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2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Ss

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

85 reports with mileage · 10 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

64 reports
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20,000 miles · Aug 17, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR BRAKES WEARING OUT, PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD, SQUEALS WHEN STOPPING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10350029

8,000 miles · Jul 28, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR BRAKES ON 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS WORN SIGNIFICANTLY. PARKING BRAKE HAS VERY LITTLE TENSION. GRINDING NOISE ALSO COMES FROM REAR BRAKES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10345988

13,209 miles · Jul 4, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS (MAJORITY IS COMMUTING), MY REAR ROTORS AND BRAKR PADS WERE REPLACED AT 21,259KM, QUOTE FROM SERVICE ORDER FROM MY DEALERSHIP, "REAR BRAKES AT SQUEALERS, CONFIRMED SQUEAL NOISE FROM REAR. FOUND REAR BRAKE PADS AT SQUEALERS. BOTH ROTORS BADLYSCORED. MACHINED ROTORS LR19.0MM AND RR19.10MM REPL…

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UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS (MAJORITY IS COMMUTING), MY REAR ROTORS AND BRAKR PADS WERE REPLACED AT 21,259KM, QUOTE FROM SERVICE ORDER FROM MY DEALERSHIP, "REAR BRAKES AT SQUEALERS, CONFIRMED SQUEAL NOISE FROM REAR. FOUND REAR BRAKE PADS AT SQUEALERS. BOTH ROTORS BADLYSCORED. MACHINED ROTORS LR19.0MM AND RR19.10MM REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS". THEN AT 42,465KM BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AS I COULD SMELL BURNING BRAKES FROM THE REAR END AFTER ONLY 20 MIN OF DAILY AVERAGE DRIVING . FOLLOWING IS A QUOTE FROM MY DEALERSHIP WORK ORDER, "CAUSE: SEIZED/BINDS/STICKS. FOUND REAR BRAKES @ 2MM REMAINING ON REAR INBOARD PAD. CHECKED COMPLETE HYDRAULIC SYS. CHECKED FOR ABS CODES. CHECKED FOR BULLETINS ON REAR BRAKES. CHECKED E BRAKE NO PROBLEMS FOUND. REMOVED REAR CALIPERS AND FOUND CALIPERS STICKY. NEED TO BE REPLACED BOTH REAR CALIPERS STICKY. NEED TO REPLACE BOTH REAR CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS. INNER PADS 2MM OUTBOARD 6MM AND ROTORS UNDR MIN. REPLACED BOTH REAR CALIPERS, ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. BLED BRAKE SYSTEM". THEN MY DEALERSHIP FOLLOWED WITH "THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME GM WILL REPLACE REAR BRAKES". AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IF THE REAR BRAKES ARE INADEQUATE FRO THE APPLICATION AND ARE BEING WORN OUT AND DAMAGING BRAKE PARTS EVERY 20,000KM OR SO THEN A RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH REPLACEMENTS OF AN ADEQUATE BREAKING COMPONENTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10341400

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE REAR BRAKES ON THE CHEVROLET COBALT SS ARE PURE CRAP. THEY SQUEAL PRETTY BADLY WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP, NO MATTER IF IT'S A FAST STOP OR A SLOW STOP. IT GETS EVEN LOUDER WHEN THEY GET HOT. I'VE TAKEN TO MY CAR TO THE DEALER SINCE MY 08 COBALT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY'VE TOLD ME THAT HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKES ARE SUPPOS…

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THE REAR BRAKES ON THE CHEVROLET COBALT SS ARE PURE CRAP. THEY SQUEAL PRETTY BADLY WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP, NO MATTER IF IT'S A FAST STOP OR A SLOW STOP. IT GETS EVEN LOUDER WHEN THEY GET HOT. I'VE TAKEN TO MY CAR TO THE DEALER SINCE MY 08 COBALT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY'VE TOLD ME THAT HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOUD...I'M SORRY GM, BUT NOT THIS LOUD! SO THEY ROTATED MY ROTORS, AND GAVE ME NEW BRAKES ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND IT'S STILL AS BAD AS WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10339916

