2007 CHEVROLET COBALT Complaints

WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE CAR ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SUDDENLY WENT DEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE DRIVER STEERED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. AFTER IT STOPPED, THE DRIVER PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE HEIGHT OF THE OTHER VEHICLE PROBABLY DID NOT TRIGGER THE AIR BAG SENSOR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED BECAUSE THE FRONT END WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT ALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

4/22/13 APPROX 7:30 AM, APPROACHED RED-LIGHT, GENTLY APPLYING BRAKES. CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER! DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIMMED WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YR. AS SOON AS LIGHT TURNED GREEN,CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER AND WAS GOING TO STALL OUT! (LIKE IF YOU WERE TO RUN OUT OF GAS. STEPPED ON THE GAS, AS SOON AS I SAW THE LIGHT TURN GREEN, TO TRY TO PREVENT THE STALL OUT, AND ABOUT 1/4 INTO INTERSECTION, ANOTHER CAR WAS RUNNING A CAUTION LIGHT, WHICH TURNED TO RED... MY CAR REGAINED POWER WITH A THRUST OF THE ENGINE, WHICH TOOK ME INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WHO HIT ME AT ABOUT 35 MPH, WHICH CAUSED US TO SPIN COMPLETELY AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE REPORT STATED I FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY. IN PART THAT IS TRUE, AS I FELT I HAD TO APPLY THE GAS TO THE CAR TO KEEP IT FROM "STALLING! HEAVY DAMAGE TO DRIVER'S SIDE, FRONT END, HOOD, BUMPER AND SUPPORT BEAM BY ENGINE. THERE ARE MANY RECALLS ON THIS CAR. 5/9/2012, FUEL ODOR OR SPOTTING ON GROUND; 9/16/10-LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST; 3/1/2010-RECALL 10V073000 POWER STEERING MOTOR REPLACEMENT; 1022/2009-FUEL PUMP MODULE REPLACEMENT. IN THE PASS THREE YRS I ADVISED EAST SYRACUSE CHEVY DEALER THAT MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS,LIGHTED AREAS RADIO, ETC; GO IN AND OUT LIKE THE CAR HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, DOOR LEFT-OPEN, LIGHTS, LOW-FUEL, SINGLE LIGHTS CHIMES ALL DON'T WORK. DEALER ADVISED ME THERE IS A SHORT IN THE DASH SOMEWHERE CAUSING ALL THESE PROBLEMS,RADIO SPEAKERS ARE ALL CONNECTED I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR WHICH WAS OVER $2,000. REMOTES DON'T WORK. I HAVE HAD MANY FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, I.E. SWAY BAR, STEERING COLUMN BUSHINGS; STRUTS;STEERING COMPONENTS, LINKAGE/CV DRIVE AXLE BOOTS, CONTROL ARMS; REPAIRS;11/30/11, 2/16/2011. *TR

I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I GOT THE CAR FROM AT HAWK CHEVROLET ABOUT MY CAR PROBLEMS A FEW TIMES, AND THEY DID TRY TO FIX IT, WHICH THEY SAID IT WAS A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THEY FIXED THAT BUT THEN...AFTER THAT MULTIPLE OCCASION STARTED TO HAPPEN, MY CAR WOULD TURN OFF JUST BECAUSE.THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND I COULDN'T GET IT OUT. OR THE CAR WOULD TURN OFF WHEN I,M STOPPED AT THE LIGHT SOMETIMES........IT,S VERY STRESSFUL ENOUGH IN MY LIFE AND NOW HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS IS VERY STRESSFUL...I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET A BRAND NEW CAR FROM GM....AND CALLED IT A DAY....BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY CHEVROLET COBALT NO MORE EVEN IF THEY FIX IT I WANT A REFUND TO PUT DOWN ON A NEW CAR NOW....AND DEALERS ARE NOT HONORING, THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE BY NOT GIVING OUT ANY LOANER CARS FOR PEOPLE LIKE GM SAID THEY WOULD..AND IT,S VERY SAD....BECAUSE IF PEOPLE FEEL UNSAFE IN RECALL CAR WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A LOANER CAR...THEY ARE FULL OF IT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON THE LODGE FREEWAY IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. MY CAR STALLED AND I SPENT OUT WITH NO CONTROL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR MANY YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR STALL OUT ON ME AND SPEND OUT OF CONTROL SUCH AS THIS ONE. MY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE BUMPER AND FENDER WAS CRUSHED. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE GM RECALL UNTIL PRESENT AND HAD GM DISCLOSED THE RECALL INFORMATION BEFORE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE (PAID IN FULL) WITH MY CASH, HARD EARNED MONEY I WOULD HAVE NEVER DRIVEN TO MONROE MICHIGAN TO GET SUCH A VEHICLE AS THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MY WIFE OR DAUGHTER. GENERAL MOTORS HAD NO RIGHT TO WITHHOLD THIS INFORMATION AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. IN CONCLUSION, I THINK GM OWES ME A REFUND. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REMOVED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AGGRESSIVELY TO REMOVE THE KEY ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE BATTERY ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE VEHICLE NOT TURNING OFF ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO REPROGRAMMED THE VEHICLE AND ISSUED A NEW KEY. THE CONTACT WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V047000 (AIR BAGS , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) BUT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED AN UNREASONABLE DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008 3:21 A.M. I WAS CALLED BY ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL (AGH) IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA TO INFORM ME THAT MY SON WAS TAKEN THERE BY HELICOPTER AND WAS UNRESPONSIVE. HE WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND SUFFERED SEVERE BRAIN TRAUMA. UNFORTUNATELY HE DIED ON FEBRUARY 29, 2008. THIS WAS MY SON'S FIRST "NEW" VEHICLE. WE PURCHASED IT ON 12/3/2007 AND HE DIED IN IT 2 MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE IS A 2007 CHEVY COBALT. THE ACCIDENT WAS INVESTIGATED AND THE POLICE BELIEVE MY SON FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AS HE CROSSED THE CENTER LINE OF A 2 LANE ROAD AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PERSON IN THE OTHER VEHICLE SURVIVED. AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE I CONTACTED THE CAR MANUFACTURER (GENERAL MOTORS) TO INQUIRE ABOUT WHETHER THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD BY A GM REPRESENTATIVE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THEY HAD FILED BANKRUPTCY. I CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICES WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT MY SON'S DEATH IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHEVY COBALT DEATHS. I FIRST CONTACT THE US DEPT. OF JUSTICE AND GOT NOWHERE. I THEN CONTACTED YOUR ORGANIZATION (NHTSA) - REFERENCE# 614104 AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO GO BACK TO GM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE INVOLVED IN AN INVESTIGATION OF GM HOWEVER NOBODY AT EITHER ORGANIZATION SEEMS TO WANT TO TALK TO ME. I DON'T TRUST GM AFTER SOME READING I HAVE BEEN DOING HOWEVER I PLAN TO MAKE THAT CALL. THIS IS RELIVING A NIGHTMARE! *TR

