that information will be sent but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was stiff while depressed and the vehicle made abnormal grinding noises with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with brake vacuum pump failure. The dealer replaced the brake vacuum pump. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Brake booster pump failed ( gm part # 12704586 ) causing limited braking and severe damage to internal engine components, camshafts ,timing chain have been damaged this is a ongoing problem in which I have had this pump replaced at my expense several times. The problem stems brake booster pump is lubricated using the engine's oil . Booster pump has a small screen to filter oil, this filter can easily become clogged resulting in booster to run dry and grenade into top of engine. These pieces then interfer with camshafts and timing gears other components.

The morning I started my trip. My back up camera stayed on. I stopped turned the car off and back on. It was still on. Turned it off again. This time the camera went off. I was going up the cajon pass. No warning light or anything. Was coming up to my exit. Tried to slow down to exit. Couldn't press my brakes. They were rock hard to press. Took my foot off gas. Slowed down enough to get to the shoulder of the road. Once I was able to stop. My brakes were hard to press they made a clunk noise. I noticed the check engine light was on. I could of been killed had someone been in front of me and stopped. Or I could of killed someone. This is not the first time these brakes have done this. They did it earlier this year I wasn't able to press my brakes as and when I was it made the same noise. I had it towed to dealer to be fixed. They said they fixed it. This could of killed me or someone else as I was traveling on the freeway at faster speeds than the streets.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, she depressed the brake pedal however, the brake failed to engage as needed. The contact stated that additional force was needed to stop the vehicle. While stopped, the vehicle inadvertently started rolling backwards. The contact stopped the vehicle and then turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle started the shaking and the brake pedal was soft. The brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.