2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

I EXPERIENCED "CATASTROPHIC" BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 CHEVY COBALT LT SEDAN W/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS FORCED TO MAKE A SUDDEN EMERGENCY STOP FROM APPROX 45MPH TO 0. THE ABS SYSTEM WORKED PERFECTLY AS THE ROADS WERE WET AND I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL RESULTING FROM MY SUDDEN STOP, WITH THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL INSTRUMENT LITES ILLUMINATING. HOWEVER UPON QUICKLY TRYING TO RESUME TRAVEL (SINCE I WAS STRADDLING 2 LANES ON THE HIGHWAY) THE BRAKES WOULD NOT "RELEASE" AND FEARING A REAR END COLLISION FROM APPROACHING TRAFFIC, I SHIFTED INTO 1ST GEAR AND SIMPLY DROVE 15' TO THE SHOULDER, FIGHTING AGAINST THE "GRIP" OF THE BRAKES. ON THE SHOULDER, WITH THE ABS & TC LITES STILL ON, I WAS SAFELY ABLE TO REPEATEDLY SHIFT IN AND OUT OF PARK AND REPEATEDLY PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL FINALLY AFTER APPROX 1MIN THEY RELEASED THEIR GRIP AND THE ABS & TC LITES TURNED OFF ALLOWING ME TO RESUME TRAVEL. I TRAVELED FOR APPROX 10 MIN AT 65MPH W/CRUISE CONTROL, WHEN SUDDENLY AN ALARM SOUNDED WITH THE ABS & TC LITES ILLUMINATING AGAIN. I TRAVELED APPROX 1MI BEFORE EXITING THE HIGHWAY TO INVESTIGATE THE ALARMS AND THEIR MEANING. I ENTERED THE OFF RAMP AT APPROX 60MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL SIMPLY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO PRESSURE! I QUICKLY REPEATED THE ACTION WITH THE SAME RESULT. FEARING A HYDRAULIC LOSS, I BEGAN PUMPING THE BRAKES WITH NO SUCCESS. SIMULTANEOUSLY I DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND HOWEVER DUE TO THE NEAR 60MPH SPEED THIS HAD NO EFFECT AS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT UNTIL REACHING A SAFE RPM LEVEL FOR THAT GEAR. MY FINAL RESORT WAS USING THE PARKING BRAKE WHICH ONLY SLOWED THE CAR TO APPROX 25MPH UNTIL THEY ALSO BECAME INOPERATIVE WITH SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE REAR WHEELS. I RAN THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, FINALLY STOPPING 1/2 WAY UP THE OPPOSING ON-RAMP, THANKFULLY DUE TO THE SLIGHT INCLINE. *TR

