Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt STEERING

I am the very unhappy driver of a 2008 chevy cobalt with 4 recall repairs to date. i reported noticing problems with the power steering, struts and interior dashboard lights as early as sept 2010, while having routine service done to my cobalt. (the interior dash digital read out lights have always given misinformation and would dim on a regular basis.) i've recently been experiencing the power steering totally going out on my car (once on june 25, 2014 and again on sept 4, 2014) which makes it practically impossible to steer my car. i've been involved with these recall issues since 2010 and have followed gm's instructions to have the repairs done, only to have continuing problems with the cars performance. it's not only a inconvenience, but is stressful and dangerous to continue driving this vehicle. i've requested to have gm help me get into another car more than once over the past few years, but have been denied. now i've been told that gm has implemented a new "buy back program" for drivers such as myself and have requested they get me out of this vehicle and into another car, but again, have not been contacted concerning my request.. i can not and do not want to be without a car to drive and feel that i deserve to have my car replaced by general motors at no cost to myself. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 65 mph and attempting to slow down, the power steering warning light illuminated when the steering wheel locked. the power steering failure caused the contact to crash into a concrete barrier. the contact sustained neck and head injuries and was taken to the hospital. the vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. the contact filed a claim with the manufacturer. the vin was unavailable when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the power steering malfunctioned. it was very difficult to turn and park the vehicle when the power steering malfunctioned. nhtsa recall 10v073000, steering:electric power assist system was repaired by the dealer. a week after the recall repair the power steering malfunctioned. the contact stated the power steering usually malfunctions in cold weather. the contact stated the dealer needs a new part to repair the steering system before this causes a crash. the failure mileage was 52,000.

I have a 2008 chevrolet cobalt that i purchased in january of 2008 with about 64,000 miles on it. recently i had an incident that kept repeating itself in the same day where my wheel would lock and i could no longer steer. this problem i have never had and recently there have been other complaints of friends of mines who have the same problem. i'm just making this issue known and making someone aware of it, because it could get serious. *tr

Steering column rattles, dealer installed recalled power steering unit and greased intermediate shaft. noise quit for 10,0000 miles and started again. dealer said new shafts only last 20,0000. *tr

Tl*the contact owned a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. while driving approximately 30 to 35 mph the steering wheel locked. the vehicle became very difficult to control. the contact stated that she was driving toward two parked vehicles and engaged the brakes in order to avoid a crash. she turned the vehicle off and restarted it and the vehicle started as normal. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and she was advised that her vehicle was not part of recall 10v073000, steering:electric power assist system which she received two months ago. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that she returned the vehicle to the dealer. the failure and current mileages were unknown.

I am just driving along and all of a sudden the power steering goes out on my 2008 chevrolet cobalt, and it has done it at least 20 times within the last 4-5 days. since i bought the car two and a half weeks ago. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. while driving 10 mph, the contact noticed a chiming sound inside of the vehicle and then the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard. a few minutes after the warning light illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to turn; however, after restarting the vehicle she noticed that the power steering had begun to operate normally. the failure has occurred on 7 occasions. the failure mileage was 54000 and the current mileage was 55000.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) my daughter purchased a 2008 chevy cobalt in may 09. on march 3, 2009 she was in an accident caused by loss of steering control. this problem was reported to the dealer in july 2009,said no problem. on nonday colonial chevrolet in va beach 23502 was asked about the recall related to the accident, and to check the system. they first stated no recall on cobalt steering, and now are stonewalling the repair of the vehicle, and the recall problem. i was told we ma be without vehicle 90 days. not satisfactory, no ownership of problem. [xxx]

My 16yr daughter has a 2008 chevy cobalt that she said the power steering locked up on this weekend 3 different times. she was able to pull the car to the side of the road and kill the engine and restart it without problems each time . her car only has 19,900 miles on it, so it is still under warranty. my big concern is that if gm has not fixed the problem then it will happen again and she may not be so lucky next time. i am really concerned about letting her continue to drive this car. *tr

2008 chevrolet cobalt - power steering problem. power steering light goes on, car loses power steering. comes and goes. never know when it is going to happen. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. she stated that while driving 20 mph and making a turn, without a warning the power steering locked. she turned the vehicle off and then back on. the vehicle began to function normally. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. the failure mileage was 8,000 and the current mileage was 8,338. updated 04/09/10. *lj the power steering electric motor was replaced. updated 07/07/10.*jb

