Service Brakes Problems of Chevrolet Malibu - part 2

Brake vacuum booster exploded into the engine.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Very hard to brake, like stepping on a brick. Have to start breaking way in advance. Also keep getting a "shift to park" alert and car won't shut down and can't get out of it sometimes.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I repeatedly get a “reduced power to engine” alert on my dash which causes my car to decelerate and I lose my power steering. This last time, the alert popped up on my dash, my car decelerated, and then my brakes would not work. I could not push the brake down to stop my car and ended up in a ditch. My brakes are now hard and I cannot start my car because of it. I have already had the recall for this issue fixed in the past but this will be the 3rd time I have brought my vehicle in for the same problem. I had diagnostic codes ran on my car soon after the accident happened and have attached the pictures to this form.

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.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

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 manufacturer was notified of the incident. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 57,000.

I am filing a complaint regarding a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that I purchased from a dealership on November 22, 2024. The vehicle was advertised as being in “excellent condition” at the dealership’s site. During the test drive, I raised concerns about potential transmission issues, but the dealership assured me that the vehicle was “clean” and safe to drive. Unfortunately, this assurance turned out to be false, as the vehicle has since displayed significant mechanical failures, including overheating issues, that pose serious safety risks. Within a week of purchase, the vehicle broke down twice: first on November 29, while driving to work, and again on November 30, while on I-10 katy freeway. The second breakdown created a life-threatening situation as the vehicle suddenly lost power in traffic. I incurred towing costs of $125 to return the vehicle to the dealership. After an attempted repair, the vehicle was returned to me on December 5, 2024. However, it broke down again on December 8, 2024, requiring another tow. Since that time, the vehicle has remained at the dealership, yet no adequate resolution has been provided. Additionally, I have since discovered that the vehicle has persistent overheating issues that were not disclosed at the time of sale. These overheating problems pose a serious safety risk as they could result in a fire or explosion, endangering my life and the lives of others on the road. The dealership’s negligence in addressing these critical safety concerns demonstrates a disregard for consumer safety. I believe the dealership knowingly sold me a defective vehicle with significant mechanical issues that were either hidden or misrepresented. The sudden and repeated breakdowns, particularly in hazardous driving conditions, and the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating, warrant immediate attention from the NHTSA.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 20-25 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to firestone, where it was diagnosed that the rotors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that the vehicle needed to be warm for the defrost system to work. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v240000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Had a recall repaired yet it still randomly my brake lamps still don’t function correctly.

See all problems of the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

The brakes failed the vacuum pump went work while driving the car.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

While driving at night with the lights on, the rear taillights are bright all the time. When you press the brake pedal, the rear taillights go dim or completely dark. Brake lights are working opposite what they should be doing. Fixed once with local mechanic. Fixed second time at dealership with a 'technical service bulletin' and now it is having the same problem for third time.

About 8 weeks ago first my driver side speaker in the front went out then my passenger low beam light had went out and I had replaced twice then my ac quit working. I thought it was a fuse or battery or alternator issue even checked if it was it a relay fuse and it was not. Then my dash lit up esc off and then my back driver side brake has been locked up and squealing really bad than my power steering light came on and it’s really hard to turn all of this happened within three weeks and when I looked up recalls and special warranties, my car had a few so I called gm and a couple of dealerships a few times and they have been extremely rude and unhelpful because this is not a wear and tear issue or it being 10 years old. This is clearly a sensor issue that was recalled and had a special warranty for. And I just want my steering, break and heat to work and that’s all I care about but I cannot afford $3000 to fix it when the car is only worth 2000 and I highly doubt that right now. But this is a safety issue for myself and other drivers and I need my car to take my kids to school and to care for my household.

See all problems of the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

While driving the speed suddenly reduced and brakes locked up on me. I was lucky enough to be able to veer to the left and get off the busy street without crashing into anyone or anything. When I stopped the car cut off and would not start back up even with a jump. This happened to me twice before and they did a recall on the same part. I need ot fixed again. I also had to replace the battery every time including this time.

