Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 46 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 46, in the owner's own words
TAKATA RECALL. I HIT A PATCH OF ICE GOING TO A FRIENDS HOUSE. I DID A THREE SIXTY HITTING A GUARDRAIL ALL THE WAY AROUND. MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. THEY SHOULD OF WITH HOW HARD I HIT. TOTALED OUT MY CAR. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN I-75 IN OHIO
WHEN DRIVING REAR AND FRONT DOORS OPEN WHEN HITTING A BUMPL THEY JUST FLY OPEN WON'T STAY LOCKED OR CLOSED. WHEN CLOSING THEM SOMETIMES NOT ABLE TO REOPEN THEM. THE DOOR MECHANISMS ARE FAULTLY AND DON'T WORK. REAL SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE ON RECALL LIST AS MANY PEOPLE ON-LINE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S DOORS CONSTANTLY LOCKED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO CRAWL IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE WINDOW. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE POWER STEERING AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER RESTARTED AND DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED HARRY GREEN CHEVROLET AT 304-624-6304 (1858 E PIKE ST, CLARKSBURG, WV 26301) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT ABOUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V014000 (STRUCTURE). THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
MY PASSENGER DOOR RANDOMLY DOES NOT OPEN ANYMORE FROM INSIDE OR OUT. IT WORKED COMPLETELY FINE BEFORE A PASSENGER GOT IN, AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO GET OUT THE HANDLE WAS "LOOSE" AND NEITHER HANDLES WILL OPEN THE DOOR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IT'S SCARY THAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN TO BOTH DOORS. MY PASSENGER DOOR CURRENTLY DOESN'T OPEN SO IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT THEY WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO GET OUT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE HEADLAMP BULB BECAUSE THE BULB SHIELD FELL OFF. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED THE SHIELD WAS MISSING UNTIL HE NOTICED A GLARE IN THE BULB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO LIGHT BULBS AFFECTED DUE TO THE REFLECTOR FAILING WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A REPAIR MANUAL AND NOTICED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V560000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE GLARE COULD AFFECT AN ONCOMING MOTORIST, RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,400.
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH DOES NOT WANT TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS NOTHING CONNECTING TO OPEN IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND I HAVE HAD TO CRAWL OVER PASSENGER SIDE TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WHEN I UNLOCK THE DRIVER DOOR WITH THE FOB, THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY AND THE RELAY ELECTRICAL WIRING STARTED BURNING. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE CAR DEALER THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. MYSELF AND FOUR OTHER PEOPLE SMELLED THE BURNING. I GAVE THE CAR BACK AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO SATISFY THE SITUATION. I WAS TOLD BY AN AUTO ZONE MECHANIC TO PARK THE CAR BEFORE IT CATCHES ON FIRE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD INDEPENDENTLY UNLOCK AND LOCK IN A LOOP WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE ALARM TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000.
ALL MY DOOR HANDLES ARE FALLING OFF AND I'VE HEARD MANY COLBLATS DOING THE SAME AND ALL MY PAINT IS CHIPPING OFF MY CAR I DROVE FROM A TO B AND THAT'S ALL
WAS DRIVING WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP AS I WAS STARTING AROUND A SMALL CURVE IN THE ROAD. COULD NOT STEER AND WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO A YARD AND STRUCK A TREE. INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED VEHICLE.
