2006 Chevrolet Cobalt LS review from North America

Had to have the shifter replaced (almost immediately after buying the car), like most others who have posted here, as the key kept getting stuck in the ignition and the car wasn't recognizing it was in park. This repair only took two hours and I was back on the road, so no complaints about the dealer on that.

Less than two months later, I had to bring the car back in because the right front low beam and right front blinker were not working. I thought the dealer had actually dealt with the problem so that I would not have to return, but apparently all they did was change the bulb. I say this because less than two months later, I had to bring the car back in for the exact same problem. As of now, they have 'temporarily' fixed it (as they did before) and I am waiting for a part that had to be ordered, as the wiring system has some kind of short in it.

In between the trip back to the dealer for the key problem and the headlight issue, I had to bring the car in because water from the AC was leaking all over the floor on the passenger side.

I'm also noticing the cheap material on the doors is beginning to seperate from the plastic and I've read several other complaints here about that from others.

The car has good handling and hasn't left me stranded, but I can't say I'm not a bit disappointed. It's a little embarassing when you buy a car that's less than one year old, with under 20k on it and have to leave work four times in less than four months to take it in for repairs. This is the newest car I have ever owned and so far, I'm less than impressed. I would have thought the car would have been inspected from top to bottom for minor problems like this before I bought it since I bought the car from a reputable dealer.

I hate that the trunk release button is hidden behind a little door. WHAT is the point of that thing? Why not just put the button there without that annoying little panel having to be dropped down first? I can't tell you the number of times I've accidently hit my leg on that thing when going to get out of the car because I'm so used to just being able to hit the trunk release without dealing with that.

The backseat is very roomy and I like the width of the car. I don't feel like I'm in a tiny little car like I did in my old Nissan Sentra.

The gas mileage in this car is not all that it's cracked up to be. So far I'm averaging around 20.9 mpg and I'm someone who drives on the highway to and from work each day. It's defintely more expensive, gas wise to keep on the road than my Sentra was.

The windshield wipers have a mind of their own, though I haven't taken them in to complain yet. I've just noticed that at times, the speeds tend to either be too fast or slow and at other times, just fine.

My rearview mirror is not as tight as it should be so I am unable to listen to songs with a lot of base in my car unless I want to see the mirror shaking and looking as if it is about to fall off. I am planning to have them adjust it when I bring the car back in for the headlight repair.

I'm terribly worried about how this car will hold up once the 36k warranty expires. I certainly don't want to spend the next five years paying on an unreliable car so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.