Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt STEERING

While driving the vehicle at highway speeds for approximately 5 minutes, i slowed to make a left turn when i noticed the steering wheel was hard to turn, as i looked at the dash to make sure the engine had not died, i noticed that the power steering message was on. after i stopped to attempt to locate the power steering reservoir...(which i later determined that this vehicle does not have.) upon re-starting the vehicle it seemed to work fine...for about ten miles. i turned the vehicle off and restarted with a resolution of he problem. the problem re-occurred several times on the way home. the current mileage was 57,102. this vehicle will be parked in until i contact a dealer on monday to report this problem. i do not feel safe transporting my family in this vehicle. after searching the internet and this site...it appears this is a big problem on these vehicles. gm should look at this carefully and notice that there have been no deaths or injuries>>>>yet>>>! with the current financial troubles of automakers today...i doubt the would really want a huge injury or death related lawsuit to be filed against them. everyone with a voice (and a cobalt with problems) should make themselves heard and voice these complaints! as cobalt owners we should consider ourselves lucky just to be able to write a complaint about this problem! something has to be done to correct this issue! *tr

I almost got in a major accident a week ago because my power steering failed on my 2006 chevy cobalt ss/sc. my warranty is up and the dealer told me it would be 900 dollars to fix. i am disgusted this is not recalled. this is extremely dangerous and needs to be recalled. and i understand there are alot of other people with the same problem. just wait until someone really gets hurt, cause i know gm wont recall it until someone does!!!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 35 mph the power steering light flashed on the dashboard with a beeping sound and the vehicle lost power steering malfunctioned. the contact had to shut off the vehicle and restart it so that the power steering would function properly. the failure occurred intermittently. the contact has not taken the vehicle to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the failure mileage was 68,000.

I have a 2006 chevy cobalt which i'm upset to say has caused me to almost be involved in various accidents. this problem started since december, 2006. while driving, my "power steering" warning comes on, and before you know it, you loose control of your car. this has almost made me get into a few accidents. the manufacturers should be more serious about the consumer's safety. i'm enraged and terrified to think this might happen when i'm in the car with my kids. as a result, i don't go out to prevent any accidents. manufacturers should do something to resolve this problem. i'm pretty sure, if they were the ones who drove my car, they would be more selective about the quality of their product. i will never own a chevy again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that a power steering mechanism in her vehicle failed three times in one day. she had to turn off the vehicle and wait for it to reset itself. the dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. the failure mileage was 68,400.

Tl*the contact owns 2006 chevrolet cobalt ls. when starting the vehicle, she noticed that the power steering light was illuminated and the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left and right. she stated that the failure occurred immediately after the warranty expired. the failure and current mileage were unknown.

I bought my 06 chevy cobalt in october 2008. the power steering started going out just a few of months ago. just yesterday i can't keep it on for more than five minutes. if i turn the car off and back on it works for a few minutes but goes right out. this has happened daily for the past 2-4 months. i am very disappointed in my choice of vehicles because it has been nothing but problems, and it only has about 45000 miles on it. this often happens while attempting to turn onto the freeway and makes the car very difficult to turn. this car is very dangerous, and there is nothing i can do about it because of the expense for fixing it. have not taken it to a dealership yet. *tr

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.

My 2006 chevrolet cobalt with electronic power steering has an intermittent problem in that the power steering just turns off. there are no apparent reasons why. i can drive 1-2 days with no problem and the third day it will quit 4 or 5 times. turning the car off and restarting it turns it back on. chevrolet has recalled the malibu because of the same problem but nothing is being done with the cobalt. this obviously a big safety issue since the car is very hard to steer when the power steering just quits. i have not had any accidents yet due to this problem and will have it repaired however it seems a matter of time before some unexpected person has this happen at an inopportune time resulting in an accident. *tr

I was driving down the road and all of sudden my wheel locked on me. i try to get out of the way of a oncoming car and i was very frighten. this could have been a serious accident if i was not thinking on my feet. chevrolet should have a recall on the steering wheel column. i only got 45,000 miles on the car and only own it for about 3 yrs. *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

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering fails randomly. the failure previously occurred at 20,000 miles and was reported to gm, but they never took action or repaired the vehicle. the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle is currently at the dealer being repaired at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 61,436.

