Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that, while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed during an ice and rainstorm with poor visibility, a vehicle parked sideways in the middle of the roadway suddenly appeared. Unable to stop in time, the vehicle collided with the driver's side rear of the other vehicle, causing it to spin and veer onto the shoulder of the roadway before coming to a complete stop. The air bags deployed but failed to properly inflate, greatly reducing their effectiveness, which the contact held responsible for the various injuries sustained by the three occupants. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. All three occupants were transported to a local hospital by EMTs. …
The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while her husband was driving on the interstate, he had a heart attack and crashed into a tree where the vehicle came to a stop. None of the air bags deploy. The driver died at the scene due to a heart attack per an autopsy. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was concerned that the air bags did not deploy after the vehicle experienced extensive damage due to the crash. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Air bag light is on the dash and the passenger seat does not sense weight on the seat so all airbags are disabled I know many others with this problem and it is a serious issue that there should be a recall for
Tl* the contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a ditch and flipped over approximately four times. The air bags did not deploy. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle landed on top of the driver. The driver sustained four fractured ribs, a fractured forearm on the left arm, a puncture wound on the lower left calf, a punctured lung, and nerve damage to the hips and shoulders. Medical attention was required and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system), 14V171000 (electrical system), and 14V153000 (steering). The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
I noticed that there was no turn signal sound indicating the turn signal was in use. At the same time I also noticed that all of the warning indicator sounds were also not working (set belt, door open with key in, low tire pressure, ect) none of the warning sounds are now working. It seems that the left front speaker is used for the transmitting of the warning sounds thus there is no sound from the left speaker. None the less I feel that with the warning sounds not working this is a safety issue. Everytime I start my car the svc light stays on all the time , my tires are always wobbly while slowing down and driving. Same as I have heard from others. Got in a hit and run if I have side air bags they didnt geploy
My boyfriend and I were on our way home from chicago (on I-80/90) when we hit a bit of lake effect snow and ice. The snow caused our car to lose traction which in turn caused us to hit a guard rail head on while going roughly 50-55 MPH. Our airbags did not go off even though we hit the guard rail head on. We ended up being perpendicular in the right hand lane and was hit by a semi truck on the passenger side door. Again, our air bags did not go off which would make for a total of 4 airbags that were affected. I was unaware of affected air bags - I only knew about my ignition switch which was fixed months prior to the accident. Unacceptable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 25 MPH, the contact was involved in a crash. While attempting to avoid the crash, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver and a child were injured and received medical attention. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic and the dealer reset the air bag system. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.
I took evasive action by swerving to avoid collision with other vehicle that abruptly changed lane and collided with my vehicle. A results, my vehicle struck a concrete barrier wall of the roadway, then burst into flames upon impact. My vehicle was completely burnt out at a total loss before fire rescue responded. The airbag never deployed. Prior to accident I was having numerous ignition related problems with my Chevy Cobalt.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle swerved to avoid hitting a deer. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a road sign. The driver side air bags failed to deploy. There were minor injuries sustained that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 97,000.
I was in accident on 9/7/2015 and a. Truck ran the stop sign and the front of my car slammed into the side of their truck. My airbags did not go off. We could not find out why. I googled my car and seen they just issued a recall on my airbags being faulty and not deploying. I have not received a recall notice.
Related recalls
Air bags › Side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles manufactured January 4, 2010, to June 23, 2010. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an improperly routed Side-Impact Sensor (SIS) wiring harness in the driver side front door.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sensor's wiring in the driver's door and make repairs as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 8, 2015.
Air bags
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.
Airbag complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the air bags of the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 14% of the model year's 583 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-500 (side/window, Aug 10, 2015); NHTSA recall 14V-047 (air bags, Feb 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 26 crashes, 1 fire and 27 injuries to air bags 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.