What 191 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

While driving, the brakes became hard and the vehicle was difficult to stop. The brake pedal required excessive force, brake assist was reduced, and the stopping distance increased, creating a serious safety hazard. The check engine light had been illuminated for approximately two years before the brake failure occurred. In January 2024, I reported brake-related concerns to a Chevrolet dealership while the vehicle was under warranty, but the root cause was not diagnosed. In November 2025, after the brake pedal became hard, an independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and determined the brake problem was caused by a failing engine vacuum pump. They advised that the vehicle be repaired by a Chevrolet dealership. By January 2026, the brake condition had worsened to the point that the vehicle was no longer safe to drive and had to be towed. A Chevrolet dealership later confirmed that the engine vacuum pump had seized and damaged the camshaft, requiring replacement of both components. The vehicle remains inoperable. The failed vacuum pump caused loss of brake assist, resulting in a hard brake pedal, reduced braking ability, and an increased risk of a crash. I believe this represents a serious safety defect because failure of the vacuum pump significantly impairs the driver’s ability to stop the vehicle safely. I understand GM has issued service information regarding vacuum pump failures on this engine, and I am submitting this complaint because I believe other drivers may experience the same dangerous brake failure.

NHTSA ODI 11748641

May 7, 2026 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Safety Defect Complaint – Brake System / Vehicle Control Concerns 2020 Chevrolet Malibu Dear NHTSA, I am submitting a safety complaint regarding persistent braking and vehicle control issues involving my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Prior to December 31, 2025, the vehicle exhibited jerking during braking, all dashboard gauges go to the left, warning lights, reduced power (20-25mph), and inconsistent braking behavior. This situation happens without warning, at any given time, even in the flow of traffic. An independent inspection indicated the brake system was in proper condition, suggesting a more complex underlying safety issue. The vehicle was taken to Reed-Lallier Chevrolet for diagnosis and remained there for approximately five months. During that time, I was not provided documentation confirming completion of a brake system diagnostic or a clear resolution path. Due to the extended delay without diagnosis, I no longer feel safe operating the vehicle. I am also concerned that prolonged inactivity without proper repair may have worsened the condition and increased risk of failure. Given the nature of the symptoms involving braking and vehicle control, I request review for potential safety-related investigation. Vehicle Information: 2020 Chevrolet Malibu VIN: Mileage:

NHTSA ODI 11736449

To Whom It May Concern, ​I am writing to formally report a critical safety defect regarding my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. This defect resulted in a life-threatening incident while I was driving on the highway, during which my vehicle failed to stop as required. ​While operating at highway speeds, the brake pedal became extremely hard to depress, making it nearly impossible to decelerate or bring the vehicle to a complete stop. This sudden loss of power assist forced me to manage an incredibly dangerous situation in high-speed traffic. Based on the symptoms, I am concerned that the brake booster vacuum pump has suffered an internal failure, a documented issue for this model year where oil sludge or debris causes the pump to seize. ​In addition to the physical resistance of the pedal, I am concerned about the reliability of the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). The failure experienced on the highway demonstrates that this vehicle is unsafe for public roads, as the force required to engage the brakes in an emergency is far beyond safe operating standards. ​I request that the NHTSA investigate this brake failure and determine if a mandatory recall is necessary to prevent similar incidents from resulting in catastrophic collisions. ​Please contact me if you require further information Thank you [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11735781

I am writing to report a serious and dangerous issue that occurred with my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu LT on April 27th 2026. While driving on the interstate after work, my vehicle suddenly experienced a failure that made it extremely unsafe to operate. The brake pedal became extremely hard to press, and the vehicle did not want to slow down or stop properly. This created a very dangerous situation while I was driving at highway speeds. Additionally, I noticed that nearly all of the engine oil was gone, which is extremely concerning and may be related to the failure. Based on these symptoms, it appears the vacuum pump may have failed while the vehicle was in motion. This issue placed me at significant risk of an accident and could have resulted in serious injury. I am requesting an immediate investigation into this matter and assistance with repairs. I would also like to know if there are any recalls, known defects, or extended warranties related to this issue. Please advise on the next steps as soon as possible, as the vehicle is currently unsafe to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11734196

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

NHTSA ODI 11726626

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the freeway and depressing the brake pedal to slow down, the brake pedal was difficult to depress, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. During the failure, the check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was slowly driven to the residence and parked. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 85,547.

NHTSA ODI 11722906

The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the brake pedal became inoperable. There was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal failed to function properly while attempting to stop the vehicle. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the contact became aware that brake fluid was leaking onto the engine. A mobile independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that the brake vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717509

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!

