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2005 Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints

Page 38 of 39: complaints 1,091 to 1,120 of 1,143, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt steering problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed May 28, 2008 · Steering · MI

The electric power steering will occasionally shut off during driving. The car must be shut off then turned back on to restart this. This is a repeating occurrence sometimes happening more than 10 times a day. The only fix right now is replacing the steering column.

Filed May 18, 2008 · Steering · 70,000 miles · AZ

Electronic power steering asst. Complete failure power steer returns after key cycle data indicator flasher (power steering) immediately after manual steering almost lock up only small corrections can be made in steering at that time this is a life threatening problem!! For me or someone else. Car hopped curb causing small amount of damage to rims dealer suggested a repair of 831.45$ +tax caused by dtc co475 elec. Steering motor circuit. They did not indicate what the cause of the failure in the circuit!

Filed May 5, 2008 · Steering · 65,000 miles · IN

2005 cobalt, power steering goes out everytime it moves. The power steering in my car has been out for about 7 months now. I just read several other complaints of the exact same thing so it is nothing I have done and is common with the cobalts. Gm takes no responsibility for this defect and has left the $1,000.00 repair up to the owners to pay out. This is a big safety issue, will it take someone being killed before this is addressed? It seems there should be someone out there forcing these manufactures to take responsibility for their products.

Filed Apr 19, 2008 · Steering · NJ

Steering locks car shakes while driving can be a big problem has happened many times dealer can not find the problem but see many complaints on wed sites. Was in florida to george moore dealer in jacksonville on august 20 2007 problem still happening what next?

Filed Apr 4, 2008 · Steering · 34,000 miles · NM

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 50 MPH, the power steering stopped working. The power steering warning light illuminated and it became extremely difficult for the contact to steer the vehicle. The vehicle has not been to the dealer. The VIN and powertrain were unknown. The current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 34,000.

Filed Mar 13, 2008 · Steering · 49,000 miles · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving at any speed, the power steering intermittently shuts off. The failure has progressively worsened over time. The dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced at the cost of $2,000. The VIN, engine size, and purchase date were unknown. The current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 49,000.

Filed Mar 12, 2008 · Steering · 38,000 miles · TX

The electronic power steering sensor fails while driving and shuts off the power steering without warning, or a chance to pull off the road. If I make it to the side of the road without being hit, I can restart my car and the power steering comes back on. By default the computer shuts off the power steering to prevent damage to the car. Gm has made the decision that a $900 power steering sensor is worth more than my life.

Filed Mar 5, 2008 · Steering · 56,322 miles · OK

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 45 MPH, the power steering light illuminated and the power steering failed. The failure occurred approximately three times while driving. The dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced and the power steering will need to be reprogrammed at a 50% off discount. The current mileage was 59,950 and failure mileage was 56,322.

Filed Feb 20, 2008 · Steering · 35,200 miles · GA · crash · fire · 2 injuries

Events leading up to complaint of '05 chevrolet cobalt steering problems: the cobalt was under warranty & gm road side assistance was call for each failures. 3 times the power steering went out. After the first 2 failures there was not any change in the sensitivity of the steering. 12/2/07 failure #1 @ I-75 near adel driver was able to drive the car to the next exit (exit 39). Gm sent the car to prince automotive in valdosta, ga for repair. Prince auto. Replaced the steering column. 12/14 the car was driven from s. Ga to atl. 12/24 failure #2 @ gahwy 141 in duluth. Gm sent the car to bill heard chevrolet in kennesaw, ga (where car was purchase new) for repair. 12/26 bill heard determined the problem was in the communication between the computer & steering column. 12/31 failure #3 @ camp creek pkwy & fulton ind. Gm sent the car back to bill heard for repair. Bill heard replaced the steering column with a different steering column. Service tech @ bill heard said there was an issue with the original manufacture of the steering column, gm has a new vendor. Prince auto. Had replaced the column with one from the original manufacture. Bill heard replaced the steering column with one from the new manufacture. 1/8-9/08 during daily commute to work noticed more sensitivity of the steering. The car was more sensitive when driving through a curve in the road or over bumps and/or potholes. 1/19 car returned to driver in s. Ga., she noticed a more sensitive steering response during her around town driving. 2/1/08 ga hwy 221: driver swerved right to miss something in the road; car went off onto the right shoulder. When corrective action was taken, the cobalt went into a spin hitting an on coming vehicle. The cobalt's front airbags were deployed, front doors, jammed; the cobalt driver & passenger escaped through the driver side window, the car was engulfed in flames within 3 minutes from impact. The other driver vehicle died in the accident.

