Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2006 chevy cobalt - key frequently gets stuck in ignition and power steering has begun to fail. *tr

we are buying a used 2006 chevy cobalt ls & the key has stuck in the ignition. we have found out through research that this has been a huge problem with others & the automatic shifter assembly has to be replaced. we have no warranty now & still owe too much on the car. why is there no recall on this since there are so many complaints? every single web site we were on people have complained about this. this is a rotten deal. . every website has too many complaints. there absolutely should be a recall to fix this problem.----this was a message sent to chevrolet of which they replied: thank you for contacting the chevrolet customer assistance center. i have processed the information on your vehicle and after thoroughly researching all the resources available to me; i was not able to find any recall associated to your vehicle. recalls are vehicle identification number specific so not all vehicles of a model year are affected. i emailed back that they need to have a recall for this. it is costly to replace & not fair to the consumer. please help. *tr

Key will not come out of the ignition on a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. *tr

information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) april 07,10 hello, i [xxx], have recieved your letter about the safety recall involing my 2006 chevrolet cobalt, which i heard a shaking noises when the car reach between 30 to 40 mph in the front steering colum. i took my 2006-chevrolet coblat to jefferson chevrolet -nov. 04, 2009; and told the guy-that test drove the car. i waited from 8am-4pm; and paid $343.34. in addition,when i gotten into my 2006 coblat the- shaking in my steering colum was still there, so i made an u-turn and went back to jefferson chevrolet and asked the guy that test my car; i said please come and take a ride with me, because i like to know what did i spend $343.34 for. i call jefferson chevrolet before i left their, and spoke with mr. jerry and told him every thing, and he told me to bring my car back on nov. 05,2009- which i did , and when mr. jerry and myself tested drove, he sat in the passenger seat while i drove and he told me that i still have "noises in my steering colum". finally, when i received your letter on april 07, 2010- about the safety recall, i called mr. jerry@ jefferson chevrolet and asked if they had the part for my 2006- cobalt; which he said that's not what's wrong with my car. p.s please help me i know that it's something in the steering cloum- that's what i took my car to them to fix this problem; i don't want to be hurt or cause hurt , ...

I have owned my 2006 chevy cobalt since 2008. starting in 2009 all the way until now 2014 i have had issues with the car that are related to the ignition switch recall. i took my car in to the chevy dealer to take care of the ignition switch recall on november 5, 2014. i got my car back the same day, they replaced the ignition switch and gave me two new keys. surprise! two days later on november 7, 2014 my car again had the exact same problems related to the ignition switch recall that it did before i took it in for the recall fix. hence, chevy's "recall ignition switch fix" does not solve the problem with these cars! my car still does the following things even after the ignition switch fix that is supposed to solve these problems. whenever it pleases it will lose electrical power and turn off the engine, leaving me stuck in the middle of a busy highway, this has happened on numerous occasions!! as if that isn't bad enough there's more! the power steering light flashes, the check engine light comes on, the service airbag light comes on, the gauges on the dash completely stop working properly the speedometer needle goes haywire moving from 0 mph to 60 mph back and forth non-stop when i'm not even accelerating to those speeds. the rpm gauge does the exact same thing. the car jolts forward uncontrollably,like it is having a problem shifting especially when the rpm is between 2000 and 3000. when you go to brake you have to slam the brakes all the way down because you lose your normal braking power the car skids as you're braking and continues to jolt forward uncontrollably. oh and on top of all of this sometimes the power steering completely goes out leaving you with all of the problems mentioned above and you can't steer properly! something needs to be done immediately! the ignition switch recall fix does not work! these cars should not be on the road period. *tr

My 2006 chevrolet cobalt lt sedan car has a power steering malfunction. when i start my car the power steering is fine for about 100 yards and then i receive a message in my dash stating "power steering" and then my steering wheel is hard, almost impossible to turn. this happened while traveling on the interstate and almost caused me to crash. this malfunction is very dangerous because it always happens spontaneously. i have also had issues with my keys getting stuck in the ignition, sometimes for twenty minutes or more. *tr

My daughter just got a 2006 cobalt and the power steering light came on a she couldn't turn the wheel and she was pulling in the parking lot to cheer at her football game and she had a little accident noone was hurt but she was very scared and didn't understand why it would do that. it is going to the shop monday the 19th and when they put all new parts for the power steering and if it does it again i will have my attorneys in court with general motors. i guess it is going to take someone getting killed or seriously injured before someone will take all of this seriously and recall this. *tr