IT'S VERY DISTURBING TO RECEIVE A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL. IT'S EVEN MORE DISTURBING TO BE ADVISED THAT YOUR CAR CANNOT BE REPAIRED ASAP BECAUSE "PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE." REALLY? IT'S COME TO LIGHT THIS WAS KNOWN AS FAR BACK AS 2001 AND PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE??!! EVEN BY KEEPING THE IGNITION KEY ALL BY ITSELF ON THE KEY RING IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS ISSUE WILL NOT OCCUR. THIS IS THE SECOND RECALL I'VE HAD ON THIS CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 2009. I'VE OWNED A NUMBER OF CARS IN THE PAST AND NONE OF THEM EVER FACED ANY TYPE OF RECALL WHATSOEVER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'M VERY UNHAPPY AND VERY UNIMPRESSED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED TO AND THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE GEAR SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER ARE IN THE VEHICLE OR IF NO ONE IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE AIRBAG FAILURE. THE FAILURE STILL RECURRED. THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE CODES HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED DUE TO HAVING TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO REMOVE THE KEY MORE THAN ONCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17000. *TR

I FIRST STARTED NOTICING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WHEN I FILLED MY CAR UP AND PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE . I LOOK UNDER THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK BECAUSE OF HOW STRONG THE SMELL WAS. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE IT WAS A ONE TIME THING LIKE I HAD SPILLED SOME GAS ON THE CAR WHEN I FILLED UP. I AGAIN NOTICED THE SAME THING TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN I FILLED UP. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE CAR. I CAN EVEN SMELL GAS ORDER IN A OPEN AIR PARKING LOT WHEN I WALK BY MY CAR. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE CHEVY DEALER I BOUGHT IF FROM BECAUSE OF A SERVICE BULLETIN CSC-10051936-8902 WHERE THE PLASTIC SUPPLY OR RETURN PORT ON THE FUEL PUMP CRACKS AND LEAKS FUEL OR FUEL VAPORS. FUEL VAPORS, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE. SO SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION I TOOK IF IN TO GET LOOKED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS REPAIR WAS ALREADY DONE TO MY VEHICLE BEFORE THEY SOLD IT TO ME. I TOLD THEM THAT THE SMELL IS SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO AIR OUT MY GARAGE BEFORE I STARTED MY CAR BECAUSE I'M WORRIED OUT IT. THE DEALER SERVICE REP. TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO FIX THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED IF IT WAS CRACKED AGAIN! I DON'T SEE WHY IT'S MY FAULT THAT THE PART THAT THEY REPLACED MAY STILL BE DEFECTIVE AND I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKET. THE GUY REALLY DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED CONDITION THAT COULD CAUSE A POSSIBLE FIRE. I JUST SPOKE TO GM ABOUT IT AND WAS TOLD YES THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE MY CAR INSPECTED AND IF THE SAME FUEL LINE IS CRACKED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY. NO HELP, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO AIR OUT MY GARAGE EVERY TIME I FILL UP BEFORE I START IT BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. THE GM REP. I SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE SAID THAT WHEN I GET THE LETTER FOR THE IGNITION RECALL I SHOULD MENTION IT TO THEM AGAIN. *TR