1, break vacuum pump. I have the defective unit available 2. My safety, my passengers and all other drivers were put at high risk 3. Defective vacuum pump verified my independent mechanic 4. Inspected by mechanic. Have not had anyone else inspect. 5. No warning of complete break failure
2017 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
397 reports with mileage · 305 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 253 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 139 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes complaints
67 reports1) brake system failed , yes it’s available for inspection 2) the brakes became very hard not being able to push down to use brakes , had to go to the right into ditch to avoid many vehicles that were ahead of me , this was very scary for my family and I , I’ve had nightmares since . 3) brake booster has been confirmed by the …
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1) brake system failed , yes it’s available for inspection 2) the brakes became very hard not being able to push down to use brakes , had to go to the right into ditch to avoid many vehicles that were ahead of me , this was very scary for my family and I , I’ve had nightmares since . 3) brake booster has been confirmed by the dealership as the problem 4)inspected at the hm dealership 5) There was no warning lights before incident happen
Engine reduced while on the highway.
Shift to park warning continues to come on daily when I go to put my car in park. I have to fidget with the shifter to get the computer to recognize that my car is in park and the car will then shut off. Recently I was stopped at a red light, tried to accelerate at the green light and my car completely shut off, while I was stil…
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Shift to park warning continues to come on daily when I go to put my car in park. I have to fidget with the shifter to get the computer to recognize that my car is in park and the car will then shut off. Recently I was stopped at a red light, tried to accelerate at the green light and my car completely shut off, while I was still in drive. I could not accelerate and had to place my car in park. Then my stabilitrak sensor came on, along with a notice that my battery saver was on. I had to call a police offer to help me off the road. The car was then able to turn on and I drove it home but this is not safe.
Brake failure, turning into my parents driveway I had to swerve to miss a truck and drove in the yard because of it. It has been diagnosed a faulty brake vacuum pump that caused this failure. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic of Friday and hope that this issue didn't cause further problems with the engine/camshaft. From …
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Brake failure, turning into my parents driveway I had to swerve to miss a truck and drove in the yard because of it. It has been diagnosed a faulty brake vacuum pump that caused this failure. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic of Friday and hope that this issue didn't cause further problems with the engine/camshaft. From doing research it seems that many other people have experienced the same issue with the same year vehicle (2017 Chevrolet Malibu). I have also in the past had to get my car fixed by a GM mechanic for the issue of the car giving the "reduced power mode" and basically shutting off while driving down the street. That has now been fixed but was also an issue GM was aware of but I never received a letter or anything about the issue or that there was a recall on it.
When parking car we place the shifter in park, and psh the button to turn off car it states to “Put shifter in Park” after wiggling the shifter that is clearly in park the car will shut off. Also the breaks will pulsate at slower speeds like the ABS is kicking in, but is not the case. Along with the pulsating there are loud thu…
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When parking car we place the shifter in park, and psh the button to turn off car it states to “Put shifter in Park” after wiggling the shifter that is clearly in park the car will shut off. Also the breaks will pulsate at slower speeds like the ABS is kicking in, but is not the case. Along with the pulsating there are loud thumping noises. Car today when driving did same thing the said “reducing engine power” almost made it home then completely died on me in middle of road. Was told it could be because of bad vacuum pump, brake booster sensor, and brake booster by my mechanic. He said in newer cars this would prevent the car from starting.
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 “parking assist off” came on dashboard earlier that morning but nothing seemed to be wrong with the car. Thank God I w…
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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 “parking assist off” came on dashboard earlier that morning but nothing seemed to be wrong with the car. Thank God I wasn’t going faster I could have died!
While driving on 12/28/2022, my brakes suddenly became very difficult to apply pressure- almost causing a cramp in my calf because I had to press down so hard. Took the car to a repair shop, only for them to tell me my brake pads are fine. It turns out the problem is with the vacuum pump associated with that part of the car. Loo…
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While driving on 12/28/2022, my brakes suddenly became very difficult to apply pressure- almost causing a cramp in my calf because I had to press down so hard. Took the car to a repair shop, only for them to tell me my brake pads are fine. It turns out the problem is with the vacuum pump associated with that part of the car. Looked online to see if this was a common problem and as it turns out, there's a class action lawsuit in litigation about this very issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while pulling into a gas station the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that she was informed to top off the fuel and the vehicle was able to restart and drive with no further issues. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to resta…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while pulling into a gas station the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that she was informed to top off the fuel and the vehicle was able to restart and drive with no further issues. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart several hours later. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic test or repair. The contact stated that recently while driving approximately 20 MPH, the brakes locked up as the brake pedal was depressed and an abnormal noise was heard. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped as the brake pedal traveled to the floor. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic that diagnosed the failure as a defective brake vacuum pump that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.
My vehicle has become harder to bake almost to the point that the brake doesn’t 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
Official recalls
421V649000 · Seat Belts:critical Fasteners; Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
Aug 20, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Seat Belts:critical Fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
18V400000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Jun 14, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
18V358000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
May 31, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 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 18188.
16V870000 · Air Bags:side/window
Dec 2, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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