2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

ON MAY 28, 2006, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING SOLO IN A RENTED 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT ON AN UNDIVIDED HIGHWAY LEADING FROM THE NORTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE EXCELLENT: IT WAS 9 AM ON A SUNDAY MORNING WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC, ON A STRAIGHT, DRY ROAD WITH OPEN COUNTRY ON EITHER SIDE. WITNESSES TO HIS ACCIDENT REPORT THAT AFTER HE PASSED A CAMPER AT A NORMAL SPEED FOR THAT HIGHWAY AND BEGAN TO PULL BACK IN FRONT OF IT, HIS CAR ABRUPTLY VEERED OFF THE LANE AND ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, WHERE HE LOST CONTROL. THE CAR FISHTAILED, SKIDDED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY, AND ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES. OTHER DRIVERS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY TO HELP, BUT MY HUSBAND WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND DIED A WEEK LATER WITHOUT REGAINING CONSCIOUSNESS. ALL WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT WERE AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN HOW OR WHY IT OCCURRED. MY HUSBAND WAS AN EXPERIENCED AND VERY CAREFUL DRIVER, IN GOOD HEALTH AND ALERT THAT MORNING. THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES IN COBALTS OF THAT ERA FINALLY PROVIDES A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION. HE HAD LONG LEGS AND COULD EASILY HAVE BUMPED THE STEERING COLUMN OR IGNITION KEYS DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF A CAR THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR TO HIM. IT'S FAR TOO LATE TO EXAMINE THE CAR, BUT I HOPE THIS ACCOUNT CONTRIBUTES CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT THERE WERE MORE DEATHS CAUSED BY THOSE FAULTY SWITCHES THAN WILL EVER BE PROVEN-- OR REDRESSED. *TR

I HAVE WRITTEN AT LEAST 1-2 LETTERS TO GMC, SPOKE W/REPS FOR HOURS FOR YEARS, REACHED OUT TO SM, & ATTEMPTED TO HANDLE THE ISSUE MYSELF, & I AM DISGUSTED & FURIOUS AT THE WAY GMC HAS BRUSHED OFF LOYAL, PAYING CONSUMERS W/NO REGARD. MY VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW OFF OF THE LOT & I LOVED IT. AFTER HAVING MANDATORY RECALL WORK DONE IN 2010, THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER THE SAME. MY PASSENGERS WERE OFTEN TIMES FRIGHTENED BY THE UNFAMILIAR HANDLING OF A 2006: IT JERKED, BUCKED, CUT OFF, & OFTEN TIMES WOULD NOT CUT BACK ON. ONCE, WHEN DRIVING A FRIEND THAT SERVES IN THE MILITARY, I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN & THE CAR CUT OUT OF THE TURN & TURNED OFF. IF TRAFFIC WOULD HAVE BEEN COMING, WE BOTH WOULD HAVE DIED THAT DAY. I CRIED & BEGGED GMC FOR YEARS THAT I FEARED FOR MY LIFE & SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG W/THE CAR. THEY DENIED ANY KNOWING OF MY ISSUE & MADE ME PAY HUNDREDS AFTER HUNDREDS IN DIAGNOSTIC FEES THAT WERE FRUITLESS LABOR. DEALERS & REPS MADE IT SEEM AS IF I WERE CRAZY & JUST TRYING TO BE PROBLEMATIC INSTEAD OF HONESTLY ADDRESSING MY ISSUE & TAKING ME SERIOUS. ONCE I FINALLY RECEIVED RECALL PAPERS, MY CAR CEASED TO TAKE ANY MORE ABUSE. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN YANKED & KNOCKED TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION & WHAT WAS ONCE MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSION IS NOW A NON-MOVING MASS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. I HAVE ACCRUED A NUMBER OF SPEEDING TICKETS DUE TO THE SPASTIC SPEEDOMETER MOVING OUT OF CONTROL (WHICH I TOOK VIDEOS OF & SENT TO GMC), SCRUNCHED THE FRONT OF MY HOOD DUE TO THE CAR LOCKING UP, & OVERALL RUINED MY LIFE AS MY 1ST BIG INVESTMENT IN A GENUINE PRODUCT OF LIVING LEFT ME STRANDED, LITERALLY. I HAVE A COPY OF AT LEAST 1 OF THE LETTERS THAT I SENT IN, THE VIDEO FOOTAGES, THE LINKS TO THE SM I ADDRESSED CHEVY, PICTURES, WITNESSES, & DOCUMENTATION OF INVOICES ON FILE AT DEALERSHIPS. WHEN I ASKED BLACK CHEVY IN GREENSBORO FOR MY INFO, THEY SAID IT SHOULD BE LINKED TO VIN.PLEASE *TR

