10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,706 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.

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problem #17

Apr 182014

Cobalt

  • miles
I recently acquired this vehicle, the prior owner put black tape over air bag defective message. I know that there was a recall in 2014, it states the owner was informed of the recall involving the ignition effecting the air bags. The listing codes not indicate whether the recall/ vehicle was ever serviced to correct the problem. I tend to think it was never done. I need to know how to determine, the incident describes the consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Currently on my dash, the check airbag is displayed. Original recall from the NHTSA manufacturer's report date April 18, 2014 NHTSA action number N/a potential number of units affected 2,190,934 NHTSA campaign id number 14V047000 component electrical system:ignition:switch

- Flint, MI, USA

problem #16

Jul 102020

Cobalt

  • 152,000 miles
I smelled gas. Took it to the shop. The fuel supply line was leaking. Took it to the dealer and not covered under warranty, why not" I'm having the fuel filter replaced, which is covered. Plus, my car is losing power while on the interstate. I see the electric power assist is under recall, but the dealer told me it doesn't apply to my car, why not" in motion, on the interstate. Recall no. 10V073000.

- Council Bluffs, IA, USA

problem #15

Aug 012019

Cobalt

  • 107,099 miles
The dealere wouldnt give me my plate.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #14

Feb 262019

Cobalt

  • miles
The battery of this vehicle, and even new ones from the same manufacturer, have the battery installed in the trunk from the factory. There's a brittle plastic tube that vents the toxic fumes generated by an operating battery to the outside of the car. If this tube is damaged/broken, it allows fumes to enter the trunk, and seep into the cabin. The fumes corrode your lungs, which in some cases, such as mine, leads to hypoxia, meaning that the operator of the vehicle is dizzy & confused. This issue not only affects the owners/occupants of the vehicles with this design, but could potentially endanger unsuspecting pedestrians/motorists due to the operator of a vehicle becoming incapacitated, or they may simply black out at the wheel due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. The fumes are allowed to build up in the cabin of the car if the windows are left up and the air conditioner is on recirculate. The fumes are odorless meaning that you can go about operating the vehicle for an extended period of time without noticing that there's a problem, not that it would matter since the fumes corrode the nerve in your nose that allow you to have a sense of smell. The symptoms are flu like, which may lead a victim to ignore their symptoms. In my particular instance, the fumes that were entering the cabin of my car was sulfuric acid. This design flaw could easily lead to death, if not from the highly toxic, carcinogenic fumes that are entering the cabin of the vehicle, then the confusion/dizziness that the fumes lead to, which not only endangers the operator of the vehicle, but unsuspecting pedestrians/motorists who may be in the path of a vehicle with an operator who has blacked out, or is simply confused/dizzy due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. The part number of the tube for my specific car is 15247277. Trunk batteries should be outlawed unless aftermarket.

- Mechanicsburg, PA, USA

problem #13

Nov 292018

Cobalt

  • miles
My 18-year-old daughter had a defective ignition switch in her vehicle causing her to lose control of her vehicle and crash into a ditch on today 11/29/2018 we check the recall list before we purchased her vehicle and it was listed as safe.

- Zachary, LA, USA

problem #12

May 302018

Cobalt

  • 35,000 miles
When driving at a constant rate, with constant accelerator pressure, between approximately 25 to 50 mph, the rpms jump/fluctuate causing the car to lurch and hesitate. This can be a safety hazard, particularly in icy conditions. The only way to avoid the hesitation is to actively accelerate or decelerate. There are numerous owners that have posted an identical issue on message boards and have stated that their vehicles had similar issues that were remedied by similar repair processes and that Chevrolet has altered the process used to make replacement parts as the initial parts were defective. In addition to being a safety hazard, it is also an excessive and costly burden on vehicle owners. My vehicle has only 40,000 miles on it and has been doing this since under 35,000 miles. It cannot be documented without a video. The rpms jumping is a constant and unrelenting issue when driving at a constant rate of speed between approximately 25-50 mph.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #11

Oct 102018

Cobalt

  • 84,000 miles
Suddenly will not start. Went inside the store and when I came back out it wouldnt start.

