2007 Chevrolet Cobalt

IN LATE MARCH, I STARTED NOTICING THE SMELL OF GAS WHEN I WOULD GET IN THE CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE. I JUST THOUGHT THIS WAS FROM GAS BEING SPILLED WHEN REMOVING THE GAS NOZZLE AFTER FILLING THE TANK. ON APRIL 3RD, THE SMELL GOT EXTREMELY STRONG AND I HAD TO KEEP THE WINDOWS DOWN IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE CAR. ON MONDAY APRIL 5TH, I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC TO INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL. THE MECHANIC CALLED ME BACK AROUND MID-DAY TO INFORM ME THE FUEL PUMP LINE HAD BROKEN OFF AT THE TOP THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, WHERE THE PIECE SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN. THE MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED ME, THERE WAS GAS ALL OVER THE PLACE ONCE THE TANK WAS REMOVED. HE QUOTED: "IT'S A WONDER THE CAR DID NOT EXPLODE" I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED GM VIA THE 800 #, BEING THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I'VE READ THE RECALL INFORMATION, IT IS BASED ON STATE LOCATED IN HOT CLIMATES AREA FOR NOW, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING IN OTHER STATES NOT LISTED IN THE LETTER. *TR

THIS WRITTEN COMPLAINT IS IN REGARDS TO THE MECHANICAL DEFECT OF AN EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE WITHIN A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT WERE & REMAIN AS UNNOTICEABLE BY DRIVER AND OWNER OF VEHICLE. THE DRIVER HAD VEHICLE PARKED WITH THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE IN THE UP LOCKED POSITION PRIOR TO DRIVING IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES BEFORE BEING PARKED AGAIN. AS DRIVER OF VEHICLE WENT TO USE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THEY IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BREAK HAD NO RESISTANCE WHEN PULLED UPWARD AND WOULD NOT REMAIN LOCKED IN THE "UP" POSITION NEEDED IN ORDER TO SAFELY PARK THE VEHICLE. ALL OTHER BRAKES WITHIN THE VEHICLE REMAINED AS NORMAL AND FUNCTIONAL. NO OTHER DEFECTS WERE DETECTED BY DRIVER. THE FAILURE OF THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE FAILED TO RETURN TO A NORMAL STATUS OF FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BY OWNER TO LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WITHIN 24 HOURS OF INCIDENT ON MAY 18, 2010 TO BE EVALUATED BY DEALERSHIP AND BE PROMPTLY FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP'S MECHANICS FOUND THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE WHEN PULLED UPWARD DUE TO "THE MECHANISM BEING STRIPPED." THE PARKING BREAK HANDLE WAS STATED AS BEING REPLACED AND VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO OWNER WITHIN 24 HOURS OF BEING TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A HEATING CORE FAILURE WHICH WAS REPAIRED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALSO MALFUNCTIONED ALONG WITH THE SIGNAL SOUND, SEAT BELTS, AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, SPEAKERS ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE AIR BAG WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR OTHER REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,269. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

