2007 Chevrolet Cobalt: jerking or lurching

Filed Apr 6, 2017 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 100,000 miles · CA

Im driving and all the gauges go wacko swinging back and forth, anti theft light comes on check engine light ABS light low fuel light traction light. It reads service traction power steering low fuel every light you can think of comes on and the car even jerks when changing into gear. At times the steering even has locked up on me, thank god at those times I was on a residential street and not freeway. At times it wont even start all the lights are just going basurk. Then theres days where its normal like it never even happened. Im afraid its going to lock up on me on the freeway and im going to have a serious accident!! The 2 recalls that my vechicle had have already been replaced but there is still issues!! This car needs to be completely recalled, I researched the issue im having and found out many many other people are having the same issue. Some people have even died!!! Others major accidents, what more has to happen for this vehicle to be recalled? How many more people have to loose their lives?? This is a serious issue that needs to be taken care of asap!!! And when this issue occurs with the lights and gauges going crazy it happens as im driving. I pray nothing happens to my 3 yr old daughter and I. This issue has been happening for about an year now off and on.

Filed Dec 10, 2016 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 140,000 miles · FL

I own a 2007 chevy cobalt. In 2013 my car went crazy. Power steering stopped working and all the electric components were all over the place. Rpm's were going up and down, full tank of gas said it was empty, gear shifter was clicking, and the car was jerking like it wanted to stall. I called chevy and they told me there were 2 recalls, during the same time my garage smelled strong like gas. I had the problem fixed twice. Now in december 2016 the car is going haywire again.power steering goes out, all electric components start flipping out and the anti theft system light comes on along with every other light on the dash. My 17 year old daughter now drives the car and it is completely unsafe considering she is unable to steer and all the electric components go out. This must be treated as a recall! I've seen thousands of the same complaints. This is extremely unsafe and can easily cause an accident. Gm needs to take responsibility for this! Does someone have to die before a recall fixes the problem? I paid cash for my car and bought it in 2007 with 12 miles on it. This is unacceptable and there needs to be a lawsuit against gm!

Filed Jul 21, 2016 · Electrical · 90,000 miles · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle jerked and felt as if it would seize. All the gauges on the instrument panel fluctuated and the anti-theft warning indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the failures occurred after the ignition switch was replaced on the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Sep 15, 2015 · Engine · 118,000 miles · OH

I was driving down the road, when a warning signal went off on my car, a message came up that said "engine power reduced" and my cars acceleration was significantly reduced. I could not go over 10 miles an hour and the car was shaking violently. I pulled into a gas station that I was luckily close to, and the car lurched forward as soon as I put it in park, almost causing me to hit the building directly in front of my parking spot. I turned the car off and let it sit for minute, only to turn it back on and have it act completely normal. I have had 3 different mechanics look at it, and several things replaced and the problem still persists. My car cannot go more than 10 minutes without having this issue, and the next time it happened I was on the freeway and it almost killed me and the person behind me. I have read the chevy forums and complains and I am not the only person having this issue. There are many people, in my position who cannot afford new cars, who bought chevy's bc of the american name to only be screwed by the corporation. I have no choice but to drive the car as I have to get to and from work in order to live, while this continues to happen every time I drive the car. Someone. Needs to make chevy accountable for their terrible cars!

Filed Jan 7, 2015 · Electrical, Steering · 100,000 miles · KS

I purchase the car from schofield in 2008 it has had two recalls one on the gas tank and another on the steering column now it is acting up everyday I think it is due to the cold weather and it has to be a manufacturing issue the warning lights began to flash on come on the gauges go up and down like crazy the gas hand goes up and then below empty the car loses power the power steering light comes on the brake light comes on it begins to make a clicking noise and it jerks as it drives I am so afraid to drive my car because of these defects, I took the car into scofield a couple of weeks ago they said they could not find anything wrong but it is obvious there are things that are wrong when I tried to turn a corner its like the power steering goes out I have the papers from schofield I need someone to help me please I don't want to be another victim of this car.

Filed Aug 12, 2014 · Electrical, Steering · MS · crash · 2 injuries

While driving along, getting off of an exit ramp onto a main hwy, I reached over to turn my defroster off, when the wheel jerked to the left, I attempted to gain control but never got total control although I did get back onto the road. A few seconds later the car jerked again and this time I realized the steering wheel was not moving-it was locked up and I could not turn it. I then hit the guard rail on the north side of the hwy and then came across to the south side hitting the concrete bridge railing. The ignition switch recall had supposedly been corrected but the ignition locked up on this vehicle.

