The car shifter button won't release the key. In other words the key will not come out of the ignition. This is the first time it has happened. The repair shop has to put a new shifter in because they couldn't buy just the interlock system (button). The repair shop says it sounds like a lot of people have the same problem because the dealership had several in stock. I have read several complaints online concerning this problem. It is dangerous when you have to leave your key in your car overnight.
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical complaints
Page 14 of 15: complaints 371 to 400 of 412, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The power steering stopped functioning after a warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The failure occurred while driving 10 MPH. The contact was still able to drive the vehicle, but with great difficulty. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer; however, the contact was informed that the repair would be expensive since there were no recalls on the instrument panel. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 68,000.
The 2006 chevy cobalt that I have constantly shuts off when backing up, and into the middle of heavy traffic.
My "ignition module" gave out at 39,000 miles!!!! Isn't that a defect???? It cost me $335.00 to repair, even though I bought a $2,000 extended warranty when I bought the car last year (2006 chevy cobalt).
While driving at 35 MPH, heard beeping and message on dic read"power steering". Pulled to the shoulder and restarted the car. No message was displayed after restarting the car, but problem remains. Car will lose power steering now more frequently, at least 5 times during a 45 minute ride. Have to keep pulling over to restart the car to fix the problem. Car is 3 years old with about 85,200. Have not repaired it yet, car not under warranty.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition switch after several attempts. The ignition was turned to the 'off' position and the gear shift was placed in the "park" position. When the ignition key release control button was pushed, the contact was able to remove the key from the ignition. The failure occurred intermittently. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle is in the process of being repaired. The contact is aware of the safety risks involved. The failure and current mileages were 56,000.
06 cobalt with only 54,000 miles. Ignition module and coil system failed. Serious misfire in the engine made for this car to have a tough time moving. Dealer couldn't believe this had gone on me at 54,000 miles, neither could firestone. Unreal. Dealer should be doing this repair free of charge and the manufacturer should be recalling 2006 cobalts and replacing ignition coil systems. This is not a typical part of the engine to fail!
I purchased a used 2006 chevy cobalt first the ignition switch went out I had it replaced then drove to store car just died had to be towed replaced fuel relay censor driving back from dealer ship it dies in middle of 4 lane traffic now its back at the shop it only has 40,000 miles on the car looks like the lemon law needs to be enforced.
There were no events leading to the failure of the power steering in my 2006 chevy cobalt. It happens everyday, atleast once every three minutes. In order to "temporarily" fix it you have to put the car in park and turn it off and restart the car then in about three minutes it goes out again. Then you have to repeat this. I am not the only one with this problem thousands and thousands of people are having the same problem with 2005 and 2006 cobalts. You can search on the internet power steering problems cobalt and you will see. This has been going on for about 5 months because on top of my car note and insurance I can not afford to fix this.
The car gauges and engine shut down in the middle of driving. The floor gear shift has been difficult to change gears and put in to park. Once car shuts down at least 15 minutes is needed for car to restart. Car shuts down at random times.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The contact and another passenger were locked inside the vehicle for over two hours. The driver thought that the lever on the right side of the steering column (under the steering wheel) was supposed to activate the windshield washer or headlights. Once she touched the lever, all of the doors and windows locked, and the key was locked in the ignition. The vehicle was unable to be started and the key would not release from the ignition. Hours after being locked in the vehicle, the contact was able to turn the key in the ignition and unlock the door. The dealer stated that the vehicle was working as designed. The contact traded in the vehicle for another model. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was unknown.
I have had to replace my fuel injector, my ignition switch, and now my steering has gone out. All where while driving and warning light comes on. I keep my car well maintained, recently got a mileage service done. I have seen many post on these issues. What is being done about recalls.
I drove my car the night before with no problems. Got into it the next morning and had no vents, air conditioning, or passenger side air bag. Took the car to the dealership and they replaced the fuses, said it was fine. Two days later the same thing happened again. Took the car back to the dealership and told them to find out why it keeps blowing fuses. It is there now. This is the third time it has happened. The first time was about 4 wks. After I bought the car. The dealership said they had to replace the whole wiring system.
