Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 40 MPH and attempting to come to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond. The brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard independently. As a result, the vehicle failed to stop and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags deployed with excessive force. The contact had to puncture the air bag to avoid suffocation, which caused the air bag to explode. The contact sustained back, neck, and ear injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard and was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Coming out of a roundabout in rush hour when a car ahead of her suddenly stopped. She had about one and half to two car lengths and her speed was about 35 MPH. She applied her brakes and they did not respond. Her car rear ended another car. The airbag deployed. She has a sprained neck and back. She has been off for a couple of days per doctor's request. Major damage to the entire front end of the car.
This is the second time this issue has happened. The issue is when turning on an on-ramp that has sharp turning radius the car ABS system turns on and you lose control of the car. This also happens when you are already on a freeway that has a sweeping on ramp to another freeway the ABS starts to brake in the turn. I have reported this issue to the dealership and they have not addressed it.
Chevy Cobalt 2009. Two incidents involving the same model but different cars. Both rented from enterprise. Don't know what category to put the complaint in. Steering? Braking? Or something else? This model handles terribly on wet pavement. Doesn't brake well on wet pavement, and tires spin when starting from a stopped position. Incident 1. Changing lanes on i270 md. Going about 50 MPH. And slowed down to move one lane to the right. Going from a less used wetter lane to lane to the right, which wasn't quite as wet. Car spun out twice and hit the jersey wall twice. Then I was able to stop the car. Fairly heavy traffic, and no other vehicles involved, thank god. State police were on the shoulder for traffic going in the other direction across from me but did not come to the car. Incident 2. Rented another of the same model. Whenever the street was wet, the car did not brake well. …
My son was driving to work, he was heading down a long winding road when he applied the brakes, and discovered that the brakes had suddenly failed. The brake pedal would not go to the floor; it was stuck and unable to move. He described that the car seemed to stall and continue to drift down the hill with no ability to stop, gradually picking up speed. He got in the curb lane and continued steering the vehicle while searching for the safest place to crash, as this was his only option because he was unable to slow to a stop. In the middle of morning rush hour, he was able to successfully cross opposing lanes of traffic and crash head-on into a hillside in a parking lot at about 45 MPH. The underside of the vehicle was smashed in, damaging the frame beyond repair. The airbag deployed, which resulted in bruising of the chest. …
I was traveling at about 25 - 30 MPH when with out warning my 2009 Chevy Cobalt began to spin in the most violent spin I have ever been in a vehicle. The brakes were not stopping me the rear of the car then slid around and slammed my car into a post or chain link fence hitting it hard.the front passenger door was creased down the whole side, the front quarter panel was all ripped up and the front passenger headlight was completely smashed and broken. When the car finally stopped my hand was twisted in the steering wheel while the car was spinning and the force of the car hitting sprained my back. No air bags were set off and I was brought to the er by ambulance. I have begun to have problems with my ignition since this accident. My key gets stuck in the accs position and I can not move it either way. I have to wait until the car sits for a while sometimes hours before it will unlock. …
Tl contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact rear ended another vehicle due to brake failure. The speed was unknown and there were no injuries. This was the second time that the brakes failed without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they duplicated the failure the following day. The contact was not informed of what caused the failure. He waited two weeks for a claim person to call him back. He was informed that the vehicle must go through his insurance company. The contact stated that the insurance company did not cover brake failure. The dealer turned the matter over to the manufacturer. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. It has not yet been decided if the vehicle will be repaired under warranty or through the insurance company. The vehicle is currently at the dealer. The failure and current mileages were 16,000.
Bought my 09 Cobalt ss tc sedan with 3500 miles on it. Rear rotors already had grooves at that mileage. My car is at 8700 miles now with both rear brake calipers having to be replaced along with deeper grooves in rear rotors and squeaking from the rear brakes. The failing rear brakes caused my emergency brake to fail. The emergency brake failed while on a hill and I walk outside to find my car under my girlfriends truck! (e-brake engaged and in reverse) this was fixed with the calipers being replaced, I still need to have my rotors worked as they are already to this point. I was fortunate to be parked on a not so steep of a hill, couldn't imagine someone in the same situation living in a hilly region. (lawsuit waiting to happen).
Brakes failed, slid in the snow and hit the passenger rear rim against the curb. This even lead to the rim being replaced, along with the axle. After the car was fixed, I took the car back to the dealer where it was looked over too see if there were any manufacturer's defaults. Then I was told they could do nothing for me because they only had a 12 month/12,000 mi. Warranty, and my car was 17 months old and had 19,200 mi., so I had to file a complaint with general motors. I then replaced the rotors and pads around the entire car, out of pocket.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was engaged and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact crashed into another vehicle. The contact suffered an injury to his neck. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle sustained damage to the front driver's side bumper and was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000. Updated 12/23/13
Brake complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 183 complaints about the brakes of the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, 20% of the model year's 900 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › master cylinder (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2009 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 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 79% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 15 crashes, 3 fires and 5 injuries and 1 death to brakes 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.