10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
49 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
30 / 5
Average Mileage:
65,369 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #161

Jun 062009

Cobalt

  • 19,798 miles
I have a 2005 Chevy Cobalt. Went out out driveway and the power steering light came on. Drove back down and called the dealership. They said it was ok to drive it, the light just comes on. Had me test it and see if the ps did fail, which it didn't. went to drive it the next day or so and the check engine light came on. At that point we went to the dealership to see about the car being towed for repairs. After looking it over, the dealership said they would have to replace the steering column. From what I'm reading, this isn't an isolated incident with the Cobalts.

- Greensburg, PA, USA

problem #160

Jul 102009

Cobalt

  • 68,200 miles
I currently own a 2005 Chevy Cobalt, and up until now, I have been pretty satisfied. However, recently since I have hit over 60,000 miles, my power steering light comes on and then I lose control of the vehicle. The wheel is nearly impossible to turn. This has almost caused me to wreck on 4 different occasions. When I turn the car off and then back on, it goes away for awhile, but then always seems to lock back up again. You would think that the only thing you would need to do is add power steering fluid, but unfortunately this car doesn't have that, it is all electrical. I have done some research online and have noticed that I am not the only one with this problem. There are in fact hundreds, if not more with the same problem occurring. This is a very dangerous and costly problem($700-$1500), and of course I'm not covered under the warranty anymore, along with almost everyone else experiencing this problem. I just don't understand how headlights can be recalled, but something as serious as your steering not. This is a serious issue that should be addressed before someone loses their life over a faulty electric power steering problem. I have called a few dealerships in my area and every single one of them have said that there have been many cases exactly like mine, if they notice this defect, then why can't the people who make the decision to recall do something about it.

- New Port Richey, FL, USA

problem #159

Jun 272009

Cobalt

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. Approximately two weeks ago, the power steering indicator illuminated while driving 55 mph. The power steering failed immediately after the indicator appeared. The contact experienced difficulty controlling the vehicle and believed that this was a safety hazard. The failure mileage was 150,000.

- Pope Air Force Base, NC, USA

problem #158

Jun 162009

Cobalt

  • 43,572 miles
I bought a 2005 Chevy Cobalt lt sedanfrom carmax in June 2008. Since I have had it the power steering has frozen numerous time during driving, locking up while going 45 mph is very dangerous to say the least. I have taken this car back to the dealer and they claim not to find anything wrong with the car. Now the power steering will lock up one day and the next day it will be fine for two-three weeks, then the same thing will happen again only worse. First time it happened, the power steering was slow to respond and the transmission was jerky. The second time, the power steering was hard to turn the lights came on in the drivers info center indicating a problem and the transmission started making clicking noises. The third time the power steering actually froze during driving, all the dashboard lights came on and the transmission, speed odometer all were acting if there was water in the gas or something meaning it was not responding when I put my foot on the gas. I have taken it back to carmax, they acknowledge a problem, but they "cant fix", they then say it has to be taken to a GM dealer who say they cant detect a problem during a diagnostic test. This a very dangerous situation and a very dangerous car to drive. I have refused to drive unless they fix the power steering, they have kept my car waiting for it to "duplicate" the problem which is ridiculous. This car needs to be recalled and that power steering system replaced. GM knows that this is a huge problem but refuses to now even listen to any complaints now that they are in bankruptcy. But this car definitely needs to be recalled before someone is killed.

- Roswell, GA, USA

problem #157

Jul 082009

Cobalt

  • 36,500 miles
My 2005 Chevy Cobalt is having some power steering issues which seems to be a very common problem however the GMC/Chevy dealerships are charging horrific prices for diagnostics and repairs when the is common in most if not all Cobalts.....

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #156

Jun 152009

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 70 mph, the power steering failed. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop and it was confirmed that the power steering failed. In addition, the power steering warning light illuminated. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not covered for the repair; however, it has not yet been repaired. The failure occurs intermittently. Through online research, the contact discovered numerous consumers experiencing the same failure. The failure mileage was 57,000 and current mileage was 57,005. Updated 8/28/09 updated 09/03/09.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #155

Jul 082009

Cobalt

  • 40,548 miles
I was at a stop sign and pulled out to negotiate a turn when my car seemed to stop. The car then started to move slowly, but I had a difficult time turning the wheel. The words "power steering" appeared in the service messages area.. I was able to reach home but negotiating the turns was like driving a manual car. I called my local dealership who told me to bring it in. I took it to my local dealership this morning, and the steering seemed normal, with no error messages appearing. This afternoon, I was told that the code indicated I needed a new steering column. Car is in the garage now and a new steering column will be put in by tomorrow. Cost quoted to replace the column is $500 plus change. I also E-mailed General Motors and hope for a response.

- Coal Township, PA, USA

problem #154

Jul 022009

Cobalt

  • 49,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving various speeds, the power steering fails and cannot be maneuvered. The contact stated that the steering has failed while driving to her residence, which is located on a curved road. The GM manufacturer advised her to get the vehicle diagnosed and to call them back with the results. The contact has been trying to reach the GM representative, but he is refusing to take her call. The failure mileage was 49,000.

