2005 CHEVROLET COBALT Complaints

MY ELDERLY PARENTS PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM A CHEVY DEALERSHIP IN PALM HARBOR, FL. THEY TOOK THE CAR IN NUMEROUS TIME FOR THE CAR SEIZING UP WHILE DRIVING AND POWER STEERING PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER THEIR PURCHASE. THE STARTER WOULD TURN OFF, THE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT, AND THEY OFTEN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THERE WERE VERY FEW MILES ON THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED SINCE THEY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2005. THEY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR FOR SUCH PROBLEMS BUT WERE TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT NOTHING WRONG. THEY SOLD THE CAR TO ME, THEIR DAUGHTER, BECAUSE THEY HAD GOTTEN TO OLD TO DRIVE AND THEY WERE TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THEM IN APX. 2010 AND IT HAD APX 9000 MILES. SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIME IN CHAPEL HILL, NC. THEY INSIST THAT THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT. WHEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT, THE IGNITION SWITCH TURNS OFF THUS TURNING OFF THE CAR, AND THE STALLING WHILE DRIVING IS VERY SCARY TO SAY THE LEAST. THE MOST RECENT RECEIPT FROM CHEVROLET FOR THIS PROBLEM IS FROM 8/14/2013 WITH 42950 MILES ON THE CAR. AGAIN THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT. THE MOST RECENT TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING FUSE AND IT HAS BEEN NOT INDICATING THAT PROBLEM. THE START STILL TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING. I THINK CHEVROLET HAS KNOW THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY COBALT SINCE 2005 AND DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. $500 TOWARD A NEW CAR..,.CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO WANT TO MAKE ME PURCHASE A CHEVY ANY TIME SOON. IF THEY CAN FIX THE CAR IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

I WAS GETTING OFF AN EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. SOMETIMES ALSO WHEN I'M DRIVING THE KEY IF TOUCHED TURNS THE CAR OFF WHILE DRIVING. NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE PEOPLE AVOIDED ME HAD THERE BEEN AN ACCIDENT I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT AND I AM AFRAID EVERYTIME I DRIVE. ALSO TO TAKE OUT THE KEY EVERYTIME I HAVE TO STICK MY FINGER IN THE HOLE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL OTHERWISE IT STAYS STUCK. *TR

WAS DRIVING ON 1-40 AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND SUDDENLY ENGINE SHUT DOWN - DASHBOARD LIT UP. MANAGED TO REACH SHOULDER SAFELY. COULD DISCERN NO PROBLEM BY CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES FURTHER THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE MOVING AND CONTINUE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. TECHNICIAN AT CHEVROLET DEALER IN SANTA FE, NM TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS TOO WEIGHTY A KEY CHAIN - HE ALSO GAVE ME A PRINTOUT INDICATING THE PROBLEM, WHICH I STILL HAVE. I LIGHTENED THE KEY CHAIN AND NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM AGAIN.. VERY SCARY TO HAVE YOUR CAR KONK OUT AT 70 MGH WITH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC ON YOUR TAIL. *TR

