2020 Chevrolet Malibu · symptom sheet
Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails
- 25owner reports
- 75,000median miles
- $10,000median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Aug 23, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026
25 of the 49 reports of brake wear on the 2020 Malibu describe brake booster failure.
Part of Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (49 reports)
Tick what matches of 25 reports
Brake booster failure 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: 2014, 2015, 2019.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside brakes for reports about a hard pedal or a failed power assist. The pedal stops feeling normal: it turns stiff, takes far more force, and the car needs a longer distance to stop.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the vacuum pump (20 reports) and the brake booster (6 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2020 model year as of Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Malibu
Brake backing plate. Closed nov 28, 1988.
None of these investigations covers the 2020 model year.
What owners paid
7 of the 25 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $3,000 to $12,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 55,634 and 90,000 miles, from the 9 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“While driving the brake pedal became hard to push out of no where. Once the car got to the shop it stopped cranking. The shop is stating that the brake vacuum pump is the cause of the brake pedal messing up, and that it also caused other engine damages estimating $3000.00”
Filed Mar 24, 2026
“Vehicle vacuum pump failed I have changed it 4 times now. Saw there have been more cases”
Filed Dec 31, 2025
“The brake pedal is hard. The car does not want to stop. The brake booster is not working. The car only has 40,000 miles”
Filed Aug 26, 2021 · 40,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 25 reports involved a crash. 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
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 42 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 38 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 30 reports