My son's 2008 chevrolet cobalt with less than 26k miles recently lost all steering. the electronic power assist motor locked up. my son was fortunate he was in a parking lot and not on the highway when this occurred. a young coworker with a 2007 cobalt had a problem with his steering. his car would wander in to the next lane until corrected. the cobalt steering problem should be addressed via a recall before someone is seriously injured or killed. in both of the above cases, parts were replaced at no charge by a local chevy dealer. my son's car was repaired on 02/22/10 and the co worker's on 02/16/10. *tr

Prior to this incident, i had noticed that the steering was really stiff and hard to steer. i had originally thought that this was just the design of the car. this is a rental car so i only had it temporarily. on february 17, 2010, i pulled up to gas station driving this car: 2008 chevy cobalt ls. the steering froze up and the car wouldn't re-start. if this would have happened while i was driving, it could have resulted in serious injury or death. the manager at hertz will not speak to me and has not returned my phone calls. i am reporting hertz to the better business bureau and to my legislatures. again, this car is a 2008 chevy cobalt ls and i have been researching this automobile. i have found that this car has a known issue and numerous customers want it recalled. at this time, i believe they are still having to pay for the repairs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. the contact was driving approximately 45 mph when the contact lost control of the steering wheel. the vehicle rolled over approximately two times. the driver was injured and transported to the hospital. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an impound lot. the manufacturer was notified and a complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 14,000.

I was driving in town when all of a sudden the power steering warning beeped and flashed and i couldn't easily steer the car. i was able to stop at a red light and turn off the car and turn it back on. the car did the same thing again a few minutes later. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. while driving at approximately 45 to 50mph. the power steering light illuminated and within seconds the steering locked. he was able to move on the side of the road turned the vehicle off. the steering resumed normal operation. but then it failed again. the vehicle was towed to his home. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the current and the failure mileage were 45,000.

2008 chevrolet cobalt. electronic steering will disengage while driving. this problem has happened numerous times and causing the driver to nearly lose control of the vehicle. the problem will arise if the automobile is on the road at a high rate of speed or moving slowly. dealerships project the cost at $900 to $1500 to repair. we feel this is the manufactures fault due to an ineffective electronic power steering. it is also a great safety hazard that could result in someone causing a fatality or getting hurt themselves. *tr

Power steering failure. *tr

I was pulling into a driveway and the power steering completely went out and the power steering light came on. i immediately went to the dealership(mk smith, chino, ca) they turned off the car and the light went out and then the steering was fine. i left the car there for them to check out because if that would have happened while i was making a turn i would have had an accident. i know there has been over a thousand complaints with the same problem and even some accidents so i don't want to take the chance of driving the car. there needs to be a recall on this problem. until there is i have to endure the cost of the repairs. i have a 2008 chevy cobalt. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt lt. while driving 20 mph and attempting to make a left turn his power steering wheel locked. the driver also had to pull the wheel to continue driving normally while making a turn. the driver also stated that he spoke with the dealer and was that the vehicle was functioning normally and that should happen with an electric power steering wheel. the failure mileage was 32,862. the current mileage was 34,360. updated 05/14/10.*jb

The power steering went out on my chevy cobalt. it has 36,000 miles on it!!! *tr

I was driving down a side street go to get something to eat. i missed my turn so i put my cobalt in reverse and backed up a few feet. i turned right into the parking lot and my car started dinging and displaying "power steering". it was hard as '!@#$% to turn into a parking space. *tr

Power steering failuer while driving. *cn

Our cobalt has always had very sensitive steering from day one. but we thought is was because it was a smaller car. on thursday morning while going down a steep hill i hit a small patch of black ice. i lost control of the car. but even when i hit dry payment there still was no control. trying to steer out of the skid just turning the steering wheel a little, i still was not able to gain control ,it would over correct , until the car landed in the ditch. luckily i was not injured. but car is damaged. will not know until the shop calls us. this car definitely has a steering problem. *tw

Trouble steering at slow speeds. loose power steering when parking or driving at slow speeds. it now occurs often. *tr

