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CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Cobalt continued to carry the torch first lit by the 2005 model year. To be clear, that torch is burning bright with widespread power steering issues, electrical curiosities and a dangerous ignition switch defect which led to a massive recall by GM. This isn’t a great torch to carry.

The 2006 added it’s own special flare with gas leaks due to cracks in the “return portion of the modular reservoir assembly.” A recall of 2006 Cobalts was issued to fix the problem, but only to vehicles sold in or current registered in Arizona and Nevada, leaving other owners to pay for repairs themselves.

Between this car stalling while driving, giving owners fits with power steering failure and having it be a potential tinderbox because of gas leaks, we felt we had no other option than to award it our “Avoid Like the Plague” badge.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
70 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
129 / 3
Average Mileage:
64,228 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt steering problems

steering problem

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2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner Comments (Page 54 of 62)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #170

Aug 162009

Cobalt

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering loss after driving the vehicle and without warning the powersteering goes out. This is very dangerous and it concerns me because my daughter and grandson used this car they don't use now for fear of an accident I still owe on the car and feel GM should fix the issue I searched the internet and a site which directed me to this site please help....

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #169

Jul 312009

Cobalt

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevy Cobalt. While driving 25-70 mph the power steering warning light illuminated and at high speeds the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was unable to diagnose the failure. The current and failure mileages were 61,000.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #168

Jul 252009

Cobalt

  • 70,000 miles
I own a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt ss supercharged. While driving down the road I experienced the complete loss of power steering. Luckily I was close enough to the dealer to bring it to the dealer who stated that this was a common problem and the part was on an at least three week backorder and that I could either leave the car with them and find another mode of transportation or drive it until they got the part.

- Pompano Beach, FL, USA

problem #167

Jul 152009

Cobalt

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2006 Cobalt that I bought in April of 2007. For the first year everything was fine until my message board flashed power steering and it went out. At first I could just turn the car off and on and it would go away. It did it about once a month afterwards up until July of 2009. Ever since then, even if I cut the car off, it will flash when I go over 20mph. Chevy said they cant do anything about it.

- Rural Hall, NC, USA

problem #166

Aug 112009

Cobalt

  • 70,000 miles
I currently own a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt lt 2.2L. Recently as I am driving the power steering message appears on my dash and the power steering goes completely out. I have to try my hardest to navigate the vehicle off the road and turn it off, and upon restarting the vehicle it is fine again. Sometimes this occurs frequently and others it can go for a few minutes in between. The car has 70,000 miles on it and is in good condition and this situation occurred completely spur of the moment. The problem causes control of the vehicle to become very very hard and in many conditions could cause serious harm due to accidents resulting from being unable to turn the wheel and maintain control on the road. This problem is completely unrelated to any faults of the owner as the system is electronic and does not require maintenance.

- Ermine, KY, USA

problem #165

Aug 132009

Cobalt

  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving approximately 10 mph on normal road conditions and proceeding to make a left turn onto a highway. The power steering warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Suddenly there was a loss of power steering. The driver exerted higher effort to turn the steering wheel, and pulled over to the side of the road with caution. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was restarted and resumed to normal operation. Identical failures occurred while traveling. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician stated the failures were contributed to excessive usage of the steering wheel. The estimated repair cost was $1,200. The vehicle is inoperable and has not been repaired for the failure. The failure and current mileages were 68,000.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #164

Aug 162009

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 23,146 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact states while was driving 60mph he noticed that the power steering light had illuminated on the dashboard and then the vehicle lost all power steering. He did not notice any difference beforehand. The current and failure mileage is 23146. Updated 10/26/09. Updated 10/26/09

- Brandon, FL, USA

problem #163

Aug 072008

Cobalt

  • 55,432 miles
Power steering went out on 06 Chevy Cobalt and GM does not have the remedies to fix it.

- Warner Robins, GA, USA

problem #162

Aug 162009

Cobalt

  • 50,080 miles
We were driving down the road and the power steering went out as the computer lcd prompted a power steering failure. We tried turning off the car and restarting but in less than 2 minutes the power steering went out again. We have no money to get it repaired so we have no idea how we will resolve this power steering issue to get to work tomorrow so this presents a major problem and currently there are no recalls for this failure.

- Miami Lakes, FL, USA

problem #161

Aug 012009

Cobalt

  • 50,000 miles
2006 Chevy Cobalt. Power steering fails intermittently and is fine once the car is turned off and then on again. This occurs at least once every time the car is driven. This is independent of speed or any condition that I can recall.

- Cocoa, FL, USA

problem #160

Aug 102009

Cobalt

  • 47,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am the owner of a 2006 Chevy Cobalt with approximately 47000 miles. Recently, my wife was driving to the grocery store with my two small children when the power steering went out. Fortunately, she was able to gain control of the vehicle and bring it to a stop on the side of the road. After turning the car off and then back on the power steering returned to normal. This has happened several more times after the incident. My wife was able to get the car to a mechanic who informed her that the electronic power steering motor is going bad and that we were not the first to have this problem. We also found that this car has a recall on its fuel injectors as well as the head liner. Currently no recall on the power steering problem. The car is scheduled for repair on August 22nd.

