Steering. Review the 1,143 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 323 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 99 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

97 crash reports12 fire reports57 injury reports

Steering complaints

1,143 reports

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40,100 miles · Mar 23, 2009

Steering

I PURCHASED MY 2005 CHEVY COBALT A LITTLE OF A YEAR AGO. I ONLY HAVE 46,000 MILES ON IT AND MY POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT OF IT. I AM NOW TOLD THAT IT WILL COST ME OVER 1,000 DOLLARS TO GET IT FIXED WHICH I CAN NOT AFFORD. I HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE POWER STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10262845

Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2009

Steering

2005 CHEVROLET COBALT - POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10262748

60,000 miles · Mar 11, 2009

Steering

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THE POWER STEERING ON MY 05 COBALT KEEPS GOING OUT I DRIVE AND ALL THE SUDDEN MY POWER STEERING FAILS AND ITS HARD TO TURN AND BOUNCES ALL OVER THE ROAD I TURN THE CAR OFF AND START IT AGAIN AND IT GOES AWAY IT DOES AT RANDOM TIMES MORE OFTEN IN WARM WEATHER I BOUGHT THE CAR FOR MY WIFE AND SHE CANT DRIVE BECAUSE OF AND IM STILL PAYING ON THE NOTE CHEVY FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFICIENCY THE STEERING COLUMN HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND PROBLEM STILL EXIST A RECALL IS DUE BECAUSE THE COST OF REPAIR IS AROUND 2500 DOLLARS MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10261586

68,400 miles · Mar 5, 2009

Steering

POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND POWER STEERING FAILS WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY CARS POWER WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND MY CAR WOULD GO FROM 70MPH TO 10 MPH IN ABOUT HALF A SECOND WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. I WILL NEVER BUY A COBALT AGAIN. I HAD THE ISSUE FI…

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NHTSA ODI #10260887

40,000 miles · Mar 5, 2009

Steering

POWERSTEERING ON MY CAR KEEPS COMING ON. AND MAKES ALOT OF NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10260779

48,000 miles · Mar 2, 2009

Steering

2005 CHEVROLET COBALT NEAR 50,000 ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED. DEALER DENIES EVEN KNOWING SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTS DESPITE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOUND BY OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL ON THE INTERNET. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE ON A VERY CURVY AND DANGEROUS ROAD. LUCKILY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10260467

71,000 miles · Feb 26, 2009

Steering

PICKED UP CHILD FROM DAYCARE AND WHILE TURNING TO GET OUT OF FACILITY POWER STEERING INDICATOR SHOWED ON DIGITAL READ-OUT. WHEEL LOCKED AND TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER PARENT AND CHILD, TURNED WHEEL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE ( VERY DIFFICULT ) TO AVOID COLLISION AND HIT CURB. SLIGHT DAMAGE TO RIM. VEHICLE PURCHASED FROM LICENSED CHEVY DE…

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NHTSA ODI #10260037

45,000 miles · Feb 23, 2009

Steering

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PROBLEM, WHILE DRIVING 2005 CHEVY COBALT, POWER STEERING LIGHT APPEARS ON DASH WARNING, AND POWER STEERING TURNS OFF MAKING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPEN A FEW TIME WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, PUT MY HAZARDS ON, TURNED OFF THE CAR, THEN RESTARTED IT AGAIN, AND THE POWERING STEERING WAS BACK. THIS IS OCCURRING MY FREQUENTLY, AND SINCE I DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY DAILY, IT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, MY CAR IS UNSAFE. I WILL HAVE TO PICK TO MECHANIC TO HAVE FIXED SOMEHOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10259726

39,000 miles · Feb 19, 2009

Electrical SystemSteering

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FIRST EXPERIENCED WARNING ON DISPLAY PANEL FOR POWER STEERING FAILURE AUGUST 08. HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES SINCE THAT TIME. 2ND TIME DEALER REPLACED SOME WIRES. 3RD TIME STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. HAVE LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF STEERING 3 TIMES SINCE FIRST OCCURRENCE. YESTERDAY DEALER STATED CAR WAS NOT FIXABLE. BEING ADVISED BY GM TO CLEAR ERROR CODES AND RETURN CAR TO OWNER. ADVISED I CONTACT BBB TO PURSUE A CLAIM. CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10259304

30,800 miles · Feb 16, 2009

Steering

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EPS GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE SENT ME TO DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETED FOR 85.00 + TAX. DECLINED DIAGNOSTIC AS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. ASKED WHY THE MALIBU AND G6 HAD AND EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ESP BUT THE SAME WAS NOT EXTENDED FOR THE COBALT AS IT IS THE SAME UNIT. DEALER ADVISED HE COULD NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION. SPOKE WITH CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT CHARGES AND DEFECTIVE ESP. THEY STATED THEY WOULD SEND THE INFORMATION TO A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE WHO WOULD DETERMINE WHAT ACTION TO TAKE AS FAR A REIMBURSEMENT. CHEVY CASE NUMBER 71-702497036. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ODI -NHTSA WILL NOT TAKE ACTION, IF THE CONSUMERS NEED TO BRING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST GM AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THE EPS UNIT BEFORE OF AFTER LIVES ARE LOST? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10258814

Official recalls

14V171000 · Electrical System:ignition

Apr 10, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.

14V047000 · Air Bags; Electrical System:ignition:switch

Feb 10, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

Consequence & remedy

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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags

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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Electrical System:ignition:switch

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.

10V073000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 3, 2010

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 CHEVROLET COBALT AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 PONTIAC G5 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS ARE BEING NOTIFIED ON A ROLLING BASIS BETWEEN MARCH 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2010. A COPY OF THE MAILING SCHEDULE IS LOCATED IN THE RECALL FILE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

07V014000 · Structure

Jan 18, 2007

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ROOF-MOUNTED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, 'OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT.'

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN A CRASH, HEAD IMPACT PROTECTION MAY BE INADEQUATE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ENERGY ABSORBING PLASTIC TO THE HEADLINER TRIM TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF HEAD IMPACTS IN A CRASH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 21, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

04V560000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Nov 22, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE BULB SHIELDS INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMPS CAN LOOSEN DUE TO VIBRATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE BULB SHIELD CAN LOOSEN OR BREAK BECAUSE OF VIBRATION. IF THIS OCCURRED ON A HEADLAMP INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE, ONCOMING DRIVERS MAY NOTICE ADDITIONAL GLARE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL TWO NEW HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

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

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.