2016-2020 Chevrolet Malibu Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2016-2020 Chevrolet Malibu the front brakes almost always wear out first. The front axle does most of the stopping, so front pads and rotors usually need replacing before the rears, and many owners do two front brake jobs for every rear job. The rear brakes still wear, and on Malibus with the Electric Parking Brake the rear job has one extra step you need to know about before you pick up a wrench.

How the Malibu Brake System Is Laid Out

GM's own technician training material for the 2016 redesign lists this generation as four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and brake pre-fill, using a Bosch ABS 9.0 system. There are no rear drums on this car. Both axles use a single-piston cast iron caliper riding on FNC-treated Duralife rotors, but the front and rear rotors are not the same part:

The vented front rotor is there because the front brakes absorb more heat. The rear rotor is solid and smaller because it does less work. That difference in job is the whole reason the two ends wear at different rates.

The Malibu also came with two different parking brake designs in this generation. The owner's manuals describe a foot-operated manual parking brake pedal on some vehicles and an Electric Parking Brake (EPB) switch on the console on others. Rear pads, rotors and calipers are sold in versions for each, so you have to know which one your car has before ordering rear parts. If you have a parking brake pedal by your left foot, you have the manual system; if you have a switch on the center console, you have the EPB.

Why the Front Brakes Wear First

When you brake, the car's weight shifts forward and loads the front tires. The brake system is proportioned to take advantage of that, so the front pads do the majority of the stopping on every stop. That means front pads shed material faster and front rotors see more heat cycles. On a front-drive family sedan like the Malibu, heavy stop-and-go city driving makes the gap even wider.

The rear brakes are not idle, though. The ABS and stability systems apply individual brakes to control the car, and GM lists traction control that works partly through brake intervention. The EPB also applies the rear brakes, and the owner's manual notes that the vehicle may automatically apply the EPB while parked to check that the system works. Rear pads on this car can wear, rust or stick, so do not assume they are fine just because the fronts were the ones that squealed.

Because every car is driven differently, there is no fixed mileage at which either end is due. Measure, do not guess. The GM maintenance schedule calls for a brake system inspection with every tire rotation, which it lists every 7,500 miles, and the manual says to inspect brake pads for wear when tires are rotated. That is the right time to measure pad thickness on all four corners.

Symptoms and How to Tell Which End Needs Work

• High-pitched squeal while driving: The manual states the disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when the pads are worn. It can come and go, or be heard all the time while moving, and may stop when you press the pedal firmly. Pull the wheels and look at both axles; it is usually the front.
• Pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel: Steering wheel shake under braking points to the front rotors. A pulse felt mostly in the seat or pedal with a steady wheel can come from the rear. GM also notes that properly torqued wheel nuts help prevent brake pulsation, so uneven lug nut torque from a previous tire shop visit is a real cause.
• Grinding: Metal-on-metal means the pads are gone and the backing plate is cutting the rotor. Replace pads and rotors on that axle.
• Brake fluid level dropping: The manual explains that the reservoir level falls for only two reasons: normal pad wear or a leak. A slow drop over tens of thousands of miles is pad wear. A sudden drop means a leak that needs fixing.
• Parking brake warnings: On EPB cars, a flashing red parking brake light or an amber parking brake warning light means the EPB did not apply or release correctly. The manual says not to drive with the red light flashing.
• Dragging rear brake: A hot rear wheel, burning smell or drop in fuel economy after a rear brake job often means the parking brake is not fully released or a caliper slide is binding. GM warns that driving with the parking brake on can overheat the brakes and cause premature wear.

What to Replace, and What to Replace With It

GM's rule is simple: brake pads should be replaced as complete sets. Do both sides of an axle together, never one wheel.

Front brake job

Most front jobs on a Malibu of this age are pads and rotors together. By the time the wear indicators squeal, the rotors have usually been through enough heat cycles that resurfacing leaves them thin, and a new rotor costs little more than machining. A matched kit takes the guesswork out: our 2016-2020 Chevrolet Malibu front brake kit by Power Stop pairs front rotors with pads sized for this car. You can also browse brake pads, ceramic brake pads for low dust and quiet daily driving, and brake rotors separately.

Rear brake job

Rear pads and the solid rear rotors are replaced the same way, but confirm the parking brake type first. Parts listed for the manual parking brake and parts listed for the Electric Parking Brake are not interchangeable in every case, especially calipers.

