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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 57 of 62)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #110

Jul 152009

Cobalt

  • 38,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 5 mph around a corner and also at 45 mph, the power steering failed. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. When he restarted it, the vehicle drove normally. He stated that the failure occurred frequently at various speeds. The dealer stated that it would cost $900 to repair the vehicle because it was not under warranty. The dealer also stated that they have serviced many vehicles with this same failure. The vehicle will be repaired because the failure is becoming worse. The failure mileage was 38,000 and current mileage was 38,619.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #109

Jul 152009

Cobalt

  • 39,175 miles
2006 Chevy Cobalt ls, 39,175 miles. Went to the store, approximately 1 mile, slowed down to make the turn and power steering went out. Came very close to hitting someone else! from what I have seen on multiple websites and elsewhere, there are many many people with the same problem because of faulty electronic steering. Please do something!

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #108

Jul 132009

Cobalt

  • 39,000 miles
The 2006 Chevy Cobalt power steering, the problem is while you are driving the power steering will fail and you would have to pull over to change the fuse or turn the car off and then back on to correct the problem. That is a serious problem while traveling on the interstate. GM has to know about this problem but Chevy dealers are charging people over eight hundred dollar to correct this issue. This is on vehicle with less than 40K.

- Edgewood, MD, USA

problem #107

Jul 132009

Cobalt

  • 54,560 miles

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

The "power steering" warning came on in my 2006 Chevy Cobalt today while I was driving it and I lost power steering. I managed to get home but with great difficulty. Later, when I started the car again, it worked without a problem. I will take it to a dealer, but I anticipate that the dealer will not fix it if the problem is not occurring when they look at the car.

- Patrick Afb, FL, USA

problem #106

Jul 022009

Cobalt

  • 45,000 miles
There have been several random instances at random speeds that my power steering ceases to work. The dic will display "power steering" and then the power steering assist goes away. It then becomes difficult to maneuver the vehicle. This is unsafe because of course I need to be able to control my car! there is a tsb on this issue, number 070232007, but no recall. There needs to be a recall before someone is really injured or killed. I haven't taken the car to the dealer yet because I am strong enough to control the car without the power steering but it still should be fixed by GM.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #105

Jul 012008

Cobalt

  • 65,895 miles
Power steering failed during drive and lock up the steering wheel completely. Steering wheel was very hard to steer since it is a all electronic power steering. I had to pull over during traffic and shut off the vehicle in order to re-initialize the power steering. I was able to gain control of the vehicle.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #104

Jun 272009

Cobalt

  • 42,000 miles

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

I was driving one day and my power steering light came on and my steering column locks up on me. If I turn the car off it goes away for about two minutes. I've done my research and this model is having tons of these problems. This is extremely dangerous and I wish for GM to refund and recall this model. Its the same as the cavalier just had to many problems with it and so they had to change the name. What a cheap trick by the big car manufacturers.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #103

Jun 292009

Cobalt

  • 83,000 miles
I was driving 2006 Chevy Cobalt down the highway at 70 mpg and the message displayed power steering and I had no power steering so I pulled off onto a ramp and turned off the car and restarted the car and everything was fine and down the road about 3 miles it happened again. This can not be safe at all and can't believe that there is not a recall on the steering column. I got the car in the shop today (June 30th) and the quote I got was $750 to fix. And I would be able to have the old part.

- Paola, KS, USA

problem #102

Jun 152009

Cobalt

  • 63,250 miles
The power steering in my 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt no longer works. The mechanic said he could not repair it and that I must go to a dealership. I have not gone yet. The power steering is on for about 5 seconds when I first start the car, then the "power steering" pops up on my electronic display and it makes a beeping sound.

- Long Branch, NJ, USA

problem #101

Jun 112009

Cobalt

  • 50,220 miles
We bought this 2006 Cobalt certified used, for our daughter for school last year. It was fine until the other day she was driving and while making a right turn the power steering light came on and there was no power steering. She had to lock the brakes in order too not hit another car head on. Her boyfriend was with her so he could turn the wheel to get it to the side of the street. She turned the car off and started it again and the steering worked for a couple of blocks and went out again. Now everytime you start it goes out in a couple of seconds. I researched this problem on the internet and found many complaints. The car has only 50220 miles, so of course it is out of warranty. I got in contact with someone from the company that makes the steering column and he said to take it to the dealer and they should take care of it. So I took it to the dealer and they sent it in to GM, I waited a week for an answer. They called back and said GM was not aware of any problems and they would not assist. I am in contact with Chevy customer service waiting for an answer. The car has been sitting for two weeks.

- Mendota, IL, USA

problem #100

Apr 222009

Cobalt

  • 24,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact experienced multiple failures with the power steering over the last four months. While driving 55 mph, he noticed that the steering became stiff and caused him to lose steering control. The contact was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the power steering fuse failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $50. The failure recurred three weeks later. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but they could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle is currently being inspected for the failure so a repair can be made. The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer and was informed that a district specialist would call him on June 23, 2009. The contact has not yet received a call. The failure mileage was 24,000 and current mileage was 25,000.

- Nanuet, NY, USA

problem #99

Jun 222009

Cobalt

  • 51,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 40 mph, the contact noticed that the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The power steering failed at the same time. Once the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the power steering began working properly again. The failure occurred the previous day as well. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 51,000.

