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Chevrolet Cobalt

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Comments

  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    GM has improved very well over the last decade. The cobalt, with all its issues, is minor compared to the cavalier, and Cobalts issues really are not much.

    For 2006 i would hope most of them will be resolved though. GM's real problem is that the new aveo, although less expensive than the cobalt sedan, looks like it costs a few grand more.

    What do you think?
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I'm not sure what you mean by the Aveo comparison. I priced out the Aveo, Cobalt, and Malibu and similarly equipt models averaged about $4,000 or so difference between models. For instance a Cobalt vs. Malibu with similar features: loaded Cobalt sedan approximate $19,000, similar Malibu was $23,000. A loaded Aveo with everything was $14,000.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    the new aveo, not the current one. The new Aveo, like we saw on the auto show circuit. That one isreally well done, and looks like its bigger than it really is. I saw cobalt sedans and they just look cheap to me.
    There is nothing wrong with looking cheap unless the same comapny has a cheaper car that looks more expensive.

    The cobalt coup though is very nice. I can't wait to see what GM does for the next generation of this car!
  • superfatmansuperfatman Member Posts: 4
    Even thou they sell BOAT LOADS of cars to fleets, if a company like Enterprise Rentals or Avis or companies in general trust GM to supply up to 30% of the domestic car sales, then there must be reliability. No business person would invest in 1000 Cobalts if they knew GM didn't offer a quality product.

    8% for Honda and 10% for Toyota, thats fine, each business has a different market they look for. If your using this as an example .. please try again. As for the history of poorer reliability, lets look at it this way, if you, company a, sell a product 1000 times and your competitor sells the equivalent product but only 100 times. Both of your products have a 1 in 10 chance of failiur out of the box, who gets labeled as having a poorer quality product, the person with more coverage.

    Fleet VS Private sale.. some things wrong with you comparison here.. FLEET = CORPORATE.. PRIVATE = YOUR BACK YARD!
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    My guess is that they are looking for price for rental fleets.

    As for numbers of cars sold. The number one selling car in the World is the Corolla. Yeap, Toyota has been known to sell a couple cars. The reliability is based on percent of problems per, or number of problems per say 100 cars sold.

    Statistics look pretty good for GM cars since 2002, overall. The Cobalt may be a different story. It is sort of middle of the road, as they work out little bugs here and there. Consumer Reports was not too hot on it, but then again, it is a bit early to tell. How much data do they have. JD Powers, what they have so far, indicates it is sort of middle of the road. My experience with the old Big Three makes, is that it takes them two to three years to get the bugs out of new models. I don't think the Cobalt is a radical design, so I can't see how too many things could be a disastor though. And the engine is a proven one.

    Too many cars sold to fleet is never a good thing. Unless you want a used car cheap in a year or two, as the resale values lower on that model.

    As for jumping in a buying today instead of waiting, that is up to the individual of course. There are the worrying types and those will to take a leap of faith. If the car strikes you as a must have, and it makes you happy, buy the dang thing and be happy! Investment wise, used domestics make more sense, but some people prefer to be a first owner.
    In comparing cars, it seems the engine torque, as in low end grunt, is the advantage Cobalt would have over say the Civic. And price is pretty low. There are reason to buy or not to buy this car, like any car. If it matches the individual, then it is the right car. We could debate resale value, quality, reliability, MPG, and on an on, but in the end, if a person is happy with their personal choice, that's all that matters.
    -Loren
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    New Aveo vs. Cobalt???

    Would personally like to see a car like the old Nova. A RWD car in a compact size, rather than the Aveo on steroids. They could keep the Cobalt as the FWD smaller car, and enrich the interior.