Filed Jan 27, 2008 · Steering · 53,000 miles · FL

Power steering is failing constantly when driving. The power steering words come up on the dash and then it quits--very dangerous if it happens suddenly during a turn. So far, I'm fortunate that it happens only when driving straight. When I turn car off and restart it's o.k. For 5 or 10 minutes. I have 53,000 miles on car. From what I've read online, they will tell me it needs a new steering column and it will cost between $1200 and $2,000 to repair! Very unhappy, very concerned for safety and now, out of warranty, will have to pay that much for something that sure sounds like a major safety defect?

Filed Jan 21, 2008 · Electrical, Engine · 49,862 miles · TX

I have had my 2005 chevy cobalt since july 2005. At 800 miles I had it serviced for a leak in the passenger floorboard. It was in the shop 5 times before they found a fix. Next was the lights flashing on the dashboard, specifically the check engine, brake and high beam lights. Then the heater would not blow so it was in the shop to have that fixed. Then the reverse lights stopped working and there is condensation in the headlights. Now, two days ago, my power steering light comes on and it becomes very hard to steer. I almost had an accident when I couldn't turn fast enough. When you turn the car on and off it works again temporarily. I will be taking it to the shop again, but at this point it has 50,000 miles and is out of warranty. Very disappointed with the quality of this car!!

Filed Jan 21, 2008 · Steering · 32,000 miles · FL · 2 injuries

The electric power steering keeps failing while driving. Sharp turns, backing up, or shallow turns the power steering keeps on going out making the vehicle very difficult to steer. It also will do this rarely on while keeping straight. I have tried diagnostic tests none of the tests come back as failed. Tried finding info on internet to find out what other problems could be, but to find out I am 1 out of 30 or more that has this problem with the chevrolet cobalt.

Filed Jan 8, 2008 · Engine, Steering · 22,000 miles · VA

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving between 65-70 MPH, the vehicle completely shut down without warning. Also, the power steering shuts off without warning. The power steering light would illuminate. The vehicle has not yet been diagnosed. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 25,000 and failure mileage was 22,000.

Filed Jan 1, 2008 · Steering · 51,000 miles · TN

Electronic power steering assist fails without warning causing loss of steering control.I called the dealer I bought the car at and was advised this was not under warranty and I would have to pay $1200.00 to have it repaired.I then called general motors to report this as a safety issue and asked for a field rep and was refused information to contact a field rep.

Filed Nov 15, 2007 · Electrical, Steering · 19,253 miles · VA

Car purchased on 3/14/05 from rk chevrolet. Starting sept. 12, 2006 the car electrical system started malfunctioning. Various dash board lights came on, tick noise from the shifter, power steering light and fails, and the gauges began to go crazy! The car also wanted to shut off, and has boosts of energy. The same issue occurred november 2, 2006, june 8, 2007, september 19, 2007(colonial chevrolet), and october 16, 2007 (colonial chevrolet). After we got it back from colonial, the same problem occurred approximately 2 days later. Colonial chevrolet indicated that that could not fix the problem and they were waiting to talk to gm about it! They even suggested initiating a buy back. We have been in contact with gmac in detroit about the issue and no answers have given nor a resolution. Currently we have to drive a very unsafe car that jolts, can't turn, and will not accelerate at times. We have been requesting at least a rental (safe car) until this problem can be addressed and no one has offered this in lue of a resolution. What has been done: PCM replaced: (9/15/07)body, throttle (8/7/07, 11/2/06), replaced: body control (11/2/06); shifter bind & ndash; replace slide, automatic control lever replace, floor shift replace, wiring /connector steering suspension ride control??< control assembly. Floor shift replace (9/12/06).

