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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 2
Average Mileage:
78,824 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Chevrolet Malibu brakes problems

brakes problem

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2009 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 4 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #81

Jul 092016

Malibu 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 179,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While operating the vehicle, the traction control, brake, and ESC sensor lights illuminated. Also, the brake lights would illuminate even though the brake pedal was not depressed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, service brakes). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 179,000. Updated 10/04/16

- East Alton, IL, USA

problem #80

Jul 012014

Malibu

  • miles
The break lights turn on without the pedal being press down while the car moving. Also while the car in not moving and the engine running. Also another problem that I have is that tire monitor light come on all the time without the tire needing air.

- Bakersfield, CA, USA

problem #79

Nov 242014

Malibu

  • 95,000 miles
The brake lights began turning on by themselves, and when I would step on the brake pedal they would shut off. The recall was performed in late 2014, but then the issue began again in may, 2016. The dealership ran the diagnostic tests and replaced the brake pedal position sensor, which I was charged for, but that didn't take care of the problem. Now they decided that they need to replace the brake control module, again, at my expense. There is an ongoing issue with the brake's electrical system, which is a quality control issue at GM. This is a safety issue for everyone involved. The brake lights will come on anytime, whether it's idling in my driveway or being driven down the road.

- Owosso, MI, USA

problem #78

May 252016

Malibu

  • 980,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Brake lights go on while driving. Then turn off when you hit the brakes to stop or slow down. ESC come on while this is happening. Dealer states they fixed the recall but it is still happening. Now after warranty they say its the ABS module

- Rocky Point, NY, USA

problem #77

May 192016

Malibu

  • 250,000 miles
Recall fix failure - the recall fix was applied by the dealership for the 'brake lights may or may not randomly illuminate' issue, NHTSA action 13005, however it is only temporary. After a few months the identical symptoms occur at the same frequency. No new symptoms are present and no previous symptoms are absent. These include; brake lights illuminating with no pressure on the brake pedal, brake lights turning off when pressure is applied to brake pedal (including holding the brakes at a stop), cruise control failing to activate, traction control turning off, ESC turning off, and vehicle gearing down (as low as 3rd gear at 60 mph before intervention) to assist by engine braking. Most symptoms occur at standstill as well as city and highway speeds. The dealership's stance is that, once a recall is applied, the ticket is closed and is the vehicle owner's responsibility to cover the cost of further fixes.

- Bristol, VA, USA

problem #76

Apr 152016

Malibu

  • 59,000 miles
This is the Malibu hybrid with dynamic braking. This has happened twice: Going up a hill, the engine seems to lose power, but I believe it is working against the brakes which are being applied and released rapidly. It starts bucking slightly then severely. When I reach the top, I put it in neutral and start coasting and the bucking stops. When I apply the brake to pull over and stop, it starts bucking like it did going up the hill. I get the car stopped, put it in park, turn the engine on, put it in reverse, back up a little, put it in drive, go forward a little, and pull out in traffic and continued about 100 miles to get home. Drove into a Chevrolet dealership and a very experienced hybrid tech said "never seen this before." He ran the scanner and nothing showed up. It happens so infrequently that I doubt the technician will ever incur the problem if he were to rive the car, this is serious... only my skillful handling of the incident got me off the road and out of the way although traffic was blowing by me. My guess is a problem in the dynamic braking (e.g when you take your foot off the gas, the "eco" light comes on and the generator on the braking system charges the 24 volt battery.

- Charlottesville, VA, USA

problem #75

Apr 072016

Malibu

  • 38,068 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In December of 2014, a Chevrolet dealer performed repairs to address NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (I had not experienced any problems related to this issue at the time). Recently I have been experiencing the symptoms related to this recall, including the "service ESC" and "service traction" messages, the brake pedal requiring extra pressure to get the vehicle out of park, and the disabling of cruise control. I have not had the opportunity to check if the brake lights also exhibit the problem described in the recall. The problem has triggered while I'm braking, as well as when I was at highway speed with the cruise control engaged, without applying the brakes.