2006 chevrolet cobalt, will not start. power steering comes on dashboard. this occurs at random times, leaving me without a car sometimes for days. already took it to dealership, said it was a wire, they replaced it, it still continues with the same problems. *tr

In summer, 2009, problems began to arise with steering and cruise control on 2006 chevy. cobalt. a light in the dash would come on then steering becomes very hard, uncontrollable as if the car had no power assist at all. the power assist failures became more frequent so car was taken to chevy. dealer on 9/25/09. the service dept. charged $181.00 and made some corrections but were reluctant to advise the problem had been corrected. on 10/20/09, a collision almost occurred during a right hand turn being made and the power steering failure coinciding. *tr

Power steering goes out completely while driving in my 2006 chevrolet cobalt. problem started 1 october 2009 and is off and on. at times it scares me that i will get in an accident. jiffy lube personnel stated that it is electronic and suggested taking to dealer. i am a student at northern arizona university and cannot afford $100 for just looking at it. suggested to me to file a complaint to your organization. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy cobalt lt and recently while i am driving the t/c, security, and power steering lights come on and my power steering goes out and my car starts bucking and jumping like crazy. the last time it happened while i was driving 70 down the interstate and i almost crashed into the divider wall trying to pull over. it has been brought into the dealership 3 times and they have no idea what is causing it. i have already paid for a new transmission module which was not the problem. it seems to reset after the car is turned off for a while but if it happens it could cause serious crashes. there are already thousands of reports on the same incident with this particular car. *tr

Electric power steering. *tr

I currently own a 2006 chevy cobalt. the current problem is that the key will not come out of the ignition. when this occurs all of the interior electronic features stay on as well as the exterior lights. i did have the shift assembly replaced. prior to it being replaced, it occurred randomly but then started to happen more frequently. the battery is being drained by this problem which in turn is causing a secondary issue. the dealer who replaced it stated that this a common occurrence in all chevy cobalt's yet it has not been recalled. i feel that chevy needs to look at the matter to recall this problem. it is not right for me to pay for chevy's mistake when they know this problem is happening. *tr

1. my wife and i purchased a 2006 vehicle for my 20 year old daughter roughly a year ago. everything was fine for the first 9 months. after that one day when my daughter was driving the vehicle it began to shake and the power steering light began to flash and she had no control over the vehicle, she had to pull over, turn off the vehicle and restart it and the car was fine until she got home. everytime you drive the car literally every 2 miles you have to pull over and turn the car off and start it again, it is extremely dangerous and a hassle. we took the car to the dealership and they said because we didn't purchase a warranty it would cost 2,000 dollars to fix. due to the poor economy we cannot afford to fix the car, but yet we put down 3,000 on the vehicle and we continue to be stuck with 350 car payments every month for a vehicle we cannot even drive. something needs to be done about this car, we are extremely worried about anyone that has one of these cars. the car is not worth the money we are spending on it. we have no idea what to do about the situation and we are in a horrible position. *tr

4 times yesterday 9/3/09 on interstate highway 35 (texas) had major problems trying to get over to the exit when my power steering failed... i have four kids and saw a huge 18 wheeler in my rearview mirror... i thank god that i made it off the highway safe but drove home with no power steering. looking for someone to fix it but labor day weekend... need recall to happen now!!! i still owe $9,000 and can't drive anywhere with this power steering failure happening over and over. i thought gm was a reliable dealership!! please recall *tr

I bought a 2006 chevy cobalt about six months ago. three months after i bought it the power steering began to go out. it does not take power steering fluid there is a ps motor in the steering column. everyt time i drive my car it goes out, it is not just every once and a while. when i restart my car the power steering will come back on. but within 100 yards it will go out again. the first time it went out i was going around a sharp curve and i nearly lost control of the car. the car behind me had to slam on there breaks because i started to fishtail . this is a major safety issue for me and other drivers and something really needs to be done about it. there is page after page of people who have the same problem. it seems to me that with so many people having this problem that there would be a recall on it. obviously something was done wrong. it is dangerous and basically every time i get into my car i am risking my life. its not worth it and you guys being a safety administration should really look into it. *tr

