Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I have owned a 2010 Chevy Cobalt since 2012. Shortly after purchasing, the check engine light turned on. The power locks erratically lock and unlock. The windows will become jammed and suddenly will not roll back up. Cruise control will randomly stop working. I had issues with the transmission which cost me over $3,000 to fix. Then, there was the ignition switch recall which the dealer fixed at no cost. But now I am having problems with the power steering. I have to turn my ignition off and on for the power steering warning message to turn off but then it turns back on a few minutes later. I am aware that there was a recall for the power steering but yet the dealer refuses to address this issue with my car because they say that recall was performed by a previous owner. The NHTSA website states bulletin 14115 regarding power steering recall began July 17, 2014. …
Was driving at highway speeds going up a incline (hill) when my car chimed and a message read (engine power reduced) was in the outside passing lane with a semi behind me passing a slower moving car. Car power reduced to 30mph and lunged like not getting enough fuel. I barely missed a narrow escape of getting rear ended. Got over in the slow lane the highway become narrow with no shoulder to pull over so I was going to drive till I could pull over but them another chime and my dash read (engine disabled) and motor shut off. Coast to someone's driveway and set there shaking from being scared for about 15 minutes. Decided to try ignition and the car restarted and was able to limp to a pull off and call for a tow home. I realize my car is out of warranty and has 119K miles on it but nobody should be faced with a situation like I was put in. …
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the contact struck a deer. The air bags did not deploy. Additionally, while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact restarted the vehicle. There was an abnormal sulfur and fuel odor detected. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the MAP sensor needed to be reset. The mechanic reset the air bag light. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the air bag failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
When accelerating hard to get on the highway from exit or going up a hill the accelerator gets suck. The car will not slow down with our foot on the brake as hard as possible. We just pray we can get over to break down lane without hitting anyone. The only way to stop car is to put in neutral, keeping your foot on brake and pulling the emergency brake. Once the care is in park you must shut off car and restart. It you put the car in drive without shutting car off it willl start running by itself again going 65mp in the break down lane. The first time this happened it was in 2009 with only 700 miles on the car. The second time was in 2014 and again September 2018. Took car back to dealership and could not duplicate the problem, therefore it didn't happened. Told me it was a freak occurrence.probably wouldn't happen again. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning and crashed into a concrete guardrail three times. The air bags deployed partially. A police report was filed. The contact stated that she could not move and was taken to the emergency room to receive medical attention. The vehicle was not destroyed. The local Chevrolet dealer was made aware of the crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the crash and performed a diagnostic test which found no failure. The failure mileage was 134,000. Updated 07/18/17
While driving at low speeds (30mph) the power steering light came on. The car stalled, the wheel tightened up, the symbol with a locked car turned on. The speedometer started moving up and down crazyly. Check engine light came on as well. I moved to the side because it was really difficult to control and as I did the car just kept stalling worse and worse. Once I pulled over I turned off the car. I wasnt as freaked out as the first time this occurred since this has happened numerous of times and I've taken it to 3 different mechanics who don't know how to fix it at all. It's very scary it also happened while going at 60mph and all I do is pull over and then call the tow or drive it at low speeds home. I'm sure I fall in the category for a recall but have never gotten a recall letter. …
While driving at highway speeds using cruise control the vehicle suddenly decelerated. This abrupt slowing almost caused an accident because I along with the other drivers behind me had no warning of such a sudden reduction of speed. A "reduced engine power" light came on, the vehicle would not accelerate to a safe highway speed, and it no longer exhibited the power necessary to climb a hill. If this had happened on a freeway or on a mountain pass it could have been extremely dangerous or deadly. The dealership diagnosed a faulty throttle body which was subsequently replaced. This however didn't rectify the situation and the condition still randomly happens. We no longer feel safe driving this vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. After having the vehicle repaired for the ignition key to be removed from the starter, the engine light illuminated and the steering was in dic mode. Also, the power steering failed. When depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate accordingly. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the vehicle was repaired with an aftermarket part that needed to be replaced. The part was replaced, but the failure recurred. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided no resolution. The approximate failure mileage was 43,703.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Cobalt years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (48), 2005 (40), 2008 (23), 2007 (19) and 2009 (15) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Cobalt acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Chevrolet Cobalt model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Cobalt acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles; 26% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (8 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (7).
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.