Chevrolet Cobalt Problems by Year
NHTSA has 7,681 owner complaints and 10 safety recalls on file for the Chevrolet Cobalt, across 13 model years (1996–2017). The 2006 model year has the most complaints (2,330). The most reported problem area overall is steering.
Chevrolet Cobalt years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cobalt year: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2006 Cobalt: 2,330 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2005 Cobalt: 1,649 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2007 Cobalt: 1,564 complaints, 5 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 1996 Cobalt: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2000 Cobalt: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2012 Cobalt: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Chevrolet Cobalt problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 3,890 | 9 | 274 |
| Electrical System problems | 1,458 | 6 | 91 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 1,107 | 8 | 5 |
| Air Bags problems | 609 | 7 | 231 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 478 | 6 | 6 |
| Power Train problems | 368 | 6 | 21 |
| Engine problems | 331 | 6 | 32 |
| Suspension problems | 218 | 6 | 11 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 157 | 6 | 19 |
| Structure problems | 155 | 6 | 33 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 143 | 6 | 7 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 115 | 6 | 12 |
| Service Brakes problems | 107 | 6 | 37 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 107 | 6 | 24 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 97 | 6 | 2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 91 | 6 | 10 |
| Equipment | 74 | 6 | 5 |
| Seat Belts | 59 | 6 | 15 |
| Wheels | 57 | 6 | 10 |
| Tires | 44 | 6 | 7 |
| Visibility | 44 | 6 | 2 |
| Traction Control System | 42 | 6 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Seats | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| Interior Lighting | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Chevrolet Cobalt problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2010: steering (239) · electrical system (125) · fuel/propulsion system (101) · air bags (77)
- 2009: fuel/propulsion system (226) · steering (206) · electrical system (151) · air bags (72)
- 2008: steering (309) · fuel/propulsion system (202) · electrical system (166) · air bags (98)
- 2007: steering (689) · fuel/propulsion system (283) · electrical system (281) · fuel system, gasoline (150) · air bags (144) · suspension (75) · engine (56)
- 2006: steering (1,299) · electrical system (412) · fuel/propulsion system (255) · fuel system, gasoline (215) · air bags (146) · power train (137) · engine (93) · structure (51) · suspension (51)
- 2005: steering (1,143) · electrical system (323) · power train (99) · air bags (71) · engine (69) · engine and engine cooling (51)
All Chevrolet Cobalt model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Cobalt | 1 | 0 | — | Steering | |
| 2016 Cobalt | 1 | 0 | — | Fuel/propulsion System | |
| 2012 Cobalt | 1 | 0 | — | Unknown or Other | |
| 2011 Cobalt | 2 | 0 | — | Steering | |
| 2010 Cobalt | 574 | 5 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Cobalt | 710 | 5 | — | Fuel/propulsion System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Cobalt | 845 | 4 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Cobalt | 1,564 | 5 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Cobalt | 2,330 | 5 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Cobalt | 1,649 | 5 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Cobalt | 2 | 0 | — | Steering | |
| 2000 Cobalt | 1 | 0 | — | Fuel/propulsion System | |
| 1996 Cobalt | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags |
More from Chevrolet: all Chevrolet models · Chevrolet VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Cobalt years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2005 (1,649), 2006 (2,330), 2007 (1,564), 2008 (845), 2009 (710), 2010 (574) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cobalt year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Chevrolet Cobalt?
Steering, with 3,890 complaints across 9 model years.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Cobalt have?
10 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.