On approximately 2/1/10, my "power steering" light came on after slowing to turn a corner. since i was about 1 block from home, i drove home without power steering, turned the car off and checked my owner's manual where it suggested that i contact my dealer immediately. the following morning, i contacted the dealer and was told to bring the car in. as i turned on the engine, the power steering message was gone and the power steering had returned. i went ahead and took it to the dealer who told me to bring it back in if the message returned and power steering was lost again. i drove to work and as i turned into the parking lot, the message appeared again and power steering was lost. when the engine was turned off and restarted, the message was gone and power steering returned. i drove until 2/2/10 at which time i was driving down the expressway when the message came on again and power steering was lost. i drove directly to the dealer while the message was on. the car was checked and i was told the power steering assist motor was going out and would have to be replaced. on 2/3/10, i brought the car into the dealer for repair and paid $398.58 for repairs. (i.e. "motor kit"). *tr

Slowed from 25 mph to turn corner. power steering failed in turn; all dash lights flashed. unable to pull car back in time before entering opposing traffic lane. fortunately, no opposing traffic present. let car roll to a stop on opposite shoulder & turned car off. waited a few minutes and turned car back on. power steering was working when i turned car back on. car is at dealership to be evaluated for that and for engine light on this morning. *tr

I was driving my 2008 chevrolet cobalt with 14,000 miles on it and my power steering system failed. i was able to pull over and shut the car off and once i re-started the car i had power steering back only for a few blocks before it failed again. this happened several times on the same evening. i dropped the car off at the dealership on 2/2/10 and am still waiting to hear back from them. *tr

I have an 08 chevy cobalt lt and the power steering started to randomly go out at the end of january. i looked under the good to find out that they have electric power steering! wow that's new!! so when the problem got worse and it would shut off every half block after being reset many times. i decided to look up the problem on google, to find out there has been many problems with the power steering in cobalts for a long time now! recall!! my car is under warranty thank goodness but through the used dealer ship i bought it from! i'm paying 100 dollars to have it fix which is only a fraction of the cost. i'm replacing the power steering motor and power steering module. i will be out at the beginning of the week thank goodness! but i have read that it will just continue to randomly go out until the parts are replaced! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. the driver received notification of recall (nhtsa campaign id number 10v073000, steering: electric power assists system) and made an appointment with a local dealer. the dealer stated that the parts necessary to perform the recall repairs were not available. the contact was unsatisfied with not being able to have the recall repairs performed on the vehicle within a reasonable time. he confirmed that he had experienced power steering failures several times while traveling at speeds of 5 mph or more. the contact was concerned with the possibility of potentially being involved in a crash as a result of the defective part. he has yet to receive recall repairs to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 53,000 and the current mileage was 56,000.

2008 chevy cobalt, power steering quit while driving approx length of trip was 70 miles. shut vehicle off. restarted approx 15 mins later and seemed fine. drove straight to the dealer. dealer says it has been repaired. *tr

I have a 2008 chevy cobalt with a random message light "power steering". when the message light comes on, the power steering goes out. the message light goes off when the car is turned off and will randomly appear again, either going at a slow speed, such as turning a corner or just going down the expressway at 65 mph. i have taken it to the dealer who tells me the power steering motor is going out and is expected to cost about $500.00. the car was put into the shop today and they have told me now that they want to check everything out and will call me when they find the "exact" problem. i have today become aware that an investigation has been started by the nhtsa because of approximately 1132 complaints about the cobalt's failing power steering systems. i was told by the dealer that they do not see this problem very often. however, if there have been this many reported incidents there is no telling how many have gone unreported. *tr

I lost control of my chevy cobalt, and totaled my car. the steering has been a problem with it pulling to the right, or left. it had been repaired once, but did not solve the problem. it was scheduled to be evaluated again. the day of the accident the road was snow covered. *tr

While teaching my 16 year old how to angle park jan 30, the steering locked. we were doing a lot of hard turns and had to stop practicing. because we were in a large parking lot, we switched drivers and i tested the steering. it seemed to be ok but did tug several times. we went to jiffy lube one block away and they said to take it to our dealer. my husband then test drove it around the block and it seemed fine. since the parking lesson i've noticed that the steering "tugs and then seems fine" when making hard turns, while parking, and while leaving a parking space. we have an appointment with our dealer tomorrow, dropping the car off tonight. my husband and i are sharing the van in the meantime. *tr

Power steering coming on and going off while driving. i am having to replace it myself. *tr

Potential power steering issues with 2008 chevy cobalt

Chevy cobalt power steering failure. power steering intermittent . not working at the moment. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. while driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel and immediately there was a loss of power steering. the driver used extreme force to turn the steering wheel and drive onto the emergency lane. the vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and an independent mechanic who were unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 40,000.

