Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2006 chevrolet cobalt. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall notice and requests reimbursement for repairs. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle would shut off periodically, while driving. she was informed the issue was relay switch. she recently received a recall notice from gm, and is now seeking reimbursement.

Car shut off two times while driving, i was able to restart both times; however now when i start the car it sounds like the starter is staying engaged after the car is already started. *tr

Lately my car has been dying while coming to a stop or going to take off. this is really scary when i pull out in busy traffic! i was almost t boned one day but thank goodness i was able to restart my car in time. then a new problem started soon after... i was driving on the highway doing speeds 65 mph when all the gauges on the dash started jumping around the steering wheel kind of locked up and my car began to jump and jerk. i struggled to get my car off the road onto an exit ramp where i shut my car off. i turned my car off, then i turned it back on. the alert gauge rang three times and said power steering on the dash board, i put my car in drive in hopes to make it home which was not far...when i took off my car shook and jumped while going all the way across a bridge. i pulled over yet again shut my car off and restarted it when i took off the second time and drove home i didn't have any problems. i left my car sit for several days the problem continues. *tr

First i had the control arm bushing replaced twice within the first year of owning it, the car was bought brand new. the last two years the car started to chug at stops display would read reduced power mil light would come on i had to stop the car, disconnect the battery then it would go away and could drive it. this last year the car will now upon starting the display will read power steering, security system locked this car does not have a security system, the gauges go haywire car dings low fuel, when trying to move the car shifts very hard, brake pedal hard to push, car surges and chugs when stopped.

When car shifter is placed in park, key will not move past the acc position and cannot be removed from the ignition at all. key must be left in the vehicle. *tr

Started car, shifter would not lock into any gear and the keys were locked in the ignition. googled the problem and was told to open the compartment under the steering column to release keys, but it did not repair the gear shifter. took to local repair shop and was told these break all the time and that chevy keeps the parts in stock because they know the shifters break due to the metal post inside breaking the cheap plastic casing of the shifter control. why has this not been recalled? my son was stuck in ny city at l in the morning with no way to get home. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front end of the vehicle would shake and become unstable. the contact indicated that repairs to the power steering were performed. no further information was available. the contact also stated that he was unable to remove the ignition key from the ignition switch. the ignition defect was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle. additionally, the vehicle would exhibit a stalling noise when the key was first inserted into the ignition. the failure was recurring. the contact also stated that the key became stuck in the ignition repeatedly. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 40000. *tr

I was pulling out onto the street with many cars approaching from a traffic light and i began to press down the gas pedal so i could safely get up to speed and i noticed the car not accelerating for the amount of pressure i was applying on the gas pedal the traction control light came on and stayed on and the transmission started jerking into all the gears, i drove it home 8 miles turned off the car and restarted the car and light had reset itself this same thing has happened three more times since this first time. all occurred on drive pavement no ice or other wet conditions. i've searched online and have seen many other people are have been reporting the same problem with the traction control light staying on and loss of power to the transmission and jerky shifting, in pretty much every year the cobalt model was manufactured by chevrolet i believe this is a major safety issue that general motors should have a recall to fix these issues but, has not done so to this day, before i and other people driving the chevrolet cobalt get hurt or hurt other drivers because of these malfunctions that our out of our control. *tr

After several contacts and attempts to seek assistance from local dealership & gm with the ignition and gear shift problems, both concluded that vehicle vin number was not part of any current recall. owner (55 year old) repeated contact due to concerns of mechanical symptoms identical with existing cobalt recalls. family was involved in a single vehicle accident at 10:00 am on 3/2/2013. gear shift and steering simultaneously locked while navigating a corner on local highway. vehicle crossed centerline, launching over a snow bank and continuing air-born for 30 to 40 yards. only 1 of the 2 air bags fully deployed. total loss of vehicle and several ongoing injuries with three occupants of vehicle. (29 year old, 55 year old, and 79 year old) neither the local dealership or gm ever acknowledged vehicle defects. the local dealership had removed the dash cover, console cover, and steering column cover and make some type of adjustments prior to accident. law enforcement was on scene and no citations were issued. damage exceeded the value of the vehicle. *tr

Driving down the road and all items on gauge cluster die and come back on over and over again. security light pops on abs light comes on air bag light comes on. i lose power steering when this happens and sometime vehicle wont start and my security light pops on. sometimes nothing in my gauge cluster wont work and all warning lights will appear when driving down the road or as soon as i start my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign id number 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system) and nhtsa campaign id number: 14e021000 (ignition switch). the contact stated that the key failed to start the ignition. the dealer informed the contact that parts were not available. the manufacturer had been notified of the problem. the failure mileage was 72,000.

