2007 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems & Complaints

Use caution1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cobalt at the same age

Owners have filed 1,564 complaints about the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 1.8× as many as a typical Cobalt model year at the same age — above average, so look closely at the problem areas below before you buy. The most reported problem area is the steering (689 complaints, typically around 52,000 miles). 5 recalls cover this model year.

1,564complaints
5recalls
116crashes
16fires
109injuries
7deaths

Most common 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt problems

Share of the 1,564 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Chevrolet Cobalt complaints by model year

2005200620072008200920101.6k2.3k1.6k940900583
Owner complaints per model year, Chevrolet Cobalt. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Cobalt years: 2010, 2009, 2008. Years to avoid: 2006, 2005, 2007. Compare all years →

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt recalls (5)

Electrical system › Ignition

NHTSA recall 14V-171 · Apr 10, 2014 · 2,191,014 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the…

Air bags

NHTSA recall 14V-047 · Feb 10, 2014 · 2,190,934 vehicles

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 12V-459 · Sep 19, 2012 · 49,768 vehicles

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California,…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012.

Steering › Electric power assist system

NHTSA recall 10V-073 · Mar 3, 2010 · 1,050,889 vehicles

General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet cobalt and model year 2007-2010 Pontiac g5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering. The driver May experience a sudden loss of power steering assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the electric power steering motor free of charge. Owners are being notified on a rolling basis between March 29 through November 2010. A copy of the mailing schedule is located in the recall file.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 09V-419 · Oct 29, 2009 · 69,139 vehicles

General motors is recalling certain model year 2006 Chevrolet cobalt and Saturn ion vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of arizona and nevada; and model year 2007 Chevrolet cobalt, Pontiac g5 and Saturn ion vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of arizona, california,…

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module free of charge. A special coverage will be implemented in the same time frame for model year 2006 vehicles registered in alabama, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii,…

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt:

Electric Power Steering Failure

NHTSA investigation PE10005 · opened Jan 27, 2010 · closed Jul 19, 2010 · led to recall 10V-073

In a March 1, 2010 letter, General Motors Corporation (GM) provided a defect information report to NHTSA regarding a problem that could result in sudden loss of power steering assist in certain model year (MY) 2005 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and MY 2007 through 2010 Pontiac G5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS).The letter indicates that the loss of steering assist could occur at any time while…

What 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt owners say

Steering all 689 →

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH, the RPM's continuously fluctuated, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The ABS warning light was illuminated and the message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road by using physical force to turn the steering wheel. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V073000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 191,000.

191,000 miles · Apr 2023

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the power steering warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road using extra effort to steer the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V073000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

143,000 miles · Oct 2021

Fuel & propulsion system all 431 →

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside and outside the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was discovered that fuel was leaking from the top of the fuel tank leaving puddles of fuel on the ground. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V419000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 187,000.

187,000 miles · Nov 2021

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor near the fuel tank. There was fuel leaking from the fuel cap. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V419000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

105,000 miles · Mar 2023

Electrical system all 281 →

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact's mother stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall without warning. The contact stated no warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the ignition switch replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V047000 (Air Bags, Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

107,000 miles · Jan 2022

I was in a crash on 9/19/25 and at the incident none of my airbags deployed. My daily driver for my children and I. I was lucky I was the only passenger at the time. I never expected my airbags not to deploy in a head on crash. The car still sits in my driveway and I have and identical one just like it that I drive! I'd like them evaluated.

Sep 2025 · crash · 1 injury

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manualFWD22 / 31 / 25
2.2L 4-cyl5-speed manualFWD22 / 31 / 25
2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automaticFWD21 / 29 / 24
2.2L 4-cyl4-speed automaticFWD21 / 29 / 24
2.0L 4-cyl supercharged5-speed manualFWD20 / 28 / 23

EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt a good car?

Based on 1,564 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 Cobalt rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cobalt at the same age. It is one of the Cobalt years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt?

The steering — 689 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (431) and electrical system (281).

How many recalls does the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt have?

There are 5 recalls for the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, the most recent from April 10, 2014 (ignition). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Cobalt?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2009 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2005 and 2007. See the full Chevrolet Cobalt years comparison.

At what mileage do 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 35% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

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.