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Chevrolet Cobalt years to avoid, worst and best years

Owners have filed 7,681 complaints about the Chevrolet Cobalt since 1996, and 10 recalls have been issued. The 2006 model year has 2,330 complaints, more than any other year, led by steering and fuel system problems.

3 years to avoidWorst: 2006
Owner complaints
7,681
Recalls
10
Worst year
2006
Model years
1996-2017

Chevrolet Cobalt years to avoid

More than twice the Cobalt's typical complaint count for a model year.

Best Chevrolet Cobalt years

Not enough model years on the road yet to compare.

Chevrolet Cobalt complaints by model year

Owner complaints by model year. Newer years have had less time on the road, so expect them to grow.

1996200520102017

How we calculate this

Year to avoidFewest complaintsOther years

Most common Chevrolet Cobalt problems

All model years combined.

  • Steering
    3,890
  • Fuel system
    1,581
  • Electrical
    1,458
  • Airbags
    609
  • Engine
    474
  • Transmission
    368
  • Brakes
    232
  • Suspension
    218
  • Acceleration
    157
  • Driver assistance
    156
  • Body
    155
  • Lights
    99

Most reported problems on the Chevrolet Cobalt

Fuel leak 723Stalling 428Steering lock-up 352Check engine light 313Engine failure 197Jerking 173No deployment 172Door locks 134Won't start 133Ball joint 116Headlights 85Fire or smoke 82Harsh shifting 73Steering noise 69ABS 47Knocking 45Warning lights 40Adaptive cruise 36

Chevrolet Cobalt problems year by year

Tap a year to see its problems, recalls and what owners say.

YearScoreComplaintsTop problemTypical mileageRecallsCrashes
2017951Steering00
2016951Fuel system00
201295100
2011952Steering00
201071574Steering64,875546
200964710Fuel system74,000559
200857845Steering75,500476
2007361,564Steering64,2345116Avoid
2006212,330Steering66,5865164Avoid
2005341,649Steering63,000597Avoid
2002952Steering01
2000-1Fuel system00
1996-1Airbags00

Recalls 10

See all 10 recalls for the Chevrolet Cobalt

Questions about the Chevrolet Cobalt

What years of the Chevrolet Cobalt should you avoid?

2005, 2006 and 2007. Each has more than twice the Chevrolet Cobalt's typical number of owner complaints for a model year; 2006 alone has 2,330, mostly about steering and fuel system.

What is the best year for a used Chevrolet Cobalt?

There are not enough model years on the road yet to compare.

What is the most common problem with the Chevrolet Cobalt?

Steering, with 3,890 complaints across all years, followed by fuel system (1,581) and electrical (1,458).

How many recalls does the Chevrolet Cobalt have?

10 recalls between 1996 and 2017. The 2010 model year has the most, with 5.

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