When driving the gauge cluster lights up while both the mph and rpm needles jump around. total loss of power steering as well as the transmission goes into limp mode. lost control on freeway thankfully no one were in the 2 lanes that the car veered into at the time. was able to stop the car in the service lane. there are many complaints of this same issue.we have received no recall information and we are not under the current recall for whatever reason. same issues as original recall fits in years recalled for...why not include us? took the liberty of paying for both the eps motor and module with no success. i am currently out $1,500.00 this is not fair. *tr

My key is stuck in the ignition. the car is off however, the lights and radio will not turn off. *tr

Steering wheel became very difficult to turn while on a freeway entrance ramp. fortunately i was able to retain control of vehicle. no further issues until 8 days later when again the vehicle become very difficult to steer. i consider the malfunction of the power steering unit to be a dangerous issue. i called the gm help line 2/23/2013 and was told the vehicle was recalled at 54,000 miles to address the steering issue and any needed repairs at this time will be at my expense. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. after numerous attempts the contact was able to start the vehicle. the failure occurred thirty times over a one year period. there was a recall notification related to nhtsa campaign id number 14v047000; however, the contact never received documentation. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the ignition switch; yet, the failure continued to occur. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 141,478.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 14e021000 (electrical system); however, the failure recurred. in addition, the contact stated that all the doors failed to remain locked. when the locks sporadically continued to unlock, the battery became inoperable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 90,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the check engine and battery lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the alternator was replaced twice. the contact also stated that the battery and relay were also replaced but the failure recurred. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the failure mileage was 46,000 and the current mileage was 46,500. the vin was unavailable.

2006 chevrolet cobalt. consumer writes in regards to faulty ignition switch recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle started shutting down, in december 2012. she has repair bills totaling $1,354.18 from the dealer, who tried on several occasions to fix the problem, by replacing components that did not need to be replaced because they did not know what the problem was at the time. *jb

I was in the food for less market and my car - blow up or whatever it was on fire when i came out after someone state "a chevy volt was on fire, come to the front", then he said, "will the person with a chevy volt, come to the front - color purple" that's when i went to see what was going on. my car was on fire and the fire people was putting it out. oh, my goodness!!!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph to make a left turn, the vehicle stalled. the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree before rolling into an embankment. a police report was not filed. the contact sustained injuries to the left shoulder, back and a broken nose. the failure occurred prior to the contact receiving the recall notice. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 60000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition. in addition, the gear shifter could not be shifted out from park. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 103,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the ignition key failed to release and the gear shift lever shifted out of park independently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician replaced that the r&r solenoid key release, solenoid key lock and shifter assembly. the vehicle was included in recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v04700 (air bags, electrical system) and nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 64,927.

Key gets stuck in ignition and will not come out of the actual ignition when you shut off the car. i have to reach inside the steeling column to push a release button each time to get the key to be released. *tr

While driving my 2006 chevy cobalt when i lost power steering which made it difficult to control my car around sharp turns due to the fact that i was not expecting the power steering to just go out on me like that. this type of problem is very dangerous especially when it happens while driving. i have already had my power steering fixed once due to a past recall and here i am again having problems with the same thing again! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering seized and the vehicle stalled. the contact had to wait a few seconds to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. after diagnosis, the contact was advised that the anti theft module had failed and was later replaced. immediately after the repair, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 97,000. the current mileage was approximately 109,507. updated 03/07/13*lj the consumer stated the power steering will shut off, the transmission will shift very roughly, the instrument cluster go on and off,and the car will die at various speeds. when this failure occurred the steering would lock up. recently, 02/13/2013, the vehicle had no power steering then, it suddenly turned on nearly causing the vehicle to fly off the road. updated 03/11/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and caused her to lose control of the vehicle, crashing off-road. the contact sustained injuries to the back but a police report was not filed. the contact mentioned that she received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer but the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 98,000.

On 7/05/12 my daughter was in a 2006 chevy cobalt that was involved in a major accident. she stated she lost control of the vehicle because the steering would not allow her to steer & regain control of the vehicle. as a result of this the car left the road and flipped several times and landed approximately 25ft into a wooded area. no air bags deployed. injuries sustained: loss of consciousness, concussion and several lacerations. *tr

The key gets stuck in ignition and will not come out. the key acts jammed and wont turn and cant be pulled out. has been doing this for a while and has left me stranded multiple times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that key became lodged in the ignition and she was unable to remove it. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnose that the ignition housing needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 24,000.