- Irving, TX, USA

problem #98

Jun 212009

Cobalt

  • 53,138 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving 60 mph, the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel, which indicated that it was failing. The steering became very stiff and the contact was unable to move the steering from side to side. She managed to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and shut off the vehicle. The failure was not present once the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle has not been inspected nor repaired. The contact is in the process of notifying the dealer and manufacturer. The failure mileage was 53,138 and current mileage was 53,500.

- Bossier, LA, USA

problem #97

Jun 182009

Cobalt

  • 40,250 miles
I purchased a 2006 Chevy Cobalt in June of 2007 it was a new car. There has been no recalls for any parts concerning the power steering. On June 18, 2009 on my dash board had a dic message come up staying power steering and I completely lost control of the power steering in the car. Thank goodness I did not have an accident, but it made the car very difficult to turn or control. It happened twice. After I shut the off it resumed normal driving. Then it happened again about 20 minutes later. I believe this is a safety issue and the GM corporation should be aware of this and take responsibility for fixing these errors. On June 19, 2009, I took my car to licensed mechanic and they said there is a short in the power steering motor. The mechanic also stated that he has had several Chevy in the shop for the same problem. The part is available but it will cost around a $1000 dollars to fix with parts and labor, which it is our of my budget with the state of our economy. I also did research on the internet and found many other individuals with the same problems with their Chevy and power steering. It is very frightening when their are two small children in the backseat of the car as well.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #96

Mar 142009

Cobalt

  • 51,000 miles
There were no prior events leading up to my power steering going out while I was driving on the highway. All of a sudden, my power steering light clicked on and I could barely turn my steering wheel and in fact almost got into a serious accident. I took it straight to the dealership and was told it wasn't just my power steering but my entire steering column was shot at only 50K. GM replaced the steering column for $800; absolutely absurd for a car I bought brand new in 2006.

- Ramona, CA, USA

problem #95

May 112009

Cobalt

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering suddenly failed while making a turn at a low speed. The failure also occurred while driving in reverse. The failure usually occurs at speeds of 35 mph or less. The vehicle has not been taken to a dealer or mechanic for inspection. Through online research, the contact found numerous complaints for the same issue. The failure mileage was 55,000 and current mileage was 57,000.

- Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA

problem #94

Jun 092009

Cobalt

  • 78,000 miles
Steering failure in the Chevrolet Cobalt. I was driving and the power steering went out. Took car in to the Chevrolet dealers services department, I was told that it was the intermediate steering shaft, I was told that this part was replaced but when they test drove the car they found the steering to be impossible to turn. They released the car back to us without solving the problem. I find this to be troubling since this is their product. This is a very serious problem and GM should be liable for this problem. There should a recall on the steering column in the Cobalt, before someone is killed.

- Homewood, IL, USA

problem #93

Jun 132009

Cobalt

  • 67,400 miles
Dear sir or madam: On my way to wal-mart on route 40 one Saturday afternoon, a "power steering" message came up on my 2006 Cobalt ss dashboard. This was happening as I was increasing my speed close to the speed limit of 55 miles an hour. I arrived to my destination with difficulty since I have never driven a car without power steering and driving it took a lot of effort to avoid crashing in the parking lot traffic. After I shopped at wal-mart and returned to my car, I started engine and relieved that the problem has disappeared. Much to my dismay, I went back to route 40 up to 55 miles an hour again with the power steering problem appearing again. Based on what I've experienced so far, the power steering seems to get turned "off" during a long, straight-away drive at more than 50 miles an hour on a hot weather. It has happened twice today and I'm concerned that it may happen again and again. The defect could endanger myself and my passengers in the event the power steering is much more needed, especially in low traffic speeds. During low traffic speeds, it increases the risk of an accident due to a more required effort to steer. Nothing has been done to it yet and I will be calling my car dealership soon to see if my zurich vehicle contract covers the electronic power steering. Since GM's warranty has expired already, it will not be covered. I have searched the web and found that countless Cobalt owners are having the similar problems, which worries me. General Motors hasn't started a recall for the defect and it's unfortunate because the defect can end up being fatal to many other Cobalt owners. I hope General Motors isn't being negligent, especially now that they are under bankruptcy protection. I bought the 2006 Cobalt ss 4 months ago used and I've accumulated 7000 miles on it with an odometer reading of about 67,400. It was a great car until I find out it's pretty unsafe with a re-occurring power steering problem.

- Hagerstown, MD, USA

problem #92

May 122009

Cobalt

  • 40,000 miles
My husband and I purchased to 2006 Chevy Cobalt in September of 06. Since the purchase of my, "brand new" car the air conditioning, power locks, and power steering have all ceased to work. My air conditioning only worked for one summer. The power locks went out about 6 months ago. Now, the most concerning is that my power steering has now failed. I turn the car on and have power steering for approximately 2-3 minutes, then the cars power steering fails. I will never have the money to replace any parts because of the high payments and insurance. My poor husband is a pizza delivery person! this is the worst thing to happen. I tried to buy an american made car hoping that I would at least get to drive it for a few years without having it break down. Now GM is getting my paycheck and the taxes they took out of it!! this is plain wrong! I will never buy GM again.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #91

Jun 032009

Cobalt

  • 69,000 miles
I almost got in a major accident a week ago because my power steering failed on my 2006 Chevy Cobalt ss/SC. My warranty is up and the dealer told me it would be 900 dollars to fix. I am disgusted this is not recalled. This is extremely dangerous and needs to be recalled. And I understand there are alot of other people with the same problem. Just wait until someone really gets hurt, cause I know GM wont recall it until someone does!!!!

- Plainfield, IL, USA

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