Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 73 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 73, in the owner's own words
WHILE PARKED THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RELEASE BUTTON JAMMED AND I COULD NOT RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKES. THERE IS ABNORMAL NOISE HEARD IN THE REAR BREAKING SYSTEM WHEN REVERSING. ABNORMAL PREMATURE WEAR TO INSIDE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR DISCS
REAR BRAKES WEAR THE PADS UNEVENLY AND SCRATCH THE ROTORS. COMMON PROBLEM THAT MOST 2008+ COBALT SS OWNERS EXPERIENCE. DUE TO THE FAULTY BRAKES, THE HAND BRAKE WILL OFTEN NOT WORK, WHICH IS A LARGE INCONVENIENCE IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN TRYING TO PARK ON A HILL.
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.... HAD IT CHECKED BY FIRESTONE... THEY TOLD ME THE 2ND CYLINDER WAS MISFIRING PER THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE.. SHOULD BE 130 PSI AND ONLY REGISTERING 90 PSI....THEN WHILE STOPPED LONGER THAN 30 SECONDS "SERVICE TRACTION" LIGHT COMES ON.....ASKING $2300 TO REPAIR.... WHY WOULD ONE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS GO BAD.....COMPLAINED TO GM AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A CERTIFIED GM DEALER TO LOOK AT IT SO I TOOK IT TO GM ALSO FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY ARE SAYING MISFIRE IN 2ND CYLINDER WHICH IS WHAT THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE SAYS- PER THE PAPERWORK GIVEN ME THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT THE REPAIR IS GOING TO ENTAIL OR HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM..... PER INTERNET COMPLAINTS THIS S A PROBLEM THAT HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES IN COBALTS.... IS IT BECAUSE NO ONE GOT HURT OR DIED THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO CONSIDER THIS A RECALL? THE CAR IS ONLY 9 YEARS OLD AND HAS 68800 MILES ON IT.....AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED 1000 MILES AGO... VERY FRUSTRATING AND UNBELIEVABLE! PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND. *TR
AFTER CLIMBING A STEEP DRIVEWAY, BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO MAIN ROAD. BRAKES WOULD STOP BUT CONTINUED TO GO TO FLOOR IF 1) BRAKES WERE PUT ON PART OF THE WAY; RELEASE AND THEN PUT ON TO STOP AGAIN OR 2) FOOT STAYED ON BRAKE PEDAL UPON STOPPING. IT WAS NOT A SUDDEN DROP BUT A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. TOOK TO SOUTHTOWNE CHEVROLET IN NEWNAN, GA AND AFTER A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE BRAKES (REPLACING FRONT BRAKES, ETC) A FORMAN RODE WITH ME AND THEY ENDED UP HAVING TO FLUSH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TO GET THE BRAKES TO STOP. UPON HEARING OF THE RECALL ON THE MALIBUS THIS MORNING, I FELT LIKE MY COBALT MIGHT HAVE ALSO SUFFERED A POTENTIAL HAZARD IN ITS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. *TR
ON 10/2013, I WAS DRIVING ON THE 105 FWY GOING EASTBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND I NO LONGER COULD ACCELERATE. EAST BOUND TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND CHP OFFICER HAD TO PARK BEHIND ME WITH HIS LIGHTS TO AVOID ME GETTING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES, SINCE THERE WAS NO SAFETY LANE TO PULL OVER FOR BROKEN DOWN CARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ONE OTHER PLACE BEFORE BEING TOWED TO PENSKE CHEVROLET, 18605 S STUDEBAKER RD., CERRITOS, CA 90703 THE FOLLOWING DAY. IN SHORT, I TOOK MY CAR BACK 3 DIFFERENT TIMES FROM THE FIRST TIME IT WAS TOWED THERE. THEY WOULD FIX ONE PART AND I WOULD LEAVE AND SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON AND I WOULD RETURN. THEN THEY STATED IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE AND THEY WOULD "FIX IT". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON ONCE AGAIN. THE LAST AND FINAL TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN THEY REPLACED YET ANOTHER CAR PART AND IN TOTAL I PAID $500.00 DOLLARS IN FEES, NOT TO MENTION TIME LOSS AT WORK AND GAS THEY USE TO DO "LONG TEST DRIVES". TO THIS DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON FROM THE DAY I LEFT PENSKE CHEVROLET. THE MANAGER THERE "[XXX]" IN SHORT STATED THAT THE CAR IS FIXED AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. HE ASSURED ME THE SECOND TO LAST VISIT THAT THIS WOULD BE FIXED AND IT NEVER WAS. THE VEHICLE IS STILL NOT WORKING AS IT DID PRIOR 10/2013. IT CUTS AND DOES NOT ACCELERATES WHEN YOU INITIALLY STEP ON THE GAS. IN ADDITION, THE DOOR LOCKS ARE ELECTRIC AND WHEN I DRIVE THEY POP UP AND DOWN ON THERE OWN. I ALSO WILL LEAVE MY CAR LOCKED AND WHEN I GET BACK THE CAR WILL BE UNLOCKED. THIS ALL BEGAN AFTER I GOT MY VEHICLE BACK FROM PENSKE CHEVROLET OF CERRITOS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE REAR BRAKE PADS ARE WORN SEVERELY UNEVENLY. THE INSIDE PADS ARE DOWN TO METAL WHILE THE OUTSIDE PADS ARE STILL AT LEAST 50%. THE ROTORS ARE DEEPLY SCORED BECAUSE OF THE WEAR. *TR
EXCESSIVE WEAR ON REAR BRAKES, CAUSING UNTIMELY REPLACEMENT. REAR BRAKES WEAR MORE QUICKLY THAN FRONTS CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES 4 TIMES AND STILL HAVEN'T REPLACED THE FRONT I GET STOCK PADS AND ROTORS FROM CHEVY DEALER! AND WITHIN 500 MILES THE ROTORS ARE ALL SCORED UP AND LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE 20K ON THEM. I SEE THIS BEING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT REALIZE IT BECAUSE THEY JUST REPLACED THEM! FIX THIS ISSUE PLEASE! I NOTICED THIS FOR THE 4TH TIME ON DECEMBER 1ST. I WAS BACKING UP AND IT MADE A HORRIBLE SOUND I GOT OUT TO CHECK AND THE REAR PADS ARE ALMOST GONE! I HAVE PUT MAYBE 8K ON THEM AND THE ROTORS LOOK LIKE A TIGER ATTACKED THEM, I DON'T BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS AGAIN SO SOON! *TR
REAR BRAKE ROTORS ARE IRREPARABLY SCORED AND WARPED AFTER 11,000 MILES, PREVENTING THE REAR BRAKES FROM WORKING CORRECTLY AND DECREASING BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. THIS IS COMMON ON 2008 COBALT SSES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DECREASE IN SPEED AS THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,300.
BOUGHT MY COBALT SS NEW FROM DEALER, WITH LESS THEN 5,000 MILES REAR BRAKES WERE SQUEALING AND VERY OBNOXIOUS. UPON INSPECTING AND BRINGING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THAT MY BRAKES HAD GOUGES IN THEM AND NEEDED TO BE REFINISHED AND CLEANED AS WELL AS NEW PADS INSTALLED. THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AS THEY SAID IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR AND THE NOISE WAS NORMAL. *TR
REAR BRAKE ROTORS HAVE MASSIVE GOUGES CAUSING A GRINDING NOISE. *TR
1. BEGIN SQUEAKING AND E BRAKE BEGINS TO NO LONGER HOLD THE CAR 2. REAR BREAKS PADS WEAR OUT VERY QUICKLY ABOUT EVERY 10,000 TO 15,000 MILES 3. PUT NEW PADS ON. *TR
AT 8,000 MILES THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS WERE DEEPLY GROVED. THE FRONT ROTORS LOOKED FINE, NO GROVES. AT 18,000 WE HAD TO SWAP OUT THE PADS AS THE FRICTION SURFACE WAS COMPLETELY GONE. WE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER ON BOTH OCCASIONS, BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THERE WAS NO RECALL. I ALSO TRIED TO QUESTION IF THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ROTORS OR PADS OR CALIPERS, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME ANSWERS AND SERVICE SUPPORT. *TR
THE REAR BRAKES ON THE 2008-2010 MODELS OF THE CHEVROLET COBALT SS WEAR OUT IMMATURELY CAUSING PULSATION, LACK OF BRAKING POOR, AND COSTLY FIXES. *TR
I HAVE NOTICED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON MY REAR BRAKES AND GROVES FORMING ON MY ROTORS TOO. I HAVE A 2008 CHEVY COBALT SS TURBO. THE DEALER IS SAYING IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT I BELIEVE IT IS SOMETHING MORE THAN WEAR AND TEAR. MY COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALER HAS GONE UNHEARD AND WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED. *TR