NHTSA ODI 11716063

December 12, 2025 I had to drive 20-30 miles an hour the car would not break I had to use parking break. When I would try to Stop it would continue to roll. The pedal was Hard! This is very dangerous and other cars have crashed There are also class action lawsuits regarding just this! Vehicle vacuum pump The Bill was $5200 I am asking for reimbursement! Vehicle vacuum pump engine light on tire sensor light on Saw there have been more cases

NHTSA ODI 11710815

Vehicle vacuum pump failed I have changed it 4 times now. Saw there have been more cases

NHTSA ODI 11707950

While driving the cars speedometer and all gages will stop working, or they will constantly move up and down on their own, it will also not accelerate to speed limit in a timely manner.. when stopping the car it will brake extremely hard on its own and throw me forward it will also give a warning message on the dash that the power steering isn’t working and to drive with caution. When parking the car and it is in park a message on the dash will appear saying shift to park.

NHTSA ODI 11693916

My car has been malfunctioning it keeps saying shift to park when it’s park and it show esc system issue and then the brakes stop working it has been going on and off took it to Lou bachrodt Chevrolet and they couldn’t fix the issue. I have done research online and it shows the same

NHTSA ODI 11692539

Shift to park. Im not able to park my car. W low miles. Chevy dealer stated not under warranty. Will cost 800+ to repair. Previous known problem (17-19). It was repaired my last malibu & was repaired under recall. Now a TSB has been issued by chevy for my 20 so they are aware. If they know it is a problem why is there not a recall? This happens often. Each time i park, I have to fight my gear shift & pray it eventually sticks. It does not seem safe. This is a new car & is unacceptable knowing the history. I can provide pictures or send estimate if needed.

NHTSA ODI 11687420

Th e brakes are not working at all. We have to go slow then the brakes are hard to press. Th I s makes it keep driving anc brake pedal doesn't stop it.

NHTSA ODI 11679673

A liAdjustmentght came on my dashboard. State power engine reduce period then it stalls when I press my foot down on the accelerator not giving it any power to go period then when I try to break it actually pushes my foot back off and it's hard to break period and when I press the start button to turn the engine on. It turns right back off after about.Maybe four or five seconds and no I just had to have a towed to my home. The special Coverage adjustment code in 182188250 is what my vehicle would apply to, but that code only covers the 2016 and 2018 models. What can I do now? Because it is under that code. But the dealerships won't cover it because they're saying my model is not but twenty twenty I need help please. I have 132k miles. Good condition. Why wouldn't letter models be covered under the same act?What would make it stop if it's doing the same thing?It did for those twenty sixteen and twenty eighteen models

NHTSA ODI 11678201

Brake pedal hardened due to vacuum pump

NHTSA ODI 11670384

I was driving in the interstate at about 4pm on May 16th and the check engine light came on. Thus is nothing new because since I bought the car on Feb. 14th, 2024 the check engine light is on about 75% of the time. I went to use my brakes and the pedal was hard as a rock. I had to use both feet to depress the pedal to get the car to slow down. I brought the car to Autozone and they did a scan and it showed the Power Brake Booster Vacuum Sensor needed replacement. I ordered it and had a friend who is a mechanic replace it and the problem still persisted. My friend thought it was the Power Brake Booster Vacuum Pump. I ordered it and he replaced it and the brakes are back to normal. My research regarding this has found that his is a VERY common issue with this vehicle which has lead to costly repairs for many people and has resulted in a class action lawsuit. This is a SERIOUS safety issue! When a person can’t hardly press their brakes when driving that endangers the lives of the driver, the occupants of the car and every other person on the road. Why do we have to wait for people to be killed before this is fixed?

NHTSA ODI 11663572

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656048

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.

NHTSA ODI 11651001

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 15 MPH, and the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle crashed into a building before coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact shifted the transmission to park (P) and turned off the vehicle. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the brake pedal was extremely firm and unable to depress. The vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and medical attention was not received. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the vacuum brake booster and camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646026

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.

NHTSA ODI 11629724

I am writing to formally report a critical safety issue with my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, which resulted in a severe accident and posed significant risks to my safety and the safety of The issue involves the brake vacuum pump, which failed while I was driving. The component is currently with the vehicle, which is stored in a parking facility, and is available for inspection upon request. The failure of the brake vacuum pump caused a sudden and complete loss of braking power while I was driving. This malfunction put my life and the lives of others at immediate risk. On the first occasion, in April, I narrowly avoided a serious collision. Four weeks later, I experienced a second instance of brake vacuum failure, which led to a severe accident. The inability to stop the vehicle safely was directly caused by this malfunction. I contacted General Motors (GM) in April 2024 to report the initial brake vacuum failure. At that time, the issue had not yet been reproduced or inspected by a dealer or service center. Following the accident, I have been unable to confirm whether GM or any other party has The vehicle and component have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives since the accident. I reported the issue to GM prior to the accident, but they have not provided any assistance or resolution. Prior to the initial brake vacuum failure in April, I did not observe any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating a potential problem. The failure occurred suddenly and without warning, making it impossible to anticipate or avoid. This situation is incredibly distressing, and I believe the brake vacuum pump defect poses a serious threat to public safety. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue thoroughly and take any necessary steps to ensure the safety of other drivers who may be at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11628427

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.

NHTSA ODI 11622197

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)

NHTSA ODI 11613481

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.

NHTSA ODI 11607742