Filed Nov 9, 2007 · Steering, Transmission · 28,510 miles · MD

I have had my chevrolet cobalt since april 2005 and it was bought brand new from the dealership .. Up til the beginning of this year it has worked fine .. But in 2007 I have to get a new gear shift , keys made, then to top it off I have had the power steering light come on the information board and it go out 8 times in 2 weeks .. So far knock on wood it has worked fine .. The day I made the appointment it went out 3x within a 30 minute span ..

Filed Nov 6, 2007 · Steering · 37,000 miles · NC

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. After purchasing the vehicle, the contact heard a rattling noise. The rattling sound grew louder and more severe when driving between 55-60 MPH. He took his vehicle to a tire shop for inspection and was informed that the rattling was coming from the rack and pinion steering. They also stated that the struts were leaking. The dealer wanted to charge $70 to diagnose the vehicle; however, the contact did not want to pay the fee because it had already been diagnosed. The repair has not yet been made. The current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 37,000.

Filed Sep 26, 2007 · Steering · 41,500 miles · AZ

Electronic power steering went out with out warning. It's a good thing that I wasn't making a turn at this impartial moment because if I would have been I would have crashed into something. If I turn the car off and then back on again it starts to work but only for a short period of time. It seems that the cooler it is outside the longer that the power steering works, however it does continue to turn off. I believe that the system thinks that its over heating and is locking up the power steering. I have found several other people with this exact same problem, and I mean exact.

Filed Sep 26, 2007 · Steering · 23,000 miles · NJ · crash

I was driving our cobalt 2005 at a speed of about 25-30 MPH when the steering failed without any warning on a suburban street. The steering wheel was completely loose and did not control the car. The vehicle slid into a curb, jumped it and ended up on someone's lawn. There was severe damage to car's underside. Wheels and tires (over $ 5,700). I was told that the "steering knuckle" broke (why???). Car was declared "repairable" but everything is in limbo because of concerns about the safety of the vehicle. I requested an investigation by chevrolet in detroit . No repairs will be done until chevrolet has finished the investigation, which is to begin 2-6 days after the request.

Filed Sep 18, 2007 · Steering · 72,000 miles · 00

Power steering motor failure, nearly caused a crash because I could not turn the vehicle.

Filed Aug 20, 2007 · Steering · GA

While driving to work, the steering wheel indicator lit up. When continue driving, notice resistance while turning the steering wheel. As I proceeded further, when making turns, the steering wheel was even harder to turn. Call roadside assist. To tow car to nearest dealer. Dealer informed me the steering column was bad.

Filed Jul 21, 2007 · Steering · VA

My 2005 chevy cobalt lost power steering today. I came here to research if there were any recalls or safety bulletins. I keep finding accidents from this problem and am now wondering how many people have to be killed before you do something about this. I do not see where someone lost life so I guess you don't care. You have all kinds of complaints about the same system but no service bulletins or recalls. W h y ??????

Filed Jul 14, 2007 · Steering · 45,000 miles · AZ

My 2005 chevrolet cobalt ls started having power steering failure about 3 months ago. The power steering would completely shut off at random times while driving the car. The problem got worse and worse, and now the power steering only works for the first 20-40 seconds of driving and then shuts off. It is a safety hazard as the vehicle is very difficult to steer without power steering. The dealer refuses to fix the problem because my warranty is expired, however a car with 49,000 miles on it should not be experiencing power steering failure.

Filed Jun 15, 2007 · Steering · 45,000 miles · NC

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel locked and the contact was unable to steer. She stated that the fuel pump light remains illuminated. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. The VIN was unavailable. The current mileage is 48,000 and failure mileage was 45,000.

