Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My husband was driving and the car suddenly stopped taking gas and said reduced engine power. He got it back home as it was only a few miles but top speed was less than 10 mph. It never did run right anymore and then completely stopped a few days later. Also the key gets stuck in the car if the battery goes dead. I had to leave the key in with the window down because I was scared of getting locked out. When my husband was able to come and charge the battery some it released the key. It never had any issues like these until they suddenly started. These issues showed up in summer 2021. Codes mentioned general electrical failure, throttle control issues with pedal and tac module. High and low voltage to tac module.
This issue seems to be a common problem with the 2005 Cobalt. Please research any car complaint websites about this certain vehicle. Even though all the recalls have been taken care of, while in motion, at any time and any speed, the dash lights starts flashing and you get the message power steering on message center, tc light comes on, light that shows padlock symbol comes on, RPM needle jumps up and down, steering wheel locks up, motor surges and shakes, and you hear all types of clicking sounds below gear shifter. This is a very dangerous thing and Chevrolet/GM just cannot seem to fix this issue or even find anything wrong. The 2005 Cobalt needs to be recalled and any other year of Cobalt having this issue. I will give you below the last date this has happened, but this has went on since we got the car in 2008. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The contact stated that the transmission shift point failed and caused the vehicle to shift gears incorrectly and causes the vehicle to jerk and stall. The contact also stated that the power steering warning light illuminated and caused the steering wheel to be difficult to turn. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle speedometer failed to operate as designed while driving, providing speed readings of 40 MPH, 20 MPH, 50 MPH intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic replaced the transmission control module however, the repair failed to correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while traveling at a high rate of speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The driver was fatally injured. A police report was filed of the incident. The contact believed that the vehicle exhibited an unintended acceleration failure which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also indicated that the airbags did deploy upon impact. The manufacturer was not notified of the incident. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 1,800. Updated 04/14/14 ma updated 04/18/14
My daughter was accelerating to enter the on-ramp on the interstate. The gas pedal stuck when she accelerated and she was unable to slow her car down. She was forced to maneuver through traffic and had to exit at the next ramp because she could not get around vehicles on the interstate. She stepped on the brakes and tried to tap the gas pedal lightly to see if it would come unstuck. At some point while exiting the highway the gas pedal came unstuck, and thankfully she managed to stop her vehicle safely without an accident. She is concerned that this problem May occur again and she May not be so lucky the next time.
1) months prior to the accident at high way speed (65 to 75 MPH) after several hour (from 1 to 4) with the cruise control engaged, when disengaging the cruise control, the car would vibrate violently. GM claims they can not duplicate the problem. 2) brakes failed - applied brakes in traffic, pedal was soft and then went hard like the power brakes was not working, but the car did not slow down, causing the impact in the rear of a pick-up truck. 3) according to the air bag report the car was traveling over 30 MPH, but the air bags did not deploy on the frontal crash.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving the vehicle and making a u-turn the drivers side door would open, when it was locked. The contact also indicated that on multiple occasions while attempting to exit the vehicle the driver side door would not unlock. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. . Updated 07/01/14 ma the consumer stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she crashed into a garage. The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 07/23/14
GM replaced ignition parts and shifter mechanism as per recall. Shortly after issues began with steering locking up, transmission not shifting and various warning lights flashing. This became more frequent and is now impossible to drive. My technician says it is a body or transmission control module costing well over a thousand dollars. There appear to be 100s of 1000s of the same issue as per search engines. I will contact my local GM dealership. If GM will not back up its product it will be the last GM in my driveway. I will trade in on a Toyota.
While driving in town shortly after turning onto a 45 MPH road my vehicle, automatic, started hesitating while shifting into the next gear. It would shift but not like normal. Brought it into a repair shop to have a diagnostic ran to be informed it is a failure to communicate with TCM. Code u0101 and also u2100. After doing research there has been multiple complaints about this. So first things first replaced the TCM with a new one at the dealership. After replacement the vehicle is still not shifting correctly.
The power steering on my vehicle cuts off and the speedometer remains rested at 0 when driving. The doors also lock and unlock on their own while driving. The car does not automatically shift while driving making it hard to accelerate and the vehicle will also decelerate on its own while driving it is very dangerous and very scary to drive with these problems. The dealership claims that the problem with steering has already been fixed but I am still having these problems.
Acceleration complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2% of the model year's 1,649 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.