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.
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.
My 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt with electronic power steering has an intermittent problem in that the power steering just turns off. There are no apparent reasons why. I can drive 1-2 days with no problem and the third day it will quit 4 or 5 times. Turning the car off and restarting it turns it back on. Chevrolet has recalled the Malibu because of the same problem but nothing is being done with the Cobalt. This obviously a big safety issue since the car is very hard to steer when the power steering just quits. I have not had any accidents yet due to this problem and will have it repaired however it seems a matter of time before some unexpected person has this happen at an inopportune time resulting in an accident.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering fails while driving various speeds. As a result, the steering wheel becomes very difficult to turn. The dealer stated that there were no recalls and the warranty was expired; therefore, the contact would have to pay over $3,000 for the repairs. The failure mileage was 36,000.
I bought a 2006 Chevy Cobalt April 9,2009. After about 2 weeks the power steering light came on. I took it to the dealership and they said the steering column is going out and it would cost about $900. Now the light comes on after a few minutes. The car was not under warranty, but I think they knew there was something wrong with it. I have checked on the internet and a lot of people have the same complaint. There should be a recall or something help for people like me that cannot afford to have it repaired.
While driving the vehicle at highway speeds for approximately 5 minutes, I slowed to make a left turn when I noticed the steering wheel was hard to turn, as I looked at the dash to make sure the engine had not died, I noticed that the power steering message was on. After I stopped to attempt to locate the power steering reservoir...(which I later determined that this vehicle does not have.) upon re-starting the vehicle it seemed to work fine...for about ten miles. I turned the vehicle off and restarted with a resolution of he problem. The problem re-occurred several times on the way home. The current mileage was 57,102. This vehicle will be parked in until I contact a dealer on Monday to report this problem. I do not feel safe transporting my family in this vehicle. After searching the internet and this site...it appears this is a big problem on these vehicles. GM should look at this carefully and notice that there have been no deaths or injuries>>>>yet>>>! with the current financial troubles of automakers today...I doubt the would really want a huge injury or death related lawsuit to be filed against them. Everyone with a voice (and a Cobalt with problems) should make themselves heard and voice these complaints! as Cobalt owners we should consider ourselves lucky just to be able to write a complaint about this problem! something has to be done to correct this issue!
I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt which I'm upset to say has caused me to almost be involved in various accidents. This problem started since December, 2006. While driving, my "power steering" warning comes on, and before you know it, you loose control of your car. This has almost made me get into a few accidents. The manufacturers should be more serious about the consumer's safety. I'm enraged and terrified to think this might happen when I'm in the car with my kids. As a result, I don't go out to prevent any accidents. Manufacturers should do something to resolve this problem. I'm pretty sure, if they were the ones who drove my car, they would be more selective about the quality of their product. I will never own a Chevy again.
- Mesa, AZ, USA
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I was driving down the road and all of sudden my wheel locked on me. I try to get out of the way of a oncoming car and I was very frighten. This could have been a serious accident if I was not thinking on my feet. Chevrolet should have a recall on the steering wheel column. I only got 45,000 miles on the car and only own it for about 3 yrs.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that a power steering mechanism in her vehicle failed three times in one day. She had to turn off the vehicle and wait for it to reset itself. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. The failure mileage was 68,400.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The power steering stopped functioning after a warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The failure occurred while driving 10 mph. The contact was still able to drive the vehicle, but with great difficulty. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer; however, the contact was informed that the repair would be expensive since there were no recalls on the instrument panel. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 68,000.