Alarm goes off,the power steering and engine light come on. the car starts to jerk violently and the power steering goes out! if you come to a stop the car stalls. it does not happen all the time , but so far three times for me. the first time it was at the garage nothing was reading out from the codes. they have the car again and so far it hasn't acted up for them.but it is kicking out codes this time. thank goodness my husband was driving because i could not have turned the steering wheel. there could have been a terrible accident!! *tr

I have two issues with my 2006 chevy cobalt: 1. aug 2009 the power steering went out completely while driving, rendering it nearly impossible to navigate. it works everytime i turn on the car for approximately 1-3 minutes and goes out everytime it's driven. i've been quoted that it will cost me $565 just for the part which must be ordered from a gm dealer only since the warranty ran out at 50k miles, the power steering went out on me at around 50500 miles. just past the mark. this is a very dangerous issue that seriously needs to be addressed and recalled by gm for i've read hundreds of complaints from others who drive the same make and year. 2) the second issue is that the key locks in the ignition at least once a week making it impossible to start the car. please look into these problems with this car for they can be very dangerous before someone loses their life over it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then there was a loss of power steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and a technician concluded that since he could not identify the cause of the failure, he could not provide a free remedy. prior to the failure the ignition switch was replaced. the failure and current mileages were 78000. updated 11/10/09 *cn the consumer also stated the vehicle would cut off in the middle of traffic. the vehicle has been to the dealer 6 times. updated 11/13/09.*jb

2006 chevrolet cobalt, 77,000 miles words powersteering lit up on dash and i was unable to steer car while moving. no consequences on block from my house but it is not a fluid system. this is not preventable and i viewed one report with over 375 complaints of the same problem with 2005 - 2008 cobalts. this needs to be recalled if this is a steering column problem with such prevalence. i travel quite a distance to work. what if i had been on the interstate as usual? *tr

The power steering light on my 2006 cobalt came on randomly. there was nothing to lead up to the incident. then later the light had disappeared for a week, until it came up again. this time i received the light warning as well as losing my power steering. it is not constant, but is becoming a more common thing. i have not fixed the problem yet because the dealer can not figure out what the problem is with regular diagnostic testing, and i will not fork out the money to have the dig further into the car. i am looking on fixing the problem myself, but still do not know what the problem may be. i do not want to buy a used item and have the same problem happen. i have been reading up on this problem and it seems to be a pretty common thing with the chevy cobalt's and pontiac g5's. what i would like to do is find an oem part with a warranty, put that is also hard because i don't know if there is a new aftermarket oem part that has been changed so that this problem does not occur again. *tr

No brake lights. i am searching as to why the light bulbs and fuse keeps blowing out, there appears to be a live wire shorting out between the fuse and the brake switch. with the brake switch disconnected, the fuse still blows. *tr updated 07/17/09 *bf the consumer stated the problem was resolved by replacing it with a brake switch. updated 07/21/09. *jb

The car shifter button won't release the key. in other words the key will not come out of the ignition. this is the first time it has happened. the repair shop has to put a new shifter in because they couldn't buy just the interlock system (button). the repair shop says it sounds like a lot of people have the same problem because the dealership had several in stock. i have read several complaints online concerning this problem. it is dangerous when you have to leave your key in your car overnight. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact is unable to remove the key from the ignition. the key was usually released from the ignition when the column lock was pressed. the dealer was unable to correct the failure. the manufacturer stated they are not aware of the failure. updated 09/16/09 *bf updated 09/17/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the power steering stopped functioning after a warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure occurred while driving 10 mph. the contact was still able to drive the vehicle, but with great difficulty. the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer; however, the contact was informed that the repair would be expensive since there were no recalls on the instrument panel. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 68,000.

2006 chevy cobalt ss/sc has been serviced more than 10 times in 5 months for sensors failing and electrical issues that are still occurring. major problem occurring is car shutting itself off in traffic and at idle. *tr

The electric power steering in my chevy cobalt has a problem. i live in the virgin island, st. croix. the temp gets to 100 degree. i get three warning dings and the word power steering on my dashboard and immediately i have no power steering. when it cool down, it will work fine. on st. croix it cost over $1000 to check and fix please help. the islands are hilly and it is dangerous to take conners and hills with out power steering. *tr

My "ignition module" gave out at 39,000 miles!!!! isn't that a defect???? it cost me $335.00 to repair, even though i bought a $2,000 extended warranty when i bought the car last year (2006 chevy cobalt). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition switch after several attempts. the ignition was turned to the 'off' position and the gear shift was placed in the "park" position. when the ignition key release control button was pushed, the contact was able to remove the key from the ignition. the failure occurred intermittently. there were no prior warnings. the vehicle is in the process of being repaired. the contact is aware of the safety risks involved. the failure and current mileages were 56,000.

