About three weeks after I had the steering column replaced in my Cobalt, I went to the grocery store and I couldn't get the key out of the ignition. No amount of turning the steering wheel, taking the shift out of park and putting it back in, etc. would make a difference. I had my second key with me, so I locked the car, did my shopping, came back out and drove the car to McDonalds. I still couldn't get the key out. A friend there got the key out for me, but then the key wouldn't go all the way in. I could still drive it, but the ignition was stuck between off and on. Within two days, the battery was dead. I had to borrow my friends' cars to drive to work, because the garage couldn't get me in for several days. A neighbor jump started my car, and I managed to get it to the garage. They finally discovered that it needed a new shift assembly. Apparently it's very expensive, but I had the extended warranty so I only paid $100. I thought it was foolish to buy the extended warranty, but it paid for itself in the past month. Let's hope nothing else goes wrong! Judging from what I've read on the internet, Chevrolet needs to have recalls on both the power steering and the shift assembly problems, but I asked the dealer, "Why don't they have a recall?" And they said, "Because they are bankrupt."

car just rolled over 10xxx miles and sits in the driveway lifeless all started with the car shutting off when you lowered the steering wheel, then the car started shift very hard but not downshifting at all it would stall when i slowed down, then you no longer have to apply the brake to shift from park and the shift button is permanently pushed in, next the key started sticking in the ignition now the battery is dead because the key wont make it back to the lock position but is removable in the accessory position but even when it comes out the battery still runs out... i jumped it yesterday so that i could drive it and the engine sputtered and in the display it read engine power lowered i let it idle for a while to see if the battery needed to charge but still doesn't work I'm going to get it fixed and ill update this post keep in mind the car just hit 10,000 miles. i made a sign for the car and when its drivable it will be put on, buy American but don't buy a Chevy current mileage current repair cost and problems :)

My key has gotten stuck numerous times but I was always able to get it out after I jiggled the shifter back and forth a bit. Yesterday, it was completely stuck- would not turn at all. After letting my car sit all last night & today I discovered my battery went dead.

I was looking thru the owner's manual & discovered there is a panel that comes off the bottom of the steering column & there's a button in there to push to release the key. Luckily, my car was already scheduled to go on Monday to get an inspection & also get my headlight fixed (seal is broken so it has condensation all over the inside) so now I just need to add another problem to the list. (I've also had to have my rear door handle & blinker fixed)

I don't know what I'm going to do once my warranty expires....luckily opted for the extended one.

When the key got stuck in the ignition I looked here to see if it had happened to anyone else. I took the car in for repair, over 36 months old, so not covered under warranty. When I saw that it looked like a common problem I called GM. The guy I spoke to said he did a search in their system and NO ONE else had reported this problem. I find that hard to believe. If you have had this problem, please CALL GM and report the issue. Then when they tell you that no one else has reported you can say "liar" cause I reported it on 2-26-09.

Thanks

I had the same problem right after I bought my 2005 Cobalt (brand new in June 2005). The key would stick in the ignition. I took it to the dealership 2-3 times and of course it would not stick while I was there. Finally I did some research on my own and discovered a tech bulletin had been issued stating that the fix was to replace the shifter and that some of the cars had the incorrect shifter installed. I went back to the dealer one final time and quoted the tech bulletin, which baffled the service writer since I'm just a dumb woman (another issue, but not with the car). After they replaced the shifter the problem stopped. Repair did not cost one cent as it was a factory defect.

This car is a piece of sh*t. This happened to me several times while it was under warranty. Now it continues to happen as it is out of warranty. I would advise anyone considering this car to skip it. The value of the car is less than face value to trade in and twice as much to maintain and fix. In addition to this recent issue my car would: -Halt and turn off in the middle of me driving -Get the key stuck in the ignition -Air conditioner broken -Windows scratching, motorized incorrectly -Lights malfunctioning -Piston problems All within 6 months of purchasing the vehicle.