MY 2007 COBALT DROVE FINE,UNTIL IT REACHED 55000 MILES. ONE DAY IT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE THE FRONT END WAS GOING TO FALL OUT. IF I WOULD GO SLOW OVER A HUMP,YOU COULD HEAR A KNOCKING NOISE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN. I TOOK IT TO 6 DIFFERENT MECHANICS, WHO CHECKED EVERYTHING, STRUTS,SPRINGS, RACK & PINION,ETC. FINALLY,ONE MECHANIC,TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT TO RIGHT ABOUT A 1/2 AN INCH AND YOU COULD HEAR A KNOCKING. HE SAID, TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, IT IS THE STEERING.I MADE AT LEAST 10 TRIPS TO GET IT WORKED ON. I WAS ON THE PHONE DAILY WITH GM. I EXPLAINED WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD,THE CAR IS ALL OVER THE ROAD,THEY THINK I AM DRUNK, IT DOES WHAT IT WANTS TO. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS WAY FARTHER THAN A NORMAL STEERING WHEEL,ALOT OF PLAY. I CAN PARK AND THE WHEEL WILL BE UPSIDE DOWN,BUT MY TIRES WILL BE STRAIGHT. OR DRIVING STRAIGHT AND WHEEL IS TURNED TO ONE SIDE. I WAS SOO UPSET, MAD, BECAUSE THIS IS A 2007 VEHICHLE. I KNEW NOTHING OF A RECALL.THEY REPLACED MY 2 FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND MY LOWER STEERING COLUMN. I HAD TO PAY $900.00 FOR ALL OF THE WORK. IT FIXED MY PROBLEM ABOUT 60%.THE DEALER WAS SO NICE AND UNDERSTANDING, THAT HE REIMBURSE ME. WHICH I AM SOO THANKFUL. SO I HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO GET BACK INTOUCH WITH THEM. I AM TO THE POINT THAT I DO NOT CARE. IF I WRECK, I WRECK. I AM TIRED OF ALL THE HASSLING, TIME, MONEY, AGGRAVATION AND DAYS ON THE TELEPHONE. I STILL HEAR A KNOCKING GOING OVER A SMALL HUMP. I DRIVE SLOW, STOP AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS,BECAUSE I TRY TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAR. I HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT CHEVROLET AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF TROUBLE. I REALLY DO HOPE THEY FIGURE THIS OUT AND THEY PROBABLE DO TO. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SALE ANY COBALTS OFF THE DEALER LOTS AT THIS TIME,UNTIL IT IS RESOLVED. I AM SURE IT IS NOT ALL COBALTS WITH THESE PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE ATLEAST 50% OF THE PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OR READ OF THESE STEERING PROBLEMS AND ARE SAYING THAT THERES DOES THE SAME THING. I JUST KNOW THAT I WOULD HATE TO BE IN GM'S SHOES RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MERGE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN SHE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD THERE WERE NO VISIBLE DEFECTS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING NORMALLY. AFTER DRIVING THREE MILES, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A FEE IN ORDER TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 10V073000 (10V073000 STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM) SINCE IT WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 67,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) LOSS OF WARNING CHIMES DUE TO DEFECTIVE DRIVERS DOOR SPEAKER (2007 COBALT AND & 2007 GMC CANYON). I AM CURRENT AWAITING REPAIR UNDER THE 2ND RECALL FOR OUR COBALT VIN [XXX](GAS LEAK & LOSS OF STEERING DEFECTS NOT YET REPAIRED). THE LETTER RECEIVED FROM GM WARNING OF THE STEERING DEFECT STATED A WARNING CHIME WOULD SOUND AND A MESSAGE ON THE DRIVERS INFO CNTR WOULD APPEAR. PROBLEM IS, THE SPEAKER WHERE THE WARNING SOUNDS COME FROM IS INTERMITTENT. IN FACT, I CANNOT TELL IF I HAVE THE BLINKERS ON WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD; SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ALWAYS SAFE TO DO. EVEN THOUGH THIS STARTED SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED; I ASKED THE DEALER TO REPAIR IT BECAUSE I CONSIDERED IT UNSAFE. IF A CAR MANUFACTURER IS GOING TO CHANGE THE ROLE OF A SPEAKER FROM MERELY PRODUCING SOUND FOR RADIO USE TO SOUNDING SAFETY WARNING CHIMES THEN THE SPEAKER OUGHT TO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM APPROACHING MY MIDDLE 50'S AND DO NOT ABUSE THE SOUND SYSTEM IN THE CAR. IN MY OPINION; THIS FAILING SPEAKER IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. IN FACT, OUR 2007 GMC CANYON IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE RECENTLY NOTICED THE DRIVERS DOOR SPEAKER IS STARTING TO DISTORT AND REALIZED AFTER THE COBALTS SPEAKER FAILED THE CANYON DRIVERS DOOR SPEAKER ALSO EMITS WARNING CHIMES. AS I STATED ABOVE, IF THE ROLE OF A SPEAKER IS TO SOUND WARNING CHIMES, THEN IT BECOMES A POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT FAILS. [XXX] *TR

2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RECALL REFERENCED ABOVE AND HIGHLIGHTED BELOW. THE SUMMARY STATES "...VEHICLES SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN WHEREAS THE REMEDY STATES "...VEHICLE CURRENTLY REGISTERED*CW THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 09V419000. THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN TEXAS, BUT IS NOW REGISTERED IN WISCONSIN.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY POWER STEERING SEEMED TO SUDDENLY GO OUT - IT BECAME DIFFICULT FOR ME TO STEER THE DIRECTION I NEEDED TO GO. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY WHERE A GAS STATION ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT HE HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND THAT THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING IT. I AM SO CONCERNED THAT THE STEERING IS SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I CANNOT LET MY PETITE 21-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVE THIS CAR'SHE DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH NECESSARY TO CONTROL THE CAR AND SAFELY GET IT OFF THE ROAD. *TR