2007 Chevrolet COBALT: complaints, problems and recalls

ENTERED CAR (DRIVER'S SIDE) AND DID NOT CLOSE DOOR COMPLETELY. "DOOR AJAR" INDICATOR DID NOT REMAIN LIT. DROVE AWAY AND WHILE DRIVING DOOR OPENED. NO CAR WAS IN OPPOSING LANE (2 LANE ROAD) SO NOTHING WAS STRUCK BY THE OPEN DOOR. MY SAFETY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE "DOOR AJAR" LIGHT TURNS OFF BEFORE IT SHOULD (BEFORE THE DOOR IS COMPLETELY CLOSED AND LATCHED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY (10/19) AND EXPLAINED THE CONCERN. THEY AGREED THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM AND ACTUALLY TESTED SEVERAL OTHER CARS (SAME MODEL) ON THE NEW CAR LOT AND FOUND TH…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10171366 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED NEW COBALT 2007 IN AUGUST OF 2006. BEGAN NOTICING HYDROPLANING AND CONTROL PROBLEMS. NOW THAT IT IS WINTER, THE CAR WILL NOT STEER, IT PULLS AND THE TRACTION IS TERRIBLE. I HAVE BEEN STUCK SEVERAL TIMES. I NO LONGER PERMIT MY WIFE TO DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE FOR FEAR OF A COLLISION OR WORSE. WE HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND CONTACTED OUR DEALER WITH SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLY TO FALL ON DEAF EARS. THE PROPER CHANNELS TO REPORT THIS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BUT TP NO AVAIL HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE TO REPLACE THE TIRES (SAFETY FIRST) AND WE FEEL S…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10182896 at NHTSA ↗

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND VIBRATE. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE SNOWY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO THE SNOW TRAPPED IN THE WHEELS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEELS WERE A DEFECTIVE AND A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 119,000. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 11,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10183815 at NHTSA ↗

CAR MAKES A SERIES OF KNOCKS ON A COLD START---SOUNDS AS IF SOMEONE IS LOCKED INSIDE THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. CHEVY HAS LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT WAS DUE TO A BULLETIN STATING A NOISY EVAP SYSTEM, WHICH IT IS NOT FIXABLE. I AM STILL WAITING TO SEE WHAT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10189145 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HEARS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE IS USUALLY LOUDER WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 50 DEGREES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT SOUNDS AS IF SOMEONE IS INSIDE THE TRUNK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE CANNOT BE REPAIRED AND REFERENCED THE CONTACT TO SERVICE BULLETIN # 1890375. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 4,577 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10189828 at NHTSA ↗

I HAD A FRONT IMPACT COLLISION WITH MY NEW 2007 CHEVY COBALT. I WAS TRAVELING 40 TO 45 MPH WHEN THE IMPACT OCCURED. MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT UNHARMED BUT MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY HAD AN ENGINEER INSPECT MY CAR AND DETERMINED THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF BUT SINCE THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND NO ONE WAS HURT THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,105 miles reported. Look up ODI 10191559 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING E. ON HIGHWAY 60 IN AZ, I NOTICED MY STEERING WHEEL STICKING ONCE IN A WHILE. AFTER DRIVING THRU DEVEL'S CANYON THE STEERING KEPT PULLING TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE THEN IT WOULD STOP PULLING, OVER AND OVER. WHEN I WAS ON FLAT ROAD AGAIN THE STEERING PULLED REAL SHARP TO THE RIGHT AND WOULD NOT TURN LEFT, AFTER A SECOND OF THIS THE STEERING FINALLY FREED ITSELF AGAIN BUT MAKING THE STEERING VERY TOUCHY, WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE CAR STARTED SWEERVING SIDE TO SIDE AND ENDED UP HITTING THE GUARD RAIL ON THE EAST BOUND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,833 miles reported. Look up ODI 10191701 at NHTSA ↗

POPPING OR KNOCKING NOISE WHEN TURNING ,WHEN TURNING AT TIMES THE STEERING DOESN'T RETURN AND HAS TO BE PULLED BACK, FEELS LIKE IT IS LOCKED OR SOMETHING, SHUTTERS AT TIMES . *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 17,777 miles reported. Look up ODI 10196454 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2009-10-29 (October 29, 2009)

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT AND SATURN ION VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ARIZONA AND NEVADA; AND MODEL YEAR 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT, PONTIAC G5 AND SATURN ION VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, NEVADA AND TEXAS. THE PLASTIC SUPPLY OR RETURN PORT ON THE MODULAR RESERVOIR ASSEMBLY MAY CRACK. IF EITHER OF THESE PORTS DEVELOPS A CRACK, FUEL WILL LEAK FROM THE AREA. IF THE CRACK BECOMES LARGE ENOUGH, FUEL MAY BE OBSERVED DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND AND VEHICLE PERFORMANCE MAY BE AFFECTED.

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. A SPECIAL COVERAGE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SAME TIME FRAME FOR MODEL YEAR 2006 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE AND TEXAS AND MODEL YEAR 2007 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN: ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND TENNESSEE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 4, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Reported: 2010-03-03 (March 3, 2010)

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 CHEVROLET COBALT AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 PONTIAC G5 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING.

Consequence: IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS ARE BEING NOTIFIED ON A ROLLING BASIS BETWEEN MARCH 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2010. A COPY OF THE MAILING SCHEDULE IS LOCATED IN THE RECALL FILE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Reported: 2012-09-19 (September 19, 2012)

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.

Consequence: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles in for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Reported: 2014-02-10 (February 10, 2014)

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Reported: 2014-04-10 (April 10, 2014)

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.