Car will not start the computer states that "power steering" i took this to the dealer and they said that the problem was the fuse box i replaced it and there is still a problem i will take to dealer to check next problem. *tr

Have been told various times i need new struts and shocks. i think this is ridiculous seeing as though i have do not have many miles on my car and the year of my car. dealerships have told me that it does not make sense that a car a 2006 and with low miles on it should need shocks and struts right now. i have had nothing but problems with this car since i paid it off. wheel baring, shocks struts, problems getting key out of ignition, headlights and tail lights leaking water into it, slve cylinder and master cylinder, fuel pump. i will never buy a chevy again! *tr

This vehicle is not safe to drive and was not built right. the manufactures knew for many years that the chevy cobalt 2006 would have a leaking gasoline system, and they kept this faulty defect to themselves for many years before bring this issue to the customer. i was driving the vehicle leaking gas for a few years unit the crack was large enough for me to smell it, while not driving, the ignition switch; with the key in it while the car was in park has started the car engine without turning the key. the key wont come out of the ignition switch. the car has turned off on me on the freeway more than 9 times. the car turned off on me going in reverse, couldn't control the brake and steering power to move out of the pole . while driving in the freeway i have had to quickly react; putting my emergency lights on and praying to god a car doesn't hit me, while with the left had side is quickly waving at the vehicles coming from behind to stop. please help me. i have two children and im tired of being exposed to the dangers of this m defected life threatening vehicle. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I would have filed sooner but was unaware of your agency and assumed that i should contact my local gm dealership. 2 days after i bought my 2006 chevy cobalt, the keys remained locked in the ignition. i have to use the emergency key release button to get my keys out. i reported this to the dealership who informed me in 2012 that there was no recall and i would have to pay to resolve the issue myself. i bought a cobalt because it was economical and we did not have the money to pay for the repairs. to this day, we use the emergency switch to release my keys. 1 week after i bought my cobalt, the engine and all power would die and i would have to restart the car. this happened when i was idling, going 25 miles/hr and up to 65 miles/hr. i called the chevy dealership who informed me that there is nothing they could do, unless i wanted to pay to have the issue fixed. i even had another recall repaired last year at the chevy dealership and again addressed the power failure. they looked for an issue, did not find one and literally made me believe it was "user error". my car still shuts off in the middle of driving, almost on a daily basis. i addressed the situation, i was ignored. i did not have the money to explore the issue more thoroughly, we had no choice but to deal with it. i am sending a second message to you following this because i am over on the word count. please look for it. *tr

I called two local chevy dealerships today. one said they are waiting on instructions from gm to decide how to resolve the situation. the other said their service manager is out until wednesday and only then can they apply through gm for a loaner car and that process takes a few day. i have watched someone die in a car crash and i didn't quite understand the severity of this issue until i realized that people have been killed. as a one car family, getting to work so that we can keep our head above water is always my main priority. gm is not helping me, i have also sent them the same information i am sending you. my husband cannot drive this car to work until the problem is fixed, it is not safe and we are financially screwed. i have driven hundred of my clients, all with developmental disabilities in my cobalt. gm not only knowingly put my family's lives at risk, they put the lives of hundreds of individuals with developmental disabilities at risk also. if you need a text book example of the ignition switch issue on the cobalt, by all means, come get mine. it will reliably fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle suddenly stalled. the engine was restarted and the vehicle resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the battery, cleaned the fuel system and changed the spark plugs but the failure persisted. additionally, the contact stated that the key would sporadically become stuck in the ignition switch. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 14v047000(air bags , electrical system). the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same defect listed in the recall. the failure mileage was 85,000. *tr

I purchased a brand new 2006 chevy cobalt and haven't had problems until recently (2012). my problem started in february 2012 when heading to a doctor's appointment. started the car and the power steering light came on. started pulling car off of parking lot where i live and the car had a jerking/bucking sensation to it and then shut off on me. had car towed to chevy dealer and the car wouldn't duplicate the same problem so i got the car back. 9 days later i go out again and the car starts with the same problem - power steering light on; jerking sensation and the speedometer dropped from 35 mph to 0. car went back to chevy dealership. again, car would not duplicate problems. got car back & since i have been scared to death to have this vehicle on the road, it has sat for 2 months. after getting gm involved, tried to take vehicle back to dealer and once again - power steering light on; jerking/bucking sensation; clicking in gear console. 3 times now i have had this car back to dealership and now they decide it's the body control module (bcm), yet they indicated that on my first trip, that a stored code showed them the bcm was not communicating. getting gm involved has been a waste of time because naturally since the warrant is off of the car, they don't want to do anything to soak up the cost of replacing this module which is going to cost me $685.00. *tr

