2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE HAD THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED BUT CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

MY 2005 CHEVY COBALT HAS BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST SOUNDS AS IF SOMETHING WAS LOOSE AND HITTING SOMETHING ELSE IS THE ONLY WAY I KNOW TO DESCRIBE IT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE DROVE IN MY CAR THOUGHT IT WAS BAD SHOCKS OR STRUTS, BUT THOSE HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND WORKING FINE. IT MAKES THE NOISE WHILE DRIVING, HITTING NORMAL BUMPS IN THE ROAD, ETC. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE REPLACED SOME LOWER ARM BUSHINGS IN THE FRONT END. BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HE LOOKED AT A SERVICE BULLETIN AND NARROWED MY PROBLEM DOWN TO TWO THINGS. ONE BEING THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS PART WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED BY MY LOCAL DEALER WHEN CHEVY PUT OUT A RECALL ON IT. THE OTHER PART WAS THE STEERING GEAR THAT TURNS THE WHEEL. HE SAID THIS COULD COST UP TO $500 TO REPLACE AND DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE AND THAT NOT BE IT. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE IT ANY WAY. HE SAID HE DID NOT SEE A SAFETY ISSUE DRIVING THE CAR AS IS FOR NOW. BUT I WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM IN CASE OTHERS WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES SO A RECALL CAN BE DONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V073000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM). AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE REPAIRS, A FEW WEEKS LATER THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE ACTUAL FAILURE WAS THE ECM AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN BY ANOTHER PERSON. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND THE DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE, WHERE SHE WAS RUN OVER BY OTHER PASSING VEHICLES AND FATALLY INJURED. THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. IN APRIL 2010, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM) AND BELIEVED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REMOVED THE BLACK BOX FOR INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT NOTIFIED THE CONTACT OF ANY OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON, POWER STEERING GOES OUT, ALL DISPLAY LIGHTS BEGIN GOING OFF AND ON, SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES GO CRAZY, CLICKING NOISE IN DASH, CAR SPUTTERS WHEN STOPPING AND JERKS REAL HARD WHEN BEGINNING TO RESUME DRIVING AFTER STOPPING. ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME, NOT ALWAYS JUST OFF AND ON, NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO HAPPEN. HAD RECALL ON POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR, HAD THAT REPLACED AT 70,558 MILES, STARTING HAVING SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. HAD STEERING COLUMN, SHAFT AND LINK REPLACED AT 73,117 MILES. CAR SEEMED OK FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN AGAIN AT 73,900 MILES SAME PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING AGAIN. CONTACTED GM, WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS DONE SO ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS NOW IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. HAVE SEEN 100'S OF OTHER COMMENTS FROM COBALT OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE AND GM. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY MORE OF A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES THAN JUST THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR. SOMETHING MORE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AND DONE WITH THIS ISSUE. IT IS AND OR CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WHEN OCCURRING (STEERING GOING OUT AT ANYTIME) LIKE I'VE SEEN ON MANY COMMENTS FROM OTHERS, DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? GM STATES THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A 5 STAR SAFETY RATING BUT YET THEY DON'T WANT TO FIX A PROBLEM AS SERIOUS AS THIS. I LIKE MANY OTHERS CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP FIXING THIS PROBLEM JUST TO KEEP HAVING IT RE-OCCUR. I HAD TO PAY OUT $950 A MONTH AGO AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE AM NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I HAD TO BORROW MONEY TO HAVE THE FIRST REPAIRS DONE AND HAVE NO WAY TO HAVE IT DONE THIS TIME (CAN'T AFFORD IT) SO NOW AGAIN LIKE I'VE SEEN MANY OTHERS COMMENT I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE AROUND IN A VEHICLE THAT'S STEERING COULD AND WILL GO OUT AT ANYTIME. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO FIND OUT OR HAVE DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. A VERY CONCERNED AND SCARED DRIVER. THANK YOU! *TR