I was driving down the road in may and the power steering cut out while in motion. i immediately pulled over, turned engine off and then restarted the vehicle. the power steering began working again, but then cut out again after a few miles while still driving. this occurs every time i drive the car; works, cuts out, i restart the vehicle, power steering begins working, then cuts out again....everytime i drive!! my mechanic has tried replacing the computer chip and everything short of dismantling the vehicle. he informed me that he discovered that thousands of cobalt owners have had the same problem. unfortunately, gm refuses to do a recall despite the danger of the failure. the power steering column needs to be replaced. i am hoping gm will step up to assist their customers that cannot afford this repair. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy cobalt ls. i have had problems steering my vehicle when parking, backing out of parking spaces and when traveling at low speeds and trying to turn. i have mentioned this problem to my chevy dealership service center and they have stated that this is just something that happens with the cobalts over time. recently my ignition locked up twice, and right before it locked i felt the steering column tighten up. not sure if that's related but it might be. the service center replaced the shifter in the vehicle and it hasn't locked up again but the steering wheel is still tightening. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering failed without warning and almost caused a crash at 40 mph. the dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced and the vehicle should not be driven. the contact feels that this is a serious safety risk. the current mileage was 57,000 and failure mileage was 3,000.

My wife was driving to the store and the power steering went out. every time we get in the car and start it the power steering is on, then a minute after driving the power steering goes out. i have not fixed the problem because i was to it might cost 1 to 2 thousand dollars. i should not be liable for something that was not my fault. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds including approximately 25 mph, she heard a beeping sound in the dashboard and then the power steering failed. the dealer confirmed that the power steering needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 89,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. he stated that the power steering would fail intermittently. the dealer could not duplicate the failures, however the body control module was replaced at the owner's expense and still did not correct the failure. on a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of 60 mph and the vehicle locked. the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel in either direction. the power steering warning light illuminated on the warning panel and the vehicle stalled. he was able to maneuver the vehicle off of the highway without incident. the failure and current mileages were under 80,200. updated 2/17/10 *cn updated 02/22/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering intermittently fails. the inability to steer while driving increased the risk of a vehicle crash. he notified the dealer and was advised by a technician that it would cost approximately $800 to $1000.00 to replace the component. no repairs have been made. the current mileage was 67,106. the failure mileage was 62,000.

My 2006 chevy cobalt's power steering went out around the 42,000 mark. *tr

In the warmer months, the power steering on my 06 chevrolet cobalt will suddenly quit while driving. if i restart the car, power steering will return but only for a matter of minutes. it becomes most dangerous when it goes out while i'm making a turn. twice i have almost hit another vehicle while turning in to a driveway. i believe this failure to be a major safety hazard and i'm glad the nhtsa is finally looking into it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle resisted unexpectedly while making a turn. the driver exerted greater effort to turn the steering wheel. the power steering warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the driver pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. the vehicle was restarted after a few moments and resumed normal operation. the failure occurs without warning whenever the vehicle is in motion. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the steering motor failed. the repair part was unavailable. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 52,051.

My son owns a 2006 chevy cobalt. the power steering light comes on and then the power steer locks up to where you are unable to turn the steering wheel. the quick fix is to cut off the ignition and restart. this is only a short term fix as it happens again within the next 10 miles or so and is becoming more frequent as time goes on. does someone have to die before a recall is issued? after reading the reported problems on the internet this is a very common thing for the 2005 and 2006 models. i have seen recalls on here for lesser things like not enough amber in a turn signal? how is this any more dangerous than losing the ability to steer while doing 70 mph on the interstate? it is a matter of time before a death or permanent disability happens to someone. gm has to be aware of this problem by now. i guess they will just take there chances being that they are filing bankruptcy. i beg you to recall this component. how many more complaints are needed? *tr

My husband and i purchased to 2006 chevy cobalt in september of 06. since the purchase of my , "brand new" car the air conditioning, power locks, and power steering have all ceased to work. my air conditioning only worked for one summer. the power locks went out about 6 months ago. now, the most concerning is that my power steering has now failed. i turn the car on and have power steering for approximately 2-3 minutes, then the cars power steering fails. i will never have the money to replace any parts because of the high payments and insurance. my poor husband is a pizza delivery person! this is the worst thing to happen. i tried to buy an american made car hoping that i would at least get to drive it for a few years without having it break down. now gm is getting my paycheck and the taxes they took out of it!! this is plain wrong! i will never buy gm again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering suddenly failed while making a turn at a low speed. the failure also occurred while driving in reverse. the failure usually occurs at speeds of 35 mph or less. the vehicle has not been taken to a dealer or mechanic for inspection. through online research, the contact found numerous complaints for the same issue. the failure mileage was 55,000 and current mileage was 57,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving between 55-60 mph on normal road conditions, the steering wheel locked up without warning. the driver pulled over to the side of the road with caution and turned off the engine. she waited a few minutes and the vehicle restarted normally. the failure recurred several times while driving to her destination. the failure recurs whenever the vehicle is in operation. the failure and current mileages were 46,840.