12,500 miles · May 24, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

1) I DROVE MY CAR AND USED THE BRAKES. 2) SCORED BRAKES, SOUNDS LIKE A 747 COMING IN FOR A LANDING EVERY TIME I STOP. 3) NOTHING YET, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TODAY (05/24/10). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10331958

20,000 miles · May 20, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS FAIL TO RELEASE PROPERLY, CAUSING THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD TO WEAR MORE THAN TWICE AS FAST AS THE OUTSIDE PAD. THEREFORE FORCING THE REAR PADS TO BE REPLACED TWICE AS OFTEN AS THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10331325

50,000 miles · May 8, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

MY 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE CHANGED BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES (40000KM). THE ROTORS WERE HEAVILY SCORED TO A POINT WHERE THEY COULD NOT BE RESURFACED. THE PADS WERE WORN OUT UNEVENLY AND HAD A DIFFERENT LEVELS OF WEAR. THE FRONT BRAKES AT 60000 STILL HAVE LOTS OF BRAKE PAD LEFT. I REPLACED THE BRAKES MYSELF …

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MY 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE CHANGED BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES (40000KM). THE ROTORS WERE HEAVILY SCORED TO A POINT WHERE THEY COULD NOT BE RESURFACED. THE PADS WERE WORN OUT UNEVENLY AND HAD A DIFFERENT LEVELS OF WEAR. THE FRONT BRAKES AT 60000 STILL HAVE LOTS OF BRAKE PAD LEFT. I REPLACED THE BRAKES MYSELF AND DID NOT KEEP THE OLD PARTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10329385

21,000 miles · May 3, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR BRAKE PADS WORN OUT AFTER 20K MILE AND ROTOR ARE GROVED AND YOU CAN HEAR THE BRAKE PADS RUBBING METAL ON METAL. ALSO THE REAR CALIPERS AREN'T RELEASING THE REAR ROTORS CORRECTLY DUE TO CALIPER SLIDE PINS NOT BEING LUBRICATED FROM THE FACTORY. FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR ARE WEARING NORMALLY. I DROPPED MY CAR OFF AT MY LOCAL …

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REAR BRAKE PADS WORN OUT AFTER 20K MILE AND ROTOR ARE GROVED AND YOU CAN HEAR THE BRAKE PADS RUBBING METAL ON METAL. ALSO THE REAR CALIPERS AREN'T RELEASING THE REAR ROTORS CORRECTLY DUE TO CALIPER SLIDE PINS NOT BEING LUBRICATED FROM THE FACTORY. FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR ARE WEARING NORMALLY. I DROPPED MY CAR OFF AT MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR THE BRAKES TO BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IF IT WAS A CALIPER ISSUE THEN IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDERWARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10328580

14,000 miles · Apr 25, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE REAR BRAKES ON MY 2008 COBALT SS/TC WERE COMPLETELY SHOT AT AROUND 14000 MILES. THE GOUGES IN THE ROTORS WERE TOO DEEP TO GET TURNED AND I HAD TO DO A FULL BRAKE JOB ON THE REAR BRAKES BECAUSE GM SAID THAT THEY ONLY COVER THE BRAKES UNTIL 12,000 MILES. THE NEW BRAKES STILL MAKE STRANGE NOISES AND WHEN THE CAR IS IN REVERSE S…

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THE REAR BRAKES ON MY 2008 COBALT SS/TC WERE COMPLETELY SHOT AT AROUND 14000 MILES. THE GOUGES IN THE ROTORS WERE TOO DEEP TO GET TURNED AND I HAD TO DO A FULL BRAKE JOB ON THE REAR BRAKES BECAUSE GM SAID THAT THEY ONLY COVER THE BRAKES UNTIL 12,000 MILES. THE NEW BRAKES STILL MAKE STRANGE NOISES AND WHEN THE CAR IS IN REVERSE SOMETIMES A VERY LOUD SCREECH COMES FROM THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10327353

20,000 miles · Apr 22, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS IS THE REAR BRAKE PADS WEARING OUT QUICKLY UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE THE BRAKE BIAS IS SET TO THE FRONT BRAKES, THEY SHOULD WEAR OUT LONG BEFORE THE REAR BRAKES. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE HARDWARE OF THE BRAKING PACKAGE. EITHER THE CALIPER IS C…