MY REAR ROTORS HAVE SCARRED SO BAD IT IS AFFECTING BRAKING, AND THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE. THEY ARE NOISY, DANGEROUS, AND VISUALLY UNPLEASING. *TR
REAR BRAKES WEARING OUT, PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD, SQUEALS WHEN STOPPING. *TR
REAR BRAKES ON 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS WORN SIGNIFICANTLY. PARKING BRAKE HAS VERY LITTLE TENSION. GRINDING NOISE ALSO COMES FROM REAR BRAKES. *TR
UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS (MAJORITY IS COMMUTING), MY REAR ROTORS AND BRAKR PADS WERE REPLACED AT 21,259KM, QUOTE FROM SERVICE ORDER FROM MY DEALERSHIP, "REAR BRAKES AT SQUEALERS, CONFIRMED SQUEAL NOISE FROM REAR. FOUND REAR BRAKE PADS AT SQUEALERS. BOTH ROTORS BADLYSCORED. MACHINED ROTORS LR19.0MM AND RR19.10MM REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS". THEN AT 42,465KM BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AS I COULD SMELL BURNING BRAKES FROM THE REAR END AFTER ONLY 20 MIN OF DAILY AVERAGE DRIVING . FOLLOWING IS A QUOTE FROM MY DEALERSHIP WORK ORDER, "CAUSE: SEIZED/BINDS/STICKS. FOUND REAR BRAKES @ 2MM REMAINING ON REAR INBOARD PAD. CHECKED COMPLETE HYDRAULIC SYS. CHECKED FOR ABS CODES. CHECKED FOR BULLETINS ON REAR BRAKES. CHECKED E BRAKE NO PROBLEMS FOUND. REMOVED REAR CALIPERS AND FOUND CALIPERS STICKY. NEED TO BE REPLACED BOTH REAR CALIPERS STICKY. NEED TO REPLACE BOTH REAR CALIPERS, ROTORS AND PADS. INNER PADS 2MM OUTBOARD 6MM AND ROTORS UNDR MIN. REPLACED BOTH REAR CALIPERS, ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. BLED BRAKE SYSTEM". THEN MY DEALERSHIP FOLLOWED WITH "THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME GM WILL REPLACE REAR BRAKES". AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IF THE REAR BRAKES ARE INADEQUATE FRO THE APPLICATION AND ARE BEING WORN OUT AND DAMAGING BRAKE PARTS EVERY 20,000KM OR SO THEN A RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH REPLACEMENTS OF AN ADEQUATE BREAKING COMPONENTS. *TR
THE REAR BRAKES ON THE CHEVROLET COBALT SS ARE PURE CRAP. THEY SQUEAL PRETTY BADLY WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP, NO MATTER IF IT'S A FAST STOP OR A SLOW STOP. IT GETS EVEN LOUDER WHEN THEY GET HOT. I'VE TAKEN TO MY CAR TO THE DEALER SINCE MY 08 COBALT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY'VE TOLD ME THAT HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOUD...I'M SORRY GM, BUT NOT THIS LOUD! SO THEY ROTATED MY ROTORS, AND GAVE ME NEW BRAKES ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND IT'S STILL AS BAD AS WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. *TR
1) I DROVE MY CAR AND USED THE BRAKES. 2) SCORED BRAKES, SOUNDS LIKE A 747 COMING IN FOR A LANDING EVERY TIME I STOP. 3) NOTHING YET, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TODAY (05/24/10). *TR
REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND DISCS WEAR OUT FAR TOO QUICKLY IN AVERAGE DAY TO DAY USE. *TR
THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS FAIL TO RELEASE PROPERLY, CAUSING THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD TO WEAR MORE THAN TWICE AS FAST AS THE OUTSIDE PAD. THEREFORE FORCING THE REAR PADS TO BE REPLACED TWICE AS OFTEN AS THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. *TR
MY 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT SS REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE CHANGED BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES (40000KM). THE ROTORS WERE HEAVILY SCORED TO A POINT WHERE THEY COULD NOT BE RESURFACED. THE PADS WERE WORN OUT UNEVENLY AND HAD A DIFFERENT LEVELS OF WEAR. THE FRONT BRAKES AT 60000 STILL HAVE LOTS OF BRAKE PAD LEFT. I REPLACED THE BRAKES MYSELF AND DID NOT KEEP THE OLD PARTS. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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