- Martinez, GA, USA

problem #159

Aug 082009

Cobalt

  • 63,613 miles
I got in my 2006 Chevy Cobalt car this past Saturday and was driving down the hill that I live on when I reach the curb and need to turn and the steering wheel would not turn and locked while driving. There was a car coming the other direction and I almost hit it because my steering wheel locked. The steering wheel is still locked and I haven't been back in it to drive. This car does not have power steering fluid it is all electronic.

- Sylmar, CA, USA

problem #158

Dec 282008

Cobalt

  • 80,000 miles
I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt 2dr coupe. First, about a year ago my power locks stopped working and they would randomly go up and down while I was driving. I got that fixed and then on 12/28/2008 I was driving from shreveport, la to chattanooga, tn. It was fine for most of the trip but as I was getting off the exit in chattanooga, my power steering went out. At first it would do it randomly but after about a month of it happening now it happens every time I drive the car. It works when I crank the car up but after about 1-2 miles, the power steering goes out. I took it to the dealership and was told that it needed a steering column and it would cost $1200 which I could not afford. Then last week on 08/02/2009, a lot of things stopped working. The odometer, cruise control, temp. Gauge, and speedometer. And the car would not change gears. Since it stayed in a low gear I could only drive about 30 mph to take it to the shop. It turned out that it needed a transmission control module and it cost $362. After that everything started working again except the power steering. I know this is a common issue as there were over 500 complaints about the issue on the one website that I looked at and that's only one website (www.topix.com/forum/autos/Chevrolet-Cobalt). I feel that this is a very dangerous problem and something should be done about it! also, the air conditioner has leaked water onto my passenger side floor since I have owned the car and I have also read that this is a common issue.

- Chattanooga, TN, USA

problem #157

Aug 122009

Cobalt

  • 58,800 miles
Last night I was driving and noticed my power steering light kept flashing. A few minutes later my car started jerking back and forth, cutting in and out, and shuckling when I turned the steering wheel. I assumed my gas was faulty, so I cut the car off, put in octane booster and more gas. After this it ran okay, but I am complaining because I felt like my safety was in danger because of how my car was responding. If this happens again I will complain again. I am still under warranty and will take this to the dealership.

- Dalton, GA, USA

problem #156

Jul 302009

Cobalt

  • 32,500 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving approximately 55 mph, the interior chime sounded three times. In addition, the power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Suddenly, the power steering failed and the driver had to exert greater effort to turn the steering wheel. The consumer pulled over to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. When the vehicle was restarted, the power steering was functional again; however, the warning light remained lit until the engine was turned off. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was contributed to the power steering unit, which needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 32,500. Updated 09/14/09. Updated 09/16/09.

- New Bedford, MA, USA

problem #155

Aug 102009

Cobalt

  • 44,000 miles
I have a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. It has the problem where in the middle of driving it will randomly shut off the power steering. The steering wheel will even lock up at times. I have almost been in several accidents because of this. It is my only means of transportation. I am stuck with this car, because it costs around 1100 dollars to fix! I searched the internet and there is a countless amount of people that are having this problem. I fear for my life every day that I have to drive this car. Now this car has 44K miles on it and it is just out of warranty. I do not want any one else killed because of this poor manufacturing. If there is a class action lawsuit, I want to be involved! also, this issue happens almost everyday for the past month and continues. Once I pull over to the side of the road (if I can) and shut the car off then turn it back on, the power steering resumes working and I can drive for a while again.

- Matthews, NC, USA

problem #154

Aug 102009

Cobalt

  • 80,726 miles
I have a 2006 Cobalt and the power steering just went out. I have heard several people complain about power steering system failing on theirs as well.

- Campton, KY, USA

problem #153

Aug 102009

Cobalt

  • 85,000 miles
I am driving my Chevy Cobalt 2006 on a busy road and all of a sudden my power steering light goes on and my wheel will not turn. I couldn't even steer my car to avoid traffic at first unless I really tugged at the wheel. This is extremely dangerous! estimated repair is 2000! on a 2006 car now that it is out of warranty!

- Ferndale, MI, USA

problem #152

Aug 102006

Cobalt

  • 28,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at any speed, the power steering fails. When the failure occurs, the contact must turn off the engine and wait momentarily for the vehicle to restart. In addition, the power steering locks, which makes the key difficult to remove from the ignition. The contact must rattle the key, place the vehicle into park, and continue shifting in order to release the key. The failure mileage was 28,000.

- Lebanon, PA, USA

problem #151

Aug 052009

Cobalt

  • 61,000 miles
2006 Chevy Cobalt power steering keeps going out and when you cut it off and recrank it will work for a little while then same thing happens again. Bought it used in 2008 didn't think I would need warranty so I didn't purchase it and from what I'm reading on different forums this is an ongoing problem for many Cobalt owners its time Chevrolet did a recall to fix this dangerous issue.

- Fieldale, VA, USA

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