2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems
Owners have filed 1,299 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, 56% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,800 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering failed” (10% of reports).
- 1,299steering complaints
- 60,800median miles at failure
- 78mention a crash
- 30mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering failed: mentioned in 127 of 1,299 complaints (10%)
- Chevy power: mentioned in 83 of 1,299 complaints (6%)
- Became difficult: mentioned in 74 of 1,299 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt at $1,500, and half of them between $1,200 and $2,300.
Based on 121 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 1,125 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,299 complaints, 78 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 30 an injury.
Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Cobalt | 1 | 100% | 79,700 |
| 2011 Cobalt | 2 | 100% | 61,250 |
| 2010 Cobalt | 239 | 42% | 56,000 |
| 2009 Cobalt | 206 | 29% | 60,000 |
| 2008 Cobalt | 309 | 37% | 68,122 |
| 2007 Cobalt | 689 | 44% | 52,111 |
| 2006 Cobalt | 1,299 | 56% | 60,800 |
| 2005 Cobalt | 1,143 | 69% | 61,000 |
| 2002 Cobalt | 2 | 100% | 42,062 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 chevrolet cobalt and model year 2007-2010 pontiac g5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering. The driver may experience a sudden loss of power steering assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, it would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electric power steering motor free of charge. Owners are being notified on a rolling basis between march 29 through november 2010. A copy of the mailing schedule is located in the recall file. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
All of these failed again after repair, the car hes been disabled for over 2 years with the same failures. < Dealer Recalls 14115 Dec 5, 2014 Product Safety - Electric Power Steering Assist 14113C Jul 17, 2014 Product Safety - Replace Ignition Lock Cylinder and Ignition Key 14113 Jul 17, 2014…
I have been experiencing the loss of steering assist. This occurs at any time while driving and that, once assist is lost, a message is displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and a chime sounds. Steering control is maintained in manual mode, but requires greater driver effort at low…
My Power Steering is going out and then coming back in to use. Today is the second time it has happened. It went out just now, I reversed down the road to my house, and turn it off once I crank it again the steering is back. I havenât gotten any pictures of it as Iâm more worried about making…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2006 Chevrolet Cobalts have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,299 owner complaints about steering for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt (56% of the 2,330 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,800 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,200 and $2,300), from 121 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
The most frequent phrase is “steering failed”, in 127 of 1,299 complaints, followed by “chevy power” (83).
Other 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt problems
- Electrical System problems (412)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (255)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (215)
- Air Bags problems (146)
- Power Train problems (137)
- Engine problems (93)
- Structure problems (51)
- Suspension problems (51)
See all 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt problems or steering problems across all Cobalt years.