I was driving in my neighborhood I tried to park at my house and my car wouldn’t stop I had to step down on my break hard for it to finally stop my vacuum pump broke into pieces and made my timing chain break.

Tapped the my other car on the bumper . Brake pump is out.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

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.

I am writing to report a persistent issue with my chevy Malibu, specifically related to the stabilitrak system. The stabilitrak light intermittently flickers on and off while driving, which raises significant safety concerns. This malfunction has been ongoing, and despite efforts to diagnose the problem, my local auto mechanic has been unable to pinpoint the exact cause. Services performed: initial diagnostic checks were conducted to identify any fault codes related to the stabilitrak system. The mechanic found no definitive issues but noted that the warning light's behavior indicated a potential underlying problem. Each visit has led to additional uncertainty, with suggestions from the mechanic to proceed through the gm flow chart for further diagnosis. However, this approach may lead to extensive labor costs with no guaranteed resolution. Financial burden: the recommendation to follow the gm flow chart for diagnosis is concerning, as it may result in significant and unnecessary expenses without a clear outcome. As a consumer, I believe that a properly functioning diagnostic system should provide clarity on such issues without incurring exorbitant costs. The erratic behavior of the stabilitrak system poses a serious safety risk while driving. This system is critical for maintaining vehicle stability, particularly in adverse conditions, and its failure could lead to loss of control of the vehicle. I have been made aware of other drivers experiencing similar issues with their chevy Malibu vehicles. It raises the question of whether there is a known defect in the stabilitrak system that warrants a recall. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter further, as it seems that gm has not taken the necessary steps to address these concerns.

Brake pedal became hard to press down and could not stop car without having to jam down on the pedal. Per dealership the vacuum pump malfunctioned causing metal to enter engine.

The cars automatic start/stop will activate and not restart the car. This has happened at stop signs, stop lights, intersections, hard breaks, etc. There are no warning lights or system failed/malfunction warnings. This has been inspected multiple times with software updates, changing batteries, changing fuses, etc.

The July 14, 2014 recall (13036) describes the issue perfectly. Brake lights come on when gas is pressed, goes off when brake pedal is pressed (very dangerous). Airbag, motor & traction control lights come on, message center says “esc” “traction control”. We have had the car on multiple diagnostic tools saying it’s the module and the electrical isn’t communicating with the module… according to the recall, it is exactly what is happening. We bought the car recently for our new driver not knowing and after hours of research and going to mechanics it seems to be the same recall but this car/VIN is not included in the recall. My child is going to get rear ended because nothing is fixing the issue and this VIN doesn’t have any “recalls”.

See all problems of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Defective vacuum pump damaged camshaft, reduced engine power, and caused loss of brakes while driving.

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. Additionally, the dealer replaced the gear shifter, the harness, and the jumper; however, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission made an abnormal grinding sound and the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. Additionally, the brakes engaged unintendedly nearly causing the vehicle to come to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer sent a field investigator who later informed the contact's mother that the dealer had determined that the failure was related to the rims. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,901.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

On [xxx] I was driving to work and my check engine light came on. Immediately after this I was completely unable to brake. My brake pedal became so stiff and impossible to press. I very narrowly avoided an accident. I had the car towed to an auto shop where I was informed that I had a vacuum pump failure that essentially exploded and destroyed my cam shaft and shot fragments of metal into my engine in the process. I was quoted over $12,000 in repairs. After receiving this quote I began searching online to find what could have caused this to happen. I stumbled upon a class action lawsuit for this exact same thing (plaintiff [xxx] ). In addition to the suit there were 12 pages of comments from other Malibu owners who have experienced similar issues with their vacuum pump and braking system. This issue is also noted on many car repair forums, chevy owner forums, youtube repair videos etc. Please note that when I received the check engine light on 9/5 this is the first and only time I had any indication of a potential problem with my vehicle. In the year and a half that I have owned the car there has never been any issues, warnings or check engine lights. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Sent the car to fix recalls and they said it has another problem and want to charge to fix the steering recall n140772 problem. They said is not free. . . . Do not know if the other recalls were repaired.