I purchased a 2006 Chevy Cobalt from the gsa through the norwalk auto auction (norwalk, California) two days ago. While on the way home I experienced a complete power failure of the steering system and the steering wheel became inoperable and struggled to make it to the emergency lane where I stopped. I moved the wheel from side to side and within moments the power steering warning light went off. I continued to have this problem two more times repeated the same process while on my 30+ mile return home. I have visited numerous consumer web sites times since and within the last two days I find that this is a common defect. This is probably why the government issued vehicle was auctioned off. Estimates to fix this problem are reported to be approximately $2,000. The complaints are numerous and the cost for replacement is obscene. Consumers report the repeated failure of this component even on repaired vehicles. Apparently the component fails at elevated temperatures repeatedly. I am 6'1" and 250lbs. And I struggled to control the car, there is no doubt that my wife at 5'. 115lbs. Will have even more difficulty to maintain control. If I am unable to resolve this issue at a more reduced cost I will sell this vehicle to another unsuspecting individual just like the good 'ol gsa of the usa did to me. This is a serious safety issue and should be addressed.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering failed without warning and almost caused a crash at 40 mph. The dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced and the vehicle should not be driven. The contact feels that this is a serious safety risk. The current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 3,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering fails randomly. The failure previously occurred at 20,000 miles and was reported to GM, but they never took action or repaired the vehicle. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle is currently at the dealer being repaired at the contact's expense. The failure mileage was 61,436.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle resisted unexpectedly while making a turn. The driver exerted greater effort to turn the steering wheel. The power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The driver pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. The vehicle was restarted after a few moments and resumed normal operation. The failure occurs without warning whenever the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the steering motor failed. The repair part was unavailable. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 52,051.
Driving home powersteering light came on and power steering went out. I was told by the dealer to turn the car off and the computer will rest itself. It lasted for a while, but started again. Car had 19,000 miles, bought new and dealer wants me to pay $1,100., to replace the whole steering column. Do not have $1,100 to pay for this new vehicle. I am taking chance driving this vehicle and the powersteering light will come on anytime. Warranty ran out 01/09. The 1st incident occurred Feb 5th, 2009. Fox Chevy dealer advised 3 yr warranty expired.
I have a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt that on frequent occasions the power steering unit goes out for no reason at all. It seems that this happens as the outside temperature increases. It doesn't matter if I am on the interstate or driving in my neighborhood. I have researched this issue and have found 1000's of complaints on this power steering problem. I hope this brings this to your attention for GM to recall this issue before someone is killed.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving between 55-60 mph on normal road conditions, the steering wheel locked up without warning. The driver pulled over to the side of the road with caution and turned off the engine. She waited a few minutes and the vehicle restarted normally. The failure recurred several times while driving to her destination. The failure recurs whenever the vehicle is in operation. The failure and current mileages were 46,840.
My son owns a 2006 Chevy Cobalt. The power steering light comes on and then the power steer locks up to where you are unable to turn the steering wheel. The quick fix is to cut off the ignition and restart. This is only a short term fix as it happens again within the next 10 miles or so and is becoming more frequent as time goes on. Does someone have to die before a recall is issued" after reading the reported problems on the internet this is a very common thing for the 2005 and 2006 models. I have seen recalls on here for lesser things like not enough amber in a turn signal? how is this any more dangerous than losing the ability to steer while doing 70 mph on the interstate? it is a matter of time before a death or permanent disability happens to someone. GM has to be aware of this problem by now. I guess they will just take there chances being that they are filing bankruptcy. I beg you to recall this component. How many more complaints are needed"
I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt ltz and the power steering has went out on it numerous times while im driving, trying to make a turn, while my 2 children were in the car. It makes the car extremely hard to steer around a curve. Thankfully I have only about hit other cars. But I still have to drive it because I don't have any other way to work, until I can save enough money to get it fixed. I don't know what caused it but, I have done some research and there are many people dealing with this problem with the Cobalt 06. I have to replace the whole electric power steering part bout $1000 that I don't have.. I M a single mom of two boys. I think there really needs to be a recall done on this particular part on the 06 Cobalt. Before someone is hurt.. there are to many people having problems with this.. oh and did I mention my warranty just ran out..
Our 2006 Chevy Cobalt has started having power steering failures. The car has 44,000 miles. Two weeks ago while driving down the highway, the ps light indicator flashed on and we did our best to try and get off the road. If we turn the car off and then back on, the power steering will work, but the problem is becoming more frequent; at least a couple of times a week. This car was bought new and is driven by my 20 yr. Old honor college student. I had a mechanic check this and he told me the steering column had to be replaced at a cost of approx. $1500.
My power steering has been going on and off since 2008. I took it to the dealership and they said I have to replace the entire column. The power steering goes out every day. As soon I turn on the car and go a few yards it goes out. The problem has gotten worse. It's a lot harder to turn and a lot more frequent than it was in November.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mansfield, TX, USA