My wife and grandson were in the car when power steering came on the dash. it caught her attention but didn't know really what had happened till she tried to turn and almost went in the ditch. we took it to the dealer and 700.00 paid to have the problem continue to recur. it comes and goes and if it is not a problem when we take it to the dealer they don't know what to do. all they say is it is in the wiring issue and think we should buy something else. i didn't know about all these problems till it occurred to us. we bought the car new and have like the 2006 cobalt but this is the first i have heard they have a problem with the powersteering or wiring to the electric assist to the power steering. i am told they had a fix back in 2010 are we still qualified to have our car fixed under that recall. my son is going in the army in a couple weeks we wanted to let him have this car after he gets stationed somewhere but we can't give it to him when we are not trusting its safety. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact could not remove the key from the ignition. in order to successfully remove the key from the ignition, the contact had to pull the emergency release on the steering wheel. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving. when the failure occurred, the key would remain stuck in the ignition. the contact also stated that the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was driven over a pothole or bump. in addition, the contact stated that the all of the electronics would continue functioning when the vehicle stalled. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. updated 04/10/12*lj the consumer stated he was unable to removed the key from the ignition. 04/16/12

My 2006 chevy cobalt had wheel bearing issues starting at 40,000 miles. at 50,000 miles my front end suspension (lower control arm and bushings), struts, and doors locks started acting up. my door locks will jam and i will be trapped in my car until they (door locks) decide to work again. fortunately for me usually only one stops working at a time. the dealer says that it just needs greasing; i have tried every grease under the sun and none has fixed the problem. this is a serious safety issue and this car should have a recall to at least fix the doors!!!.the dealer wants to charge over $1,000 per door for repairs. i have heard of some peoples doors never opening again and the door having to be cut off to be repaired. if something were to happen you need to be able to quickly and safely get out of the car. please please please recall this door issue on the cobalt! *tr

Door will not shut, than door will not open, than door opened while driving down street. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the ignition failed. the key could not be released from the ignition. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that she was unable to remove the key out from the ignition or turn off the vehicle. the contact mentioned that she was able to remove the key by engaging the release button located under the dashboard. in addition, the contact mentioned that the power steering lamp illuminated and the steering wheel seized. the power steering started to work again once she turned the vehicle completely off. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 117,000.

Tl* the contact owns 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that she was unable to remove the key from the ignition. she was able to remove the key by engaging the release button located under the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. the vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, none of whom could provide a cause or remedy for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 108,000.

It was a single car crash which happened at night during a rain shower. their were no witnesses, but the car crossed the opposite lane of traffic and ran into the back end of a lowboy trailer ( a trailer used to transport heavy equipment ) the two 19 year old girls in the car were killed. nothing about this accident made sense until i heard about the ignition issue with the cobalt. their are many reasons that the ignition could be the root of this accident, and if it can be determined that this is in fact true i would like to be part of the process that sees that those responsible for the decision to put profit over safety are punished. *tr

The power steering failed on yesterday september 6th, 2011. the mph needle does not move at all on the rpm needle. in order to get the vehicle to move what it seems to be 30 miles per hour i must press hard on the accelerator. there was a recall on the vehicle and i received a letter to have the car looked at by darcars dealership. i took the car to the dealership may 2011 and the representative stated that the steering column was replaced and everything is fine. now 4 months later the vehicle is in worse condition then it was prior to me taking it to the dealership. not sure what to do at this point. *tr

2006 chevrolet cobalt. consumer states issues with power steering *tgw in april 2010, the consumer received a letter stating there was a safety recall on the power steering motor and when the part arrived, it would be fixed free of charge. the consumer went to the dealer and the recalled part was replaced. however, it also caused the transmission to slip and hard braking whenever the power steering message appeared. the consumer informed the dealer of the problem and the dealer stated it had nothing to do with the recall. the consumer returned to the dealer again. the dealer claimed the problem was the control arm bushing. the dealer replaced an im insulator, link, loose sway bar bushing and the steering gear. the consumer stated she continued to experience the same problems with the transmission, and the vehicle loosing power. the consumer returned to the dealer and the mechanic stated the vehicle had an electrical problem. *jb

Vehicle has various problems which started with the fuel gauge going to empty not matter how much fuel there was, this issue was never fixed properly. front suspension rattles and lower control arm bushings are cracked, diagnosed, but not repaired by chevrolet. interior dome light has a short as does the radio ,intermittent. also paint is peeling off of the door handles, radio and dashboard control buttons. and just recently there is an odor of gasoline coming from somewhere on the vehicle. the vehicle has a little over 21,000 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering, tire traction and check engine warning lights were illuminated. the automatic door locks would lock and unlock the doors independently and without warning, and the speedometer would become inoperative. the contact would have to shut the vehicle off and restart for the vehicle to perform as normal. the dealer repaired various components unknown to the contact on several occasions however, the failure would recur. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 150,000. the vin was unavailable.