2016 Chevrolet Malibu · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 102owner reports
- 64,000median miles
- $2,500median quote
- 11involved a crash
Newest report Jun 22, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
102 of the 837 complaints on this car describe brake wear.
Narrower sheets: Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails (37 reports)
Tick what matches of 102 reports
Brake wear on other Malibu years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the booster (16 reports), the ABS module (12 reports) and the pads and rotors (6 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Malibu
Brake backing plate. Closed nov 28, 1988.
None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.
What owners paid
9 of the 102 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $700 to $4,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 29,000 and 93,000 miles, from the 59 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 15 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This service bulletin informs dealers that a new Power Brake Booster Vacuum Cap will need to be replaced when installing the revised Power Brake Booster Vacuum Pipe to correct DTCs being set due to misrouting of brake booster vacuum pipe.
This service bulletin provides information for tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system concerns.
Rear Brake Squeak Type Noise Involved Region or Country North America and N.A. Export Regions Condition Some customers may comment on a squeak type noise heard from the rear brakes when cold.
This Technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct conditions of Service Stabilitrak Message on DIC, Rear Stop Lamps Inoperative, Traction Control Light On with DTCs C0595, C0277, U0422 Set.
11 more on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu page.
What owners wrote
“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.”
Filed Sep 14, 2024
“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.”
Filed Aug 8, 2024
“Brake Booster vacuum pump failed and pieces broke off in the engine.. it failed in the middle of driving with my [XXX] 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.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Jul 26, 2024
“Brake booster vacuum pump failed and pieces of the pump broke off and in the engine..”
Filed Jul 19, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 11 of 102 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 118 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 106 reports
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 96 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 83 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 78 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 44 reports
- Water leaks into the cabin 30 reports