I bought a 2005 Cobalt BRAND NEW right out of the dealers showroom, but NEVER again. Oh my god, the problems.
Water leaking all over passenger floor when the A/C is ran, silver coming off the door handle on passenger side. Seals bad. Knocking noise in back passenger side, key stuck numerous numerous numerous times.
The stupid little door that covers the trunk release will not stay up. My husband is very anal about making sure oil is changed on time, filters, tires pressure is checked etc etc. Keeps a little tablet in the glove box of when things were changed, what brands, when they are to be changed again etc etc. So this car is very well taken care of. But still numerous problems.
Our latest issue is we use to get 33 MPG and we are now down to 22 MPG in 1 month. Plus the power is really bad. And of course the warranty is up. He's changed filters, spark plugs, spark plugs boots, brand new tires but still no codes are coming up everything else appears to be fine. This is just getting ridiculous. Chevy should recall them or something!!!
Hello, all. I am the person who originally started this thread. Just checking in to tell of the latest issues with my Cobalt. Since I last wrote some time ago, I've had to bring the car into the dealership two more times for the SAME dead headlight problem.
My primary concern, however has been this recurrent problem the car has- You see, one day I went to get into my car and the key was NOT in the ignition but the air was blowing out of the AC vents! You read me right- Key not in ignition, car not on and air coming out of the vents. I'd just gotten in the car to ride to work and when I got in, that air was already blowing. It blew for about 20 seconds and then stopped. But when I got in the car after work, it was doing the same thing. So I took the car in under extended warranty and it was repaired... only to end up going BACK to the dealership again for the same repair about 3 months later.
Also, the silver paint on one of the inner door handles came off and the whole handle was replaced. Anyway, it's been probably a good 5-6 months since I have had any repair work done on the car but lo and behold- I got into the car yesterday and the damn air was blowing from the AC vents again with no key in the ignition.
The really crummy part about it all is that my extended warranty is no good. I purchased it from a dealership that went belly up so if I'd kept the extended warranty, I'd have to pay a $100 co pay anytime I took it in for repairs, since it would not be taken to the original dealer. So I cancelled the extended warranty thinking I could get by until tax time, when I can afford to take out a new warranty with no co pay. Unfortunately the car didn't make it that far and now I'm left wondering how much I'll have to pay for this RECURRENT problem with the car which should have been properly repaired when it was under warranty.
Needless to say I love my car but will never buy another Cobalt.
I bought my daughter a 2006 Cobalt with about 24,000 miles on it. It now has about 39,000. Right after we bought it noticed that there was an oil leak, the local dealer repaired it under warranty, it started to leak again within a few thousand miles, the cruise works part of the time, the local dealership said they had it fixed but it is in the shop again for the oil leak and the cruise control. It has also developed a leak from the passenger side of the windshield. Gas mileage is OK with around 34-35 on the highway. For that new of a car it has a lot of rattles, not sure if I would buy another cobalt, but so far it has not left my daughter stranded.
I bought a 2006 Cobalt 4dr for my son wrecked and rebuilt it for him. We have had the same automatic shifter problem as others only I fixed it. There is a metal pin that goes through three holes that activates a microswitch. This is the reason that you cannot remove the key. I found the pin lying on the carpet after removing the trim panels. I reinstalled the pin with epoxy on it and the problem is fixed! No other problems with 18m on it. We have gotten up to 32mpg and now with winter 23 and 24. So far so good.
I have owned my 2006 Cobalt SS Coupe since brand new. I purchased it from the dealer with 7 miles on it. Since then I had a few little problems.
The stock rotors waste away too fast. Redid them myself, and now they're perfect.
Also I had a problem with the light on my dash panel by the A/C and heat. It burned out.
Other than that the car performs OK. For not having the supercharger, I can understand that, but come on, give the SS coupe more power than 171hp! This car came fully loaded with every option, but then again for having a leather interior it is kind of cheap looking.
I love the 2006 Cobalt SS body, but I do not think I will buy another one any time soon. The Hp needs a huge improvement, and the interior needs to be made out of less plastic.
I bought a brand new 2006 Cobalt... At the time, I knew that I was likely to have problems, but got a great deal and do not mind getting covered in oil now and again to fix minor problems...
The car has extremely low mileage since I planned to use this to commute but was offered free van pool by my company about six months after I made the purchase... Up until 2009 it has been an excellent car but now the key gets locked in the ignition 90% of the time and given other people's issues, I fear that this is the first of many problems...
For all those, that keep getting their key stuck in the ignition there is a release button on the steering column.. You need to remove a small plastic cover (not the rubber one next to the ignition, it is more towards the center of the steering wheel)... You then have to poke your finger inside (towards the left) and you should feel a button that will release the ignition column... I am going to use this trick until I get around to take the car back to the shop...
For the folks who have problems with the ignition key, someone said there was a pin that falls out that can be glued back in, that will fix the problem - however, this only seems to be happening to cars with auto transmissions. It makes me glad I bought an Cobalt LS with a 5 speed manual.
Manuals mean less wear on the brakes too, as releasing the gas pedal means the engine helps to slow the car when it's heading downhill.
I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt and the front end rattles when going over bumps. The dealer told me it was my struts and it would cost 850 to replace them. The car has 40000 miles on it and I feel like I shouldn't be having these problems already, anyone else having this issue?