    Be sure to see crash test data on the new Aveo before considering it over any Cobalt purchase. It may be just the ticket for some people. Yet another choice in smaller cars. If you always wanted a Daewoo, and didn't get one, soon you will have yet another chance. It is said to have a nice interior. Well I hope all GM cars get a nice interior. One fine day, even a Cadillac CTS will have a telescopic steering column. :P
    -Loren
  • kato1kato1 Member Posts: 64
    "Even thou they sell BOAT LOADS of cars to fleets, if a company like Enterprise Rentals or Avis or companies in general trust GM to supply up to 30% of the domestic car sales, then there must be reliability. No business person would invest in 1000 Cobalts if they knew GM didn't offer a quality product."

    this is too easy. ill be kind. rental companies dont buy based on reliability. they need a bulk of cars as cheaply as possible. they dont need to be reliable, because the major rental companies take them out of commission (i.e. they end up on used car lots) long before the major issues show up. this is why you see so many 2 yr old domestics on used car lots for half of what they cost new.

    the mighty chevy cavalier and ford taurus were two of the most available rental cars of all time. by your reasoning, then, these must be very reliable cars. fact: these two cars have two of the worst repair records in existence.

    domestic automakers dont sell tons of fleet cars because its their chosen philosiphy. at this point, they have to do it to survive.

    as for your 1000 cars vs 100 cars and 1 in 10 example :confuse: , another writer (m1miata) appears to have addressed that.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    Not everyone comes here to vent. Some people come to emphatically defend their preferred brands in the face of first hand accounts of unreliability and poor service or empirical evidence of falling market share, research reports and gallons of red ink.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    I don't think so. I see so many Japanese cars going with 150k to 200k. Once a GM hits 100k, any day can be it's last day.
  • mopowahmopowah Member Posts: 68
    I've had Fords (Escort, Ranger, Windstar) and a Chevy (corsica). I know, they aren't the most glamorous cars out there and they handle like a bar of soap in a bath tub but as far as the engines go, I put 200k on my Ranger with the 3.0 v6 before getting rid of it. The Escort I put a 150k on it...it was still running strong and it even survived a broken timing belt at 75 mph on the freeway. Just needed the belt replaced. No other repairs. The Windstar I have is going strong with 145k on the clock and the Corsica has about the same mileage and is also going strong. The days of the 100k engine are long gone by at least 10 years.

    I'd expect most engines in any make to last at least 150k these days.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    You are living in the 1960's. I have never seen a GM car that couldn't make past 100,000, or 200,000 miles for that matter. The same misinformed information can be put on a Japanese car. I have seen and known of people who's Japanese car that was done at or about 100,000 miles. It is all about how you maintain a car. 200,000 can probably even be had by a Yugo or Hyundai if it is maintained.

    Reliability, or the perception of reliability has little or nothing to do with engine reliability statistics. When a car gets a bad rap for reliability it is mostly about small things such as cruise controls, radios, power windows, etc.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I've been satisfied with GM products all my life.
    (1977 chevelle malibu=97K) (1984 chevrolet blazer s-10= 102k) (1992 safari=28k ride off) (1994 blazer s-10 65=k) (1999 venture=75k) and now I drive a 2005 Equinox since may 2005 with 13k on it. All these vehicles were great.
    And my next could be a Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe.
    I'm not interested by bying a foreign car and putting a North American citizen on unemployment insurance.

