2005 CHEVROLET COBALT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE AND POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WITHIN MOMENTS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OPERATING AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVY COBALT, THE KEY CONSTANTLY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION, THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY CAR OFF FOR OVER 5 HOURS. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR MANY REASONS. NOT ONLY WILL I PROBABLY HAVE TO REPLACE THAT PART BUT EVENTUALLY THE BATTERY DUE TO THIS. I'VE RESEARCHED IT ONLINE AND SEE THAT IT IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG MANY CHEVY'S ESPECIALLY MY MODEL. I THINK SINCE IT'S SUCH A COMMON ISSUE THEIR SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS. I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD WASTE OVER $800 TO GET SOMETHING FIXED THAT IS MORE COMMON THAN IT SHOULD BE. *TR

*PLEASE NOTE...THE INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATE. WE HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT SEDAN THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING MOTOR INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. WE HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING PRIOR TO THE RECALL BEING PERFORMED. AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED, WE BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE - PLUS ADDITIONAL FAILURES. UPON START-UP, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NO POWER STEERING, AND HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RETRY NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. IN ADDITION TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATING RANDOM CLICKING OF THE BRAKE SAFETY INTERLOCK RELAY / ACTUATOR (WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE). CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TRANSMISSION GOING INTO "LIMP MODE"..."SLAMMING" INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK - OR IMPROPER SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING. RANDOM DASH GAUGE FAILURE RANDOM FAILURES OF THE "DRIVER'S INFORMATION CENTER" - FLASHING, ETC. THIS WAS INITIALLY HAPPENING ONLY UPON START-UP...BUT STARTED HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING AS WELL - NEARLY LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY URBAN STREET. SHE WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO DRIFT INTO THE TURN LANE AND COME TO A STOP TO AVOID A COLLISION AND LIKELY SERIOUS INJURY TO HERSELF AND OTHERS, AS IT WAS VIRTUALLY UNCONTROLLABLE. IN ADDITION TO THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING (WHILE DRIVING), THE TRANSMISSION ALSO WENT INTO "LIMP MODE", CAUSING VERY HARD SHIFTING AND MUCH DIFFICULTY IN DRIVABILITY. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I AM 6'3", 260LBS., AND I WAS STRUGGLING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER COBALT OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME SET OF "SYMPTOMS". IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MOTOR REPLACEMENT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, AND - IN SOME CASES - MAY BE LEADING TO FURTHER PROBLEMS AS IN OUR CASE. THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS! *TR

MY POWER STEERING WILL STOP WORKING WHILE I DRIVE AND I HAVE TO PHYSICALLY MANIPULATE THE VEHICLE TO A STOP AND TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT TO RESET THE ELECTIRICAL MOTOR IN THE POWER STEERING. *LN

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 CHEVY COBALT LS. MY MAJOR PROBLEM (THERE OF COURSE ARE OTHER SMALL ONES) WITH THIS CAR IS THAT IT DIES? IT JUST SHUTS DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAS DIED/SHUT DOWN WHEN STOPPED AT RED LIGHTS, WHILE MAKING A TURN, WHILE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, WELL BASICALLY IT DOES IT ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING IT. WHEN THE VEHICLE DIES/SHUTS DOWN, IT GIVES NO WARNING, IT JUST DOES IT. THE AC/HEATER, RADIO, AND LIGHTS WILL STAY ON, HOWEVER THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. I EITHER HAVE TO PUT IT ON PARK OR ON NEUTRAL AND START IT UP AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM IS RE-OCCURRING. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND THEY CAN?T FIND A PROBLEM. THERE IS NO WARNING/ENGINE LIGHT ON NOTHING! I AM VERY STRESSED OVER THIS ISSUE THAT HAS GONE FAR TOO LONG. I DRIVE MY CAR TO AND FROM WORK PRAYING THAT IT WON?T SHUT DOWN ON ME WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, WHICH IT HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES NOW. I FEEL THAT EVERYTIME IT SHUTS DOWN ON ME I?M GOING TO HAVE A PANIC ATTACK AND NOT BE ABLE TO ACT FAST ENOUGH TO TURN IT BACK ON. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT I HAVEN?T BEEN HURT BECAUSE OF THIS CAR. I HAVE FOUND SOO MANY PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND I AM APPALLED THAT THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET. THIS SYSTEM IS VERY DISAPPOINTING. SO MUCH FOR TRYING TO SUPPORT OUR COUNTRY BY PURCHASING AMERICAN CARS? *TR

IGNITION KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT USING THE RELEASE BUTTON IN THE HOLE UNDER THE COLUMN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL, SECURITY LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, ALL COME ON THEN POWER STEERING WARNING COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION STARTS JERKING, AND IS HARD TO CONTROL. IT HAS PROBLEMS BRAKING AND SHIFTING GEARS. THERE ARE ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL FROM CHEVY AND NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE AN ANSWER TO WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD INTO 2 DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS AND STILL THIS PROBLEM NOT FIXED. *TR

CHEVY DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING ASSIST, SINCE THE REPAIR, ISSUE HAS BEEN RECURRING. TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND KNOCKS THE CAR FORWARD, POWER STEERING ERROR APPEARS, TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER SHORT OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY AT 1 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND UPON RESTART, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM) SEVEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO THE CONTACT NOVEMBER 12, 2010. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING ALARM SOUNDED AND THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 124,000. UPDATED 04/12/11*LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE BRAKES LOCKED UP ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. ALSO, THE DEFROSTER WORKED INTERMITTENTLY.

POWER STEERING WAS RECALLED IN MY 2005 CHEVY COBALT...BUT THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I WILL NEVER BY A CHEVY AGAIN. *TR