Check a VIN

Chevrolet Cobalt sudden acceleration problems

20 of the 7,681 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Cobalt describe sudden unintended acceleration, most of them for the 2005 model year.

owner complaints
20
worst model year
2005
typical mileage
80,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.

By model year

What owners say

Filed Aug 1, 2019 · Transmission · 96,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle jerked, lunged forward, lost power, and the power train warning indicator illuminated. The contact also heard abnormal noises coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact veered to the shoulder of the road to check for leaks; however, none were found. The contact drove home at very low speeds and parked the vehicle. Mccluskey automotive (8525 reading rd, cincinnati, oh 45215, (513) 421-1111) was contacted and a diagnostic appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Filed Mar 3, 2017 · Acceleration, Brakes · 145,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 75 MPH, the vehicle accelerated on its own. When the brakes were applied, the vehicle did no slow down. The vehicle had to be placed in neutral to slow the vehicle to a safe speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 145,000.

Filed Aug 4, 2016 · Steering, Suspension · 87,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward and experienced violent shaking while driving 35 MPH. The power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and dealer, but the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2016 · Acceleration, Engine · 182,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. While driving 40 MPH, the power steering seized and the engine light illuminated without warning. Directly after, the vehicle jerked and accelerated without warning and the speedometer malfunctioned. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 182,000.

Filed Feb 11, 2015 · Engine, Steering · 181,000 miles · NM

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk and the engine RPM's would increase before experiencing unintended acceleration. Also, the contact indicated that the power steering sensor light had illuminated. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 181,000.

Filed Apr 10, 2014 · Acceleration · 43,127 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while braking at a intersection, the vehicle surged forward. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the throttle body would need replacing. The appropriate repairs were made to the vehicle however, the issue still persisted. The manufacturer was notified about the failure. The failure mile was 43,127 and the current mileage was 88,963.

Filed Apr 3, 2014 · Acceleration, Locks · 121,000 miles · MN · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated while driving the vehicle and making a u-turn the drivers side door would open, when it was locked. The contact also indicated that on multiple occasions while attempting to exit the vehicle the driver side door would not unlock. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. . Updated 07/01/14 ma the consumer stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she crashed into a garage. The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 07/23/14

Filed Mar 5, 2014 · Acceleration · 1,800 miles · TX · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while traveling at a high rate of speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The driver was fatally injured. A police report was filed of the incident. The contact believed that the vehicle exhibited an unintended acceleration failure which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also indicated that the airbags did deploy upon impact. The manufacturer was not notified of the incident. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 1,800. Updated 04/14/14 ma updated 04/18/14

Filed Jun 26, 2012 · Acceleration · 55,000 miles · NJ · crash

Tl* the contact owned a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The contact was able to apply the brakes and slow down the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was currently destroyed due to a crash, but the contact stated that the crash was not related to unintended acceleration. No one was injured during the crash. The failure mileage was 55,000. Updated 08/01/12 *bf the consumer stated that it is unknown whether or not the crash was caused by the spontaneous acceleration. The spontaneous acceleration happened 4-6 times. The acceleration would occur on level ground, highway, and uphills at a speed of 25 MPH and 55mph. The airbags deployed on the drivers side of the vehicle. The impact was on the passenger side. The consumer states that the accelerator would stick. Updated 08/02/2012

Filed Jan 22, 2012 · Steering · MO

Pulling out of my parking space 2 hours after I parked, and my car started jerking forward. Then I noticed my check engine light came on, then power steering starting flashing across the screen then my t/c light came on. I ut the car off, and waited a few minutes, started it back up, it seemed fine, I drove 5 feet and my car jumped forward, I lost steering, power steering flashing in the lights on my dash, then my check engine light came on again, and my t/c light came on. My car starts and runs fine at an idle, if I try to drive it, it shakes horribly then it jumps forward and tries to die. If I had let my daughter drive, she would of had an accident!! And yet my car is not part of the 2005 steering recall!! What is the problem here!! I just did some research, and a few phone calls to find out there was a recall but my 2005 total electronic steering is not part of this recall when clearly my car is affected by it. I want answers and I want them now. I can not afford to pay 2000 to have something fixed that is not the fault of the driver, but the fault of gm and their not recognizing all these vehicles have a problem but only select ones.

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the Chevrolet Cobalt sudden acceleration

Which Chevrolet Cobalt years have sudden unintended acceleration problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2005 (6 complaints), 2006 (6 complaints) and 2007 (2 complaints).

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used Chevrolet Cobalt?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history