While driving at 35 mph, heard beeping and message on dic read"power steering". pulled to the shoulder and restarted the car. no message was displayed after restarting the car, but problem remains. car will lose power steering now more frequently, at least 5 times during a 45 minute ride. have to keep pulling over to restart the car to fix the problem. car is 3 years old with about 85,200. have not repaired it yet, car not under warranty. *tr

I bought my 2006 chevy cobalt in may 2006. there has been a power steering problem occurring with my car for about 7 months now. every now and then, the car completely stops working or the car begins to jolt every time i press the gas pedal. it makes it very difficult to drive and i have to pull over. sometimes after i shut off the car the problem disappears, but sometimes it stays there for a few days. the engine light also goes on as well as the tc light. it is very dangerous to drive like this because the steering wheel also hardens up to the point where you can no longer turn the wheel. it has happened to me while my car has been parked and while driving on the highway and on a regular road. i have taken it to a mechanic and he was unable to detect the problem. i spoke to the dealer and they said to take it right when the problem occurs because if the problem disappears they will be unable to detect it. i took the car on sept. 9, 2009 when it was giving me problems and was very close to the dealer, but since it was 30 mins before they closed they could not inspect it. i took it back the next day and now i'm waiting on the results and estimate, which today's date is sept.11, 2009. they said the estimate ranges from $200 to $900. i've looked up recalls on this problem and there were none made even though many other people are having the same exact problems. i feel very unsafe driving this car and i would like this problem to be heard and fixed. *tr

06 cobalt with only 54,000 miles. ignition module and coil system failed. serious misfire in the engine made for this car to have a tough time moving. dealer couldn't believe this had gone on me at 54,000 miles, neither could firestone. unreal. dealer should be doing this repair free of charge and the manufacturer should be recalling 2006 cobalts and replacing ignition coil systems. this is not a typical part of the engine to fail! *tr

I purchased a used 2006 chevy cobalt first the ignition switch went out i had it replaced then drove to store car just died had to be towed replaced fuel relay censor driving back from dealer ship it dies in middle of 4 lane traffic now its back at the shop it only has 40,000 miles on the car looks like the lemon law needs to be enforced. *tr

The car gauges and engine shut down in the middle of driving. the floor gear shift has been difficult to change gears and put in to park. once car shuts down at least 15 minutes is needed for car to restart. car shuts down at random times. *tr

The chevy cobalt 2006's power steering went out and key was stuck in the ignition. the entire gear shift was replaced to get the key out the ignition. the battery was unplugged to reset computer chip for power steering but the problem still continues. while driving the car has shut off, the needles for the fuel and speedometer continually jumps and the car jerks back and forth while continuing not to have power steering. *tr

I have had to replace my fuel injector, my ignition switch, and now my steering has gone out. all where while driving and warning light comes on. i keep my car well maintained, recently got a mileage service done. i have seen many post on these issues. what is being done about recalls. *tr

Feb. 28, 2010 2006 chevy cobalt ls sedan 4 cylinder 4 door automatic transmission i purchased the 2006 chevy cobalt brand new from a chevy dealer. i fully maintained and serviced the vehicle as required and when necessary. on october 25, 2008 i was driving the 2006 chevy cobalt and i was driving onto the cross county parkway heading eastbound when the vehicles steering system failed thus causing me to lose control of the vehicle thus crashing the vehicle onto the parkways guardrail. i was very shaken, the vehicle sustained serious damage, and the county police was called to the scene. a police report was filed soon thereafter. the 2006 chevy cobalt had to be towed off the parkway and back to my home. gm should really investigate the chevy cobalt for steering system failure. *tr

The 2006 chevy cobalt that i have constantly shuts off when backing up, and into the middle of heavy traffic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact and another passenger were locked inside the vehicle for over two hours. the driver thought that the lever on the right side of the steering column (under the steering wheel) was supposed to activate the windshield washer or headlights. once she touched the lever, all of the doors and windows locked, and the key was locked in the ignition. the vehicle was unable to be started and the key would not release from the ignition. hours after being locked in the vehicle, the contact was able to turn the key in the ignition and unlock the door. the dealer stated that the vehicle was working as designed. the contact traded in the vehicle for another model. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was unknown.