At 49,000 miles my 2006 chevy cobalt steering goes out intermittently. the dealer could not get it do anything wrong. now that the warranty is out, it does it about once a week now. if you turn the car off and wait a few minutes, then turn it back on it will work again. this is very dangerous in that you try to turn, expecting it to work and the car keeps straight! close calls but no crash yet. please help us! this thing is too dangerous to drive like this. after seeing all of the complaints on the internet, i want to know why it has not been recalled? *tr

Power steering malfunctioning in my 2006 chevy cobalt. spoke to gm with no help gained from it. waited 8 months then paid to have it fixed myself recently. power steering made it hard to turn at low speeds, ran over street curbs due to it and there was a constant rattle noise associated with the steering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the traction and the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel and there was a loss of power steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the technicians could not identify the cause of the failure; therefore, they could not provide a remedy. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.

The power steering in the vehicle went out while making a turn almost causing a collision with the oncoming vehicle. *tr

I bought a 2006 chevy cobalt april 9,2009. after about 2 weeks the power steering light came on. i took it to the dealership and they said the steering column is going out and it would cost about $900. now the light comes on after a few minutes. the car was not under warranty, but i think they knew there was something wrong with it. i have checked on the internet and a lot of people have the same complaint. there should be a recall or something help for people like me that cannot afford to have it repaired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact experienced multiple failures with the power steering over the last four months. while driving 55 mph, he noticed that the steering became stiff and caused him to lose steering control. the contact was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the power steering fuse failed. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $50. the failure recurred three weeks later. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, but they could not determine the cause of the failure. the vehicle is currently being inspected for the failure so a repair can be made. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer and was informed that a district specialist would call him on june 23, 2009. the contact has not yet received a call. the failure mileage was 24,000 and current mileage was 25,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering failed while driving approximately 35 mph and it became difficult to control the steering wheel. she turned the vehicle off, restarted it and the power steering corrected itself; however, when she began driving, the power steering failed again. the dealer informed her that the entire steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired to-date. she has not spoken with the manufacturer. the current mileage was approximately 50,000. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving various speeds, the power steering fails. as a result, the steering becomes difficult to turn and the vehicle becomes difficult to drive. whenever the power steering fails, the contact restarts the vehicle and it resets itself back to normal. the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 41,100. updated 06/09/09. *lj the steering was replaced at no cost. updated 06/09/09.*jb

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

Our 2006 chevy cobalt has started having power steering failures. the car has 44,000 miles. two weeks ago while driving down the highway, the ps light indicator flashed on and we did our best to try and get off the road. if we turn the car off and then back on, the power steering will work, but the problem is becoming more frequent; at least a couple of times a week. this car was bought new and is driven by my 20 yr. old honor college student. i had a mechanic check this and he told me the steering column had to be replaced at a cost of approx. $1500. *tr

The power steering lock up every time i drive the car. the key will not come out of the steering column. cant drive the car. *tr

I was driving on the highway in tampa when my car started to make a "dinging" noise. i then realized that the steering wheel started to get hard to turn. i looked at the information screen on my dashboard and it said 'power steering'. i wasn't sure what to do so i restarted my car and the problem seemed to go away. about an hour later while driving it happened again. i took it into the nearest chevy dealership to see what the problem was. the gentlemen informed me the power steering had indeed gone out and needed to be replaced but wasn't covered under warranty. he allowed me to drive back to where i'm stationed at because i'm not old enough to rent a car and needed to report off leave. on the way back my power steering went off and this time after i restarted my car it went out again after about 30 seconds. when i returned to my base i took it to a local chevy dealership and they informed me that the repair would cost between $1000 to $1200. i have not been able to replace the part as of yet and am scared to drive my car. *tr

Driving down the highway and the power steering went out, power steering goes in and out on 2006 chevy cobalt. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at any speed, the power steering locks up. the dealer stated that it was a common failure with the chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the failure was guaranteed to occur when the vehicle was at 50,000 miles and out of warranty. a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that there was no recall. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 63,000.

