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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:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,161 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 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

May 262010

(reported on)

Cobalt

  • miles

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

Letter from congressman kanjorskion behalf of constituent re concerns about defective power steering in 2006 GMC Chevy Cobalt. The consumer stated she was involved in a serious car accident due to the defective power steering system. Prior to the accident, the consumer paid the dealer over $900 to repair the power steering system when it first stopped working. The consumer stated her make model and year was recalled for the exact problem she experienced.

- Henryville, PA, USA

problem #27

May 262010

(reported on)

Cobalt

  • miles
Letter from congressman kanjorski on behalf of constituent re defective power steering on 2006 GMC Chevy Cobalt the consumer stated she was involved in a serious car accident due to the defective power steering system. Prior to the accident, the consumer paid the dealer over $900 to repair the power steering system when it first stopped working. The consumer stated her make model and year was recalled for the exact problem she experienced.

- Henryville, PA, USA

problem #26

Sep 152009

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While the contact was driving approximately 35 mph there was a loss of power steering, followed by an engine stall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician performed an unknown repair contributed to the steering and engine power failure. The service repair cost was $579. The contact received a recall notification six months after the failure occurred. The recall was under NHTSA campaign id number 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system). The dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the recall for an unknown reason. The failure mileage was 24,000. Updated 07/19/10 updated 07/21/10

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #25

May 062010

Cobalt

  • 50,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 cheveorlet Cobalt. While the contact was driving approximately 20 mph there was a loss of power steering. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was able to resume normally. The failure progressed to every time the vehicle was in operation. The authorized dealer was notified and stated there was a recall under NHTSA campaign id 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system). The VIN was included in the recall. However, the dealer would not perform the recall remedy repair until they received payment from the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified which stated that the dealer was independently owned, and were unable to enforce the service repair. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 50,000.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #24

Apr 102010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated she received notification of a recall campaign (NHTSA campaign id number 10V073000: Steering: Electric power assist system) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. The power steering pump was replaced under the recall however, the power steering pump failed shortly after having it replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were both contact and both advised any further repairs top the vehicle would be at her expense. The current and failure mileages were 166,000. Updated 7/20/10 the consumer stated the steering column had to be replaced at her expense. Updated 07/23/10

- Haysi, VA, USA

problem #23

Mar 232010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 46,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While the contact was driving approximately 25 mph, the power steering warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. A chime sounded with a loss of power steering. The engine was turned off, restarted and the vehicle began to function normally. Both failures occurred intermittently for one to three weeks. The dealer was notified and stated that there was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 46,000. The current mileage was 47,000. Updated 05/12/10 the consumer stated the dealer has since repaired the vehicle, even though her VIN was not on the list. Updated 05/14/10.

- Hickory, NC, USA

problem #22

Oct 272008

Cobalt

  • 32,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that in 2008 while driving at approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering. He noticed that the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. He pulled to the side of the road, turned the vehicle off and restarted the ignition; after restarting, the power steering functioned normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer could not find the cause for failure. After being able to duplicate the failure, the dealer informed the contact that the problem was a steering issue. He was also informed that his vehicle was not included in recall 10V073000 (steering:electric power assist system). The vehicle was repaired at another authorized dealership. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000. The current mileage was approximately 64,000.

- Randallstown , MD, USA

problem #21

Mar 302010

Cobalt

  • 50,600 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact experienced a sporadic loss of the power steering while driving 60 mph. He noticed a chiming sound along with the power steering warning light before the loss of power steering. He stated that it was extremely difficult to turn when the failure occurred. He took the vehicle to an authorized dealership and was told that the vehicle was not included in recall 10V073000 (steering:electric power assist system). He had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. The current mileage was 50,807. The failure mileage was approximately 50,600.

- Laredo, TX, USA

problem #20

Mar 312010

Cobalt

  • 34,050 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost all power steering. He noted that the steering wheel became stiff and it was very difficult to control it. He called both the dealer and the manufacturer to inquire about recall 10V073000 and was informed that his vehicle was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was 34,121. The failure mileage was approximately 34,050.

- Huntington Beach, CA, USA

problem #19

Mar 312010

Cobalt

  • 44,741 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact was driving approximately 10 mph in a parking lot. The power steering warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. A loss of power steering occurred which made it difficult to control the steering wheel. The engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was able to function normally. The contact found NHTSA campaign id 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system) on the website and was told by the dealer that his VIN was excluded from the recall. The failure and current mileages were 44,741.

