2005 CHEVROLET COBALT Complaints

I HAD THE IGNITION CYLINDER REPLACED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, DUE TO THE KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO RELEASE. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2005 MODEL YEAR COBALTS. WELL, THE VEHICLE IS DOING THIS AGAIN. THE KEY IS NOT BEING RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION CYLINDER. HOWEVER, THIS TIME I BELIEVE IT IS THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY THAT HAS GONE BAD. THERE IS NO REVERSE LOCK OUT. I CAN FREELY CYCLE THROUGH THE GEARS WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I CAN PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES BY SIMPLY MOVING THE SHIFT LEVER. LITTLE TO NO FORCE IS NEEDED, I CAN ACCIDENTALLY KNOCK THE LEVER INTO REVERSE WITH THE LITTLEST OF FORCE. I HAVE YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER ABOUT THE ISSUE SINCE I AM SURE IT WILL COST A FORTUNE TO FIX EVEN THOUGH IT IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH A FEW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE ISSUE. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW IN FEBRUARY 2005. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY DILIGENT IN MAINTAINING AND CARING FOR MY CAR. THIS SUMMER I HAD NOTICED A GASOLINE ODOR SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I GOT INTO MY CAR. I ALWAYS LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE FOR WET SPOTS OR DRIPPING BUT NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. IN JANUARY 2014 I TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION DONE. THE INSPECTOR TOLD ME MY CAR NEEDED BRAKES ON BOTH AXLES AND FRONT ROTORS. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE SMELLED A GASOLINE ODOR BUT COULD NOT FIND AN ACTIVE LEAK EVEN THOUGH HE TURNED THE KEY ON AND PRIMED THE FUEL SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES. BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING THAT DAY HE TOLD ME THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS WET WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM FINDING ANY WET AREAS DUE TO A FUEL LEAK. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD CHECK AGAIN WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK FOR THE RE-INSPECTION. A FEW DAYS LATER, AFTER THE BRAKE REPAIRS, THE INSPECTOR PUT MY CAR ON THE LIFT AND FOUND THE FABRIC HEAT SHIELD/SLEEVE WAS DAMP WITH GASOLINE. HE REMOVED THE HEAT SHIELD/SLEEVE AND FOUND THAT THE SUPPLY FUEL LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COBALT MODEL. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $647 TO REPLACE THE ONE BAD FUEL LINE! A FUEL LINE RUSTING THROUGH IN LESS THAN 9 YEARS? TERRIBLE DESIGN HAVING FUEL LINES RUN A FEW INCHES FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES. TERRIBLE QUALITY PARTS THAT FAIL PREMATURELY AND CAUSE A FIRE HAZARD MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH AN UNCARING ATTITUDE AND STATEMENTS OF "IT'S A CAR, THEY DON'T LAST FOREVER" AND "IT'S ONLY $647, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD". I GUESS SOMEONE'S CAR HAS TO CATCH ON FIRE, SOMEONE GET KILLED, AND GM GET SUED BEFORE THEY'LL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM. NOW I KNOW WHY THE US GOVERNMENT HAD TO BAIL OUT GM. SMH! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A GASOLINE ODOR BEING EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. HE LATER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A GASOLINE LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS RUSTED AND WOULD NEED A TOTAL REPLACEMENT. THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED THAT THE LINE COULD BE MENDED AS A TEMPORARY REPAIR. THE FUEL LINE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 03/21/14*LJ UPDATED 03/28/2014 *JS

RANDOMLY, THE DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH FAILS TO FUNCTION. IF THE DOOR IS OPEN, IT WILL NOT LATCH CLOSED. IF THE DOOR IS CLOSED, NEITHER THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WILL OPEN THE DOOR. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS RATHER A SEVERE SAFETY CONCERN. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR AFTER AN ACCIDENT, AN UN-INJURED OCCUPANT COULD DIE FROM FIRE--OR DROWN IF THE CAR WERE SUBMERGED. I EXPLORED THE ISSUE ON MULTIPLE INTERNET FORUMS AND FOUND THIS IS A RATHER COMMON ISSUE. FOR INSTANCE, HERE IS A QUERY ON THE COBALT SS FORUM. JUST ENTERING "DOOR LATCH" COMES UP WITH THESE SEARCH RESULTS. HTTP://WWW.COBALTSS.NET/FORUMS/ESP_SEARCH.PHP?QUERY=DOOR+LATCH&REF=ESP-NAV-BAR&TYPE=ALL ON ONE POLL, FULLY 50% OF ALL COBALT OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. 50%. I FOUND THERE IS AN NHTSA CASE ON THE ISSUE. THE ACTION NUMBER IS: "NHTSA: ACTION NUMBER: 10038344 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 308836." THIS REFERENCES THE DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN #PI0011A. A DEALER APPLIED THE BULLETIN, THE ISSUE REMAINS. I AM NOW HAVING THE LATCH REPLACED, HOWEVER THAT IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED. WORRIED I MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT WITH THE PASSENGER DOOR, I LOOKED INTO THE LATCH ON THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE LATCH IS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY GM. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AN NHTSA ACTION ON THIS ISSUE, GM HAS SEEN FIT TO MAKE FIXING THE PROBLEM IMPOSSIBLE. ONE HAS TO ASK, "WHY IS THE PART SOLD OUT?" CLEARLY, THE FAILURE RATE HAS BEEN SO HIGH THAT GM HAS SOLD OUT THEIR ENTIRE STOCK OF REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE PART NUMBERS NEEDED FOR MY PASSENGER DOOR LATCH ARE EITHER 15906018 OR 15892690. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS. PEOPLE WILL DIE. GM ISN'T EVEN STOCKING ALL OF THE PARTS THAT MIGHT FIX THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE BULLETIN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. GM KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A DOOR LATCH THAT WORKS. PLEASE, REQUIRE GM TO FIX THIS BEFORE PEOPLE DIE. *TR

