10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 34 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 32 / 1
- Average Mileage:
- 75,036 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. Consumer write in regards to ignition key and dealership problems. The consumer stated the vehicle stalled on a constant basis. She felt as though the dealer was giving her the run-around.
- Baytown, TX, USA
While traveling about 30-40 mph, lost control of car, could not steer, crashed through trees, car totaled. Air bags did not deploy.
- Annapolis, MD, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign id number: 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system). The contact stated that the part was unavailable to do the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- Hawaian Garden, CA, USA
I rented this brand new Cobalt 4 months after hurricane katrina from mobile Alabama, so as to go back to my home town of san francisco, ca. By the time I made it through los angeles, at around 430 am. I lost control of car due to severe stiffness in the steering. Which led to the vehicle running off of I-5 heading North bound at a speed of 60 miles per hour. Visibility was good, I veered off the freeway into the median portion of I-5, and I tried to slow down but no response which led me to roll over few times, end to end and over and over, luckily I was wearing my seat belt and it held very well, suprisingly, no airbags, none of them deployed, and all the windows blew out, and not the reinforced kind including the front wind shield. The ambulance came, and so did the California highway patrol. There is a report about it which indicates that no airbags were deployed, and I do have pictures of car after incident. I had few bumps and bruises and had few cuts from the glass on my arms and legs, and I had to acquire a few rounds of physical therapy and accupuncture.but luckily I was in good spirits.the car was covered under 3 insurances, which paid for some damage, including my discover card, and my grandma's aarp. And the rental car company.
- Ocean Springs, MS, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the ignition key continued to get stuck in the ignition. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA recall campaign number 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system); however, the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, they could not duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
- Flushing, MI, USA
TL- the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign numbers: 14V171000 (electrical system) and14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) had passed a reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was not notified that the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled away on several occasions. The failure was related to the recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was not available.
- Wilkes- Barre, PA, USA
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. Consumer writes in regards to a customer reimbursement request form. The consumer was involved in an accident. During the accident, the vehicle shut off. Also, the air bag did not deploy. It was confirmed, the vehicle was included in the current GM recall. The vehicle was totaled.
- Westfield, IN, USA
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall notice. The consumer stated the first week of owning the vehicle, it would not start. When she called the dealer, the told her to move the steering wheel up and down and tap on the accelerator pedal. There were times through out the years, where the vehicle would not start. Also, the vehicle would pull to the left, the oil pan was leaking, the ignition switch was replaced, the left turn signal was inoperable, and the oxygen sensor was replaced.
- Troy, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id numbers: 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) and14V171000 (electrical system) however, the part needed was unavailable to perform the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- Port Orchard, WA, USA
TL - the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph trying to avoid a pothole, the driver crash into the vehicle in front of him and the air bags failed to deployed. A police report was filed. The driver sustained injuries to his chest, back and laceration to the face. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who decided to send an engineer to inspect the vehicle. The failure and current mileage was 130,000.
- Sumter, SC, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) but was informed that the part needed was unavailable. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. The approximate current mileage was 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- Holden, MO, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The key failed to turn and could not be removed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The contact received the recall notification related to NHTSA campaign id number 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) but the part was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate mileage was 87,000.
- Buckhannon, WV, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and the contact crashed. The contact was unable to recall what he crashed into. Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact suffered neck and back injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact received the recall notification related to NHTSA campaign id number 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure of mileage was unknown.
- Romney, WV, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that she attempted to have the vehicle repaired under NHTSA campaign number:14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) but was made aware that parts were not available for the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- San Bernardino, CA, USA
My daughter was on her way to work and was unable to stop andhit the rear end of the vehicle in front of her. The car shut off... she did what the recall was told to do and had just the key in the ignition... luckily she was able to turn on the car to get out of traffic and she was not going too fast the seatbelts did not work and the airbag did not work as well.. also before we knew about the recall her ignition was messing up by not able to completely turn off while in park and key would not come out... we have to shift gears and turn off and on the car to get the key loose... so now we are down a car, I paid the car in full and its now not drivable... ??
- Tyler, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact received a recall notice and was waiting for further notification. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and who made minor repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000 miles. The current mileage was 13,252 miles. Updated 6/17/14
- Hanover Park, IL, USA
My Cobalt, which is now totaled, was in a highway accident and the car malfunctioned. The front end of the car collided into the rear end of pickup truck and then went out of control and the left side of the car smashed into the concrete guardrail. At some point during the crash, the car shut off and the airbags never deployed. When the car finally stopped, my fianc was unable to turn it back on and had to push it off the busy highway before someone else hit the car.
- Orlando, FL, USA
I was stopped at a red signal for a few minutes. Suddenly, a university of buffalo student hit my car from the rear at full force. He was texting and when he got out of the car he was still texting. He admitted it was his fault because he was not looking at the road and was texting on his phone. I called the police and obtained a police report. The air bags did not work. My mom and I were jolted forward at full force with back and neck trauma. My car stalled on impact of the other car. Luckily my foot was on the brake and I did not hit the car in front of me. I had to restart my car and I pulled the car over to the side of the road in order to not block the busy street. I complained that my air bags did not work but I was ignored. Also, the ignition switch had turned off the car which I thought was strange.
- Amherst, NY, USA
Was heading to work when the Chevy Cobalt suddenly shut off, causing me to lose power brakes, power steering, and causing the air bags not to deploy when I went straight threw a stop sign impacting into a snow bank.
- Frederic, MI, USA
- Amherst, NY, USA