DOORS ARE STICKING AND NOT OPENING FROM THE OUTSIDE, ONE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL, HANDLES BREAKING AND GOT LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR FOR 2 HOURS. *TR
[XXX]. WAS FRONT PASSENGER IN A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT DRIVEN BY HIS COUSIN [XXX]. ON APRIL 19TH, 2009. [XXX] LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SEVERELY WRECKED THE VEHICLE. [XXX] WAS STUCK UNDER THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS AND HAD TO BE AIR LIFTED TO RICHLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WHEN EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARRIVED. [XXX] WAS SEVERELY INJURED AND SUFFERED LIFE TIME INJURIES. [XXX] AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH CAUSED HIM TO SUFFER MORE EXTENSIVE INJURIES THAN HE WOULD HAVE IF THE AIRBAGS DID DEPLOY. [XXX]. LATER FOUND OUT THAT GM HAD KNOWN OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IN THE 2005-2006 CHEVROLET COBALT VEHICLES BUT NOT REPORT THIS UNTIL AFTER [XXX] WAS SEVERELY INJURED ON APRIL 19TH, 2009. [XXX] SUFFERED A BROKEN NECK, BROKEN BONE IN HIS RIGHT FOOT, HIS RIGHT HIP WAS KNOCKED OUT OF JOINT, ALSO SEVERE BACK AND SPINE PAIN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
PAINT HAS BEEN FADING FOR THE LAST 5 YEAR FROM DEFECTS IN PANT JOB. PART OF THE FRAME ABOVE THE REAR PASSENGER SAID DOOR IS BARE METAL AND CHIPPING AWAY. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR IS $5,500.00. I HAVE SEEN OTHER 2005 CHEST COBALT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
THE DOOR DOESN'T OPEN FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS UNLOCKED. *TR
ON 01//24/2012 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 COBALT ON THE LODGE FREEWAY IN MICHIGAN MY CAR JUST TURN OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH ,YES I WAS INJURED AND LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR . *JS
ON 01//24/2012 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 COBALT ON THE LODGE FREEWAY IN MICHIGAN MY CAR JUST TURN OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH ,YES I WAS INJURED AND LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR. *JS
I WAS GOING TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING. A TRAIN WAS IN THE DISTANCE WHICH SCARED A HUGE BUCK DEER. THE BUCK DEER WITH HUGE ANTLERS RAN STRAIGHT INTO MY CAR HEAD ON. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STEER AWAY FROM THE DEER AND MY CAR SEEMED TO SHUT DOWN. THE HUGE BUCK DEER HIT ME HEAD ON. THE LIGHTS WERE TOTALLY SMASHED. THE HOOD OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DAMAGED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY SMASHED. THE ROOF WAS DAMAGED AND THE CAR WAS LOPSIDED. THE BUCK DEER ANTLERS WENT THRU THE WINDSHIELD JUST INCHES AWAY FROM ME.THE AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH GREAT FORCE. MY CAR SEEMED TO SHUT OFF AND I COULD NOT STEER AWAY FROM THE DEER. I WAS CUT WITH GLASS ON MY FACE, ARMS AND HANDS. MY NECK AND BACK WAS HURT. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON BUT MY STOMACH HURT FROM THE DRAMATIC IMPACT. I COMPLAINED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK AND THAT MY CAR ACTED STRANGELY IN WHICH IT SEEMED THE IGNITION SWITCH SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR BUT I WAS TOTALLY IGNORED. *TR
I RENTED THIS BRAND NEW COBALT 4 MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA FROM MOBILE ALABAMA, SO AS TO GO BACK TO MY HOME TOWN OF SAN FRANCISCO, CA. BY THE TIME I MADE IT THROUGH LOS ANGELES, AT AROUND 430 AM. I LOST CONTROL OF CAR DUE TO SEVERE STIFFNESS IN THE STEERING. WHICH LED TO THE VEHICLE RUNNING OFF OF I-5 HEADING NORTH BOUND AT A SPEED OF 60 MILES PER HOUR. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, I VEERED OFF THE FREEWAY INTO THE MEDIAN PORTION OF I-5, AND I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN BUT NO RESPONSE WHICH LED ME TO ROLL OVER FEW TIMES, END TO END AND OVER AND OVER, LUCKILY I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AND IT HELD VERY WELL, SUPRISINGLY, NO AIRBAGS, NONE OF THEM DEPLOYED, AND ALL THE WINDOWS BLEW OUT, AND NOT THE REINFORCED KIND INCLUDING THE FRONT WIND SHIELD. THE AMBULANCE CAME, AND SO DID THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. THERE IS A REPORT ABOUT IT WHICH INDICATES THAT NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED, AND I DO HAVE PICTURES OF CAR AFTER INCIDENT. I HAD FEW BUMPS AND BRUISES AND HAD FEW CUTS FROM THE GLASS ON MY ARMS AND LEGS, AND I HAD TO ACQUIRE A FEW ROUNDS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND ACCUPUNCTURE.BUT LUCKILY I WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS.THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER 3 INSURANCES, WHICH PAID FOR SOME DAMAGE, INCLUDING MY DISCOVER CARD, AND MY GRANDMA'S AARP. AND THE RENTAL CAR COMPANY. *JS