2006 chevy cobalt:key is getting stuck in the ignition have to remove the access panel under the steering column to access button to release key I work for a towing co. In westeren pa and have had several calls of this nature the vehicle in regaurds to belongs to my sister in law thank you.
Friday night at a gas station. Started the car. Engine shut off when placed in reverse. Would stay running in park, neutral, and drive. Drove the car home. Called langs chevrolet in beavercreek, ohio saturday morning. Was going to drive car in to dealership. Car would not start intermittently. When the car did start, it would run for 2-10 seconds then "power steering" would come on. Air bag lights would come on. Various intermittent codes would come on. Most of the time the all gauges would go off and the car would not start. Lang had car towed to dealership saturday.. Feels like the steering column is loose. Also, front suspension/steering makes rattling noise over rough surfaces. Will make a rattling noise while sitting still and moving steering wheel back and forth will repost with the results. Others...please do not repost the same complaint! This bogs down our search capabilities. Thank you, paulj
Car was sitting in drive way for 30 mins and burst into flames, and the whole car is a total waste. The fire was so hot that the siding melted on the house. Nothing left of the inside of the car.. A eye witness said the fire started in the dash and when it started it was gone in less than 15 mins.
The key can be removed from the ignition at any time no matter what gear the shift lever is in.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The contact experienced a loss of steering ability when she depressed the brake pedal. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle became uncontrollable and completely shut down. The contact could not turn the vehicle to pull off the road; however, no crash occurred. The current mileage was 49,000 and failure mileage was 48,990. Updated 07/29/08 *bf the power steering light illuminated. The vehicle began to shake and when the brake was applied, the vehicle shook violently and immediately shut down. Updated 08/01/08.
1) when purchasing this used vehicle from the dealer, we were informed the previous owner had broken his key in the ignition switch, hence the broken ignition lock mechanism. Lie 2) car began making a front end noise or so I thought, the next day as my daughter in law and my grandkids were driving home the power steering indicator light turned on, she applied her brakes to slow down and all the lights on the panel turned on and her steering locked. The truck behind us was forced off the road to avoid slamming in to us. After getting online to see if there was going to be an easy and inexpensive way to repair this problem I was appalled to read all the complaint regarding these same issues. I lost my oldest child to faulty seat belts on the 01 ford ranger edge. This is indeed a safety issued that needs to be resolved immediately before someone is seriously hurt or killed.
The gear shift panel shicks and will not release the key out of ignition.
With out warning. The key stays locked in the ignition, due to a faulty shifter ( microswitch pin) and will not release. Problem happens every time the car is put into park, and tried to pull the key from the ignition. Dealer service tech's claims the defective part is cheaply made and 6 out of 10 colbalts have this problem. To fix the problem complete replacement of the shifter.
My 2006 chevrolet cobalt with 37,000 without warning did not start up properly the first thing in the morning. Car engine chugged along and would accelerate. The car didn't want to 'go'. Related or not the car gas mileage decreased from an average of 30 MPH to closer to 23 to 24 about 6 months ago. The dealership indicated that there are similar complaints that have been logged. The dealership further indicated that gm has issued an technical service advisory based on similar complaints.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle loses power and rolls to a stop. The contact loses control of the vehicle and the power steering fails. All of the instrument panel lights illuminated. After purchasing the vehicle, the contact detected smoke. A mechanic stated that all of the wiring and fuses in the vehicle needed to be replaced. The shifter locks in position and the key cannot be removed from the ignition. As a result, the vehicle cannot be shut off, which causes the battery to fail. The vehicle has to be connected to a charger all night in order to be driven the next day. In may of 2006, the dealer stated that they could not locate the failure. In november of 2007, after the warranty expired, the dealer stated that all the wiring in the vehicle needed to be replaced and the contact would be charged. The failure mileage was 3,000 and current mileage was 49,600.