See all problems of the 2006 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

On [xxx] around 1pm me and my mom were in a bad accident we were driving on [xxx] through columbus ohio to go down to kentucky we were at least 50 feet from the truck that was pulling a camper when all of sudden the camper had no brake lights and was not moving my mom pushed the brake all the way to the floor you could feel the car trying to stop but it wasn’t stopping we were only going 25 and should have been able to stop . But we didn’t by till we were in the camper bumper driver side airbag went off but mine in the passenger seat didn’t forcing my head to fly forward then back my seat belt locked to hard I felt I couldn’t breath and I had just had my appendix removed two days before the accident I was screaming in pain I was later on took to the hospital to make sure I was not bleeding on the inside I now sit in my bed feeling hopeless in so much pain . Since I was been laying in bed I kelly blue booked our 2011 chevy Malibu to see what I could possibly get from it but then found out there was not one but three recalls airbag, brakes, and seat belts but I was never notified I did some more digging and found out these are all new my question is why was I never notified about this we have had this car five years and I found all these recalls going all the back to 2020 and we have had it since 2021. I blame chevy for my car accident they failed to tell me something major was wrong with my brakes and airbag. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the instrument panel displayed the message “reduce engine power” with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle immediately decelerated independently. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 35 - 40 mph before decelerating again. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and waited for approximately 15 minutes before continuing to drive; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the abs, power train, and throttle sensor all had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired by the mechanic. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Faulty vacuum pump caused catastrophic engine failure. The vacuum pump exploded cracking the cam shaft sending metal shards into the engine. $12000. 00 to repair and mechanic will guarantee the work because the replacement vacuum is an only oem part. I was having braking problems prior to the vacuum pump failing. The brakes would intermittently freeze up and I couldn't get the car stop and had to use the emergency braking system to stop vehicle. Car is still at shop I can't afford the repair and I'm am still paying finance company for car. I have a disabled child and am low income. This has put hardship on me as I live in an area that does not provide public transportation. I don't know what to do.

On Thursday, [xxx] my [xxx] son was driving my chevy Malibu coming down the hill to get home when the brakes went out. He could not stop the vehicle and had to pass our neighborhood and let the vehicle slow itself down. He was able to get stopped and turned around and made it home. Saturday, [xxx] we decided maybe it needed new brakes and took it for new brakes. New brakes and rotors all the way around did not fix the problem. The brake was like hitting a brick and would not stop the vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to a repair shop and they found that the vacuum system for the brakes went out. He also noticed that cam shaft was cracked. Upon research through the internet I found that this problem is common and a class action suit has been filed against gm for the same problem. I am unsure why this is not a recall as its a safety issue and my son could have been injured or injured someone else. This has been an extremely expensive repair for us! when they went to replace the cam shaft there were several parts of the cam shaft just blown all over the engine. We still have not found all of the missing parts. This has caused most of the seals to have to be replaced as well. I do not have a repair receipt yet as the vehicle is still in the shop information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Brake vacuum booster failed resulting in the brakes failing.

Vacuum pump exploded, my breaks went out on the freeway. Metal pieces from the pump went into engine. Broke the camshaft. Now having to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to repair. I am missing out on work u til this can be fixed.

The problems listed in my vehicle are the following • u0073: control module communication bus a off • u0100: lost communication with engine control module • u0121: lost communication with electronic brake control module • u0140: lost communication with body control module • p0700: transmission control module requested mil illumination I believe this is due to a bad design in the wiring. Also the electric brake vacuum broke which is a common problem.

I rented this 2024 Chevrolet Malibu from enterprise rent a car in union city, GA. While driving the vehicle on the highway early on 7/23/2024 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.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

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. .