The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering suddenly failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was turned off for a while and restarted for the power steering functionality to return. The failure was persistent. The contact stated that the power steering warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who informed the contact that it was a known failure with the power steering. The mechanic confirmed the power steering failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2008 Chevrolet Cobalt: loss of power steering
99 of the 845 complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 99
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical repair cost reported
- $830
- typical mileage
- 75,000
- recalls
- 1
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
My Power Steering failed. I was trying to turn into my drive way and I couldn’t turn my steering wheel. Mine and my children's safety were at risk because It could have caused an accident. There are other Chevy cobalts that are recalled for the same problem as mine but for some reason my VIN is showing that my cobalt isn’t recalled for it. There were no warnings other than the dash saying “POWER STEERING” as my steering wheel stopped turning.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the vehicle experienced power steering failure. The contact drove the vehicle to her destination at approximately 30 MPH without a power steering assist. The contact stated that when she returned and started the vehicle the power steering had regained functionality. The contact stated that the failure had recurred twice in the past three months. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Power steering assist goes out randomly. Looked up VIN and said does not affect this vehicle, however, it is malfunctioning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that the steering wheel became hard to turn while parallel parking. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that first the transmission control module, the traction control, ignition and power steering warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter was not shifting to first gear and that the speedometer was not functioning as designed. The contact stated that after the TCM was grounded to the chassis, the gear shifter shifted as designed. The contact also stated that shortly after the failure, the power steering became hard to turn. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 10v073000 (steering) and stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
Power steering stopped working while driving. Stopped the car and shut it off, then restarted car and the power steering worked again. I was lucky, I was driving slow on a back street when this happened. If I had been on a highway it could had gone very bad. I found no recalls for my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle loss power steering assist without warning, and became very difficult to steer. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while reversing from a parking space, the vehicle loss power steering. The power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact contacted david hoffman auto mall (198 buffalo rd, rochester, ny 14611; (585) 527-9500) and was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The contact took the vehicle to get an oil change and was informed that underneath the vehicle was severely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 146,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated while driving at a low speed and entering the driveway, the vehicle loss power steering with the power steering assist fault warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and confirmed the power steering assist failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 10v073000 (steering) however, the VIN was not included. The neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that the electronic power steering stopped working when she attempted to start the vehicle. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The contact researched the failure and found that the electronic power steering was faulty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 147,649.
I was driving to run errands and I parked. When I was trying to backup and drive again, I had sudden loss of steering control. I almost crashed into a car near me since I could not maneuver the steering wheel in a way to get out of the way. Luckily after this happened someone recommended me to turn off the car and turn the steering wheel again to see if the steering would return to normal. Fortunately, I wasn't in a busy street when this happened otherwise I could have been in a serious wreck.
I was driving. The power steering warning came on the dash. The steering became difficult. I drove home.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to eliminate a power steering noise due to extremely low...
- Steering
- Steering
- This engineering informational bulletin is ending the need of information from the field on vehicles with...
- Steering
- This technical bulletin provides a revision for 12-02-32-002 to add the 2013-2014 model years, add noise...
- Diagnostic tips for power steering inoperative/steering wheel hard to turn, power steering message...
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 chevrolet cobalt and model year 2007-2010 pontiac g5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering. The driver may experience a sudden loss of power steering assist that could occur at any time while driving.
- Risk
- If power steering assist is lost, it would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the electric power steering motor free of charge. Owners are being notified on a rolling basis between march 29 through november 2010. A copy of the mailing schedule is located in the recall file. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V073000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
99 of 845 owner complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt (12%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $830 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
There is 1 recall and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
Fuel leak 114Fuel smell 98Fuel pump 74Steering lock-up 46Airbag light 32Engine failure 31Loss of power 31Check engine light 30Stalling 29No deployment 27Won't start 24Ball joint 15Grinding brakes 15Door locks 15Fire or smoke 12Headlights 11Hesitation 10Jerking 10Steering noise 8ABS 6Fuel gauge 6Harsh shifting 6Seat belt 6Pulling 5Warning lights 5
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