I drove my car the night before with no problems. got into it the next morning and had no vents, air conditioning, or passenger side air bag. took the car to the dealership and they replaced the fuses, said it was fine. two days later the same thing happened again. took the car back to the dealership and told them to find out why it keeps blowing fuses. it is there now. this is the third time it has happened. the first time was about 4 wks. after i bought the car. the dealership said they had to replace the whole wiring system. *tr

2006 chevy cobalt:key is getting stuck in the ignition have to remove the access panel under the steering column to access button to release key i work for a towing co. in westeren pa and have had several calls of this nature the vehicle in regaurds to belongs to my sister in law thank you. *tr

Friday night at a gas station. started the car. engine shut off when placed in reverse. would stay running in park, neutral, and drive. drove the car home. called langs chevrolet in beavercreek, ohio saturday morning. was going to drive car in to dealership. car would not start intermittently. when the car did start, it would run for 2-10 seconds then "power steering" would come on. air bag lights would come on. various intermittent codes would come on. most of the time the all gauges would go off and the car would not start. lang had car towed to dealership saturday.. feels like the steering column is loose. also, front suspension/steering makes rattling noise over rough surfaces. will make a rattling noise while sitting still and moving steering wheel back and forth will repost with the results. others...please do not repost the same complaint! this bogs down our search capabilities. thank you, paulj *tr

There were no events leading to the failure of the power steering in my 2006 chevy cobalt. it happens everyday, atleast once every three minutes. in order to "temporarily" fix it you have to put the car in park and turn it off and restart the car then in about three minutes it goes out again. then you have to repeat this. i am not the only one with this problem thousands and thousands of people are having the same problem with 2005 and 2006 cobalts. you can search on the internet power steering problems cobalt and you will see. this has been going on for about 5 months because on top of my car note and insurance i can not afford to fix this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe because the speedometer, instrument panel, and a host of other failures were occurring with the vehicle. the check engine light illuminated, but the dealer could not diagnose the cause of the failure. the warranty has expired and the dealer still is unable to locate the reason for the failures. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer regarding the warranty. the failure mileage was 13,000 and current mileage was 31,000.

Car was sitting in drive way for 30 mins and burst into flames, and the whole car is a total waste. the fire was so hot that the siding melted on the house. nothing left of the inside of the car.. a eye witness said the fire started in the dash and when it started it was gone in less than 15 mins. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt ls. the contact was driving approximately 45 mph when the reduced engine power warning light illuminated followed by reduced engine power. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer five times where the speed sensor, throttle body, power steering motor and accelerator pedal were replaced to no avail. the failure persisted after the several repairs were performed on the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 52,000. updated 10/13/10*bf updated 10/14/10*jb

1) when purchasing this used vehicle from the dealer, we were informed the previous owner had broken his key in the ignition switch, hence the broken ignition lock mechanism. lie 2) car began making a front end noise or so i thought, the next day as my daughter in law and my grandkids were driving home the power steering indicator light turned on, she applied her brakes to slow down and all the lights on the panel turned on and her steering locked. the truck behind us was forced off the road to avoid slamming in to us. after getting online to see if there was going to be an easy and inexpensive way to repair this problem i was appalled to read all the complaint regarding these same issues. i lost my oldest child to faulty seat belts on the 01 ford ranger edge. this is indeed a safety issued that needs to be resolved immediately before someone is seriously hurt or killed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact experienced a loss of steering ability when she depressed the brake pedal. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle became uncontrollable and completely shut down. the contact could not turn the vehicle to pull off the road; however, no crash occurred. the current mileage was 49,000 and failure mileage was 48,990. updated 07/29/08 *bf the power steering light illuminated. the vehicle began to shake and when the brake was applied, the vehicle shook violently and immediately shut down. updated 08/01/08.

With out warning. the key stays locked in the ignition, due to a faulty shifter ( microswitch pin) and will not release. problem happens every time the car is put into park, and tried to pull the key from the ignition. dealer service tech's claims the defective part is cheaply made and 6 out of 10 colbalts have this problem. to fix the problem complete replacement of the shifter. *tr

My power steering tends to go out while driving. traction control light comes on. the shifter clicks. my speedometer and rmps go nuts. my abs and brake light flash. the car stalls when i stop in traffic or at lights. they reprogrammed the computer chip three times and replaced the part once. i now am having the problem again and they said its not their problem. *tr