- Cabot, AR, USA

problem #10

Jun 282018

Cobalt

  • 85,000 miles
Battery keeps dying and key is stuck in ignition. Have to keep replacing battery every 8 months which are brand new 5 year battery. Fuel line was replaced but still strong odor of gas and rotting fuel line again. Safety hazard! this has been reported by a large number of people. Why is there not a recall on this"? vehicle was stationary at the time. This happens all the time so I can only put one date in here. Something is also wrong with my electrical system and the check engine light comes on all the time after diagnosing with my mechanic and having it turned off. Why isn't GM doing anything to help us"

- Oxford, MA, USA

problem #9

May 092017

Cobalt

  • miles
When you use the signal lights and you turn they don't turn off after you turn and they have to be turned off manually. This car has 57269 miles. This is a safety isue

- Reynoldsburg, OH, USA

problem #8

Aug 122016

Cobalt

  • 0 miles
The speakers no longer work in front vehicle, cannot hear any warnings such as low fuel, no seat belts, low oil etc. This could be potentially dangerous if warnings cannot be heard. Read that others have experienced this as well. Also, seat belt clip button has broken off, can still use seat belt but the clip slides to floor when not used.

- Kingston, PA, USA

problem #7

Oct 012015

Cobalt

  • 70,000 miles
For 2 to 3 months I have been smelling a strong gasoline smell and have not been able to find any leaks anywhere. This happens whether I am driving or stationary

- Burleson, TX, USA

problem #6

Nov 032015

Cobalt

  • 110,000 miles
I have made a complaint before about my car stalling when coming to a stop or idling and the issue still hasn't been fixed. Still no one can diagnose my car, even though this seems to be a very common problem. My car has now started dying when I am driving. I'll get up to a speed and suddenly my car is off on the freeway. I still have no code being thrown on my car. I have put money into the car and nothing has made a difference.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #5

Oct 072015

Cobalt

  • miles
Bought in Nov 2015 from carmax. Immediately had to flush all fluids, replace breaks, and rotors. The car shuts off. Gauges go haywire, all warning lights come on and then the power steering cuts out. The car then shuts down. This series of events happens whenever it wants to. When I've just put gas in it, on the interstate, in an intersection, in the rain, or in 85 degree weather for example. So far GMC has replaced the fuel pump or something to do with the fuel pump (I'm no mechanic, so I don't know exactly what it was) but I was told it was fixed. Obviously it's not. This problem has now happened while the vehicle is in park. I even have video graphic proof. Honestly, I'm terrified of the car and I just want rid of it with my money back. What happens when this car kills me and or other people while I'm driving it" I've set up an apt with carmax to have it looked at, but if they can't recreate the problem what then" I've got an appraiser coming out from Chevy on this Friday, October 9th. I just need someone to help me.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #4

Sep 072015

Cobalt

  • 116,500 miles
Multiple times (not only today) my vehicle did not let me open the doors, the passenger door handle had too much give and did not allow my passenger to open their (passenger) door. I had to walk around the car and try to open it from the outside, which did not work, either. After a few minutes of trying I banged my fist next to the lock, which allowed the car to open. This has also happened to me on the driver's side door. Luckily, there was not an emergency, but if there were, if we were in an accident or the car was on fire, we might have been trapped in the vehicle. Another issue the car is having is stereo problems and speaker malfunction. My front speakers do not work at all and the front left (driver speaker) is the one warning chimes come out of, including the blinker. I have researched this problem and it is a very common malfunction. It is not dangerous per SE, but a blinker left on unknowingly could easily result in an accident. I have researched both of the issues online, especially the latter is very common for Cobalt owners. I have contacted GM, and was told I need to get the vehicle diagnosed for my own money, even though it clearly is a malfunction by the parts/flaw in design to get GM customers to pay premiums for fixing parts that should not go wrong.

- Columbus, GA, USA

problem #3

Jul 302015

Cobalt

  • 92,500 miles
The air bag switched turned on and does not cut off and now the car hesitates to start up. All my recalls have been due to either electrical, steering and ignition problems. Now their is an issue witj the air bag and ignition. It chokes them starts after turning the key all the way to the right but it hesitates to start. This dudnt not happen unitl the air bags light started to stay on.

- Canal Winchester, OH, USA

problem #2

Sep 242010

Cobalt

  • 70,000 miles
Since I purchased this car I have had a problem with intermittent stalling. Backing out of a parking stall. Stopping at a red light. Slowing down. Making a turn. Turning into traffic. I have cleaned parts of the car, replaced parts of the car, looked online for the issue (I find a lot of complaints about this with no resolutions), taken it to Chevy (they find nothing wrong). Sometimes throwing the car into neutral will save it, but not always. The car is an automatic. As time has gone on it has gotten worse, but after all the recalls I have had no one can tell me what is wrong with the car. I will be making a left hand turn with traffic coming at me and the car dies. It just seems like GM needs a certain amount of people to die for an issue before they will address it.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #1

Feb 042011

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 41,900 miles
The ignition cylinder on my 08 Chevrolet colbalt imploded and I was unable to drive vehicle. I had to have it towed in and repaired. The service adviser told me there was to be a recall on this problem. Is this true" how does someone get an investigation started"

- Michigan City, IN, USA