WITH NO ADVANCED SIGNS OR WARNING (MILEAGE AT 99,930), UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR'S RPM REVVED UP AND DOWN AND WANTED TO STALL. THE FUEL GAUGE JUMPED BACK AND FORTH. THERE WAS A CONSTANT CLICKING IN THE GEAR SHIFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED INTO PLACE WHERE I COULD NOT TURN IT. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES BEFORE EVERYTHING SEEMED TO GO BACK TO NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE. THE NEXT TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS WHEN MILEAGE WAS AT 99960. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT STOPPING AND STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SECURITY WARNING LIGHTS WENT OUT AND I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR TO DRIVE, ONLY TO BE PRACTICALLY JERKED OUT OF MY SEAT WITH HARD SHIFTING AND ACTING LIGHT IT WANTED TO STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED ON THE ENTIRE DRIVE THERE. ONCE THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RECREATED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEREFORE I WAS SENT ON MY WAY WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG. THE NEXT REPEAT EVENT OCCURRED 3 WEEKS LATER (MILEAGE 100,450) BUT CORRECTED ITSELF WITH SEVERAL OFF/ON OF THE ENGINE. NEXT OCCURRENCE AGAIN AT 100,600 WITH SAME RESULTS. THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, BUT I DID ASK THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING AND HE SAID IF IT DID, I WOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. PERSONALLY, I DO NOT WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS WHILE DRIVING 55-65 MPH! THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS COULD BE A COSTLY FIX SINCE IT IS A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION AND NO GUARANTEES EACH TIME WHATEVER THEY TRIED WOULD FIX IT...NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE COMING FROM THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP MECHANIC!! *LN

I TOOK MY CAR TO A CHEVY DEALER FOR SAFETY RECALL 10023 AFTER I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND I HEARD BEEPING AND THE 'POWER STEERING' APPEARED IN THE CONSOLE. ONCE THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON, THE GEARS HAD A SLAMMING SOUND AND THE CAR WOULD ONLY DRIVE 10 MPH AT MAX SPEED. THE DAY I PICKED IT UP, THE SAME THING HAPPENED A MILE AWAY FROM THE DEALER BUT THIS TIME I HEARD THE CLICKING SOUND THE BRAKE WILL MAKE WHEN YOU TAKE THE CAR OUT OF PARK, SHOOK THE ENTIRE CAR WHEN THE GEARS SHIFTED, DROVE ONLY 10 MPH AND FELT LIKE IT WOULD STALL IF I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I PULLED IT OVER IN A PARKING LOT AND IMMEDIATELY HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER WHO, THE NEXT DAY AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR AGAIN, TOLD ME HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. FED UP WITH THIS DEALER, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE IT INSPECTED, AGAIN NOTHING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AT ALL NOW. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THERE CAN BE SO MANY PERSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, YET NO MECHANICS CAN SAY THERE IS AN ISSUE. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT SHOULD ONLY COME ON WHEN THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND FOR ONE TO NOT BE DETECTED IS VERY FRUSTRATING. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS NOW AND HAVE GOTTEN NO CLOSER TO FEELING SAFE WITH ME OR MY FAMILY INSIDE OF IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE AND POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WITHIN MOMENTS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OPERATING AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

*PLEASE NOTE...THE INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATE. WE HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT SEDAN THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING MOTOR INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. WE HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING PRIOR TO THE RECALL BEING PERFORMED. AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED, WE BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE - PLUS ADDITIONAL FAILURES. UPON START-UP, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NO POWER STEERING, AND HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RETRY NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. IN ADDITION TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATING RANDOM CLICKING OF THE BRAKE SAFETY INTERLOCK RELAY / ACTUATOR (WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE). CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TRANSMISSION GOING INTO "LIMP MODE"..."SLAMMING" INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK - OR IMPROPER SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING. RANDOM DASH GAUGE FAILURE RANDOM FAILURES OF THE "DRIVER'S INFORMATION CENTER" - FLASHING, ETC. THIS WAS INITIALLY HAPPENING ONLY UPON START-UP...BUT STARTED HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING AS WELL - NEARLY LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY URBAN STREET. SHE WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO DRIFT INTO THE TURN LANE AND COME TO A STOP TO AVOID A COLLISION AND LIKELY SERIOUS INJURY TO HERSELF AND OTHERS, AS IT WAS VIRTUALLY UNCONTROLLABLE. IN ADDITION TO THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING (WHILE DRIVING), THE TRANSMISSION ALSO WENT INTO "LIMP MODE", CAUSING VERY HARD SHIFTING AND MUCH DIFFICULTY IN DRIVABILITY. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I AM 6'3", 260LBS., AND I WAS STRUGGLING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER COBALT OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME SET OF "SYMPTOMS". IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MOTOR REPLACEMENT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, AND - IN SOME CASES - MAY BE LEADING TO FURTHER PROBLEMS AS IN OUR CASE. THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS! *TR