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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:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
103,518 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 brakes problems

brakes problem

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2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #9

Oct 082009

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 50,020 miles

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

Starting the car and pulling out, the power steering not working, car hesitating when accelerating and then I pull over and shut the car off. I wait a few seconds and start the car again, and its running fine. This started a month or so after our purchase (used) on May 15,2009. The dealer did not have any weekend service. The date above is when we 1st reported for service. But turning the car off/on always fixed the problem. Service dates-10/8/09,10/15/09,8/28/10,5/19/11.3/27/12. Dealer couldn't find any dialogistic problems. I brought the car in & running, on 7/2/13, while running a mechanic drove it, said he knew the problem. Dialogistic showed 2- cost $430. To repair. 2wks. Later, happened again, dialogistic showed 6. estimate $6-$800 plus. Too much to fix it. In the past 3 yrs., four times while driving at 60mph, on hwy., no power steering, gas hesitating, & down shifts to 25+/-while flooring the gas, car bucking, & speedometer bouncing B'twn.30-50. Very freighting and once there was no place to stop.

- Milford, CT, USA

problem #8

Aug 012013

Cobalt

  • miles
These cars are notorious for the electrical steering mechanisms to fail, parts break inside of the steering column making rattling sounds constantly while driving, my master mechanic father couldn't even figure out how to fix it, the stability is wobbly, hard to keep in a strait line while driving. These model year vehicles are terrible and needs to be part of the GM recall pertaining to the electrical steering. Look at any Cobalt complaint forum, its insane, these cars are dangerous and have had nothing but problems since I bought the car.

- Montevallo, AL, USA

problem #7

Feb 282013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 156,231 miles
When driving the gauge cluster lights up while both the mph and RPM needles jump around. Total loss of power steering as well as the transmission goes into limp mode. Lost control on freeway thankfully no one were in the 2 lanes that the car veered into at the time. Was able to stop the car in the service lane. There are many complaints of this same issue.we have received no recall information and we are not under the current recall for whatever reason. Same issues as original recall fits in years recalled for...why not include us? took the Liberty of paying for both the eps motor and module with no success. I am currently out $1,500 this is not fair.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #6

Dec 012011

Cobalt

  • miles

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

Power steering shuts off when started, especially in cold temperatures. Even when the car runs for a few minutes to warm up, steering wheel is still rigid and stiff. Definitely not driveable. Gears shift extremely rough and violently. Unsafe in all situations, especially stop and go traffic. At idle it nearly stalls. Traction control light comes on when all these things exist.

- Munhall, PA, USA

problem #5

Jul 062012

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 111,148 miles
Traction control light comes on and causes the car to shift very rough and steering wheel jerks.

- Painesville, OH, USA

problem #4

May 202011

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
I own a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt ls sedan. This car every year like clock work has to either have a new transmission put into it, or has shifting problems. The car will be fine for about a year and then it struggles to shift gears and it will be subtle. Then it slowly starts to feel like the transmission is " slipping" when U reverse and then put it back into drive it slides back before it begins to move forward again. This car is only 5 years old but has had 3 transmissions in it's life time, and it's starting to feel like it's going for its 4th.

- Hayward , CA, USA

problem #3

Oct 062010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 102,000 miles

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

Chevy Cobalt 2006 car stalls when stopped at a red light. It keeps getting worse. The electronic control module needs to be replaced to fix the problem. But this is a safety issue and should be on a recall. I have read on the internet of other people complaining of the same issue.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #2

Sep 132009

Cobalt

  • 64,000 miles
Last Aug 2009 I was living my drive way and they steer wheel got stuck and I got trapped between my trees. I didn't know what happen so I just assumed it was me being a bad driver. Two weeks ago I was driving in a street and the bell in the computer start ringing and gave me a message "power steer" then the steer while got stuck again. I didn't know what to do so I stop and called a towing truck to get my car and take it to my mechanic. My mechanic kept it for a day and said that Cobalts 2006 and 2007 have this problem the computer does not communicate with the engine and that's what happen. I called General Motors and they asked me how many miles I had in the car which is 64,000 and then they told me I had to take it to one of his dealer shops to make sure. I told the lady to be sure they were going to consider this because I have to pay and then they will decide if it was a safety issue. I did pay a lot of money and they say -you are not under guarantee- I got mad because they knew since the beginning how many miles I had. Now if I turn left or right the steer wheel get stuck so I have to stop and turn off the car. After that I can drive ok. Is always dangerous if I'm in a busy street or highway. To repair they want $1,000 that I don't have. The lady who "helped" me her name is mariana jimenez and she told the they are going to pay for a gas leak that I had in this year too. Because that is a re-call. She said she will send the papers to get reimburse but she never did. The case number for the problem I have now from General Motors is 71759207211. They are only recognizing the problem with the gas leaking because that was a "safety issue" how is not a safety issue driving and the steer wheel gets stuck? so my complain is for the gas leaking that I pay myself and didn't get reimburse and the current problem. The Chevrolet shop wrote this in the invoice I paid "performed diag system check-U2107/U2100/CO475 stored in pscm silate to internal pscm motor failure".

- Eugene, OR, USA

problem #1

Jul 252009

Cobalt

  • 72,000 miles
Power steering warning light comes on while driving, power steering immediately stops working, once you turn the car off it resets but no more then 5 minutes and it fails again! I luckily have not had an accident yet while this occurs but there is definitely potential for one, I brought the car to the dealer and they want to charge me over 800 dollars to replace the steering column, which I've heard is not the problem.

- Lancaster , CA, USA

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