Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt STEERING

The chevy cobalt power steering light keeping coming on. my steering wheel keep freezing up. *tr

We have a 2005 chevy cobalt. issue 1: the power steering has failed intermittently while driving. the power steering has failed completely for the last 4 months but, now starting to work intermittently again. we called several dealers back in may 2009 about this issue. some dealers were are very aware of the problem. the dealers told me the entire steering column has to be replaced because it is a electronic failure. the power steering is controlled by an electric motor instead of hydraulics that are found in most cars. the cost to replace the steering column is $1,200+. i would like this issue fixed because it has almost caused several accidents when it initially started. we want to sell the vehicle but, we do not want to pass this lemon on to another consumer who may not be aware of these issues. issue 2: the wheel well covers and interior molding are attached to the vehicle with cheap plastic gromets that fail from fatigue and poor engineering. the wheel well covers have come off while driving. i reattached a partially attached wheel well cover with sheet metal screws and removed the rest. these items are accidents waiting to happen. i am disappointed in gm's quality and engineering practices. *tr

My daughter drives a 2005 cobalt. on 8-10-2009 she was driving on a two lane road with a speed limit of 55 mph when her car shutoff and she lost steering ability. she crossed the oncoming lane on a blind curve and stopped in a driveway. if there had been a car coming toward her in the oncoming lane she would have been severely injured at a minimum. the chevrolet dealer said he had never had never seen that happen. the dealer replaced the ecm and put the pcm caused a short. *tr

Tl* he contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact was driving 50 mph on normal road conditions. there was a loss of power steering, followed by an engine stall. the failures occurred without warning. the vehicle failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the failure was contributed to a shortage in the electronic control module (ecm) and pcm. the components were replaced and reprogrammed. the failure mileage was 36,233.

My 2005 chevy cobalt power steering has gone out. when i am driving on the freeway the power steering light comes on and i am unable to control the steering since it fails. i have to pull over and restart my car in order to continue driving it. the more i drove it the worse it got! i drive no more than 2 minutes with my power steering light coming on and a 5 minute drive i would have to restart my car at least 5-6 times before getting to my destination. i feel like this is putting me in danger since i am not able to navigate the car properly. this shouldn't be happening! my car has been back and forth in the shop for 2 weeks now, and i don't know what to do. *tr

I own a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. it currently has 63,000 miles on it. the electronic steering system has been randomly shutting off. when the steering system fails, i am left with no control whatsoever. i never know when the system will shut down. this makes driving on the highway especially dangerous. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 35 mph the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard and the vehicle lost power steering function. the contact was still able to drive and control the steer wheel although it became difficult when she made left and right turns. the contact has not taken the vehicle to a dealer for diagnostic testing at this time. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 60,000.

2005 chevy cobalt with 81k miles on it. first time it happened was today. while driving to the store from work i heard a ding, looked at the dash, and saw the power steering message. i immediately noticed that my power steering was out. i pulled off into a parking lot, restarted the car, and things were fine again. after stopping at the store, the same thing happened two more times during the drive home, each time requiring that i pull over and restart the car in order to regain power steering. everything i have found online says that it will cost 1100 dollars to fix as the entire steering column needs to be replaced. *tr

2005 chevy cobalt power steering failure with 30k miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at an unknown speed, the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard. moments later, the power steering completely failed. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 71,932.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. immediately, the power steering failed. the warning indicator illuminated intermittently. the driver had to exert greater effort to turn the steering wheel. the vehicle only steered in one direction. the vehicle was pulled over into a parking lot and the engine turned off. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 63,000. updated 09/18/09. *lj updated 09/21/09.*jb

I have a 2005 chevy cobalt gave a steering alarm then locked going into a curve had to stop and turn the key off and restart had to stop in middle of the road so i called gm they told me they had not been any complaints they pretty much said that they was not responsible for the problem i mean hello it is a problem they are a numerous amount of complaints every one need to call gm and complain they has had this problem . the repairs is anywhere from 1000 to 1500 dollars. *tr

I have a 2005 chevy cobalt that when driving down rode it flashes and says power steering then you lose all power in the steering. this has happened three times. after reassuring this problem i have learned it is very common for this to happen on chevy cobalts. this almost caused me and my 9 yr old some to wreck cause it happened in a curve. you have to stop the car shut it off then crank it back again and it resets. gm says they are unaware of this problem and refuse to do anything about it. i'm telling you about this problem cause someone is going to get hurt badly if nothing is done about. *tr

I have an 05 cobalt and have had several issues. i have has the steering column replaced and my power steering has had to be fixed along with a few other issues. the place i purchased and had my car serviced was closed due to doing shady business(bill heard in buford ga). i bought this car because i thought it was a good name brand and it was safe as i just had a baby. as it turns out this car seems to be a death trap and no one will do anything as these are safety issues and issues on things that were supposed to have been fixed! *tr

Driving my 2005 chevrolet cobalt, the steering lockup and a alarm appear on dash said power steering failure, to correct this. have to stop the car, turn off the engine and restart. then anywhere from 5 to 15 minute the steering lockup again. i think this is a safe issue. the car has a electrical power pump and is not the only car at has is pump, chevrolet equinox has the same pump and also the same problem. *tr

Complaint on my 2005 chevrolet cobalt power steering. it went out at the 75k mileage mark and does not work. it will reset when the car is turned off but immediately displays "power steering". it had caused me a few near misses. *tr

Vehicle loses power steering while driving, making it very difficult to drive safely. requires engine restart to restore, but problem often returns. *tr

About six months ago the power steering started randomly shutting off while i was driving. when it first started it was very sudden and shocked me. the jolt of the wheel, when it happened the second or third time, sprained my wrist. now, every time the car is turned on the power steering goes off within about two to three seconds and remains off. i already sustained injury from this and i'm very upset that no one is doing anything to fix it even though this seems to be a very large scale problem creating safety hazards for thousands of people. unfortunately, the warranty on my cobalt has long been expired and i don't have enough money to replace the whole steering column (more than $2000.00). i'd like this issue to be taken care of with a recall as soon as possible. i will be contacting a lawyer if this problem causes me another injury or accident. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt which was purchased in 2006. while driving, the power steering warning light illuminated indicating that the power steering was off. she was unable to turn the steering wheel left or right. she also stated that whenever utilizing the air conditioning unit in the vehicle, the power steering would fail shortly afterwards. no repairs had been made to date. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were under 75,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at an unknown speed, the power steering suddenly stopped working. the vehicle is currently being diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 60,000.

Was driving my car at or around 60 mph and the powersteering light came on in my car and the steering wheel became extremely stiff and hard for me to pull of the side of the road. i turned my car off for about 2 minutes and turned it back on and it began working normally. approximately 20 miles later the powersteering went out again. as of today august 3, 2009 it has gone out 3 times within 3 days. *tr

Power steering goes completely out... very dangerous. has gone out randomly over the last 2 weeks. very dangerous with my babies in the car! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 55 mph he lost power steering which made it difficult to maneuver the steering wheel. he was able to safely drive to the emergency lane, shut the vehicle off and restart it. the power steering disengaged and resumed normal driving function. a local mechanic determined that the electrical power steering unit was failing and the repair cost would be approximately 2,000. the manufacturer stated that the failure is a common occurrence; however, since the warranty expired no compensation would be offered. the failure mileage was 89,000 and the current mileage was 91,000.

Electrical power steering unit failure. *tr

Power steering began to fail a few weeks ago. as i am driving the power steering notice comes on and i lose power steering in the middle of driving. i pull over, turn off the acr, and restart it and the power steering is back. some days it doesn't happen at alla nd others it may happen every few miles. it has not been fixed. the small garage i took it to could not figure out what was wrong with and recommended we look into recalls. and then i found many complaints on this same problem and it costs anywhere from $600 to $110- to fix. i will not be spending that kind of money. and gm will not recall it. *tr

My chevrolet cobalt 2005 turn off the power steering almost every drive. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 55 mph, the power steering light blinked off and on. the steering then became very stiff when attempting to maneuver the wheel. the contact was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to his destination. there were no warnings prior to the failure. the contact called the dealer and was informed to shut off the vehicle and allow the computer system to reset, and then restart the vehicle. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure and advised him to bring the vehicle in for further inspection. the contact has continued to experience failure with the power steering and the vehicle shutting off. the failure is not correcting itself by the computer resetting. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to a local repair shop for further inspection. he also plans on notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 129,000 and current mileage was 130,000.

