2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 2005 COBALT ON A US ROUTE WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55. THIS ROAD IS VERY HILLY AND CURVY. SHE WAS GOING UP A HILL AND WAS APPROACHING A CURVE, SO SHE TOOK HER FOOT OF THE GAS. SUDDENLY, THE CAR SHUT DOWN. SHE LOST POWER, POWER STEERING, EVERYTHING. SHE MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE BRIM OF THE ROAD. THE KEY WAS STILL ON. SHE TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON. THE ONLY THING SHE NOTICED DIFFERENT ON HER GAUGES, WAS THE COOLANT READ 223, IT NORMALLY RUNS 184-196. SHE HAD NO CELL PHONE SERVICE, SO SHE STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE TO HER GRANDMOTHER'S. EVERY TIME THE CAR SHIFTED GEARS (AN AUTOMATIC), IT JERKED AND LURCHED. SHE WAS SCARED TO DEATH. I CONTACTED THE GM DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND TOOK IT RIGHT OVER, DRIVING VERY SLOW. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS, AND NOTHING SHOWED UP ON THE COMPUTER. I CONTACTED GM WHO FEEL THAT IF THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING, THEY CAN'T FIX IT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR MYSELF, LET ALONE LET MY DAUGHTER DRIVE IT. I BEGAN RESEARCHING ON THIS SITE, AND HAVE FOUND TWELVE OTHER CASES, LISTED UNDER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM-IGNITION, IGNITION SWITCH ,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DEFECTS, AND EVEN UNDER ENGINE & ENGINE COOLING. THEY ALL DID NOT SHOW ANY THING ON THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS, THE CARS JUST SHUT OFF ON THEM AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. SO FAR NO ONE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN INJURED, BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE GOING 65 MPH ON AN EXPRESSWAY WITH A SEMI NEXT TO YOU AND THIS HAPPENS? *NM

12/26/05 AT 3:30 P.M. ON INTERSTATE I-495/WILMINGTON, DE BYPASS. ROAD STRAIGHT WITH NO DEBRIS AND DRY. HEADING SOUTHBOUND IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A THREE LANE DIVIDED ROAD. GAURDRAILS ON BOTH SIDES. DOING 65 MPH/SPEED LIMIT. CENTER LANE WAS A WALMART SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER DOING 62 MPH. IN FRONT OF MY LANE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WERE TWO CARS ABOUT 5 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD. MY CAR JERKED RADICALLY TO THE RIGHT AND THEN BACK TO THE LEFT TWICE IN RAPID SUCCESSION. THE CAR THEN JERKED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT FRONT OF THE CAR IMPACTED THE BACK BUMPER OF THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK DRIVER FELT A BUMP AND STARTED TO BRAKE. MY CAR ROTATED CLOCKWISE UNTIL I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD BACKWARDS ABOUT 50-55 MPH IN THE FIRST LANE ALONGSIDE THE STOPPING TRUCK. THE CAR PULLED AGAIN TO THE RIGHT AND THE REAR OF MY CAR IMPACTED THE GUARDRAIL. THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AND I FELT COLD AIR. THE CAR ROTATED AGAIN, THIS TIME COUNTER-CLOCKWISE UNTIL I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD BACKWARDS AGAIN. SPEED WAS ABOUT 30-35 MPH AT THIS TIME. THE CAR AGAIN PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND THERE WAS NO GUARDRAIL. MY CAR CAME TO A STOP IN THE GREEN STRIP IN THE CENTER OF THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE FACING SOUTHBOUND. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS DAMAGED AND I HAD TO FORCE IT OPEN TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD COME OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABOUT 50 FEET AWAY ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. ALL FOUR LUG NUTS WERE STILL ON THE TIRE AND IT WAS STILL INFLATED. THE DELAWARE STATE POLICE RESPONDED AND FILED A REPORT. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER TOOK PICTURES OF THE CAR AT THE TOWING FACILITY YARD AND THE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT SIDE OF THE CAR AND THE REAR. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR WAS BASICALLY INTACT. LEFT SIDE OF CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED INCLUDING THE BRAKE DRUM, SHOCK, SPRING, AXLE, HOUSING AND ALL RODS AND CONNECTIONS. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *NM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE. WHEN FIRST BOUGHT CAR, THE FAN FOR THE HEATER WOULD NOT WORK. FINALLY, DEALERSHIP TOOK PARTS OUT OF A BRAND NEW VEHICLE, SINCE THERE WERE NO PARTS MADE YET DUE TO IT BEING BRAND NEW, AND REPLACED IT. BUT, IT STILL MAKES A WHINING WHEN IT IS ON #1 SETTING. THE CD PLAYER WOULD LOCK UP ALL THE TIME AND SIMPLY SAY "LOCKED". ACCORDING TO USER MANUAL, WE ARE ADVISED TO TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY WILL FIX THAT PROBLEM. UPON TAKING CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR THAT PROBLEM, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT BECAUSE OF COURSE, IT DID NOT DO IT FOR THEM. SO, WE STOPPED TRYING TO EVEN USE THE CD PLAYER. THE LOCKED STATUS OCCURS FREQUENTLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LIKE, WHEN GOING OVER A REAL BUMPY PART OF THE ROAD. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LOCK BUTTON APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. I WAS AFRAID THE CAR WAS GOING TO TURN OFF ON ME. SOMETIMES THE WORD "LOCK" COMES ON IN THE RADIO DISPLAY AND SO THE CLOCK WON'T DISPLAY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG OR WHY IT IS DISPLAYED. THE REAL SCARY PART, THOUGH, IS WHEN THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS THE "LOCK" ICON. BECAUSE I FEAR THAT THE VEHICLE WILL JUST STOP RUNNING SINCE I READ THAT IT DOES HAVE AN ANTI-THEFT FUNCTION THAT WILL STOP THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO THE CAR AND I WONDER IF/WHEN THIS WILL BEGIN MALFUNCTIONING. WILL I BE ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 65 MPS? I MEAN, MORE PEOPLE NEED TO LET CHEVY KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING SO THAT IT CAN BE FIXED. LATELY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. IT JUST WILL NOT START WHEN WE PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. ALL OTHER LIGHTS AND THINGS TURN ON, BUT THE ENGINE WON'T TURN OVER. WHY, WE DON'T KNOW. DEALER CLAIMS WE MUST HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM AND NOT GET IT JUMPED SO THEY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SO FAR. STILL NO RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. FEEL THAT THE PROBLEMS ARE A RESULT OF THE SAME DEFECT-THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. GUY THAT CAME TO JUMP MY CAR SAID THE COBALTS HAVE HAD LOTS OF PROBLEMS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES DUE TO INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED SUDDENLY TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AT VARIOUS SPEED. THE WHEEL LOCKED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. EACH TIME THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH DURING THE FAILURE. THE WHEEL UNLOCKED AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED FOUR TIMES. THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY, ALL THE GAUGES FLUTTERED, THE FUEL GAGE SHOWED AN INACCURATE READING, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. ON ONE OCCASION THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING HOUSING, BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE DEALER COMPLETED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE GAS TANK WAS FULL OF GAS, HOWEVER THE LOW FUEL ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE RADIO MALFUNCTIONED TWICE. UPDATED 04/06/06. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT IN AUGUST OF 2005. IN DECEMBER OF 05 THE CAR WAS HAVING A PROBLEM RELATED TO THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER AND WAS IN FOR SERVICE. THE SHIFTING UNIT WAS REPLACED, ALSO THE RADIO WAS REPROGRAMMED FOR FLASHING AN ERROR MESSAGE AT THE TIME OF SERVICE. BY FEBRUARY OF 06 THE SHIFTER WAS AGAIN VERY STIFF TO MOVE AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE GARAGE ADJUSTED THE SHIFTER LINKAGE AND LUBED THE CABLE ASSEMBLY, AT THIS TIME I ALSO HAD A CONCERN WITH THE OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS, CHANGING THEM FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM. THE PROBLEM BEING THAT WHEN YOU SWITCH THE LIGHTS THEY GO OUT FOR A BRIEF TIME. THE GARAGE ORDERED A NEW MULTI-CONTROL SWITCH FOR THE CAR. A FEW DAYS AFTER HAVING THE CAR SERVICED FOR THESE PROBLEMS THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY AGAIN FROM THE SWITCH CAUSING THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD, AND THE SHIFTER WAS VERY STIFF. THE GARAGE ORDERED AND REPLACED THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY AND DEFECTIVE CYLINDER FOR THE KEY SWITCH. AS OF THE 7TH OF MARCH, 06, I WAS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS GOING OUT WHEN CHANGING FROM LOW TO HIGH BEAMS, THE CAR IS PRESENTLY IN THE SHOP. I HAVE CONTACTED GM ABOUT MY CONCERNS WITH THE SHIFTER AND THE LIGHTS. AFTER I DID THIS, I RECIEVED A CALL FROM THE GM REPRESENTITIVE THAT I HAD SPOKEN WITH ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER FROM THE GARAGE TOLD HIM THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION FOR THE VEHICLE AND THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

WE PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT (LS) IN DECEMBER, 2005. STARTING IN JANUARY 2006, WE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AND WE HAD THE CHEVY DEALER WHOM WE PURCHASED CAR FROM CHECK IT. THEY TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE IS FINE AND IT HAPPENS TO MANY COBALT THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO ON SOMETIMES WITHOUT ANY REASON. WE CALLED CHEVROLET AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO SOLUTION TO IT. WE WERE ASKED TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR WITH ENGINE LIGHT ON. WE FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING A CAR WITH ENGINE LIGHT ON. WE WOULD NOT KNOW IF THERE IS REALLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. CHEVROLET REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION REGARDING TO THIS MATTER. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO SEEK FURTHER HELP ON THIS INCIDENT. THERE IS CURRENTLY 6000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE ENGINE MAY BE FINE AT THIS MOMENT. BUT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, WE WOULD NOT KNOW IF SOMETHING REALLY HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE. WE DON'T FEEL SAFE BUT NOWHERE TO SEEK HELP. *JB