The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repair; however, the mechanic found a fuel leak and an abnormal gasoline odor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,311.
2009 Chevrolet Cobalt: gas smell in the cabin
101 of the 710 complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt describe gas smell in the cabin.
- owner complaints
- 101
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 89,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Gas smell in the cabin by model year
What owners say
The air bag never deployed I bought car in 2018 from original owner with car only having 33,000 miles on it and still under warranty til car had 100,000 miles and I hit a deer head on 2 months after getting car which bought in may of 2018 hit the deer in July 2018 . The deer was hit with the front passenger side it broke my headlight n messed my hood up and smashed in the grill little and my air bags never deployed I hit deer at 50 mph , after that had happened I took it in to Chevy dealership and had them look at car cause I told them I hit that deer and air bag never deployed and that my air bag light came on once in awhile and said service air bag . The dealership said they do that sometimes and did something to make light go off that was it my air vag light still comes on and says service air bag . Also ignition switch and fuel smell foul coming from car a lot and is as I speak . My reduce engine power light comes on a lot and have no power to gas pedal n car won’t stay running . I have try to get two recalls fixed back in 2-21 I was having problems with my car back then too special reach called me in Jan of 2021 and told me that there were two recalls on my car ignition switch and fuel module so I informed dealership when I took my car in That next month in feb 21 told them I was informed on 2 active recalls on my car . When they were done with my car later that day I asked them if they fixed the recalls they said no cause it was map sensor so I then made an appt to get recalls fixed when I got there for the recalls to be fixed one of the technicians told me it shows that they were done . I called Chevy and complained about the issue I just had and never had recalls fixed but they must of put it in computer they fixed them So I’ve been really upset that I been trying to get past recalls fixed that are on my car and I get run around and told there isn’t any I know about a past recall on shift selnoid low circuit too that was a past recal
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the contact struck a deer. The air bags did not deploy. Additionally, while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact restarted the vehicle. There was an abnormal sulfur and fuel odor detected. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the MAP sensor needed to be reset. The mechanic reset the air bag light. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the air bag failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Fuel leak very strong gas smell
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated after arriving at his residence, he became aware of a puddle of fuel underneath the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle while driving and while the vehicle was parked. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was a fuel leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,816.
There is a gas leak an after reviewing online there are several complaints of chevy colbalt 09 owners whos car forms a gas leak on the driver side of the car near back seat. There is a very strong smell of gasoline and seems to be a repeated issue
2009 Chevy Cobalt, Driving to work Friday January 13 2023, noticed heavy smell of gasoline. parked car and noticed a puddle just in front of the drivers side rear tire. Got it home and did an inspection of the area and discovered a fuel line leak when car is running and line is under pressure. It is a big leak seemingly caused by rust developing on the line because of a heat shield trapping water and debris. This leak is very close to the hot exhaust system. Fire is an obvious possibility. I'm afraid to even drive it to a shop. I plan on having it towed.
Fuel leaking from near top of tank/pump. Sounds similar to other recalls though my VIN is not currently included. Noticed fuel smell in garage and could see fuel from top of tank. No indicators showing a malfunction.
Strong smell of gas inside vehicle. Gas is leaking from vehicle. Known problem of fuel leakage and vehicle recalls.
Noticed gas smell inside and outside of car.
I have noticed when car is parked in garage that there is a gas odor present in the garage. It appears the gas odor is the strongest around the driver side, rear wheel. I do not yet see any severe drips anywhere but it is enough to cause concern about parking the car in a closed up garage. especially in winter with a heater running... I have not yet brought it into a dealer to have it checked. This car is located in a midwest climate where salt is used on roads which would cause possible issues with corrosion.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles in for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑521‑7300.
Recall number 12V459000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel smell
Is gas smell in the cabin a common problem on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
101 of 710 owner complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt (14%) mention gas smell in the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
How much does it cost to fix gas smell in the cabin on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 6 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 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
Fuel leak 132Fuel pump 61Power steering loss 50Stalling 38Steering lock-up 31Engine failure 25Check engine light 23Loss of power 22Won't start 21Airbag light 19No deployment 14Fire or smoke 10Jerking 10Headlights 7Door locks 6Overheating 6Fuel gauge 5
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