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED SIGNAL FOR A FEW MINUTES. SUDDENLY, A UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO STUDENT HIT MY CAR FROM THE REAR AT FULL FORCE. HE WAS TEXTING AND WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR HE WAS STILL TEXTING. HE ADMITTED IT WAS HIS FAULT BECAUSE HE WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE ROAD AND WAS TEXTING ON HIS PHONE. I CALLED THE POLICE AND OBTAINED A POLICE REPORT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK. MY MOM AND I WERE JOLTED FORWARD AT FULL FORCE WITH BACK AND NECK TRAUMA. MY CAR STALLED ON IMPACT OF THE OTHER CAR. LUCKILY MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND I DID NOT HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO RESTART MY CAR AND I PULLED THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN ORDER TO NOT BLOCK THE BUSY STREET. I COMPLAINED THAT MY AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK BUT I WAS IGNORED. ALSO, THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TURNED OFF THE CAR WHICH I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE. *TR
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CAR FELT AS IF IT WAS SLIDING AND HIT A GUARDRAIL. THEN, SLIDE ALONGSIDE IT. THAT IMPACT PROPELLED MY CAR ACROSS THE STREET AND IT COLLIDED WITH A GUARD-WALL, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, TOTALING THE VEHICLE. *TR
RANDOMLY, THE DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH FAILS TO FUNCTION. IF THE DOOR IS OPEN, IT WILL NOT LATCH CLOSED. IF THE DOOR IS CLOSED, NEITHER THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WILL OPEN THE DOOR. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS RATHER A SEVERE SAFETY CONCERN. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR AFTER AN ACCIDENT, AN UN-INJURED OCCUPANT COULD DIE FROM FIRE--OR DROWN IF THE CAR WERE SUBMERGED. I EXPLORED THE ISSUE ON MULTIPLE INTERNET FORUMS AND FOUND THIS IS A RATHER COMMON ISSUE. FOR INSTANCE, HERE IS A QUERY ON THE COBALT SS FORUM. JUST ENTERING "DOOR LATCH" COMES UP WITH THESE SEARCH RESULTS. HTTP://WWW.COBALTSS.NET/FORUMS/ESP_SEARCH.PHP?QUERY=DOOR+LATCH&REF=ESP-NAV-BAR&TYPE=ALL ON ONE POLL, FULLY 50% OF ALL COBALT OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. 50%. I FOUND THERE IS AN NHTSA CASE ON THE ISSUE. THE ACTION NUMBER IS: "NHTSA: ACTION NUMBER: 10038344 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 308836." THIS REFERENCES THE DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN #PI0011A. A DEALER APPLIED THE BULLETIN, THE ISSUE REMAINS. I AM NOW HAVING THE LATCH REPLACED, HOWEVER THAT IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED. WORRIED I MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT WITH THE PASSENGER DOOR, I LOOKED INTO THE LATCH ON THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE LATCH IS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY GM. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AN NHTSA ACTION ON THIS ISSUE, GM HAS SEEN FIT TO MAKE FIXING THE PROBLEM IMPOSSIBLE. ONE HAS TO ASK, "WHY IS THE PART SOLD OUT?" CLEARLY, THE FAILURE RATE HAS BEEN SO HIGH THAT GM HAS SOLD OUT THEIR ENTIRE STOCK OF REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE PART NUMBERS NEEDED FOR MY PASSENGER DOOR LATCH ARE EITHER 15906018 OR 15892690. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS. PEOPLE WILL DIE. GM ISN'T EVEN STOCKING ALL OF THE PARTS THAT MIGHT FIX THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE BULLETIN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. GM KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A DOOR LATCH THAT WORKS. PLEASE, REQUIRE GM TO FIX THIS BEFORE PEOPLE DIE. *TR
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. BOTH THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES WILL BECOME "LOOSE" AND WHILE EASY TO PULL HANDLES, THE DOOR WILL STILL NOT OPEN. *TR
REAR DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING. POWER STEERING CUTS OFF. *TR
CAN NOT OPEN DOOR FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. VEHICLE IS NOT LOCKED, WILL NOT OPEN. HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR
UNABLE TO OPEN DRIVERS SIDE DOOR EITHER FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. DOORS APPEAR TO LOCK/UNLOCK FINE BUT HANDLE FEELS LIKE IT IS DISCONNECTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. IN RESEARCHING ON INTERNET, I FOUND THAT MANY COBALT OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT A QUICK FIX IS TO POUND ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR AROUND THE HANDLE AND THAT WHATEVER IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT WILL POP BACK INTO PLACE. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IN THAT ONE MIGHT BE TRAPPED INSIDE OF THE CAR WITH NO QUICK MEANS OF EXIT. *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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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