THE 05 COBALT, REGULARLY SERVICED BY THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT CRASHED AFTER GOING OUT OF CONTROL WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCHED OFF ON THE INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH. THE STEERING LOCKED, THE ABS DID NOT FUNCTION, WHEN IT CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ONLY WARNING WAS THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ALL LIGHTING UP AND THE ALARM SOUNDS. THE ONE SECOND OR SO DID NOT ALLOW ANY CHANCE TO THE DRIVER TO REACT BEFORE THE CRASH. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WHEN THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE GM PERSON. THE GM PERSON WAS FRIENDLY AND NICE, BUT VERY FIRM IN STATING THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE PROOF THAT THE CAR FAILED, RATHER THE DRIVER AT THE WHEEL. THE CARS COMPUTER WAS NOT ANALYZED BECAUSE THE WRECKING YARD DEMANDED OVER $700 TO TOW THE CAR OUT OF THE WRECKING YARD SO ANY INVESTIGATOR COULD LOOK OVER THE CAR. GM TOLD US THAT IT WAS OUR PROBLEM TO PAY THE BILL TO ALLOW THEIR INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR. WE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY. AFTER READING NUMEROUS COMMENTS ON THE NHTSA SITE AND BLOGS, PEOPLE NEVER HEARD A WORD FROM GM AFTER THEY RETRIEVED THE COMPUTER. THE SALIENT POINT IS THAT MANY OF THE OVER A THOUSAND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COBALT AND OTHER SIMILAR GM CARS THAT IDENTIFIED THE POWER STEERING AS THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED A CRASH ARE WRONG. THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH TURNED OFF. THE GM RECALLS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM HIDE THE FACT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCHES WERE TURNING OFF WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING DOWN THE ROAD. WE KNOW THAT THE LACK OF POWER ASSIST ONLY AFFECT THE CAR AT A STOP OR VERY SLOW SPEEDS. EXPERIENCED DRIVERS DO NOT CRASH THEIR CAR INTO GUARD RAILS, DITCHES, TREES OR OTHER CAR SIMPLY BECAUSE THE POWER ASSIST FAILS. THAT STORY IS WHAT GM HAS BEEN SELLING IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED ACCOMPANIED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES HOWEVER, A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND RULED AS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V047000 (AIR BAGS , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTIFICATION WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL AFTER THE CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING OR AIR BAG FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. *TR

MY 2005 CHEVY COBALT CUTS OFF ON ME WHENEVER I AM ON HILLS, GOING THROUGH CURVES, STOPPING AT RED LIGHTS OR STOP SIGN AND SOMETIME WHEN I AM SIMPLY DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. IF I AM IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IT CUTS OFF ON THE HIGHWAY AS WELL. ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK MY POWER STEERING WILL GO COMPLETELY OUT WHILE I AM DRIVING. I JUST READ IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT IF YOU ONLY HAVE THE ONE KEY THAT IT WILL NOT CUT OFF BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE EITHER. MY CAR CUTS OFF WEATHER I USE MU KEY ON THE KEY RING OR THE KEY THAT I HAVE THAT IS NOT ON THE KEY CHAIN. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS CAUSING THE CAR TO CUT OFF ALL OF THE TIME, I HAVE CHANGED THE BATTERY, IGNITION SWITCH, AND THE THROTTLE SOMETHING OR ANOTHER. I HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS CAR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I AM AT MY WITS END T THIS POINT AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO GIVE UP WHEN I READ THE ARTICLE IN TODAY'S (03/09/2014) PAPER. MAYBE I CAN GET SOME KIND OF HELP WITH THIS ISSUE NOW. *TR

THIS SUBMISSION IS AN ADDENDUM TO THE REPORT THAT I SUBMITTED ON AUG 15, 2011; REFERENCE NUMBER 10419491 WITH THE ATTACHMENTS THAT INCLUDE THE POLICE REPORT, MAY STATEMENT AND PHOTOS. I SUBMITTED MY REPORT TWO DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. NOW, AFTER READING THE NEWS ARTICLES AND THE GM STATEMENTS REGARDING THE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, IT IS APPARENT THAT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A STEERING MALFUNCTION (PER THE RECALLS I RECEIVED AND THE STATEMENTS MADE TO ME BY GM REPRESENTATIVES) WAS CLEARLY THE IGNITION SWITCH. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH MY DASH LIGHTS TURNED ON, I IMMEDIATELY LOST STEERING CONTROL (I COULD NOT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL) AND SWERVED HAD TO THE LEFT CRASHING INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE ACCIDENT REPORT SHOWS MY SKID MARKS ACROSS THREE TRAFFIC LANES THAT CLEARLY INDICATE THAT MY ABS SYSTEM ALSO WAS NOT WORKING. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH MY FRONT END WAS CRUSHED AND THE CAR TOTALED. NOTHING ON MY CAR WORKED BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TURNED OFF. MY ORIGINAL REPORT SHOULD INDICATE THAT MY CAR SUFFERED AN IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. I WAS BELTED IN SO AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM (I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE FROM THE CRASH SITE) I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CERVICAL SPRAIN, MULTIPLE CUTS AND BRUISES, SPRAINED ANKLE AND KNEE. MY HEAD IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED THE CONTACT DISCONTINUED DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM A DRIVEWAY AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR