Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt STEERING

I have this problem on my 2005 cobalt of the gauge cluster going nuts, speedometer and rpm gauge jumping up and down, the lights in the cluster, abs, security, brake, engine and some others start flashing, the transmission starts clicking near the shifter and the automatic transmission shifts very hard, in fact when slowing for a stop sign or traffic light i have to shift to neutral and then pull the shifter to 1st just to get it to go without stalling, the worse part of this problem is when this starts while traveling down the hi-way and the power steering stops working and i am going around a curve and it intermittently starts working and i have to try not to over steer causing an accident, this first appeared in 2008 and has done it since, no one can fix it not even the dealership. *tr

2005 chevy cobalt ls 2 dr coupe, the power steering will just cut out sometimes up to 6 times in a single day. if you shut the car off and restart it corrects to problem until it happens again. the computer code show u2100, also the other day the car just quit while driving down the road for no reason. this steering issue is very dangerous, i would hope that someone looks into it before someone dies from it. i searched the internet and i found many complaints regarding these same issues. this is obviously a know problem and on a 25,000 mile vehicle it should not be happening. *tr

I was driving my 2005 chevy cobalt in june 2008 and as i was making a left turn, my car dinged and the power steering went completely out. i hit the median and ran off the road barely missing another vehicle and a walk sign. i took to the dealership and was told this was a common problem, but there is no recall it was an $875 repair since my warranty had just expired 2 months prior. the car had about 40k miles on it at the time. i can't afford that repair. i'm a single mother. now for over a year i've been driving this car with no power steering worrying about the safety of my kids and passengers and angry that nothing is being done by the auto makers. this is obviously a safety issue. the problem occurs within about 30 seconds to a minute after i begin driving. i have power steering when i first begin driving, but it always fails in the first minute. *tr

2005 chevrolet cobalt, electronic power steering failure. power steering light comes on and i have a total loss of power steering. has happened multiple times. extremely dangerous during rush hour driving conditions taken to dealer multiple times and they "can't" seem to determine the problem. i believe they are attempting to wait out the warranty before they repair it. i searched the internet an apparently this is a problem with alot of 05,06 cobalt owners. i believe gm needs to get involved ad rectify this problem before people die. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and the warning indicator illuminated. the failure occurred twice. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

While driving the power steering stops working intermittently. *tr

Around 50k miles my 2005 chevy cobalt lost power steering intermittently on average around twice a day. it was only while in drive, never in reverse or park. then around 60k-70k it would go out immediately after i put it in drive but never in park or reverse. then around 80k it started happening intermittently while in reverse. i am at 100k and i am concerned it will go out more frequently while in reverse. i have had some "near misses" when it goes out while in a turn or backing up. i think this is a potentially fatal issue and also interferes with resale opportunities. *tr

My 2005 chevy cobalt power steering keeps going out. it started only doing it ever so often but now does it every time you get in the car. right after you turn on the car and start driving it quits working. it is very hard to turn and makes it difficult to drive. if you turn off the car and turn it back on, it works but only long enough for you to drive half a block. *tr

I own a chevy cobalt 2005. while driving the power steering light comes on and then the steering locks. i almost crashed, thank god there was no cars behind me. this is happening frequently now. i don't have a guarantee anymore. i took the car to a mechanic he said that it is a accident waiting to happen. he has never seen anything like that in his 20 years of experience being a mechanic. now everytime i start my car the light comes on and the steering wheel becomes so hard to turn or control. i went on this website and there are so many people who have this problem. http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-cobalt/t8fmsuqb7v2dth5jh/p6 i only have 57000 miles on my car. please help!!!! *tr

As many of the other complaints filed, i have a problem with my 2005 chevy cobalt. the traction control and power steering go out, which makes it very difficult to control while driving. this occurs at random; has happened while on the freeway or while barely moving in a parking lot. i have now taken it in to the car dealership twice, but they cannot find out what is wrong. i feel like this is very dangerous because i cannot control it very well and with winter approaching, it is just downright scary. i wish they could figure out what is wrong with the car; otherwise, i will consider getting a different non-gm car. *tr

I purchased my 2005 chevy cobalt a little of a year ago. i only have 46,000 miles on it and my power steering has gone out of it. i am now told that it will cost me over 1,000 dollars to get it fixed which i can not afford. i have almost gotten into an accident because of the power steering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 5 mph or higher, the steering wheel locks intermittently. in addition, the instrument panel lights illuminate and the power steering malfunctions. the failure also occurs when the steering wheel is turned to the left or right. the contact has not taken her vehicle to the dealer because she feels that she should not have to pay for the repair. the failure mileage was 32,000.

2005 chevy cobalt power steering goes out at random, car locks you inside, you have to go out the window, car dies while driving. these are all common problems with this car. chevy does not make redesigned parts to replace its current stock of bad parts. someone is going to get hurt, if chevy is not forced to take action. *tr

Every time i drive my 2005 chevy cobalt, before i can get rolling good, the power steering fails. this makes turns difficult and dangerous. we have contacted our local dealer numerous times for repairs but are told we would have to pay over $1,000 out of pocket to get the steering column replaced. this is crazy!!! this is a major, major safety concern. we will never buy another chevy, the car is dangerous and the customer service is horrible. *tr

In the summer of '08 the power steering went out in my car as i was attempting to park. i alomost hit the car next to me because it causes the car to be very difficult to steer. since then the problem has gotten increasingly worse to the point that every time i drive the car, the power steering goes out after about 1 minute of driving. i researched the problem online to see if it was a simple fix, but found that not only is it a difficult problem to fix, but pretty expensive as well. i do not have the moeny to take my car to the dealership, so nothing has been done to correct the problem.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while the contact was driving approximately 45 mph the power steering failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the failure was related to the body control module (bcm). the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. the contact received a recall notification after the service repair was performed on the vehicle. the prior repair was not included in the reimbursement. the contact stated that the defect was related to computer failure. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was 50,000. the current mileage was 80,000.

Electronic power steering asst. complete failure power steer returns after key cycle data indicator flasher (power steering) immediately after manual steering almost lock up only small corrections can be made in steering at that time this is a life threatening problem!! for me or someone else. car hopped curb causing small amount of damage to rims dealer suggested a repair of 831.45$ +tax caused by dtc co475 elec. steering motor circuit. they did not indicate what the cause of the failure in the circuit! *tr

I was driving my 2005 chevy cobalt through a winding mountain road and my electronic power steering went out and almost caused me to crash that could possibly cause injury or death of me or my daughter who was with me. *tr

The power steering on the 2005 and later cobalts quits either intermittently or continuously. in my case, the ps only works for 2/10 of a mile before quitting. after that point it is only manual drive. there are websites and blogs that are dedicated just to this problem including http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-cobalt/t8fmsuqb7v2dth5jh. this site has 335 instances of this problem as of today. gm has failed to step up and fix this. in fact, they insist that the entire steering column must be replaced. however, this site http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/cobalt/2005/steering/power_steering_failure.shtml shows that it is usually only one component but that component cannot be purchased separately. the entire column replacement runs from $800 to $2000 whereas the component alone has to be much cheaper and is actually simple to replace. i tried the remedy listed by wayne from zion il #318 on the first website listed here and while it didn't work for me, there was so much black powder coming out of it i couldn't believe it. no wonder it doesn't work! this part is basically sealed so it must be made in unclean conditions. i believe it is made in japan (one of the posts mentions it). i believe that power steering issues are a major defect and why nothing has been done by this organization or gm is beyond me. while it may be safe to drive in manual steering, having it change in the middle of a turn (as is reported in the posts) is not safe! another problem that seems to be related is the key not coming out of the ignition. i say related because most cars with the first issue seem to have the second issue too. lastly, these cars also have the a/c leak directly into the passenger compartment causing mold and mildew and therefore unsafe breathing conditions in the car. check the posts, dealers "can't find anything wrong" with them. how do i force your organization to do something about this as i know i'm not the only one to complain? *tr

1. 2005 chevrolet cobalt was working fine until loss of power steering. 2. the failure is loss of power steering due to the use of electric power steering instead of using hydraulics. chevy has not perfected the electric power steering but put it in every chevrolet cobalt if i am not mistaken. it may have only been installed for the 2005 and 2006 models. you may start your vehicle and have everything running okay until you drive it for a little why, thus leading up to loss of power steering. i promise you that anyone that has bought a chevrolet cobalt between 2005 and 2006 for sure have had this exact same problem. every person! the problem is consistently getting worse and is highly unsafe. this can not be delt with by taking it into a garage and hoping it will get fixed. 3. i have taken my cobalt into the garage numerous times with nothing fixed. if this is not taken care of soon, people may die from loss of steering. recall now! *tr

Steering locks car shakes while driving can be a big problem has happened many times dealer can not find the problem but see many complaints on wed sites. was in florida to george moore dealer in jacksonville on august 20 2007 problem still happening what next? *tr

I could have died. i was driving around a turn three dump trucks were coming toward me and my power steering went out. i luckily swerved off the road causing front end damage to my car. i paid out of pocket some where close to $800.00 for repairs for the crash. the power steering was working fine for awhile till a little after september 26 when it went totally out again making it where i was unable to turn the wheel and it no longer safe to drive. i was told today that they are offering me $5,000.00 for my 05 chevy cobalt. the power steering went totally out a few days after september 26 and had caused an accident earlier on in the year. they are now holding my car at a palm chevrolet dealership in ocala fl. when going to retrieve my car they said gm wouldn't be able release my car do to the power steering rendering it unsafe to drive. when i first talked to gm they sounded as though it would be no problem they would fix the car and all the repairs needed from the accident. now they want nothing to do with the repairs. it has been in the shop for a month and out of service since september. i don't think i was born yesterday. the repairs for power steering is $1,400. less than the $5,000 that they want to pay me so they can fix the car and resell it leaving me to drive a piece of junk that runs if i could find it that cheap. i paid a little over $18,000 for a stock model car. i put $800.00 in to it from the accident leaving only body work to be done. i'm trying to raise my ten month old son. without a car it has made it impossible to go to college or get a job. not to mention having to pay over $1,000 on insurance for a car i can't use. i want my car and i want it fixed. can you please help? *tr

We have a chevy 2005 cobalt. the front end make a really bad riddling noise and sometimes the steering is hard. i call and took it to a dealer and they said they was no recalls. i said i heard it on tv and also the papers. my daughter is the one that drives this car most of the time. i want to know is she going to be safe. please let me know asap. i don't want anything to happen to her. its asking for a date of incident i'm not sure. guess? the noise is mostly on rough roads. the steering is about one time every ?? thank you please let me know. *tr

Power steering problem with my 2005 chevy cobalt. three attempts by gm dealer to fix a problem, the problem is still there. this should lead to safety recall. during the driving power steering warning light comes on, the car starts to shake and is not safe to drive. i filled complaint with bbb, chevy, but they said that the safety recall must come from nhtsa. looks like thousands of power steering columns have been replaced on two or three yr old card, which is unacceptable. this is not normal wear-an-tear part, and someone should run statistics on this part with gm, and consider the safety of customers/drivers. this is a typical highschool/college students car, inexperienced drivers in totally unsafe cars... do not wait until someone gets killed to have recall on chevy cobalts power steering issues. thank you! *tr

05 chevy cobalt with power steering light going on randomly. the dealership can't find the problem. it is not safe to drive. the car starts to shake and i am losing control over it!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving and trying to switch lanes, he noticed that the power steering failed. it was extremely hard to maneuver to another lane so he tried to pull over. when he pulled over, he turned off the ignition and re-started the vehicle; the failure seemed to correct itself after the vehicle was re-started. the contact noticed the failure on a daily basis. in june 2009, while driving up a hill, the power steering failed and he hit a parked vehicle. he took the vehicle to the dealership and the dealer told him that it was a possible short in the power steering motor. the dealer advised him to replace the power steering motor. he purchased a motor at a junkyard and had a repair shop replace it. however, after a month, the issue resurfaced. the vehicle had not been repaired to-date. he had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 91,000. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The electronic power steering sensor fails while driving and shuts off the power steering without warning, or a chance to pull off the road. if i make it to the side of the road without being hit, i can restart my car and the power steering comes back on. by default the computer shuts off the power steering to prevent damage to the car. gm has made the decision that a $900 power steering sensor is worth more than my life. *tr

I am filing this complaint on behalf of my brother he is in the military snf i have his car while he is gone. i guess i didn't think to report this when it happened the first time on a 2005 chevy cobalt, until i read a article online about the steering assist motors going bad. but 2 years the motor went out , took it to a mechanic got a new one put in and just 2 weeks ago it went bad again and is in the shop again. i know i didn't include everything but when it went out the first time my brother was coming home from iowa city when the steering went out and went into the median no damage to the car was done but the car was parked cause 2 days later he left for iraq. the car sat for almost 8 months before i paid to have it fixed and i started driving it and then 2 weeks ago it went bad again. *tr

I have a 2005 chevy cobalt. about march of 2008, i was leaving work & my car beeped & showed "power steering" in my notifications. my wheel locked up. since then i cannot drive more then about 15 feet without the power steering shutting off. it has gotten much worse in the 2 year period. i have called the dealer many times & they tell me it is $1000 to fix it. i do not have this kind of money to fix a car i bought brand new. it went out right after i reached 50,000 miles & that is exactly what my extended warranty was for, up to 50,000 miles. a friend of mine bought the same car as mine about a month after me & her power steering went out right after 50,000 miles as well. she paid $1100.00 to fix it with the dealer. now that i have seen this on the news last night as it has caused 1100 accidents, i think it should be recalled. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 45 mph, the power steering light illuminated and the power steering failed. the failure occurred approximately three times while driving. the dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced and the power steering will need to be reprogrammed at a 50% off discount. the current mileage was 59,950 and failure mileage was 56,322.

Power steering is failing constantly when driving. the power steering words come up on the dash and then it quits--very dangerous if it happens suddenly during a turn. so far, i'm fortunate that it happens only when driving straight. when i turn car off and restart it's o.k. for 5 or 10 minutes. i have 53,000 miles on car. from what i've read online, they will tell me it needs a new steering column and it will cost between $1200 and $2,000 to repair! very unhappy, very concerned for safety and now, out of warranty, will have to pay that much for something that sure sounds like a major safety defect? *tr

Electronic power steering failure. started 2 years ago. chevrolet cobalt 2005 ls. the power steering usually goes out within 5 minutes of driving every time. it is a very irritating problem. i would fix, but it costs a couple thousand dollars. i've been waiting for a recall, and thank god there is finally an investigation. i know of several people with this same issue who own cobalts. chevrolet needs to clean up their mess. *tr

Power steering failure during mountain driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering and traction control lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle then began to jerk and become difficult to drive. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 10v073000 (steering:electric power assist system); however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the vehicle was awaiting further inspection. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 73,000. updated 09/21/11*lj updated 09/30/11

2005 chevrolet cobalt near 50,000 electronic power steering failed. dealer denies even knowing such a problem exists despite numerous complaints found by other drivers of the same make/model on the internet. the failure occurred while on a very curvy and dangerous road. luckily, no accident occurred. *tr

The power steering continues to fail while driving on a 2005 chevy cobalt, there have been many complaints about this vehicle and power steering. it is very unsafe to drive. there needs to be a recall of this component. *tr

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

Electronic power steering assist fails without warning causing loss of steering control.i called the dealer i bought the car at and was advised this was not under warranty and i would have to pay $1200.00 to have it repaired.i then called general motors to report this as a safety issue and asked for a field rep and was refused information to contact a field rep. *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at any speed, the power steering intermittently shuts off. the failure has progressively worsened over time. the dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced at the cost of $2,000. the vin, engine size, and purchase date were unknown. the current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 49,000.

Power steering light comes on dash and car loses power steering immediately. major safety concern while driving. it is happening often. usually 1-2 times a month. i am not the only person who has this problem. upon looking it up online and seeing that there's hundreds of other people with the same problem, it caused me to file this complaint. it obviously is a wide spread issue. i contacted gm through e-mail and they have yet to respond. it has been about 2 months. also the key gets stuck into the ignition, i do not know if it is relevant to the steering issue but everyone who has the steering issue also has the key/ignition problems. when i experience power steering failure, i feel out of control of the vehicle. luckily for me, it has not caused a crash, but i can certainly see how it could. i feel like gm should step up, take responsibility for this, and fix the problem instead of letting it be, and letting their customers drive unsafe vehicles. i feel unsafe. *tr

While driving the power steering goes out with no warning and makes it very hazardous to drive. this has occurred on open highway, on freeways, and even in the city driving conditions. weather does not appear to be a factor as i have seen this happen in snow, rain, and sunny calm weather. the most dangerous time was after waiting at a stop light, i started to turn when light became green, and 1/2 way in the intersection the power steering went out and my vehicle made it very hard to steer it and almost hit traffic that was waiting. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving between 65-70 mph, the vehicle completely shut down without warning. also, the power steering shuts off without warning. the power steering light would illuminate. the vehicle has not yet been diagnosed. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 25,000 and failure mileage was 22,000.

I have had my chevrolet cobalt since april 2005 and it was bought brand new from the dealership .. up til the beginning of this year it has worked fine .. but in 2007 i have to get a new gear shift , keys made, then to top it off i have had the power steering light come on the information board and it go out 8 times in 2 weeks .. so far knock on wood it has worked fine .. the day i made the appointment it went out 3x within a 30 minute span .. *tr

2005 cobalt, power steering goes out everytime it moves. the power steering in my car has been out for about 7 months now. i just read several other complaints of the exact same thing so it is nothing i have done and is common with the cobalts. gm takes no responsibility for this defect and has left the $1,000.00 repair up to the owners to pay out. this is a big safety issue, will it take someone being killed before this is addressed? it seems there should be someone out there forcing these manufactures to take responsibility for their products. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. after purchasing the vehicle, the contact heard a rattling noise. the rattling sound grew louder and more severe when driving between 55-60 mph. he took his vehicle to a tire shop for inspection and was informed that the rattling was coming from the rack and pinion steering. they also stated that the struts were leaking. the dealer wanted to charge $70 to diagnose the vehicle; however, the contact did not want to pay the fee because it had already been diagnosed. the repair has not yet been made. the current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 37,000.

I was driving our cobalt 2005 at a speed of about 25-30 mph when the steering failed without any warning on a suburban street. the steering wheel was completely loose and did not control the car. the vehicle slid into a curb, jumped it and ended up on someone's lawn. there was severe damage to car's underside. wheels and tires (over $ 5,700). i was told that the "steering knuckle" broke (why???). car was declared "repairable" but everything is in limbo because of concerns about the safety of the vehicle. i requested an investigation by chevrolet in detroit . no repairs will be done until chevrolet has finished the investigation, which is to begin 2-6 days after the request. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 50 mph, the power steering stopped working. the power steering warning light illuminated and it became extremely difficult for the contact to steer the vehicle. the vehicle has not been to the dealer. the vin and powertrain were unknown. the current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 34,000.

Electronic power steering went out with out warning. it's a good thing that i wasn't making a turn at this impartial moment because if i would have been i would have crashed into something. if i turn the car off and then back on again it starts to work but only for a short period of time. it seems that the cooler it is outside the longer that the power steering works, however it does continue to turn off. i believe that the system thinks that its over heating and is locking up the power steering. i have found several other people with this exact same problem, and i mean exact. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 45 mph, the contact noticed that the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard. shortly after, the power steering completely failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. two months after the vehicle was purchased, the power steering column was replaced. the current mileage was 93,606 and failure mileage was 45,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that there was a clicking noise, the warning light would illuminate, and then the power steering failed on several occasions. the problem became progressively worse whenever he made a right and left turn. the dealer could not find any error codes while running a diagnostic test. the manufacturer was not notified when the complaint was filed. the vehicle has not been repaired to-date. the current mileage was approximately 100,000. the failure mileage was approximately 63,000.