Chevrolet Malibu Hissing noise when brake pedal is depressed Inspection at your home or office.

Our certified mobile mechanics come to you 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(1,469)

How A Diagnostic Works

Instantly book a certified mobile mechanic to come to you

Mechanic diagnoses the problem and quotes necessary repairs

Your vehicle is ready to go

Fair, upfront & transparent pricing for all services

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to you now.

Customer Ratings

(1,469)

Hissing noise when brake pedal is depressed Inspection Service

How much does a Hissing noise when brake pedal is depressed Inspection cost?

On average, the cost for a Chevrolet Malibu Hissing noise when brake pedal is depressed Inspection is $95 with $0 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1982 Chevrolet MalibuV6-3.8LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
2010 Chevrolet MalibuL4-2.4LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1981 Chevrolet MalibuV8-4.4LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1967 Chevrolet MalibuV8-5.3LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
1981 Chevrolet MalibuV8-5.7LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.02 - $112.55
2010 Chevrolet MalibuL4-2.4L HybridService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1979 Chevrolet MalibuV8-4.4LService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$109.87 - $117.28
2009 Chevrolet MalibuL4-2.4L HybridService typeHissing noise when brake pedal is depressed InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$110.24 - $117.94
Show example Chevrolet Malibu Hissing noise when brake pedal is depressed Inspection prices

Brakes are the most important safety components on your vehicle. Despite that importance, it’s easy to take them for granted, at least until your car begins to do strange things. Ordinarily, pressing your brake pedal should result in only the car slowing down or stopping. If you hear a hissing noise when the brake pedal is depressed, it may mean there’s something that needs to be repaired in the system.

How this system works:

On many cars, the master cylinder works in tandem with a brake booster. The brake booster is mounted to the firewall, generally in front of the steering wheel position, and the master cylinder attaches to it. The entire point of the brake booster is to make it easier to press the brake pedal and slow or stop the car.

Your brake booster works on vacuum pressure. There’s a diaphragm inside that is responsible for maintaining pressure when you’re not pressing the pedal. However, when you do press the pedal, a push rod moves forward within the booster and into the master cylinder. The side of the diaphragm facing the cabin vents to atmospheric pressure, while vacuum is maintained on the other side.

This then equalizes with pressure on the other side of the diaphragm, providing the boost needed to make pressing your brake pedal easier. The hissing noise you hear when the brake pedal is depressed could be nothing more than ordinary operation, or it could be a sign of a deeper problem. There are a couple of different potential issues here, some more severe than others.

Common reasons for this to happen:

  • Leaking Vacuum Line: Your brake booster is supplied with vacuum from the engine via a vacuum hose. It’s usually located near the firewall. If this hose has a leak, it can be heard within the cabin.

  • Leaking Brake Booster Diaphragm: The diaphragm that’s responsible for maintaining pressure within the brake booster can fail, particularly if the master cylinder is leaking fluid into the booster. When this happens, you’ll hear a hissing sound when depressing the brake pedal, but the pedal itself will be much, much harder.

  • Damaged or Missing Foam Silence: Most cars equipped with brake boosters also have a foam silencer that’s designed to help prevent you from hearing that hissing sound. If the silencer has degraded or been damaged, you’ll hear the hissing sound.

  • Failing Master Cylinder: If you hear a hissing sound and suspect that the problem is the diaphragm in the booster, the actual cause is likely the master cylinder beginning to fail. Signs that the master cylinder is leaking into the brake booster include low fluid in the reservoir with no visible leaks.

What to expect:

A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office to inspect your brake system, including the brake pedal operation, the brake booster and listen to the hissing sound. The mechanic will then provide a detailed inspection report that includes the scope and cost of the necessary repairs.

How it's done:

The mechanic will need to crank the car in order to verify the hissing sound, and a test drive may be necessary to duplicate the complaint. Additionally, the mechanic will inspect the brake pedal operation, the condition of the brake booster, the master cylinder, the level of fluid in your system and more.

How important is this service?

Power brakes are wonderful things, making it far easier to work a brake pedal that would otherwise require significant force to activate. While the hissing sound may be a sign of nothing more dangerous than a failed piece of foam, it could be a symptom of something much more worrisome – a damaged brake booster and a failing master cylinder. You cannot afford to take chances with your brake system. One of our professional mechanics can inspect the entire system and determine if there’s cause for concern, and what needs to be done if there is a problem.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Chevrolet mechanics

Real customer reviews from Chevrolet owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(1,469)

Rating Summary
1,373
50
13
10
23
1,373
50
13
10
23

Jose

15 years of experience
213 reviews
Jose
15 years of experience
Chevrolet Malibu L4-2.4L - Oil Change - Buford, Georgia
On time and quick. He did a great job

Travis

13 years of experience
579 reviews
Travis
13 years of experience
Chevrolet Malibu L4-2.4L - Wheel Hub Assembly Replacement (Driver Side Rear) - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Great as always.

Jerome

24 years of experience
415 reviews
Jerome
24 years of experience
Chevrolet Malibu L4-2.4L - Oxygen Sensor Replacement (Rear/Lower/Downstream) - Randallstown, Maryland
Best thing I’ve done ima while

Simon

30 years of experience
19 reviews
Simon
30 years of experience
Chevrolet Malibu L4-2.5L - When I slow down and stop the car, engine shuts off - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Very nice very helpful

Excellent Rating

(1,469)

Rating Summary
1,373
50
13
10
23
1,373
50
13
10
23
Number of Chevrolet Malibu services completed
16159+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Chevrolet MECHANICS
1600+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

Rules of the Road For Massachusetts Drivers
While While you may be familiar with the driving laws in your own state and those that are based on common sense, that does not mean the rules will be the same in other states. If you are planning to...
Veteran and Military Driver Laws and Benefits in Alaska
The The state of Alaska offers a number of benefits and perks for those Americans who have either served in an Armed Forces branch in the past, or are current active military members. Disabled veteran plate registration Veterans who qualify...
How to Replace a Throttle Return Spring
Replacing a failing throttle return spring is essential to keep driving safely. It requires needle nose pliers and some hand work.

Is my ECM malfunctioning?

Unfortunately, without additional detail as to the codes showing up, there is no way to diagnose what the issues may be. The alternator may be functioning intermittently without having a dramatic impact on the charging system for example. I would...

My car stalls at idle; the battery is good, so is it the alternator?

This sounds like a potential problem with the charging system (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-will-not-hold-a-charge-inspection). The primary function of the battery is to start the vehicle. Once it is running, the alternator provides all electrical power for the vehicle. However, the battery does function...

Headlights keep turning on and off while driving

The problem you describe about the lights going off and on are usually caused by the headlight bulbs overloading the head light switch built in circuit breaker. I would recommend replacing the headlight bulbs with factory specified bulbs and then...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com