Parts worth doing at the same time

• Hardware: New abutment clips and slide pin boots keep new pads from sticking or rattling. See brake hardware kits.
• Calipers: Replace a caliper if the piston boot is torn, the piston will not retract, or it leaks. Do them in pairs per axle. See brake calipers.
• Brake hoses: Cracked or swollen rubber hoses cause a soft pedal and uneven pull. See brake hoses.
• Brake fluid: The Malibu uses GM approved DOT 3 brake fluid, and the maintenance schedule says to replace it every five years because fluid absorbs water over time. If your car is at or past that point, flush it during the brake job.

How Hard Is the Job?

A front pad and rotor job on this Malibu is a solid driveway project for someone with basic tools, jack stands and a torque wrench. The caliper and bracket come off with common metric sockets and wrenches. Clean the hub face so the new rotor sits flat, apply thread locker where the service information calls for it, and torque every caliper and bracket bolt to the value in the factory service manual.

The rear is similar on a manual parking brake car. On an EPB car, the parking brake motor holds the rear caliper piston, so it has to be put into service mode with a scan tool or the procedure in the factory service information before the piston can be retracted. Forcing the piston back against the EPB mechanism can damage the caliper. If you do not have a way to cycle the EPB into service mode, the rear job on an EPB car is one to leave to a shop.

After either job:

1. Pump the brake pedal until it is firm before moving the car. The pistons need to be pushed back out against the new pads.
2. Check the fluid level. GM advises adding or removing fluid only when work is done on the hydraulic system, which is now. Do not overfill.
3. Torque the wheel nuts in sequence. The owner's manual lists 100 lb ft (140 N-m) for this Malibu.
4. Bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops from medium speed, letting the brakes cool between runs, before any hard braking.

One more thing to check if your ABS, stability and brake warning lights are on together: NHTSA recall 16V-272 covered a small number of 2016 Malibus built March 7-12, 2016, whose electronic brake control module could fail and disable ABS and stability control. GM's report notes the service brakes still work normally in that case, but the lights mean the car needs diagnosis, not just pads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the front brakes always wear out before the rear on a Malibu?

Usually, yes. The front axle does most of the braking and uses larger vented rotors for that reason. It is still possible for rear pads to wear faster if a caliper slide sticks or the parking brake drags, so inspect all four corners at every tire rotation.

Does the 2016-2020 Malibu have rear drum brakes?

No. GM lists this generation as four-wheel disc brakes, with a solid 11.3 inch rear rotor and single-piston rear caliper.

How do I know if my Malibu has an Electric Parking Brake?

Look at the center console. A switch you lift to apply and push down to release is the Electric Parking Brake. A pedal by your left foot is the manual parking brake. Order rear parts to match.

Should I replace pads and rotors together?

On a car this age it is usually the better choice. New pads bed in properly on a fresh flat rotor, and it removes the most common cause of pulsation after a pad-only job. Always replace pads as a complete set on the axle.

What brake fluid does the Malibu use and when should it be changed?

GM specifies GM approved DOT 3 brake fluid from a clean, sealed container, and the maintenance schedule calls for replacing it every five years.

Is the squeal from new brakes a problem?

Not always. GM notes some driving conditions or climates cause a brief squeal on first or light application that does not mean anything is wrong. A steady high-pitched squeal while driving is the wear indicator and does mean the pads are due.

Sources

1. GM 2016 Chevrolet Malibu New Model Features (NHTSA) - four-wheel disc brakes, Bosch ABS 9.0, front 11.8 in vented and rear 11.3 in solid rotors, single-piston calipers, traction control via brake intervention
2. 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual (Chevrolet) - pad wear indicators, pads replaced as complete sets, DOT 3 fluid, fluid level causes, EPB operation and warnings, 7,500 mile brake inspection, five-year fluid replacement, 100 lb ft wheel nut torque
3. 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - manual parking brake pedal versus optional Electric Parking Brake, DOT 3 fluid
4. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 16V-272 - 2016 Malibu EBCM recall, production dates, warning lights, service brakes unaffected
5. 1A Auto: How to Replace Rear Brakes 2016-2025 Chevrolet Malibu - rear brake tools, and rear parts sold separately for manual and electric parking brake versions