Vehicle will not start after it is turned off after a period of driving. This occurs at least 5-10 times a week. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership, bresee chevy in liverpool, ny for this problem, and we were told nothing could be done because the problem could not be replicated. We were told that we had a bad battery cell and were charged for a battery replacement after owning the vehicle for 2 years. The vehicle now has a "engine low power" warning and the engine light is on. The vehicle runs erratically, and there is concern of stalling while driving. This vehicle was purchased brand new in november of 2005, and is only used for commuting to work on the highway. Also, the tires on this vehicle were completely bald at 38,000 miles and had to be replaced, and the bearings on the front end also had to be replaced. This vehicle has major problems-it is an overall nightmare!
I bought this car back in june. And I have had nothing but problems with the car. Numerous problems with the computers in the car. From the ECM, to the PCM, and the bcm. I also have proof the odometer has also been rolled back. If needed for this investigation can send a copy. The cars has been serviced now 5 times. This time it is sending error codes to the computer of random misfires on the first and fourth cylinder.
1) when parking my cobalt, 3 of every 5 times my key becomes stuck in the ignition. I have to do things like--apply the brake off-and-on repeatedly, shift in-and-out of park repeatedly, and sometimes even rock the car back-and-forth with my body until it "clicks" into place and I can take my key out of the ignition. I work late shift at the hospital. It is a very scary situation to be stuck in the dark--in the middle of a parking lot--not able to get the key out of the ignition. 2)periodically, when I start up my cobalt, the clock on my dashboard will start back at "12:00". It is very frustrating to have to keep resetting my clock. Why is this happening? 3) as I drive my cobalt, the back windows slowly roll themselves down. I am constantly having to reach back and roll them up. They do not roll themselves down all the way, but they crack themselves enough to hear the air coming in. 4) since I bought my cobalt I have had problems with my headlights pointing downward too much. I have brought them in to be adjusted on more than one occasion. They are still not adjusted correctly, and--at times-- I have to squat down in my seat at night in order to see "under" my headlights, so I do not cause an accident. There was a wreck associated with this headlight problem late in '06 involving a deer on the highway becuase it was impossible to see in time.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced electrical failure and lost power steering. The contact crashed into a ditch. A police report was filed. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The current and failure mileages were 17,800. * updated 12/12/07 *bf the consumer stated electrical problem resulted in loss of gauges and also resulted in low fuel message. The consumer stated the accident resulted in $6,500 worth of damages. Updated 12/12/07
2006 chevrolet cobalt shakes real bad when driving. Customer stated that he had the vehicle get a front end alignment twice and after a while the vehicle begins to start shaking again. *kb the consumer stated the steering jammed and he was unable to remove the key from the ignition. Switch. The tumbler was replaced.
I have a 2006 chevy cobalt purchased used with 28000 miles on it. All my problems started about a month after I bought the car. The steering wheel started shaking violently when driving at 50 MPH and over so I took it in to a chevy dealer and they rotated and balanced the tires and that seemed to fix that problem. About 2 weeks I was driving home and I was sitting at a red light and the car just shut off. I restarted the car and every thing was fine on the dash board, no warning lights or messages in the driver information center. I started driving again and when I press on the gas there was this loud grinding noise and it felt like the car was not shifting gears properly. So I pulled over on the side of the road and turned the car off for about 10 minutes and restarted it and it drove fine. Now at this point im just thinking that there is a malfunction in the computer. I took the car to the dealer the next day and they scanned the computer and found no errors and everything was checking out fine. About 3 weeks later I was driving on the highway and I lost complete control of steering and the power steering message in the driver information center was displayed along with the check engine light. Unable to steer I had to stop in the middle of the highway and shut the car off. I waited about 20 minutes and restarted the car and the power steering warning message and check engine light had gone away and I gained steering control again. I once again took the car to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with the car. Now some days when I start my car the power steering warning message and the check engine light come on and some days the car drives fine and its really starting to frustrate me. In addition to the steering problem I am unable to remove my key form the ignition. To this day none of my problems have been resolved.
Power goes off after you shut the car off. You have to press the button in the trunk on the battery before it will crank. Power button for the trunk does not work. You can start the car and it will still keep trying to crank.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history