- Amherst, NY, USA

problem #74

Dec 212015

Malibu

  • 52,000 miles
While driving my car the traction control light flashes and the service ESC light flashes in the dash of my car. My brake light remain on at all time, when I mash the brakes no brake light comes on. The brake light is doing the opposite of what it is supposed to be doing. This occured months after I had recall work done (at a certified GM dealer) under GM recall number 13036 and NHTSA campaign number 14V252000.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #73

Nov 012015

Malibu

  • 47,000 miles
The brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features. This occurs after we have had the work done that was for GM recall number 13036/NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 multiple times.

- Wauconda, IL, USA

problem #72

Oct 202015

Malibu

  • 82,997 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at any speed, the brake light illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. In addition, the instrument panel lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic stability control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in a NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,997.

- Mountplesant, TN, USA

problem #71

Aug 152014

Malibu

  • 118,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at approximately 35 mph, the rear brake lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the brake lights remained illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

- Westland, MI, USA

problem #70

Sep 212015

Malibu

  • 119,500 miles
When driving my vehicle the brake lights are currently illuminating without me pressing the brake pedal and not illuminating when I do press the brake pedal (brake light reversal). In addition my electronic stability control (ESC) and cruise control turn off. I previously reported this problem to the Agency under NHTSA id number 10548365. I had the recall work performed in the summer of 2014. In addition I previously had the brake pedal position sensor replaced prior to that, but it did not fix the problem. The problem has reappeared even though the suggested fix was applied. Please note that this problem was originally reported in rhinelander, wi.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #69

Sep 102015

Malibu

  • 127,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake lights constantly remained illuminated. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The contact mentioned that the brake light briefly deactivated when the brake pedal was depressed and illuminated afterwards. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake switch, the brake assembly light, and the multifunction switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

- Purcellville, VA, USA

problem #68

Jul 062015

Malibu

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the warning lights illuminated for the electronic stability control and the service stability traction control. The cruise control also failed to work. When the brake pedal was depressed, the lights did not illuminate and would remain illuminated when the contact was not applying the brakes. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control), manufacturer recall numbers: 103668 (exterior lighting brake lights) and 103664 (service brakes hydraulic and switches). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

- Rayland, OH, USA

problem #67

Jul 012012

Malibu

  • 53,920 miles
Driving car and the brake light came on. Then the check brake fluid warning came on. Then the service ESC came on. Took it to dealer on Monday morning they say the master cylinder and brake booster are both faulty and need to be replaced at a cost of $1056. I just purchased this car from cox Chevrolet on May 2 2015. This seems to be a much to common a problem for the car at only 53000 miles. Has to be a slow leak that was already a problem at the time of purchase. So far no satisfaction with cost of repair from dealership.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #66

Jun 152015

Malibu

  • 100,064 miles
There have been multiple repairs done on this car because of recalls and potential recall items. I still owe $7,000 on this vehicle! I feel like the manufacturer owes me money as well as the dealership who fixed the recalled items and the items that are not yet in recall that need to be repaired are going to cause a complete accident if this is not handled promptly. I have two small children and organize volunteer work in my area and do not have the money to fix it. I feel like this is entitled to me and I should not have to have a faulty car when I am also paying on it. I can offer more details when you contact me.

- Mayodan, NC, USA

problem #65

Jan 012014

Malibu

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the anti lock brake system and the electronic stability control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the BCM wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The contact stated that after the repairs, it was discovered that the brake lights failed to illuminate when the brake pedal was depressed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #64

Feb 272014

Malibu

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. Upon depressing the brake pedal, the RPM meter fluctuated independently. Also, the brake warning lamps on the rear of the vehicle flashed intermittently without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Burton, AL, USA

problem #63

Feb 042014

Malibu

  • 55,500 miles
Emergency brake failed when releasing the brake. Loud noise was heard and then have no emergency brake. Took to the dealer and they told that it was owner fault, rear brake pad were under their specification and that created too much stress to the cable, snapping it. GM should revise their engineering design for this safety device. Emergency brakes should be available even if pads are low. Definitively it is and manufacturing (design) defect. It could be a fatal accident if main brakes fail and need to use the emergency brake and then cable snap leaving you without a proper braking device to stop your vehicle. GM still behind that it was customer fault and will not fix this manufacturing defect.

- Rincon, GA, USA

problem #62

Dec 022014

Malibu

  • miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Scottsville, NY, USA

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