2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

WHEN PULLING OUT OF OUR DRIVE WAY THIS MORNING, THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO JERK, I THOUGHT IT WAS NOTHING. THEN AS I PULLED TO THE STOP SIGN, THE CAR THEN JERKED AGAIN AND SOMEWHAT SLOWED DOWN AND THE LOW BRAKE FLUID LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH AND A DINGING NOISE CAME ON AS WELL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR BACK INTO OUR DRIVEWAY BUT BARELY COULD BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SO STIFF IT WOULD HARDLY BUDGE. *TR

I OWN A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT, THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO JERK AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V073000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM); BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE NO RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE, APPARENTLY THEY WAS BASE ON THE VEHICLE VIN # INSTEAD OF MODEL/MADE/YEAR OF THE CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEED TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN WHICH WILL COST ME CLOSE TO $1000 W/PART, LABOR & TAXES. PICKUP MY CAR ON THE SAME DAY LATE AFTERNOON, WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH NO INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED THE NEXT DAY, AGAIN TOWED THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING FURTHER INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP, IN THE MEANTIME I'M DRIVING THE RENTAL THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS MFG DEFECTED PROBLEM, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAID TO FIX THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT ABOUT 9:30PM ON THE NIGHT OF 9/21/11. THE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAGS AND STEERING OCCURRED ON NJ STATE ROUTE 78 WEST, ABOUT 50 FEET BEFORE THE RAMP TO ROUTE 31. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON THE ROAD, AND VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. I WAS FULLY AWAKE, AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH DRIVING THIS ROUTE ON A DAILY BASIS. WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT HOME FROM COLLEGE, MY VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING RIGHT BEFORE I GOT ONTO THE RAMP. KEEP IN MIND THAT MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING COMPLETELY STRAIGHT AT THE TIME WHEN THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON, AND ABOUT HALF A SECOND LATER MY VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. BEFORE I COULD SLOW DOWN OR STRAIGHTEN THE CAR, MY VEHICLE HAD ROTATED ALMOST A FULL 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE RAMP HAD STARTED, AND THUS TO AVOID HITTING THE GUARD RAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD I MADE A STRONG EFFORT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND STRAIGHTEN MY CAR. I SUCCEEDED IN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT, AND THUS STRAIGHTENED MY CAR OUT UNTIL MY CAR THEN STARTED TO SPIN TO THE LEFT, AND BOUNCED OFF OF THE GUARD RAIL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. A COUPLE SECONDS ELAPSED FROM WHEN THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON, TO WHEN MY CAR HIT THE GUARD RAIL. AFTER THE CAR BOUNCED OFF OF THE GUARD RAIL, IT CONTINUED TO SPIN FOR ANOTHER 270 DEGREES, AND CAME TO REST ON THE NARROW SHOULDER, PARALLEL TO THE ROAD. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, AND AFTER I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT HAD DISAPPEARED ENTIRELY. ALTHOUGH I DROVE THE CAR OFF OF THE RAMP, AS I WAS INSTRUCTED TO BY POLICE, THE CAR WAS TOTALED DUE TO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE BODY AND FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE INCIDENT I DISCOVERED THE PREVIOUS RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING MOTOR, HOWEVER WHEN I CHECKED WITH THE DEALER, THEIR RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE RECALL WAS FULFILLED. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 10/04/11 *BF THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 10V073000. UPDATED 11/02/11

I BOUGHT THE CHEVY COBALT (2005) IN THE FALL OF 2009. THE NEXT SUMMER I WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING. I HAVE SINCE BROUGHT MY CAR IN TWICE BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. TODAY, FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE THE CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BY CHEVY THE POWER STEERING SHUT OFF AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IT SEEMS LIKE CHEVY IS JUST REPLACING WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE WHOLE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR A DIFFERENT MOTOR NEEDS TO BE USED FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A RECURRING FAILURE IN WHICH THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL AND CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.

RANDOMLY, CHIMES SOUND, GAUGES ON INSTRUMENT PANEL CYCLE TO ZERO AND BACK, POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT, FUEL LOW WARNING SHOW, SOMETIMES THEFT LIGHT COMES ON AS DOES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ELECTRICAL ASSIST TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS LOST RESULTING IN HARD SHIFTS. MUST MANUALLY SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR WHEN STOPPING TO AVOID ENGINE STALLING. PARKING CAR SEEMS TO FIX/ALLOW CAR TO RESET. HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES OVER PAST TWO YEARS. HAD MECHANIC LOOK AT IT FIRST TIME. SAID EVERY COMPUTER ON THE CAR HAD TO BE RESET TO THE TUNE OF $100. RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER. FIXED ITSELF BEFORE TAKING IT BACK IN. NOW I JUST LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO LET THESE GUYS TROUBLE SHOOT AND FIX THINGS THAT ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. AM HAVING THE POWER STEERING RECALL DONE TOMORROW HOPING THAT IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT APPARENTLY IT DOESN'T. PROBLEM OCCURRENCE IS TOTALLY RANDOM. SOMETIMES THERE IS 6 MONTHS BETWEEN EPISODES, SOMETIMES WEEKS, DAYS. IT IS REALLY ACTING UP AFTER THE HEAVY RAINS OF IRENE. *TR