Filed May 27, 2007 · Brakes, Lights · 37,000 miles · VA

I have a 2005 cobalt I purchased new. I have had numerous problems with the brakes, headlights, a.c., signal lights etc. But the newest problem is the power steering it goes out without any warning. It does this every day at no certain time. And this is very dangerous as it is very hard to steer when this happens.when the steering goes out it says power steering on dash, most of the time I can pull over and turn the car off wait a minute and restart the engine and it steers fine for awhile. The car has 37,500 miles on it and the warranty just ran out. This could easily cause a loss of control and or a collision. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.....thanks.

Filed Apr 18, 2007 · Steering · 50,000 miles · LA

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 70 MPH, the contact heard a bell ring and the power steering indicator light illuminated. The vehicle's power steering failed. He had to shut off the ignition so the indicator light would dim. After turning on the ignition, the power steering resumed and the light dimmed. The dealer told the contact to bring the vehicle in for a diagnosis. After researching the federal safety agency website, the contact believes that the power steering pump needs to be replaced. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 50,000.

Filed Mar 18, 2007 · Steering · 17,728 miles · VA · crash · 1 injury

2005 chevy cobalt. While driving 55mph, heading into a right hand curve, motor shut off and steering column locked causing crash. Car sent to dealer to investigate issue and repair colison damage. They state that no error codes so accident must have been my fault. I contact manufacturer and am told, dealer found no issue, and they dont know of any other similar issues with cobalts. I request a safety review due to multiple instances that have been found online, and am denied. Explain to dealer that instances excede virginia state lemon law, and they are not cooperative. Seeking legal coucil.

Filed Mar 16, 2007 · Steering · 82,106 miles · TX

I own a 2005 chevrolet cobalt and have had several problems with it. Some aren't life threatening (like the power windows not working and the brake light flashing), but I've had a maf sensor short which caused the car to stop running while I was doing 60-65 MPH and the steering locked up. Fortunately, the car started back up. I've recently dealt with another steering issue. I was driving down an uneven/bumpy road and a "power steering" message came up on the information panel and the speedometer went out. The steering became very mushy and it was difficult to control the car. I've also dealt with the car not starting and the cab filling with gas fumes. There has been hesitation/loss of power when the A/C is on, which makes it unsafe to pull out in traffic or blind curves. The dealership has been very professional and have corrected what problems have arised, but I have lost confidence driving the car and no longer feel safe.

Filed Dec 30, 2006 · Electrical, Engine · 18,000 miles · MA

#1 I brought it back because steering wheel always was to the left even though I was going straight. Dealer said it was fine, I complained to customer service and then dealer said they fixed it. When going straight the steering still looks left. #2 air conditioning not working, #3 liquid coming out of vents #4 cricket noises out of passenger side dash area. I was told air conditioning was fine, no cricket noises and it was normal for fluid to come out of vents. I brought the car back again said A/C is not fine I asked them if it could be some sort of filter (I am no mechanic) but it was. They had car all day, went to pick it up but they said dash was apart because they were fixing the problem with the fluid coming out of the dash (and I said I was told there was no problem) they had the car for the weekend. They tried to charge me for the filter and I said I would not pay for it because there was problems with that AC and defroster etc since day one. They took out the filter and put in an old dirty filter that did not come from my vehicle as the guy from the chevy dealership in malden said he found it in the trash, (has made my daughter sick). #5 while driving the car I was getting off of the highway into a rest area and the car just died, there was no power steering no brakes etc. The key was in the switch and it was not off. I started the car up again. #6 the electrical didnt work, they fixed that. I have contacted chevy customer service on several occasions and they say they will check into it etc and call me back, but they never do. I want them to fix the steering wheel, fix the car stalling out for no reason (we could have been killed) and put in a new filter not someone elses dirty filter. I don't trust the malden dealership. I have brought the car to the dealership on at least 7 occasions most of which they say nothing wrong.

Filed Nov 2, 2006 · Steering · 10,250 miles · FL

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the steering locked up under normal road conditions. There was no warning prior to the failure. The nature of the failure was gradual worsening. Updated 12/18/06.

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