- Luray, VA, USA

problem #153

Jun 172009

Cobalt

  • 68,000 miles
I bought a 2005 Chevy Cobalt at a locate dealership. After 3 months the power steering turns off at random. It started when I was entering a freeway at a curb and all of a sudden I notice the car was pulling straight because the power steering was out. I almost lost control of the car because of this. I took the car to the dealership that I bought it to, and they said it's not part of the extended warranty, and I would have to pay for labor and parts cost. The failure happens basically if I have been driving my car more than 30 minutes and the dealership did not do anything to correct the failure. There numerous complaints on Chevy Cobalts regarding the power steering failure through researched, and I can not believe it has not been recalled.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #152

Jul 022009

Cobalt

  • 76,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving various speeds, the power steering light would illuminate and the steering would become very difficult to maneuver. The failures occurred without warning. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 76,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #151

Jul 052009

Cobalt

  • 39,000 miles
The electric assist power steering failed while driving AT40 to 50 miles an hour.it forced me over to the side of the road, I was lucky I was in a open area, I didn't hit any thing. I turned the car of waited a few minutes turned it back on and it worked fine. This is the second time this has happened and a similar. Incident when it stalled on a railroad track. They checked the ground and replaced the fuse block. I searched the internet and this seems to be a common problem with many GM electric assist power steering units. This is a very dangerous condition. I do not have the part.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #150

Jun 192009

Cobalt

  • 641,000 miles
Was driving out of parking deck at work when power steering went out. This happens on a daily basis and is dangerous. Checked and found out this is a major complaint of 2005 Cobalts. Expense to have repaired is not an option at this time. Safety hazard not knowing when it will go out each day.

- Maumelle, AR, USA

problem #149

Jul 012009

Cobalt

  • 80,000 miles
Failure of power steering. I will be driving and my power steering will fail while I am driving down the road. This problem happens daily alomst everytime I drive. Happens more frequently after a U-turn or sharp turn and during hot days.

- Taylorsville, UT, USA

problem #148

May 302009

Cobalt

  • Manual transmission
  • 107,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering indicator illuminates periodically. When this occurs, all power steering is lost and the vehicle becomes very difficult to steer. The contact must turn off the vehicle and restart it in order to reset itself. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the power steering control module was out of warranty; therefore, they would not pay for the repair. The contact will call the manufacturer for assistance. There was no recall for the steering wheel. The failure mileage was 107,000. Updated 07/08/09 updated 07/08/09.

- Sycamore, AL, USA

problem #147

Jun 212009

Cobalt

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving between 25-30 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Immediately, a chime sounded inside the vehicle. There was a loss of power steering and the steering column locked. The driver experienced extreme difficulty steering the vehicle, which resulted in greater effort to turn the steering wheel. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The contact pulled the vehicle over into a parking lot and then turned off and restarted the engine. The vehicle restarted and resumed normal operation. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 50,000.

- Winter Haven, FL, USA

problem #146

Jun 152009

Cobalt

  • 62,000 miles
2005 Chevy Cobalt power steering failure.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #145

Jun 062009

Cobalt

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering fails sporadically at any speed. The dealer stated that she would have to pay $700 for the repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 82,000.

- Paris, IL, USA

problem #144

Jun 152009

Cobalt

  • 72,100 miles
I own a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, and about a month ago I was driving down a country road when my "power steering" message was displayed on my dashboard stating it had shutoff. This then lead to my car trying to shut itself off in the middle of the road going 55 miles per hour. The gauges were flashing, radio was flashing, the car would not shift gears and was rocking back and forth, and I couldn't really steer the car. After I was able to get it under control and stopped and shutoff it seemed to reset the system and I had no problems until a few days ago. I was driving on a very busy interstate during rush hour while going about 80 miles per hour, and the situation happened again except I was nearly in a collision with semi truck trailers, it took all I had to get it off the road without hitting anything. This scared me to death. This time the system did not reset, but I was able to limp it to the Chevy dealer near my apartment. Come to find out it was the :body control module" that was bad. It cost me $508 dollars to fix this one issue. Two weeks ago I had to take it in for a lower left front control arm bushing that was bad, and also the shifter solenoid was bad, and I had spent nearly $1100 for all of those safety issues as well.

- West Chester, PA, USA

problem #143

Jun 152009

Cobalt

  • 60,800 miles
Power steering stopped working along with thousands of other Cobalt owners. I haven't replaced it yet. After reading other forums the car is doomed to do it again. I have had the standards factory cd player replaced 4 times. First at 12K miles, finally last time at 60K. The key becomes locked in the ignition daily. I have to reach a finger in the whole underneath the steering column to hit the key release button. Just a poorly made car and everything goes out right after the warranty.

- Lone Jack, MO, USA

problem #142

Jun 102009

Cobalt

  • 80,000 miles
2005 Chevy Cobalt, power steering randomly goes out in my vehicle while driving. I can turn the car off and when I restart usually it is fixed but light comes on and steering goes out without warning. This seems very dangerous, fortunately haven't wrecked yet. Cost to fix about $2,000. Looked up on internet and about 400 other comments and complaints on 1 website regarding same problem. Sounds like recall should be issued!

- Anderson, SC, USA

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