MY 2006 CHEVY COBALT SS SUPERCHARGED STARTED MALFUNCTIONING IN FEB 2013 DRIVING THE HWY THE CAR WOULD JOLT AS IF IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS SAME THING OCCURRED ON APRIL 2013. THE BIG PROBLEM HAPPENED SEPT 2013, DRIVING 75 ON THE FWY MY COBALT STARTED TO JOLT AND LOOSE POWER AND THE SPEED STARTED SLOWING DOWN ALL THE WAY TO 30MPG I WAS BARLEY ABLE TO MAKE MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ONCE PULLED OVER MY COBALT DIDN'T WANT TO START AND WHEN IT DID IT WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 100 FEET AND SLOW DOWN THEN TURN OFF. SINCE THEN MY COBALT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. AT LOW RPM'S IT DIES OFF. SINCE THAT DAY MY BOOST GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. MY MPG'S HAVE DRAMATICALLY FELL ABOUT 10, ILL FILL UP HALF THE TANK AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT DROPS TO EMPTY. ALSO WHILE DRIVING WHEN I HIT POT HOLES THE CAR TURNS OFF. IT HAS A HARD TIME STARTING UP. I'VE READ THROUGH THE FORUMS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS YET AND IF NOT WHO NOT?! WOULDN'T YOU THINK CARS FAILING ON THE FWY IS A MAJOR RED FLAG? *TR

AFTER RECALL SWITCH REPLACEMENT, AIRBAGS LIGHT WARNING SYSTEM IS COMING ON IN MY 2006 CHEVY COBALT. SPOKE TO GM LOCAL DEALER CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND HE SAID IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL. THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT IN REPLACING SWITCH? MY AIRBAGS ARE STILL NOT WORKING WHILE I DRIVE MY CAR. MY CAR IS STILL NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BUT THEY GAVE IT BACK TO ME ANYWAYS WITHOUT FIXING THE AIRBAG PROBLEM. NOW THEY WANT ME TO PAY TO FIX MY AIRBAGS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT THE FUEL PUMP RECALL FOR THIS CAR, WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V419000, DID NOT SHOW UP IN THE DATABASE VISIBLE TO EITHER MY MECHANIC OR A GM DEALER. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING PART FAILURE, WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE CAR, EITHER WHILE IT IS MOVING OR STOPPED, AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS THIS PROBLEM, LEAKING GASOLINE AT QUITE A RAPID RATE. THE FUEL SMELL WHILE DRIVING IS UNBEARABLE. WHEREVER I PARK A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE FORMS UNDER THE CAR. IF I PARKED IN A CLOSED GARAGE, THIS WOULD BE A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS FOR GOOD REASON THAT THIS RECALL WAS PUT IN PLACE. HOWEVER, APPARENTLY THIS ISSUE SHOWS UP IN THE GM SYSTEM AS A "SPECIAL COVERAGE" AND NOT A RECALL. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLINE. I WAS SEARCHING BECAUSE I WAS PREPARING TO PAY $833 FOR MY MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. WHEN I PHONED THE DEALER, HE SAID HE HAD TO GET TO "ANOTHER SCREEN" TO SEE THE SPECIAL COVERAGE ITEMS, AND HE ONLY DID THAT BECAUSE I PROMPTED HIM. APPARENTLY THEY DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO WARN CAR OWNERS OF THIS ISSUE EVEN WHEN THE OWNER HAS THEIR VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL (WHICH MINE WAS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS). I HAVE ALSO NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THIS RECALL, AND I'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE JANUARY OF 2007. AFTER THE RECENT PRESS COVERAGE OF THE RECALL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR THIS VEHICLE, I AM SHOCKED THAT THIS KIND OF A SAFETY CONCERN IS ESSENTIALLY BEING HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW. *TR

2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR IGNITION KEY LOCK REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. ALSO, SHE HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB UPDATED 06/12/14 THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. UPDATED 07/02/14

WHILE DRIVING THE DASHBOARD FLASHES "POWER STEERING" REPEATEDLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE SECURITY THEFT LIGHT CAME ON. AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND DOWN SHIFTED HARD. AS I BEGAN TO EXCEL FROM A STOP, IT ALSO SHIFTED REALLY HARD. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, MY SPEEDOMETER BECAME EROTIC. ON MULTIPLE INCIDENCES WHEN I CAME TO A STOP BY CAR'S RPM DROPPED BELOW 500 AND ACTED AS IF IT WERE ABOUT TO STALL. A FEW TIMES IT DID STALL AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNLESS I HAD IT IN NEUTRAL AND TOOK OFF IMMEDIATELY. ANOTHER TIME, AS I WAS WAITING IN A DRIVE-THRU, MY SHIFTER BEGAN TO CLICK. *TR

2006 CHEVY COBALT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. THEY INFORMED HIM, IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED WITH ONLY 19,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS, THE POWER WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING AND LAST MONTH, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING.*JB