2005 chevy cobalt power steering gave out my daughter ran off the road because she could not steer her vehicle. this has been an ongoing issue. on separate occasions the power steering mechanism "froze" the car would not steer left or right, this occurred while driving multiple times. *tr

My daughter has a 2005 chevy cobalt, the issue is the "power steering" indicator comes up and the vehicle becomes impossible to control. she has to pull over and turns off the car and restart it then the issue is resolved "this happens numerous times a day". this seems to be a serious design flaw as it looks like gm has moved away from the reliable hydraulic system to and electronic system. along with the design flaw this is a serious safety issue as the vehicle becomes impossible to steer properly. not sure what it is going to take to resolve this, but hopefully not the death or deaths of someone. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 65 mph, the power steering failed and the vehicle almost crashed into the divider. the failure occurred numerous times after the first incident. the contact feels that this is a safety issue because the lack of power steering could cause a crash. the current mileage was 48,000 and failure mileage was 46,500.

I was driving on a highway later at night going straight when my power steering like came on and i quickly realized i had no power steering as i tried to change lanes. i had to get home and the whole way it was extremely difficult to steer. after i got home and restarted the car, the power steering was back on, however after hearing about others having the same problem, i'm sure it will be going out again. i no longer feel safe driving the car for fear of the power steering going out while i am in the middle of a turn causing me to crash and resulting in people being hurt. there needs to be a recall on this by gm immediately. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at an unknown speed, a warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost all power steering. the failures would correct themselves when the vehicle was restarted. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 52,555. updated 12/07/09. *lj updated 12/08/09.*jb

I was driving my 05 chevy cobalt ls when the power steering warning came up on my dash and the power steering wasn't working. when i got home i shut my car off and turned it back on and the problem was gone. the next day when i was heading to work the power steering went out again not more than 20 seconds after leaving the house. the car continues to have this problem every time i use it. i have done research and know that this problem is from the manufacturer and should be recalled. i am fearful for my safety and the safety of others who are driving these or even near these cars. *tr

The cobalt power steering randomly fails making it extremely difficult for the driver to steer. this has happened in many instances, with many people and should be considered very dangerous. you have to replace the entire steering column to fix the problem. there should be a recall. there is no warning before it happens and there is nothing you can do to prevent the problem. dangerous. *tr

I own a 2005 chevrolet cobalt ss, at random times while driving my power steering completely dies, i have to drive the car with all the force my arms can produce, it occurs about 90% of the time i drive the car. i have found out through research that this has happened to hundreds of people with the same car. *tr

Power steering on my 2005 chevy cobalt went out while driving 45 mph on a highway. no injuries occurred. power steering returned when i drove car to mechanic shop, but went out again as mechanic was test-driving. had to have power steering column replaced at a cost of about $980. mechanic informed me at the time that this was a common problem with cobalts, but it had not become an official recall or concern yet. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that on three occasions, she lost the power steering and could not control the vehicle. she first noticed the failure in july 2009. she had to coast to the side of the road, turn the vehicle off and then restart the vehicle. once restarting, the problem seemed to correct itself. she had not taken the vehicle to the dealership and had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 74,000. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

I currently own a 2005 chevy cobalt, and up until now, i have been pretty satisfied. however, recently since i have hit over 60,000 miles, my power steering light comes on and then i lose control of the vehicle. the wheel is nearly impossible to turn. this has almost caused me to wreck on 4 different occasions. when i turn the car off and then back on, it goes away for awhile, but then always seems to lock back up again. you would think that the only thing you would need to do is add power steering fluid, but unfortunately this car doesn't have that, it is all electrical. i have done some research online and have noticed that i am not the only one with this problem. there are in fact hundreds, if not more with the same problem occurring. this is a very dangerous and costly problem($700-$1500), and of course i'm not covered under the warranty anymore, along with almost everyone else experiencing this problem. i just don't understand how headlights can be recalled, but something as serious as your steering not. this is a serious issue that should be addressed before someone loses their life over a faulty electric power steering problem. i have called a few dealerships in my area and every single one of them have said that there have been many cases exactly like mine, if they notice this defect, then why can't the people who make the decision to recall do something about it. *tr

2005 chevy cobalt w/ about 50,000mi. out of nowhere "power steering" is displayed in the driver information center and the power steering cuts out immediately making it very difficult to drive and almost impossible to turn the car. power steering resumes if car is restarted but only for a few minutes. this has been going on for about a week and occurs every time i attempt to drive. i have seen numerous complaints from other cobalt owners. i am currently not driving it because i don't feel safe. this is an extremely dangerous defect that needs to be recalled by chevy. *tr

The electric power power steering on my 05 chevy cobalt has failed on numerous occasions, when the car is started it works and turns off shortly after aprox. 1-3 minutes. the repair cost about $1000. to replace the motor and steering column. i'm finding many reports of premature failure on the web for several gm models that use this same design. *tr

The power steering goes out at least once a day. you will be just going down the road and all of a sudden it goes out. if you turn the car off it will come back, but it makes it hard to steer and control the vehicle when it does go out. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds including approximately 35 mph the power steering light illuminated and the contact lost control of the vehicle. the power steering light did not shut off unless the vehicle was turned off. the failure continued to occur intermittently. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 84,000.

I was at a stop sign and pulled out to negotiate a turn when my car seemed to stop. the car then started to move slowly, but i had a difficult time turning the wheel. the words "power steering" appeared in the service messages area.. i was able to reach home but negotiating the turns was like driving a manual car. i called my local dealership who told me to bring it in. i took it to my local dealership this morning, and the steering seemed normal, with no error messages appearing. this afternoon, i was told that the code indicated i needed a new steering column. car is in the garage now and a new steering column will be put in by tomorrow. cost quoted to replace the column is $500 plus change. i also e-mailed general motors and hope for a response. *tr

My 2005 chevy cobalt is having some power steering issues which seems to be a very common problem however the gmc/chevy dealerships are charging horrific prices for diagnostics and repairs when the is common in most if not all cobalts..... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that intermittently while driving the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. steering also became difficult and this failure could result in a loss of steering control, the restricted ability to turn the vehicle in one direction and increased the risk of a crash. the vehicle will be inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 33,000.

The electric assist power steering failed while driving at40 to 50 miles an hour.it forced me over to the side of the road,i was lucky i was in a open area, i didn't hit any thing. i turned the car of waited a few minutes turned it back on and it worked fine. this is the second time this has happened and a similar. incident when it stalled on a railroad track. they checked the ground and replaced the fuse block. i searched the internet and this seems to be a common problem with many gm electric assist power steering units. this is a very dangerous condition. i do not have the part. *tr

I have a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the power steering cuts out intermittently causing the car to become hard to handle. the car only has 36,000 miles and the service rep at the chevy dealership told me that the is a common problem with this type vehicle. i think this is a safety problem that should be recalled. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds, the power steering light would illuminate and the steering would become very difficult to maneuver. the failures occurred without warning. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 76,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds, the power steering fails and cannot be maneuvered. the contact stated that the steering has failed while driving to her residence, which is located on a curved road. the gm manufacturer advised her to get the vehicle diagnosed and to call them back with the results. the contact has been trying to reach the gm representative, but he is refusing to take her call. the failure mileage was 49,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the driver stated that the steering wheel became very stiff while driving various speeds and within a few minutes it would function normally. the driver also stated that this was a health hazard to him. the driver has no other means of transportation and he concerned about the safety risk while driving. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 70,604.