Help! I've been stranded! I own a 2006 Chevy Cobalt, which I bought brand new from the dealership. It has 30,265 miles on it and is less than 2.5 years old.
This is my first new car ever! Prior to this I'd buy an old Caddy for about 800 and drive that around. But my financial situation improved and I bought the new car, thinking that Chevy was reliable.
The manual shifting had been acting strange the last few days. I made an appointment to take the car in on Monday, but yesterday the poor guy refused to go into gear. It sounds like a transmission problem? So I've put it into the shop through roadside assistance. I never thought I'd have to write this about a Chevy. My brother says that the dealership won't cover the problem and my friend tells me that I'm going to be car-less and homeless. I know, with friends like these who needs enemies? I never expected to have troubles with a car so young.
I drove an old Chevy Cavalier for a few years and it worked just fine, so I'm very surprised. Today I have so many things to do and no car! I asked the dealership for a "loaner" but they say that they don't have any and I don't have the cash for a rental. Honestly it would've been better if when it was giving me troubles I'd just have crashed it into something. At least then my insurance would've given me a loaner.
After reading the notes on this site, I'm thinking that I will unload this car and purchase a different car before the warranty is up! I need reliable transportation on these country roads - it isn't fun getting stranded on the highway, and the roadside assistance lady sounded like she was plastered! It was funny and not at the same time! But the car is at the dealership now.
The sad thing is that I didn't go through GM, I went through a finance company and I could have bought any car I wanted and I chose wrong. Maybe I should've gone with a Honda? Any suggestions? I'll feel sad about losing the car... but life goes on and life with a Cobalt cannot! I won't have this happen again! -Rich.
Hi.
I had the same problem (AND FIXED IT FOR FREE) with the key getting stuck in my 2006 Cobalt (Automatic Transmission). Of course, this is after the dealership told me they would have to replace the shifter for $300.
Here's what I did...
1) Pop up the panel that is around the emergency brake.
2) Pop up the panel that goes over the shifter area. You'll have to unplug the rear lighter when you pop up the panel to move it out of your way)
3) Shift vehicle into '1' or 'L'... obviously keep your foot on the brakes.
4) Look down under the passenger side of the shifter for a little metal piece shaped like this... 'U----' ...attached on the bottom of a little rectangular piece of plastic (~1 inch x 1 inch)(directly on the RIGHT side of the shifter)(you may have to remove the other cover on the shifter... we did, but that's because we didn't know what we were looking for at the time. You actually can reach it from under the cup holder removing nothing else... but it will be impossible to see).
5) Push the plastic piece back flush against the shifter assembly... it is probably angled out like ours was (we did not glue the plastic piece to the shifter, though if it comes loose again, we will try that as a more permanent fix)
6) When you shift back into park, the key should come out just fine. If you can see the plastic piece with the metal hook... what it does is, when you shift into park, a metal pin goes under the metal 'U----' shaped piece, completing a connection, indicating that the car is in park, and voila... keep comes out.
Disclosure:
I am in no way qualified to work on cars, so any attempts at using my method above to fix your vehicle is at your own risk, and I do not hold any liability for sharing my successful fixing technique.
If you need further help with this, you can email me at bradsmith121@yahoo.com.
I have had my 2006 Cobalt LS since June 2006. I am leasing the car, and so far I love it. My only problem so far, other than the deer I hit this winter, is I need to have the front suspension bushings replaced this week. Unfortunately, I have 38,000 on it, so I am past the warranty.
Like one previous poster, I am glad I have a 5 speed manual! No key problems at all.
Road salt has messed up my trunk lock so it won't open with the key, but the release button works. I have always driven what my husband calls "100000 miles wonders", so I am thrilled with my first new car. Plus, I get over 36 MPG. A very comfortable and fun to drive car.
I am planning on buying the car at the end of the lease in September.
Someone recently wrote...
I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt and the front end rattles when going over bumps. The dealer told me it was my struts and it would cost 850 to replace them. The car has 40000 miles on it and I feel like I shouldn't be having these problems already, anyone else having this issue?
I have a 2007 Cobalt that had the same problem, especially when going over railroad tracks. The solution was to replace the lower control arm bushings.
Yes, I am having the same problems with my 2005 Cobalt!!! I was amazed while I was reading these comments, so many people have had this problem(s). I bought my car less than a year old, and I have spent $1150 in non-warrantied repairs. I had new tires put on (my fault), new rotors, new struts after 51k miles, and supposedly fixed my air conditioner (it leaked bad). AND, I have the same strut noise again, AFTER it was fixed. That is what led me to this site. If anyone wants to share info, please email me: jurczak@aol.com
I have a 2006 Cobalt SS with about 44,000 km and it too is experiencing front end rattling when driving over bumps. If the solution was to replace the lower control arm bushings, how much did this repair cost and did it adequately resolve the problem? Is this a potentially dangerous issue to have if not replaced immediately? The car lease is up in August 2010 and I will likely not purchase this car.
2006 Cobalt LS... been a great car so far. 55,000 miles. And I have a 100,000 warranty. Too bad most of you didn't purchase the extended warranty.
Minor problems, but what do you people expect for 13,000 brand new LOL. Give me a break, this isn't a Mercedes. You get what you pay for! You all are acting like your 30,000 vehicle is acting up.