2007 Chevrolet Cobalt Air Bags Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 3, 2026 · 144 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bags electrical” (18% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Air bags electrical: mentioned in 26 of 144 complaints (18%)
  • Ignition switch: mentioned in 16 of 144 complaints (11%)
  • Consumer writes regards: mentioned in 15 of 144 complaints (10%)
  • Failed deploy: mentioned in 15 of 144 complaints (10%)

At what mileage do air bags problems happen?

Based on 97 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles7 · 7%
10k–25k miles6 · 6%
25k–50k miles19 · 20%
50k–75k miles21 · 22%
75k–100k miles19 · 20%
100k–150k miles20 · 21%
150k+ miles5 · 5%

How serious are the reports?

Of 144 complaints, 48 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 30 an injury.

Chevrolet Cobalt air bags complaints by model year

Peak: 2006, with 146 complaints
1996: 1199612005: 712005712006: 14620061462007: 14420071442008: 982008982009: 722009722010: 77201077

n = 609 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearAir Bags complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2010 Cobalt7713%67,000
2009 Cobalt7210%80,000
2008 Cobalt9812%60,000
2007 Cobalt1449%70,000
2006 Cobalt1466%79,500
2005 Cobalt714%70,000
1996 Cobalt1100%70,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 77 complaints
2007: 4200742008: 112009: 3200932010: 992011: 4201142012: 332013: 5201352014: 77772015: 102015102016: 662017: 4201742018: 332019: 5201952020: 222021: 1202112022: 332023: 1202312025: 112026: 220262

n = 144 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Air bags; electrical system:ignition:switchFeb 10, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V047000 · 2,190,934 vehicles

Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owned a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while the son was driving at approximately 52 MPH, the vehicle crashed head-on into a second vehicle. During the crash, no air bags had deployed, and the driver sustained fatal injuries. Also, during the crash, the ignition key…

Received Mar 17, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11724877

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, a 12-point buck jumped into the roadway, causing the contact to abruptly depress the brake pedal; however, the vehicle skidded and crashed into the buck. No air bags deployed. The vehicle was drivable…

Received Jan 9, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11709925

I was in a crash on 9/19/25 and at the incident none of my airbags deployed. My daily driver for my children and I. I was lucky I was the only passenger at the time. I never expected my airbags not to deploy in a head on crash. The car still sits in my driveway and I have and identical one just…

Received Sep 26, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11689938
Chevrolet Cobalt
2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt photographed in USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2007 Chevrolet Cobalts have air bags problems?

No. NHTSA has 144 owner complaints about air bags for the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt (9% of the 1,564 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 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt air bags?

Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do air bags problems start?

The median reported mileage is 70,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt?

The most frequent phrase is “air bags electrical”, in 26 of 144 complaints, followed by “ignition switch” (16).

Other 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt problems

See all 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt problems or air bags problems across all Cobalt years.