I've paid over $400 dollars into this car for batteries in the last 18 months because of the manufacturer default. When I got the car, the ignition switch was a problem the first night, and we had to take it back to the dealership the next day, where all they did was spray some wd-40 in the hole. That was before the recall was made news. On sept, 11, 2015 I was leaving a store, and tried turning on the car and it didn't start. I've had battery problems before (with this vehicle too) and just had the battery replaced 18 m ago, but there was no check battery warning light earlier or anything wrong with the vehicle performance. At the time, I didn't think it was the battery because the radio, A/C, etc had no problem turning on but the engine itself wouldn't start. And usually batteries have no problem in summer weather. After a tow getting to the auto shop, they hooked up a charger to the battery, and started it up, and said I needed a new battery! I said no, that's not possible, I got a new battery just 18 months ago. Its probably the ignition recall that is the overall problem because until this year (when the dealership finally got me in) the ignition was slipping out of the off position randomly over-night. Or it might be the fact that the manufacturer put the battery in the trunk where there's no air circulation! What was chevy thinking. In a responsible government, I should be entitled compensation for this, I mean $400 for the same part in a 18 month span because they put a dangerous part in their cars knowingly! Ps. I'm looking into chevy issuing me compensation, because I know the auto repariman won't reimburse me on the labor costs, but they say the last day to file a grievance was in jan '15 so if you would like to contact me on ways over/through it I'
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt: transmission slipping
8 of the 1,649 complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt describe transmission slipping.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 0%
- typical mileage
- 70,000
- recalls
- 0
Transmission slipping by model year
- 20102
- 20091
- 20073
- 200611
- 20058
What owners say
The car will lose power, like it is shifting down, transmission slipping, and either start to stall or will stall. Sometimes, if it has run for a long time the problem temporarily goes away. Not safe to drive however and 3 mechanics have attempted to repair with no success.
On 6/22/14, I was coming home from philadelphia and while on the brunswick highway, my 2005 chevy cobalt's dashboard lit up like a christmas tree and I lost my power steering, traction control, brakes, ABS, engine lock, door locks were clicking on and off and I had to pull over 4 times off the highway. My odometer didn't work either. This also made my transmission jerk and slip. It was so bad that when it was switching gears, it was making my entire car shake. I was afraid for my life. I nearly crashed into a semi-truck because my brakes and power steering didn't work. Also, I couldn't go below 65mph on the highway because the transmission was slipping. I made it home but I was still shocked and scared. The next day I took it to the dealership to get it looked at. I thought it was the recall problem with the ignition but they couldn't find what the main cause was. They said it wasn't ignition but some sort of computer glitch. All they did was reset the computer and recommended me to buy anew car battery. I got the new battery and every was fine.on 7/714, the same issue happened again but worse. It happened while my car was parked and again the dashboard lit up. Everything went off again, I lost my power steering, traction control, brakes, ABS, engine lock, door locks were clicking on and off. It took me 6 times restarting the car for the dashboard to be cleared, and then 5 minutes again, the car chimed, and I lost my power steering, traction control, ABS and the odometer didn't work again. I nearly crashed again too. I took it again to the the dealership. On 7/8/14, they told me they replaced the recalled ignition switch, but they still couldn't find the root of the cause of the major electrical issue in my car. They did say my car isn't safe to drive on the road. They asked me to leave it for a couple of days to see if they can find the problem.
Chevy dealer replaced power steering assist, since the repair, issue has been recurring. Transmission slips and knocks the car forward, power steering error appears, tachometer and speedometer short out.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. The contact was driving approximately 20 MPH with a loss of power steering. The vehicle was able to continue in operation with caution. Additionally, the transmission slipped and the speedometer fluctuated and displayed inaccurate readings. The manufacturer was notified; the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. The VIN number was unavailable. The failure mileage was 70,000. The current mileage was 72,000.
I own a 2005 chevy cobalt. This vehicle is my families' only means of family transportation. Also, I have very serious medical conditions, including a very high risk pregnancy. The vehicle is my only means of traveling to my doctors and hospitals. At random times my car has shut off while driving, and locked the keys in the ignition. After restarting the vehicle it has trouble staying in drive, and starts to slip into neutral periodically. The problems usually occur while I am driving on the interstate. I have taken the vehicle to the chevy dealership in town on more than one occasion to have the issue fixed. They have changed items within the steering column and told me the problem is fixed. Yet, just today, the car shut off again. I cannot explain how important it is that I have a reliable mode of transportation to and from my doctors. I have explained that fact to the dealership, but still have the problem. If I am unable to make it to the doctor of hospital, my medical conditions can take my life, or my unborn child's. I need to have the problem fixed, before I go bankrupt paying for them to fix what they cannot seem to find.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 25 MPH the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control, and then the gears in the transmission began slipping. He had to exert great force to the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and shut the engine off. He was able to restart the vehicle and resume normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and repaired. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was unavailable. Updated 11/17/09 *bf after all the failed attempts of fixing the vehicle, the consumer was told the body control module needed to be replaced. The power steering would go out occasionally. All of the gauges were acting erratically. Updated 11/18/09
My problem is with the clutch I have 12000 miles on my car and clutch is slipping under load.
Service bulletins that may apply
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
- This Warranty Admin service bulletin provides guidelines for Dealers Not Required and for Dealers Required...
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle...
- This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission...
- This service bulletin provides information on OEM and Remanufactured Engine and Automatic...
- This diagnostic tip advises the tech not to separate the flexplate from the torque convertor or damage my...
- Power train
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt slipping
Is transmission slipping a common problem on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt?
8 of 1,649 owner complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt (0%) mention transmission slipping. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt?
There are 0 recalls and 34 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
Power steering loss 417Loss of power 161Stalling 155Check engine light 90Steering lock-up 88Jerking 65Door locks 35Engine failure 33No deployment 28Headlights 28Ball joint 24Harsh shifting 24Fuel leak 23Won't start 23Steering noise 20ABS 19Fuel smell 15Fire or smoke 13Brake failure 12Adaptive cruise 10Knocking 10Warning lights 10Fuel pump 9Hesitation 9Pulling 9Won't shift 9Airbag light 8Grinding brakes 7Fuel gauge 7Misfire 6Sudden acceleration 6Battery drain 5Seat belt 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history