In mid 2017 I went for a drive in my 2007 Chevy Cobalt. (just over 100,000 miles). When I was approximately 4 blocks from my home the engine began sputtering and died. I was able to pull in a parking lot, put it in park and jumped out of my car. An overwhelming smell of gas was immediately noticed, as well as a huge puddle of fuel on the ground. I began to walk the 4 blocks home and saw a huge continuous trail of gasoline upon the road leading from my car ALL the way to my home! In this 4 block distance my Cobalt leaked out over 3/8ths of a tank of fuel- nearly 5-6 gallons. The fuel vapor in the air was most assuredly at a very dangerous explosive level this entire distance home. I am a self taught mechanic with many engine re-builds and repairs under my belt. Upon inspection I found that the steel fuel line had a major rupture above the driver rear wheel within the foil wrapped "joke" of a heat shield- (just above the exhaust pipe). Upon further inspection this steel fuel line was badly rusted & corroded all the way to under the driver seat. Overall the Cobalt fuel line system is a very poor design, poor quality materials, with bad design & placement. I ordered a complete new fuel & return line set and replaced all the rusty junk fuel lines. My experience with the instantaneous fuel line failure could have had a very bad ending. No warning lights or previous leaks were detected. Then there is the front suspension and front wheel bearing issues. I have installed 2 complete front suspension kits, ball joints, struts, as well as 2 wheel bearing failures- all these replaced with less than 80,000 miles on the odometer. Then there is the bad window switches, bad moon roof seal, bad wiper arm assemblies, front stereo speaker failure at 39,000 miles, on & on. A very poor quality vehicle After purchasing this Cobalt I would be very hesitant to purchase another GM product.
Chevrolet Cobalt wipers problems
16 of the 7,681 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Cobalt describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 16
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical mileage
- 55,000
By model year
- 20102
- 20092
- 20082
- 20072
- 20065
- 20053
Often reported together
Airbag light 3Fire or smoke 2Steering lock-up 1Jerking 1Fuel smell 1Engine failure 1Ball joint 1No deployment 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 chevrolet cobalt. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the exterior lighting and windshield wipers were activated. When the contact entered the vehicle, she noticed that the air bag warning indicator was illuminated while the key was in the ignition. The vehicle was towed to wetzel chevrolet (4700 national rd e, richmond, in 47374), but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system) in november of 2017. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the contact would be responsible for the repair cost. The failure mileage was 83,000.
Power steering contributed to a single vehicle wreck that call cause driver to slide into a ditch. Also electrical problems cause the wipers not to work in misty rainy conditions. Hood latch will not come up with out using extra force.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 chevrolet cobalt. While driving, the service air bag warning indicator illuminated and the wiper blades and heat were inoperable. The contact also mentioned that the power steering seized and was recently serviced per an unknown the federal safety agency recall for the power steering at ken barrett chevrolet cadillac (229 w main st, batavia, ny 14020 (585) 300-0199). The recall information was unavailable. The contact stated that the vehicle was not diagnosed and was unable to be driven. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. In addition, the windshield wipers, defroster, and the cruise control failed to operate. Also, the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,115.
Had my car recalled for the ignition recall and had my car sitting at the dealer ship waiting on the part for 6 months. Received my car back in august 2014 and find that having several problems. The ignition locks the key does not open the door, electric problems, lights go out and than come on, AC has rattle when turn on high, car jerks. These problem have occurred since I have received my car back after 6 months sitting at the dealership because of the gm recall. I had a rent a car and paid over $600 in gas and had to get the window repaired from a chip that got bigger, from a small one when I got it. Had to get an oil change because it was low on oil and new wipers. I would never had to have done that with my car. It cost me more money to have a rent a car and I never got reimbursed. Just got a thank you. I feel I should get something out of this weather I am injured or not.
Tl* the contact was owns a 2008 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated that the button located on the gear shifter housing became completely detached. In addition, the turn signal and windshield wiper mechanism fractured upon engaging. The dealer informed the contact that they would be responsible for fifty percent of the repair expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
As I was pulling into the garage I always look to see exactly where I should stop. As I stepped on the gas pedal to pull up a little bit more the car accelerated and would not stop when I stepped on the brake and went into my son's tool box and if it wasn't there would of gone through the dining room wall out the other side. As it was the tool box went into the wall. The air bags did not deploy and the windshield wipers kept on go as full speed, the tires were spinning and there were skid marks on the floor. The brakes went down to the floor. The garage was full of smoke from the tires that is how fast the car was going. I had trouble shutting off the car.
Vehicle was parked inside garage, filling tires with air. A cigarette lighter powered air compressor was being used to fill tires. Was only in use for a few minutes, when air compressor stopped. The fuse for the cigarette lighter was blown. This was a common problem with the car. On several occasions the fuse for the cigarette lighter would be blown for no apparent reason. I have only used it in the past to use my obd ii scanner, being that the obd diagnostic port is powered by the same fuse as the cigarette lighter. Besides using the obd scanner, no other things have been used via the cigarette lighter. Regardless the fuse would be blown. After the fuse was blown with the air compressor, I unplugged it from the cigarette lighter, only to see smoke coming from under the hood. The fuse melted in the fuse block. From there, the window wipers began operating, as well as the windshield wiper fluid being shot out from the nozzles. Smoke began pouring from the inside of the car, from under the dash. I quickly ran to the trunk where the battery is located, and disconnected the battery as soon as I could. Garage was filled with smoke, with the ominous burnt electronic smell.
I was driving in a local, when all the sudden, the windshield wiper started pumping water by itself and the wipers went on by itself. When all the water was pumped out, the was a burning odor and smoke started coming out through the AC vents. I turn the AC off; parked on the side, opened the hoop and there was not any smoke coming out any where. I returned inside the car turned on, kept the windows down because of the smell inside, and went back home. I refilled the windshield pump with cleaning fluid, turned the car on, tried the windshield and the are ok. I noticed right after that my AC and or heater is not working at all. I check with a mechanist who told me after several test, that it seems the AC/heater control panel when bad. This incident scared the expletive out of my son who was in the car with me at that time.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chevrolet Cobalt wipers
Which Chevrolet Cobalt years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (5 complaints), 2005 (3 complaints) and 2007 (2 complaints).
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