THE BRAKE CALIPER WAS RATTLING BECAUSE IT WAS BROKE I HAD A AUTO REPAIR MAN REPLACE PART THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BRAKES AGAIN THAT WAS FOR THE FRONT AND BACK IT ALSO HAS ELECTED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THE WINDOWS WORK WHEN THEY WANT AND THE CAR MOSTLY ALWAYS STALLS IT HAS EVEN STALLED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON HWY WHAT IT DOES IS ACT REAL SLUGGISH AND THE MORE YOU PRESS ON THE GAS THE MORE IT BOGS OUT AND PULLS BACK INSTEAD OF TAKING OFF AS SUPPOSED TO THE TURN SIGNALS IN THE FRONT ALWAYS BLOW EVERYTIME REPLACED THERE IS ALSO INTERIOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE INTERIOR LIGHTING WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND THE DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK THEMSELVES WITH WILL UNSET THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM AND ALLOW FOR PROWLERS TO TAKE THE CAR. *TR

MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH MY '05 COBALT, BUT THIS WAS PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED BY DEALER AND WHEN I CALLED GMC, THEY CANNOT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY APPROX. 50-55 MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR DROPPED TO APPROX 20 MPH. DASH READING SAID 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' AND MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. NOTHING WOULD MAKE THE CAR GO FASTER, LUCKILY NOBODY WAS BEHIND ME. CAR KEPT ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. GOT THE CAR TO MY IN-LAWS, WHICH WAS ONLY 5 MINUTES AWAY AND WE UNHOOKED THE BATTERY. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE BATTERY TOGETHER, THE CAR SEEMED FINE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND SAID THEY CAN'T GET A CODE BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS UNPLUGGED. I CALLED GMC AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THE CODE. I HAVE CHILDREN WHO SIT IN THE BACK OF MY CAR AND I AM NOT WAITING FOR THE PROBLEM TO HAPPEN AGAIN, IF I AM ON THE INTERSTATE AND CARS ARE BEHIND ME, THEY ARE GOING TO RUN INTO ME, AS THERE WAS NO WARNING THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. NOT HAPPY THAT CHEVY SEEMS TO BE AVOIDING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND PRETENDING IT DOESN'T EXIST. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. BOTH THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES WILL BECOME "LOOSE" AND WHILE EASY TO PULL HANDLES, THE DOOR WILL STILL NOT OPEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING) AND AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO MANEUVER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,000.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE, FILLING TIRES WITH AIR. A CIGARETTE LIGHTER POWERED AIR COMPRESSOR WAS BEING USED TO FILL TIRES. WAS ONLY IN USE FOR A FEW MINUTES, WHEN AIR COMPRESSOR STOPPED. THE FUSE FOR THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS BLOWN. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE FUSE FOR THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WOULD BE BLOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE ONLY USED IT IN THE PAST TO USE MY OBD II SCANNER, BEING THAT THE OBD DIAGNOSTIC PORT IS POWERED BY THE SAME FUSE AS THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. BESIDES USING THE OBD SCANNER, NO OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN USED VIA THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. REGARDLESS THE FUSE WOULD BE BLOWN. AFTER THE FUSE WAS BLOWN WITH THE AIR COMPRESSOR, I UNPLUGGED IT FROM THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER, ONLY TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FUSE MELTED IN THE FUSE BLOCK. FROM THERE, THE WINDOW WIPERS BEGAN OPERATING, AS WELL AS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID BEING SHOT OUT FROM THE NOZZLES. SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR, FROM UNDER THE DASH. I QUICKLY RAN TO THE TRUNK WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED, AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AS SOON AS I COULD. GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE, WITH THE OMINOUS BURNT ELECTRONIC SMELL. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2013, I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN MY STREET WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY CAR READS POWER STEERING AND THE TC LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. THE CAR BEGINS TO JERK AS IF IT WAS GOING TO TURN OFF ON ITS ON. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE CAR DROVE AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. ON NOVEMBER 24TH, 2013, I WAS LEAVING WORK AND AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT INTO INCOMING TRAFFIC, THE WHEEL ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST LOCKED UP ON ME AND I ALMOST HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WHEN I PULLED OVER, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN BUT THIS TIME SO DOES THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT. I DROVE IT TO THE NEAREST AUTO ZONE TO GET A DIAGNOSTICS ON IT AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CODES THAT HAD SHOWED UP WERE DEALER CODES AND ONLY THEY COULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION TO TRY AND CHECK THE POWER STEERING FLUID ON IT BUT THERE WAS NO DIPSTICK. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT AND TRANSMISSION LIGHT BOTH TURNED OFF AND THE CAR DROVE AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. I GOOGLED THE CODES THAT THE GENTLEMAN GAVE ME AT AUTO ZONE AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON MY TYPE OF VEHICLE FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUES. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND GET THE ISSUE FIXED FOR FREE, BUT WHEN I GAVE THE MECHANIC THE LAST 8 DIGITS OF MY VIN, HE STATED TO ME THAT MY CAR WASN'T LISTED ON THE LIST OF RECALLS DESPITE THE FACT THAT IM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE CARS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN RECALLED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF MY KIDS AND OTHER DRIVERS. PLEASE HELP ME TO GET THIS ISSUE REPORTED ASAP TO GM. I LOVE MY CAR BUT I ALSO LOVE MY KIDS AND OUR LIVES. *TR