1) the car was steering fine up until approx 69,000 miles. 2) the electronic power steering on this model car quits working arbitrarily. the power steering will initially function correctly every time the car engine is restarted (ignition turned off then back on) regardless of how long the engine has been on or off prior to the restart. then at some point after the engine is running, the power steering will quit and you must apply tremendous force to the steering wheel to control the direction of the vehicle. the time between restart and occurrence of the power steering going out appears to vary with temperature, however the problem behavior is not consistent across all temperature ranges. in general, the cooler the ambient air temperature the vehicle is operating in, the longer the power steering will work correctly before it quits, but this is not always the case. the one thing that has been consistent is that once the power steering quits, it remains out until you turn the engine off and restart the car. 3) i have not attempted to have this problem repaired as estimates to repair the problem are in the $2000 dollar range. *tr

I purchased a 2006 chevrolet cobalt in february of 2009. around 65,000 miles, the power steering began going out. at first, it would only go out if it was hot outside, and if you turned the car off and then back on it would go away. it became more and more frequent to where it is out nearly all the time now. i have been told my only option is to have the steering column replaced at a cost of approx. $700.00. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy cobalt ltz and the power steering has went out on it numerous times while im driving, trying to make a turn, while my 2 children were in the car. it makes the car extremely hard to steer around a curve. thankfully i have only about hit other cars. but i still have to drive it because i don't have any other way to work, until i can save enough money to get it fixed. i don't know what caused it but, i have done some research and there are many people dealing with this problem with the cobalt 06. i have to replace the whole electric power steering part bout 1000.00 that i don't have.. i m a single mom of two boys . i think there really needs to be a recall done on this particular part on the 06 cobalt. before someone is hurt.. there are to many people having problems with this.. oh and did i mention my warranty just ran out.. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering fails while driving various speeds. the steering wheel becomes locked and he must use excessive force to pull over to the side of the road. the contact turns off the vehicle and then restarts it minutes later. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that a part in the steering column was faulty and needed to be repaired. the contact stated that he would repair it eventually. the failure mileage was 52,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 20 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. he pulled over and turned off the vehicle. the vehicle was diagnosed and it was discovered that the serpentine belt failed and caused the engine to lock. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under warranty. in addition, the power steering failed twice and is currently being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 44,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that the power steering unit stops functioning at random in warm weather conditions. prior to the failure, the power steering indicator illuminates on the instrument panel. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 70,000. updated 06/11/09. *lj the power steering would reset after the consumer turned the vehicle off, however a few minutes later the failure would occur again. updated 06/12/09.*jb

2006 cobalt lt. i've had this car only a year and a half. the power steering indicator keeps coming on and the steering goes off while driving down the road. i'm afraid it's going cause my wife to wreck. i seen on the internet where there were several hundred complaints for the same problem. it needs to be recalled before someone gets killed. *tr

There were no prior events leading up to my power steering going out while i was driving on the highway. all of a sudden, my power steering light clicked on and i could barely turn my steering wheel and in fact almost got into a serious accident. i took it straight to the dealership and was told it wasn't just my power steering but my entire steering column was shot at only 50k. gm replaced the steering column for $800; absolutely absurd for a car i bought brand new in 2006. *tr

I own a chevy cobalt lt and the power steering goes off and its hard to control. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt which was purchased used with 10,000 miles. she stated that in temperatures over 50 degrees, the power steering would fail approximately every 30 to 40 seconds while driving at various speeds as low as 5 mph and up. when it failed, she had to maneuver the vehicle onto the emergency lane, shut off the engine momentarily and allow the power steering to reset itself. the manufacturer was contacted and advised taking the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test; however, the closest dealer was over 100 miles away. she did not feel safe driving that distance since the failure began to occur frequently. the manufacturer advised the contact that they were closing her case until she took the vehicle into a dealer. no repairs were made to the vehicle. there were no recalls for the failure; however, there was an open investigation ( nhtsa action number pe10005; component :steering:electric power assist system). the failure mileage was 24,000 and the current mileage was 27,000.