I have two separate incidents regarding the vacuum pump on my 2017 Chevy Malibu. About two years ago, I was driving on the freeway, my brakes locked up, Car was dying, turns out my vacuum pump had exploded internally, causing metal pieces to go into my engine, it was in my oil as well. I had to replace the vacuum pump, and because it broke, it threw off the timing on my camshaft. I had a mechanic look at it and he had to tap the camshaft back into timing. Today, October 2026, I was on my way home from work, and my brakes were locking up and grinding. I had to use a lot of pressure for the brakes to even work. The break is very hard. Again, another vacuum pump failure. I’m hoping this time it does not lead to another camshaft issue as that is an expensive repair.
Chevrolet Malibu grinding brakes problems
234 of the 19,367 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Malibu describe grinding or squealing brakes, most of them for the 1998 model year.
- owner complaints
- 234
- worst model year
- 1998
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,200
- typical mileage
- 62,706
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 18Check engine light 14Steering noise 10Power steering loss 10Brake failure 9Won't start 8Jerking 8Knocking 8
Trouble codes mentioned
P0556 2P2097 1P0689 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was a failure near the fuse box. Additionally, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle while the brake pedal was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated prior to the failure. The ECM and PCM were diagnosed, and DTC: P0689 was retrieved. The vehicle was undrivable. An appointment was scheduled; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired due to the cost of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who checked the spark plugs, cylinders, and fuses; however, the vehicle still failed to start. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure; however, the contact was placed on hold. The contact disconnected the call because no one returned to the call. The failure mileage was 123,334.
I was unaware that when I purchased this vehicle that when the oil is low, the breaks go out and the break power booster shatters. The beaks have gone out on me 2x already and thankfully I’ve only had to replace the break power booster only once. Now once the oil is changed the breaks go back to normal, there is no grinding of any sort heard, so now going forward I pay real close attention to my engine, I listen and pay attention to the feeling and sound of the breaks, once the oil begins to become low knowing it’s time for an oil change around 40% is when I start to feel a bit of the difference in the breaks and I can feel a little bit of grinding, no oil light has come on at this time nor has the oil light or any type of signal has ever come on at anytime to let me know that it was time for an oil change. I’ve checked for recalls, I’ve checked message boards, mechanics have no clue about this problem, but at least my mechanic does now!
Gradual battery charge loss, check engine light (MIL) illumination, and engine stall or failure to start. Burning/melting odor. Warning Lights: "Service Charging System" or battery light on dash. Electrical Failure: Vehicle stalled, won't start, has a dead battery. Noise/Smell: Burning odor, smoke from the trunk, or rattling/squealing noises. Specific Eco Model Issues: The 2013 Eco model (eAssist) has a known recall for a failing Generator Control Module but for some reason doesn't include my Vin number in the recall even tho I've experienced these same issues.
Transmission failed to engage gear properly after backing up. Grinding sounds heard when vehicle was in drive. Problem has been confirmed and inspected by Chevrolet dealership. Vehicle is available for inspection. Occupants safety was at risk because gears could have locked up during commute causing vehicle to be undriveable, leaving driver and passengers stranded. Blind spot feature is unavailable randomly, which can cause a possible side swipe crash. When radio is playing suddenly switches to bluetooth randomly.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal made an abnormal grinding sound and became stiff. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband replaced the brake sensor; however, the failure recurred several days later. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V272000 (Electronic Stability Control). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
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.
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.
The contact rented a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The rental agency was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact returned the vehicle on the next business day, and the failure was reported. The failure mileage was approximately 38,706. The VIN was unavailable.
The electrical power steering every time it’s driven so often, car is used for school yes the vehicle was inspected by several mechanics the vehicle was like this when i brought it in september of 2022 i was told by chevrolet that my vin is not accepted in the recall which i don’t understand how if it’s the same car and same issue that the recall entails, i replaced the rack and pinion but it didn’t fix the eps sometimes when turning the car on the steering wheel is locked as in it cannot be moved/turned either way and other times it’s extremely hard to turn. the steering wheel will become extremely hard to turn at random times while driving at any speed and while stalled. when it locks while stalled a grinding noise can be heard
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 18V576000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.
Recall number 14V247000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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. 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.
Recall number 14V240000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ABS controller. Owner notification began on june 16, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438.
Recall number 04V190000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Malibu grinding brakes
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have grinding or squealing brakes problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1998 (35 complaints), 1999 (30 complaints) and 2000 (29 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix grinding or squealing brakes on the Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 14 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Malibu?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history