Filed Mar 18, 2014 · Electrical, Engine · 90,000 miles · AL

I would be driving down the highway and the car's dials would not work then start bouncing around. Then the power steering message would read out, I would loose power steering. If I slowed down it would take more of an effort to get the car up to speed and the car would jump in to gears hard. It wouldn't shift smooth. None of the gauges would work, and if the A/C was on it wouldn't work. When it started back working, the engine lock light would stay on. And the car wouldn't shift in and out of gear with out jerking.

Filed Sep 2, 2013 · Electrical, Steering · 74,500 miles · CT

While braking, the vehicle's security system warning light lit up, tachometer dropped to zero, and power steering warning briefly flashed. Restarting the car turned off the warning light and car drove fine. Two weeks later the incident happened again while driving on the highway; again restarting the car solved the issue. The power steering recall was performed on the vehicle a week after the second incident. A month later, the incident occurred again, while braking. Several minutes later the gauges started going up and down and the information display shut off. Restarting the car did not clear the warning, and car jerked with changes in tachometer. Restarting the car a few hours later cleared the warning. Car was brought to a mechanic the next morning, and the incident could not be duplicated nor did the computer read an error occurring. The error recurred moments after leaving, and was brought back to mechanic who stated the front lights were also turning on and off. Restarting the car several times cleared the warning, but information display no longer turns on properly. The most recent failure mileage was 75,500 miles.

Filed Aug 14, 2013 · Electrical, Steering · ID · crash · 5 injuries

Edited partial news entry from the deadly accident: south idaho crash kills two, including nampa woman; ipt (idaho press-tribune) newsroom; gooding county--a nampa woman died after a car accident in gooding county friday (12-21-12), according to idaho state police. A burley man also died in the two-vehicle crash, which took place around 6:45 p.m. On interstate 84 about 35 miles outside mountain home. Three others from burley were injured. Young woman, 22, of nampa, was driving west on the interstate in a chevrolet cobalt. Authorities aren't sure why she lost control of the vehicle. She drove into the median and overturned. Her vehicle continued into the eastbound lanes of travel, colliding with a nissan maxima driven by 23- year-old young man of burley. Young man died at the scene of the crash. Young woman was transported by air ambulance to a boise hospital, where she later died. Three passengers related to young man, all of burley...were taken by air ambulance to a boise hospital. All drivers and passengers were wearing seatbelts. [source: http://www.idahopress.com/news/s-idaho-crash-kills-two-including-nampa-woman/art- - icle_7e5ce650-4c9a-11e2-8d7f-001a4bcf887a.html] because the roads were clear and dry, the idaho state police speculated that the young woman was perhaps somehow "inattentive" in her driving. But the fact she was not on her cell phone or otherwise engaged with any other known distraction and the fact that her wrist was snapped back resulting in a serious compound fracture suggests that the vehicle violently and suddenly jerked out of her control. We know the chevy cobalt vehicles were under investigation for "steering problems" by the federal safety agency and the investigation was closed in july 2010. With these fatalities perhaps it is time to review your previous findings. Updated 09-18-13 *bf updated 9/24/13*cn updated 09/25/2013

Filed Jan 16, 2013 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 105,000 miles · MI

The traction control light has turned on several times before but usually goes away. While hitting my brakes on the freeway to exit, my traction control light turned on today. I was going about 60 and slowing when it happened. The vehicle jerked violently causing me to slam forward in my chair and almost causing the person behind me to hit me. Once I stopped at the light and hit the accelerator again, it again jerked. I parked my car and shut it off. I turned it back on and put it into drive and immediately the car jolts. It continues to do this each time I switch from park to drive and from braking to driving.

Filed Nov 8, 2012 · Fuel system · 68,881 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and she was informed that the vehicle needed a new fuel cap. The fuel cap was replaced however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic and the contact was then informed that there was a fuel leak from the o-ring in the fuel tank. The vehicle was repaired yet the failure recurred once again. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the contact was advised that there was still a massive fuel leak. The leak was repaired however, the contact continued to smell an overpowering odor of gasoline when driving the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle would jerk abnormally when driving at various speeds. The failure mileage was 68,881 and the current mileage was 70,000.

Filed Sep 10, 2012 · Suspension · 20,000 miles · IL

I purchased the car brand new in 2007. I noticed at about 20,000 miles the front suspension started to make lots of clunking noises and rattling whenever I went over bumps in the road. I took the car into the chevy dealer and they said nothing was wrong with the car. The car now has 42,000 miles on it and the noise is still there. There is also a really awful noise when I apply the brakes and release them the car jerks like the brakes are gonna fall off the car. I recently took the car to a mechanic and he said the bushings need to be replaced and possibly the struts and control arm. The mechanic said the car should not be having those problems with the cars current mileage. He recommended I take it to the dealer ship but my warranty has since expired and the dealer ship will not fix the car.