Power steering failed while driving making it hard to steer. the steering however, would work again when the car was restarted after stopping. after a few days the power assist failed completely. the vehicle was taken to the chevy dealer and the electric motor was replaced. the dealer kept the part. *tr

I was driving my 2008 cobalt,going west on 480 9cleveland),going the speed limit. i change lines to get off at ridge road,when we hit black ice,the steering on the car would not let me turn left/right it seemed lock in place. we (myself/wife) hit a suv then another suv,result was total loss of the cobalt. my wife was pinned under the dash and i fractured/dislocated my hip 3 days in the hospital, we both had seat belts on. *tr

I was driving down the road about to get on the freeway and "power steering" showed up on my cars message center. if, while driving, i put the car in neutral, turn it off and back on, the power steering works again, but only for a few seconds, usually long enough to do a turn. there have been numerous times that i have almost hit another car because i lost my power steering right before a turn. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. the contact stated while driving 25mph the power steering fail as he was making a turn. within 30 seconds the vehicle reset itself this has happen twice within the last month. he has not contacted the dealer or manufacture as yet. the failure mileage was 10,550.

My power steering without warning goes out on my 2008 cheverolet cobalt and i only have 45,000 miles on it. there is no recall to fix the problem and warranty does not cover this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. the contact was driving approximately between 45-50 mph on normal road conditions ; proceeding into a curve. there was an unexpected loss of power steering. the driver was unable to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the curve. the vehicle crashed head- on to another vehicle. the police and ambulance were called to the scene. there were no personal injuries to the vehicle occupants. however, both vehicles were completely destroyed. the failure mileage was 62,000. the vin was unavailable.

I purchased a 2008 chevrolet cobalt for my son to drive. he was practicing parking maneuvers in my driveway when he complained the steering was getting harder to turn. i check the steering and the power steering had failed. i assumed it was because the power steering pump had become hot but it should not fail under those conditions. i seen in the news of the complaints of power steering problems and that is the same problem i have. the dealer i spoke with said they could not do anything about it unless the power steering fails again. i told them am i supposed to wait for the power steering to fail when my kids are new drivers? they said yes. *tr

I bought a 2008 chevy cobalt lt in april of 2009. at the time, it had 28,000 miles on it. as the car neared 40,000 miles it would occasionally lose its power steering capability, but restarting the car would bring back the power steering. as time went on, the problem became more and more frequent until about a month ago when the power steering went completely out. i called my dealer (1/26/10) to report the problem and they claimed to know nothing about it and offered no advice. i then took my car to my personal mechanic who discovered that gm had previously issued 2 service bulletins related to the problem. my mechanic called a different chevy dealer and found out that the repair (parts only) would run about $1200. i do not have that kind of money, and more importantly, i am concerned about the risk of hitting another car because of the inability to make proper turns, especially in parking situations. i am also quite sure that if i had to quickly swerve to avoid an obstacle, that would be nearly impossible. as well, i am experiencing increased shoulder pain from driving the car without any power steering. part of my job involves transporting young adults, which i am not comfortable doing because of the safety liability. at this point, i am losing income, and endangering my health as well as the safety of passengers. *tr

1. squealing while turning squealing upon start-up stiff steering erratic function lack of power 2. it occurs often, cannot steer, i didn't realize what was wrong with my car until i found the symptoms on-line and i have all of them. 3. will take it into dealership. *tr

In march of 2008 i purchased a brand new 2008 chevrolet cobal in november of 2009 the power steering started randomly going out while driving, completely out *tw

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevy cobalt. while driving 30 mph the contact merged to the right lane and the power steering malfunctioned almost causing the vehicle to crash. he turned the vehicle off and after restarting it he was able to continue driving normally. two weeks later, the power steering failure recurred. the dealer has not diagnosed the failure. the vin was not available. the current mileage was 23,000 and the failure mileage was 22,500.