Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accessories, trailer hitches and other equipment).
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).
On the date listed, my wife was driving at app. 40mph. At which point she ran into the rear of another vehicle that was stopped. Upon impact the seat belt failed to keep her in the driver seat. There was also no airbag deployment. Upon impact she flew upwards and forward, hitting her face on the visor. She went to the hospital where they did scans and found no bleeding on the brain, however she was injured in the face to which she still has a bump on the bridge of her nose and still gets headaches. Also, shortly after the accident she had two black eyes and a concussion. The vehicle was repaired, but there was no indication that anything was done with the airbag system or the seat belt, by the auto body shop. We contacted GM a day or two after the accident. They sent an engineer out to gather readings from the car a few weeks later. …
Notice of recall,repairs made by dealership. Crash into tree, approx. Speed 60 MPH. Three passengers, not wearing seat belts,extreme front end damage. Air bags did not deploy. Driver seriously injured. Front passenger killed. Rear passenger killed. Investigation pending..... Updated 03/14/14
I purchased a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt in August of 2005. In December of 05 the car was having a problem related to the automatic shifter and was in for service. The shifting unit was replaced, also the radio was reprogrammed for flashing an error message at the time of service. By February of 06 the shifter was again very stiff to move and was having trouble getting the key out of the ignition. The garage adjusted the shifter linkage and lubed the cable assembly, at this time I also had a concern with the operation of the headlights, changing them from low beam to high beam. The problem being that when you switch the lights they go out for a brief time. The garage ordered a new multi-control switch for the car. …
I purchased a 2005 Chevy Cobalt in August of 2005. Less then a week after purchasing the vehicle it was in the shop to be fixed. I have had problems with the steering panel (key will not come out of the ignition, button on stick shift sticks, can not turn car off without disconnecting the battery), I have had problems with the power windows and locks, I have had problems with the stereo going into "lock" mode - which in turn makes me turn the car on and then off again to get the radio to work. I looked into the lemon law and they stated since it was all electrical, they could not pin point it to being the same problem all 5 times of it being in. Well, it has done it again now in March of 2009. They are stating that me extended warranty through national warranty does not cover this therefore I have to pay $400 to fix something that seems to be a default on this car. …
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was returned to the dealer five times due to intermittent power steering failure and electrical problems. The steering wheel locked suddenly twice while driving, at various speed. The wheel locked on numerous occasions while the vehicle was stopped. Each time the power steering light illuminated on the dash during the failure. The wheel unlocked after the engine was shut down and restarted four times. The following electrical problems occurred intermittently, all the gauges fluttered, the fuel gage showed an inaccurate reading, and the emergency brake light illuminated while driving. On one occasion the dealer replaced the power steering housing, but this did not remedy the problem. On all other occasions the dealer completed diagnostic testing, but was unable to determine the cause of the problems. …
I am not able to get my key out of the ignition of my 2005 Chevy Cobalt ls. This has been a persistent problem since I bought the car in 2006 (was a rental). Up until today (2/27/10) I've always been able to get it out eventually. Now however, my car will not start - it just clicks, and my shifter won't move. The car doesn't recognize that it's in park. After doing some research online, it appears many people have had this problem. The conclusion is that there is a defect in the transmission shift cable. Please see this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfb6y7_zkx0 this is not the only problem I've had with this car: power steering failure after about 45,000 bad wheel bearing after about 50,000 cd player replaced because it wouldn't eject cds (this is still a problem even though the dealer replaced it with the same manufacturer's model) faulty glove compartment. …
I had just over 25,000 miles and my first my power steering light came on then the car just started stalling and power steering locked up, also was making a clicking noise. Then the car competely stalled and could not be moved at all. The dealer replaced the shifter. My car again was fine while driving on the highway approximately a month to two months then my warnign chimes were coming on but indicating nothing. After a total of a trip on the highway after slowing down to a mim. Speed on non-highway my power steering light again came on and my car started stalling and jumping, steering locked up and car was making a grinding noise. I shut the car off and restarted, it was fine for the time and as soon as possible I sent to dealer for repair. Dealer states it is the body control modular. …
We bought this car in July 2005. Since this time, it has been in the shop 8 times for various reasons. Mainly the steering. Going over bumps, it rattles very loudly. The steering column, struts, mounts, and almost everything to do with the steering has been replaced twice!! Still rattles loudly. GM tells us that is not a safety hazard. There is a fix in progress but May take 6 months to a year! I pay a lot of money a month for a rattle trap! Other items that have been replaced on the car is the radio, the blower motor, the right headlight, all 4 door bezels, all 4 door weather stripping due to wind noise, the shifting column because I had trouble getting the key out of the ignition. This has been the worst new car purchase I have ever made. I have already been in touch with the bbb about it.
I own a 2005 Chevy Cobalt ls and have had numerous problems with it. 1st I had to take it in because the passenger side rear suspension was making clunking noises. 2nd I had to take it in because there was moisture building up inside the drivers side headlight. 3rd I had to take it in because the passenger side rear window was howling and you could hear the outside air blowing through it when driving. 4th problem I just recently am having is the heating system. The blower just does what it wants. I can have the air to the off position and it still blows air at a high speed. Also, when driving the blower turns itself off and on whenever it wants to. All this and I only have 7,500 miles on my car. I won't be buying another GM vehicle!
On feb. 10,2006 my little brother was on his way home in my 2005 Cobalt it was raining he went around a curve an lost control of the vehicle. He hit a total of 3 trees the car was total. The air bags didn't not deploy an the seat belt didn't catch, bc of this my little brother lost his life. He was 5'11 an weighed about 350 lbs an came up out of his seat and hit the top of the car were the metal meets the windshield. Nothing has been done. My family called Chevy to report it they said they would call us back in 24 to 48 hrs that was almost 3 wks ago an haven't heard anything.
Equipment complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are equipment problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the equipment & accessories of the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2% of the model year's 1,649 complaints. The component named most often is electrical › radio/tape deck/cd etc. (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt equipment problems?
No. NHTSA lists no equipment & accessories 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 equipment problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries and 3 deaths to equipment & accessories 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.