Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start and was jumpstarted; however, the auto theft warning light illuminated, and the key could not be removed from the ignition. The contact was able to drive the vehicle however, the locks failed to lock the doors, and there was a clicking sound when the windows failed to roll up or down. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of fuel. The contact stated that the tank was full however, the next day the fuel tank was empty. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 161,595.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shake, and the vehicle would power off inadvertently. The vehicle would restart however, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
The air bag never deployed I bought car in 2018 from original owner with car only having 33,000 miles on it and still under warranty til car had 100,000 miles and I hit a deer head on 2 months after getting car which bought in may of 2018 hit the deer in July 2018 . The deer was hit with the front passenger side it broke my headlight n messed my hood up and smashed in the grill little and my air bags never deployed I hit deer at 50 mph , after that had happened I took it in to Chevy dealership and had them look at car cause I told them I hit that deer and air bag never deployed and that my air bag light came on once in awhile and said service air bag . The dealership said they do that sometimes and did something to make light go off that was it my air vag light still comes on and says service air bag . Also ignition switch and fuel smell foul coming from car a lot and is as I speak . …
Wiring harness is located too close to the human under the driver's seat. Exposes the driver to electrical frequencies that could be avoided if the wire harness was a further distance away from the human. Also, the the fuel line rusted through after 9 years about 9 inches away from the rear axle where the metal tape ends around the fuel line. The metal tape seems to allow more moisture to become trapped around the fuel line; which promotes rust and a leak where the metal tap ends. After the metal tape, the fuel line is in good condition on this specific vehicle. The fuel leak is about 0.5 inches wide and a lot of gasoline drips / leaks after the car is started. The rust particles are located after the fuel filter; which may promote the rust particles to reach the engine via the rusted fuel line. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning and the vehicle stalled. Consequently, the consumer crashed into a tree and the air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was not aware of the diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was later repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 10V073000 (steering), but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Ma 10/5
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving approximately 35 MPH, a second vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The front and side curtain air bags did not deploy. The driver suffered back and neck injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The contact also indicated that the ignition switch was faulty and the vehicle would suddenly shut off while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 41,147.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The consumer stated upon entering the vehicle the anti-theft indicator was illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, it failed to start. The dealer (jim taylor Chevrolet located at 139 grimshaw st, rayville, la 71269; [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the contact had to pay for the repair since the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted at [phone] and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000. Updated 08/16/17 the consumer stated initially asked was there a recall on the ignition switch. …
Hello, I have a 2009 Chevy Cobalt. It was running okay. I went to the store for some dog food. Parked the car, came back to go back home and the key 🔑 in the ignition would not turn. It was locked or jammed, don't know. Key would not turn in the ignition switch to turn the car on!!! I went to the internet and found that there was a recall from general motors on my 2009 Chevy Cobalt. I found a NHTSA campaign id# 14V171000 that shows the recall for my car. It describes an ignition switch recall. I called the chuck nash Chevrolet where I bought the car and they told me that they had repaired the recall. Apparently they repaired it with a defective ignition-switch or not at all. The recall states that some vehicles were repaired with defective or used parts. Mary barra, general motors ceo stated that all affected recall vehicles would be repaired up to customer safety standards. …
I was on my way home and it was raining on the expressway but by the time I got to the city I live it had stop. I was exiting the expressway and was turning a left on the street I live on. I had made my turn at about 30 MPH and after I had made my turn the car was straight for awhile then all the sudden the car acted up and the steering wheel or the wheels or something happen that made my car make a sharp u-turn going in front of ongoing traffic. My car went straight in front of a car and she didn't have time to stop so she hit me and we both went onto the island. I have no idea what happened but luckily we were both going slow that none of us were hurt but our cars were in bad conditions. I'm looking at 3,000 damage on my car, and probably 4,000 damage to her car. I want to say it was bc of the rain, but the road wasn't wet and I just got new tires and just got a oil change. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact's vehicle was included in a recall regarding the electrical system and ignition. The vehicle was repaired per the recall, which included new ignition keys. Shortly after the repair, the key pad for the doors no longer were able to control the door locks. The vehicle also began to emit a burning rubber odor from the steering wheel. Additionally, the starter key was difficult to remove from the ignition occasionally without having the steering wheel in a specific position. The contact also stated that sometimes the engine and all the electrical systems would fail to start; however, only the tail lights remained illuminated. It was diagnosed that the vehicle's micro switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition
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…
Electrical complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 158 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, 18% of the model year's 900 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-171 (ignition, Apr 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries and 1 death to electrical system 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.