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THE PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS IS THE REAR BRAKE PADS WEARING OUT QUICKLY UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE THE BRAKE BIAS IS SET TO THE FRONT BRAKES, THEY SHOULD WEAR OUT LONG BEFORE THE REAR BRAKES. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE HARDWARE OF THE BRAKING PACKAGE. EITHER THE CALIPER IS CAUSING THE PAD TO CONSTANTLY RUB THE ROTOR OR SOME OTHER ISSUE IS PRESENT. I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE ROTORS WERE SCORED AT ABOUT 3,000 MILES, WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. AT 20,000 MILES THE REAR PADS WERE DOWN TO THE METAL ON THE INSIDE PAD. ALSO, ITS NOT JUST A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR PADS, EVERY ROTOR ON THE CAR IS SCORED BEYOND NORMAL WEAR. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF THE 2008+ SS COBALTS, NOT WITH THE WAY THEY ARE BEING DRIVEN. GENERAL MOTORS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER, THEY TOO SAID THAT IT WAS UNEVEN WEAR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. BUT, INSTEAD OF LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, THEY SIMPLY REPLACED THE REAR PADS. THIS WAS A TEMPORARY "PATCH" NOT A FIX. IN 5,000 MILES, THEY'LL START TO WEAR AGAIN UNEVENLY. I THINK GENERAL MOTORS NEEDS TO EVALUATE THE ROTORS AND PADS ON THESE CARS. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, IS THERE AN EXCUSE FOR THE BRAKES AND ROTORS TO BE WORN OUT ON THESE CARS AT 20,000 MILES UNDER DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS. IF THE PROBLEM ONLY EFFECTED A COUPLE OF CARS, IT COULD BE BLAMED ON THE DRIVING PATTERNS OF THE OPERATOR. HOWEVER, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL THE OWNERS AS PASSED ALONG THROUGH ENTHUSIAST CAR FORUMS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10326980

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

PE20011 · Fuel Line Leak

Opened Jul 5, 2020 · Closed Aug 17, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Other:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings; Fuel/propulsion System

On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Fuel/propulsion System

On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.

Fuel System, Gasoline

On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.

Fuel System, Other:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.

PE10005 · Electric Power Steering Failure

Opened Jan 27, 2010 · Closed Jul 19, 2010

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:electric Power Assist System

In a March 1, 2010 letter, General Motors Corporation (GM) provided a defect information report to NHTSA regarding a problem that could result in sudden loss of power steering assist in certain model year (MY) 2005 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and MY 2007 through 2010 Pontiac G5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS).The letter indicates that the loss of steering assist could occur at any time while driving and that, once assist is lost, a message is displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and a chime sounds to inform the driver.The letter further states that steering control is maintained in manual mode, but would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds.In the next ignition cycle, power assist is typically regained and the DIC message is no longer displayed.GM's letter identifies the root cause of the EPS failure as the EPS motor and indicates that production of a new motor started in December 2009.GM's recall repair procedure instructs dealers to replace the EPS motor in all recalled vehicles. ODI's analysis of all information available related to sudden loss of EPS assist while driving in the MY 2005 through 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles shows current complaint and warranty rates of 323/100,000 vehicles and 0.4% respectively.In response to ODI's request for information, GM identified 81 complaints where a crash was claimed that may be related to loss of EPS assist.ODI's analysis of all crash claims was based on verifiable factors such as; whether a loss of EPS was indicated at the time of the crash by a chime or malfunction indicator lamp or if a EPS related component malfunction was identified after the crash occurred.With this method ODI identified 36 possible crashes related to EPS failure.GM assessed crash claims based on the available facts and excluded crash claims that indicated that the vehicle was travelling at speeds in the range of 30 mph or greater.GM said that it believes if power assist is lost while a vehicle is moving at speeds in the range of 30 mph or greater there is a small difference in steering efforts perceived in subjective evaluations at those speeds and it is unlikely to lead to loss of vehicle control. Based on GM's safety recall, this investigation is closed.