- Enterprize, AL, USA

problem #18

Mar 302010

Cobalt

  • 46,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph, the power steering warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and suddenly, the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road with difficulty in steering. The engine was turned off. The vehicle restarted without the power steering warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was able to function normally. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall number 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system). The failure and current mileages were 46,000.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #17

Feb 152010

Cobalt

  • 36,000 miles
TL * the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle became difficult to steer and turn signaling a loss of power steering. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact called the manufacturer and he was informed that his vehicle was not included in recall 10V073000 (steering:electric power assist system). The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. The current mileage was approximately 37,500.

- Milpitas, CA, USA

problem #16

Jan 012007

Cobalt

  • 10,000 miles
-the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact was driving approximately between 40-60 mph when a loss of power steering occurred. The vehicle continued in operation; and the power steering became functional. The intermittent failure occurred at any given speed on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number 10V073000 (steering: Electric power assist system). However, the recall notification letter had not been received at that time. The authorized dealer refused to perform the recall remedy repair without the recall notification letter. The vehicle had not been repaired for the malfunction at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 10,000. The current mileage was 44,000. Updated 11/16/10.

- Bourbonnais, IL, USA

problem #15

Jun 192009

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 77,060 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at speeds as low as 20 mph, the power steering warning light would illuminate and chime on the instrument panel. The steering wheel would then become hard to move in either direction. He would then shut off the engine and once restarted, the power steering would re-set itself. The dealer advised the steering column wiring system would need to be replaced at the owner's expense. Although there was a recall for the failure (NHTSA campaign id number 10V073000: Component: Steering; electrical power assist). The contact was not aware if his vehicle was included with this campaign. The failure mileage was 77060 and the current is 94,472. Updated 4/22/10 the dealer replaced the steering module. Updated 06/18/10

- Hemet, CA, USA

problem #14

Mar 092010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. While driving at 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the warning panel followed by a warning chime. The steering wheel then became hard and incredibly difficult to steer. The dealer advised there was an upcoming recall campaign for the failure and that he would be notified accordingly (NHTSA campaign id number: 10V073000: Steering: Electric power assist system).there were no repairs performed on the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 63,000. Updated 04/20/10. The consumer stated the steering did not change during the incident and there was no noticeable difference in the way the vehicle performed. On March 21st, the warning chimed sounded, the power steering display lit up and the vehicle began to act erratic, but the steering remained normal as the vehicle jerked violently several times. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. They were unable to find a cause, but did reset the computer and erased some codes. The vehicle performed fine until April 3rd when it again the warning chime sounded. The consumer returned to the dealer and they replaced the power steering motor as per recall. Updated 09/22/10.

- Groveport, OH, USA

problem #13

Feb 242010

Cobalt

  • 51,700 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact was driving approximately 45 mph, attempting to make a left turn. There was a loss of power steering with no prior warning. The vehicle continued in operation with caution. The vehicle has not been diagnosed at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were 51,700.

- Grenada, MS, USA

problem #12

Feb 262010

(reported on)

Cobalt

  • miles
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. Faulty power steering updated 03/05/10 the consumer stated the power steering would become inoperative while driving. Updated 03/12/10

- Unknown, DC, USA

problem #11

Feb 252010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • miles
I own a 2006 Chevy Cobalt. The power steering goes out all the time. It resets itself when the car is turned off then back on. It happens when you're turning, when you're driving in a straight line, it doesn't seem to matter. It wasn't happening very often, but within the last 2 months it is very frequent. Sometimes up to 10-15 times a day. I have had the entire steering column replaced for $610. That was not the problem. Updated 03/10/10 updated 08/30/10

- Coldwater, MI, USA

problem #10

Jan 082010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 9,021 miles
I currently own a 2006 Chevy Cobalt. Within the last 2 months I have experienced a problem with the power steering shutting off while I am driving. It has cut off in the middle of a turn, switching lanes on the expressway, and even turning in parking spaces. I have taken it to a Chevy dealer where they informed me that I had to replace the entire steering column and the motor that goes with it. It is very dangerous to drive. The problem kept occurring several times in a day, I found that the only solution is to turn the car off and on then it would reset and I can drive again. But who knows when it will cut off again. It could be minutes or hours, but it occurs again, until I pull off and restart the car. I have had many close calls. It is a danger to myself and others. Especially riding with kids in the car. I have replaced the 2 parts as suggested by the Chevy dealer which cost me $1371 total. Now just less than 3 weeks, I heard there are more than 11,000 of the same complaints. I went back to the Chevy dealer and was informed to wait on a letter from Chevy because currently they are recalling cars individually by serial number. I informed the gentleman I had the similar complaints like the others and was given a 1 800 number to call Chevy. I have gone thru the automated system and can't seem to get anywhere. I hope help is on its way. I gave Chevy all the money I have plus borrowed money.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #9

Feb 042006

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
Power steering keeps failing on my 2006 Chevy Cobalt. This has just started and I have read that this is a problem with this model.

- Dansville, NY, USA

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