ON JANUARY 10TH, 2010 OUR DAUGHTER [XXX] 21 YRS. OLD WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM GM IN APRIL 2010 ON THE CAR A 2005 CHEVY COBALT FOR POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE RECALL INVOLVES REMOVING ENTIRE POWER STEERING MECHANISM BUILT BY A PARTIALLY OWNED TOYOTA FACTORY. I KNEW THE MINUTE I GOT THE NEWS THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED SO VIOLENTLY AND THAT IT DID NOT INVOLVE ANOTHER CAR THAT IT HAD TO BE MECHANICAL FAILURE. IT WAS TOO LATE TO SAVE OUR DAUGHTER [XXX] BUT NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE OTHERS, I CONTACTED GM WHO SENT THREE REPRESENTATIVES TO THE COPARTS SCRAP YARD IN DURYEA WHERE THE COBALT WAS STORED IN JULY TO INVESTIGATE THE CAR ACCIDENT. A PHOTOGRAPHER, AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST AND A MECHANICAL ENGINEER THAT FLEW IN FROM DETROIT, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO REMOVE THE BLACK BOX, COMPUTER FROM THE CAR AND ANALYZE THE DATA. WE WENT TO THE SCRAP YARD AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SAW THE WRECKAGE THAT WAS ONCE A BEAUTIFUL RED SPORTS CAR. ALL THE WINDOWS INCLUDING THE SUN ROOF WERE BLOWN OUT, THE COBALT HAD FLIPPED, ROLLED, EJECTING[XXX] ON TO THE HIGHWAY WHERE SHE WAS RUN OVER. WE ARE NOT SURE IF [XXX] WAS KILLED ON IMPACT. THE COBALT BURST INTO FLAMES MELTING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, SHIFT, UPHOLSTERY. AT THE COPARTS SCRAP YARD IN DURYEA, MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND [XXX] FATHER SAW THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME THE COBALT TOLD THE STORY OF AN EXTREMELY VIOLENT WRECK. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] THAT I WOULD KNOW THE RESULTS FROM THE BLACK BOX DATA THE NEXT DAY. WHEN I TRIED TO CONTACT GM THROUGH [XXX]THAT THEY WOULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FAMILY. GM HAS MY PROPERTY AND THEY WILL NOT RELEASE THE DATA WITHOUT US PROVIDING PROOF THAT THE CAR WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE SINCE THEY TOOK THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF INFORMATION FROM THE CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A WELL MAINTAINED ROAD, WITH NO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS (SUCH AS WIND, RAIN, SNOW), I COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING OF MY VEHICLE. I DID NOT HEAR ANY BEEPING, CLICKING, OR ANY NOISES THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG. THE CAR WEAVED ACROSS TWO LANES, AND HIT A GUARDRAIL BEFORE CRASHING FRONT-FIRST INTO A TREE. BOTH AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MAKE IT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN URGENT CARE WHERE X RAYS SHOWED THAT MY SPINE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I AM CURRENTLY SUFFERING BACK AND NECK PAIN WHICH KEEPS ME FROM ENGAGING IN DAILY ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS PERFORMING MY JOB TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE, YET IT SEEMS THIS VEHICLE IS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH, AND MY SUBSEQUENT INJURIES. *TR

PULLING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE 2 HOURS AFTER I PARKED, AND MY CAR STARTED JERKING FORWARD. THEN I NOTICED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN POWER STEERING STARTING FLASHING ACROSS THE SCREEN THEN MY T/C LIGHT CAME ON. I UT THE CAR OFF, AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES, STARTED IT BACK UP, IT SEEMED FINE, I DROVE 5 FEET AND MY CAR JUMPED FORWARD, I LOST STEERING, POWER STEERING FLASHING IN THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH, THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND MY T/C LIGHT CAME ON. MY CAR STARTS AND RUNS FINE AT AN IDLE, IF I TRY TO DRIVE IT, IT SHAKES HORRIBLY THEN IT JUMPS FORWARD AND TRIES TO DIE. IF I HAD LET MY DAUGHTER DRIVE, SHE WOULD OF HAD AN ACCIDENT!! AND YET MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE 2005 STEERING RECALL!! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE!! I JUST DID SOME RESEARCH, AND A FEW PHONE CALLS TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MY 2005 TOTAL ELECTRONIC STEERING IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL WHEN CLEARLY MY CAR IS AFFECTED BY IT. I WANT ANSWERS AND I WANT THEM NOW. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY 2000 TO HAVE SOMETHING FIXED THAT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE DRIVER, BUT THE FAULT OF GM AND THEIR NOT RECOGNIZING ALL THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PROBLEM BUT ONLY SELECT ONES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UPON EXITING, THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY SHUT THE DOOR AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME DOOR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

I WAS IN TOWN WITH MY 5 MONTH OLD BABY AND MY DOOR HANDLE MESSED UP. I HAD PARKED, AND EXITED THE CAR AND WENT AROUND TO PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR TO OPEN THE DOOR AND GET MY SON BUT THE DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN. I LOCKED AND UNLOCKED THE CAR DOOR AND IT WAS STILL STUCK. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE DOOR HANDLE WASN'T LATCHED TO ANYTHING. IT WAS JUST THERE, IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I BEAT AND BANG ON THE DOOR FOR ALMOST AN HOUR UNTIL THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FINALLY OPENED. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR STILL WON'T OPEN, INSIDE OR OUT. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. MY CHILD WHO IS ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD WAS SCREAMING AND I COULDN'T GET TO HIM. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY TRAGIC HAD IT BEEN HOT OUTSIDE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE TURNING AT 5 MPH. A POWER STEERING SERVICE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WERE DEFECTIVE, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING HARD AND THE POWER OF STEERING FAILED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.