Equipment complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accessories, trailer hitches and other equipment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The steering in my car all of a sudden became hard to control, hard to turn and you have to pull the steering wheel back after a turn and then the car jerks. This happened after my car was recalled for power steering defects, and after the appropriate work was done to replace the recalled part. I now have a problem with my power steering ( even though I had no previous steering difficulties prior t recall ). That the mechanics at the dealership have been unable to diagnose as apparently it is not the power steering( yet two other mechanics from other shops are reporting to me that it is indeed the power steering at to go back to my dealership as this is on recall ) this is a driving hazard and I am thoroughly disappointed in this car, the amount of maintenance it has required. …
This is a 3 year old 2008 GM Cobalt with less than 35,000 mile. I was out running errands 7/18/11. I drove in to parking spot and attempted to turn my car off. The key did not turn to turn the car off nor could I remove the key from the ignition. I drove my car to GM dealer and was told the ignition cylinder needed replacement. I was surprised because the car is only 3 years old and I had no other problem. I have owned two other cars, one for 10 yrs and one for 11 yrs never at any time did I have any problem with getting the key from the ignition or problems turning my car off. I believe that the ignition cylinder was defective and so I should not be responsible for paying for a defective part to be replaced. Thank you for the opportunity to enter my complaint.
I purchase the car from schofield in 2008 it has had two recalls one on the gas tank and another on the steering column now it is acting up everyday I think it is due to the cold weather and it has to be a manufacturing issue the warning lights began to flash on come on the gauges go up and down like crazy the gas hand goes up and then below empty the car loses power the power steering light comes on the brake light comes on it begins to make a clicking noise and it jerks as it drives I am so afraid to drive my car because of these defects, I took the car into scofield a couple of weeks ago they said they could not find anything wrong but it is obvious there are things that are wrong when I tried to turn a corner its like the power steering goes out I have the papers from schofield I need someone to help me please I don't want to be another victim of this car.
Loss of warning chimes due to defective drivers door speaker (2007 Cobalt and & 2007 GMC canyon). I am current awaiting repair under the 2nd recall for our Cobalt VIN [redacted](gas leak & loss of steering defects not yet repaired). The letter received from GM warning of the steering defect stated a warning chime would sound and a message on the drivers info cntr would appear. Problem is, the speaker where the warning sounds come from is intermittent. In fact, I cannot tell if I have the blinkers on without looking at the dashboard; something that's not always safe to do. Even though this started shortly after the warranty expired; I asked the dealer to repair it because I considered it unsafe. If a car manufacturer is going to change the role of a speaker from merely producing sound for radio use to sounding safety warning chimes then the speaker ought to have an extended warranty. …
While driving down highway the traction control light came on. When I slowed to exit highway my vehicle began to shift funny and hard and became scarry. I then left stop sign and my car was shifting hard and felt like it was jumping eraticly. I was scared to drive at times and it continued for about an hour then I pulled into get something to eat and call my husband. After eating and telling my husband, I got back into car and it was fine. No more lights on the dash saying service engine soon or traction control light. It was fine for the rest of my way home. I went to work next day and all was back again, light for service engine came on and so did traction control. Then my car started jerking again and shifting real hard. Now my car does this at least 4 times a week. I had it looked at and they could not find anything they said. …
We are buying a used 2006 Chevy Cobalt ls & the key has stuck in the ignition. We have found out through research that this has been a huge problem with others & the automatic shifter assembly has to be replaced. We have no warranty now & still owe too much on the car. Why is there no recall on this since there are so many complaints? Every single web site we were on people have complained about this. This is a rotten deal. . Every website has too many complaints. There absolutely should be a recall to fix this problem.----this was a message sent to Chevrolet of which they replied: thank you for contacting the Chevrolet customer assistance center. I have processed the information on your vehicle and after thoroughly researching all the resources available to me; I was not able to find any recall associated to your vehicle. …
On the date listed, my wife was driving at app. 40mph. At which point she ran into the rear of another vehicle that was stopped. Upon impact the seat belt failed to keep her in the driver seat. There was also no airbag deployment. Upon impact she flew upwards and forward, hitting her face on the visor. She went to the hospital where they did scans and found no bleeding on the brain, however she was injured in the face to which she still has a bump on the bridge of her nose and still gets headaches. Also, shortly after the accident she had two black eyes and a concussion. The vehicle was repaired, but there was no indication that anything was done with the airbag system or the seat belt, by the auto body shop. We contacted GM a day or two after the accident. They sent an engineer out to gather readings from the car a few weeks later. …
Notice of recall,repairs made by dealership. Crash into tree, approx. Speed 60 MPH. Three passengers, not wearing seat belts,extreme front end damage. Air bags did not deploy. Driver seriously injured. Front passenger killed. Rear passenger killed. Investigation pending..... Updated 03/14/14
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Cobalt years have equipment problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (30), 2007 (15), 2006 (14) and 2008 (8) model years. Equipment complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Cobalt equipment problems?
No. NHTSA lists no equipment & accessories 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 equipment problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 51% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the electrical › radio/tape deck/cd etc. (11 mentions), followed by the recreational vehicle/trailer (3).
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.