2017 Chevrolet Malibu · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 71owner reports
- 59,555median miles
- $1,134median quote
- 3involved a crash
Newest report Aug 15, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
71 of the 702 complaints on this car describe brake wear.
Narrower sheets: Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails (38 reports)
Tick what matches of 71 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 (7 reports) and the pads and rotors (5 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2017 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 2017 model year.
What owners paid
7 of the 71 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $700 to $4,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 40,000 and 72,365 miles, from the 27 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 12 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 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.
8 more on the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu page.
What owners wrote
“Driving down highway slowed down brake assist kicked in for no reason I was stuck in traffic not moving but maybe 2 mph brakes locked up got super hard codes read brake booster and vacuum pump. Screen went black âparking assist offâ came on dashboard earlier that morning but nothing seemed to be wrong with the car. Thank God I wasnât going faster I could have died!”
Filed Jan 19, 2023
“My vehicle has become harder to bake almost to the point that the brake doesnât work took my car to have it accessed and was told my brake booster is damaged and causing my car to barely brake it is extremely dangerous can cause harm to myself or my family”
Filed Oct 20, 2022
“Vacuum pump has stopped working properly causing it very difficult to brake. Autostop feature has stopped working properly due to this problem. This is the second time I have had issues with the vacuum pump.”
Filed Jul 25, 2022
“Component: Vacuum pump, booster which caused engine damage (cam shaft) Safety: Unable to stop which could cause a collision Confirmation: Chevrolet dealer confirmed the booster caused the vacuum pump to fail which also caused engine damage Inspection: GEICO is sending an inspector and Chevrolet also confirmed damage Warning Lights: No warning lights,”
Filed Jun 8, 2022 · 92,989 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 3 of 71 reports involved a crash and 2 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 124 reports
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 98 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 90 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 53 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 46 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 31 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 29 reports