    Let's return slowly to a Cobalt forum here.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    My last GM car (the one that drove me away) was an 89 Camaro. Despite being well maintained and reasonably driven, that car was so unreliable by 50k that it could not have possibly made it to 100. Before I sold that car in 1995, it left me stranded twice. That's never happened to me since then.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    You're absolutly right. When I bought my 77 Chevelle Malibu
    I was stuck between 2 choices of cars, the Chevelle or the camaro (or Firebird). I always had questions on the quality and realibility of the camaro/firebird. I'm sorry to say but by my point of vue G.M. made two flops in it's history, the camaro/firebird and the chevette/acadian.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Our families 1976 Chevette, which we inherited from my grandmother in California after she passed away, lasted 18 years and was still running when my sister/husband get rid of it because of its body condition (accident) and loss of power. I used it for a couple of years as my winter car (1976 Grand Prix stored in the garage) and it was very reliable with only the one barrel carborator having to be replaced. Mileage was about 30 mpg on the highway with a stupid automatic, AM radio, and no air conditoning. 1976 was the first year and supposedly the most problematic, go figure.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Consider yourself as a very lucky chevette owner.
  • sgtbobsgtbob Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a 2006 LTZ, 2.2 auto...Have any of you noticed high coolant temps? I have seen mine go up to between 212 to 219 degrees and I think it kind of high!! I know that the coolant is flowing because the outlet hose gets hot after awhile. Also the temp. hits 130 degrees in about 3 to 4 minutes of idleing. Anybody have any thoughts on this? Also...I do not see a thermostat housing!! Does the Cobalt have a thermostat??
    I'd appreciate any input here. Thanks!!
    PS. I am NOT "sgtbob"!! I don't know why that name is there!!
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    Let's get back to discussing the COBALT!!!!!
  • sgtbobsgtbob Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a 2006 LTZ, 2.2 auto...Have any of you noticed high coolant temps? I have seen mine go up to between 212 to 219 degrees and I think it kind of high!! I know that the coolant is flowing because the outlet hose gets hot after awhile. Also the temp. hits 130 degrees in about 3 to 4 minutes of idleing. Anybody have any thoughts on this? Also...I do not see a thermostat housing!! Does the Cobalt have a thermostat??
    I'd appreciate any input here. Thanks!!
    PS. From: Airmn65 NOT sgtbob!! Wrong name posted!!??
  • gvsunursegvsunurse Member Posts: 28
    I don't know if you've gotten a response, but with the ignition - it's a bad sensor in the shifter (mine was in twice before they figured it out) and for the brake light - there's a bulletin out on it. Hope this stuff is fixed...CALL GM AND GET A CASE FILE GOING! They won't do anything for you if you don't get on em.
  • gvsunursegvsunurse Member Posts: 28
    Not sure if people have responed to you in this manner, but you are VERY wrong regarding the ignition. I would turn my steering wheel, restart and move my car and put it back in park and it STILL would not come out. The issue is a sensor in the shifter...so please, do not talk to people like they're idiots...the car SUCKS.
  • gvsunursegvsunurse Member Posts: 28
    Yeah...I took my car in with the ignition issue with a can of pop in the holder...I have NEVER EVER spilled any liquid in that car...issue, as I've stated before, is a sensor in the shifter.
  • gvsunursegvsunurse Member Posts: 28
    Might I add that when they changed the solenoid in my car, it fixed the issue for ohhhhh one day...they found out the next day that it was an issue with the sensor in the shifter.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    thats weird...

    Well, at least most of the problems are in one part of the car, if GM either revises or replaces the engine that should fix things. If things like the seat were not tightenned properly thats b/c its union work.

    Sorry but if you come into work knowing your not going to be fired no matter what you will slack off, sooner or later.

    Man I wish either GM or Ford wrestled off the union. Then the Japanese, in fact the world, would respect and aspire to American cars again.

    In order for that to happen, the workers need to know that GM will reward them, not screw them for leaving the union. This distrust between managment and worker has been the dounfall of many US companies.
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    yes it is a sad state.
  • leannemarieleannemarie Member Posts: 9
    I'm sorry if I through anyone off track, but I'm havign problems with my brand new (05) cobalt and I'd like to know if i'm the only one. I bought my 05 cobalt new, with 100 miles, in September. Since then, the indicator lights on my dash for my high beams and my emergency brake keep flashing on and off. (It will only come on for a brief moment, then go away. Happens about 2x/mth). Now my CD player has twice told me 'ERROR' when I had a CD in it, however the problem would go away when i turned off my car. I just ditched a POS dodge for stupid electrical issues, i'm worried i'm lookin forward to more stress ~ ANY insight *even a 'no, no problems here', would be GREAT, thanks.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Is there a difference in the ground clearance between a Cobalt coupe LS, LT or SS (not supercharged). I live where we have to deal with a couple of severe snow storms every year and I wonder. The higher the better.
  • wallstfunwallstfun Member Posts: 12
    Your best bet is the LT. It has no ground effects added as the ss has and has 16 inch wheels compared to the 15's on the LS. The SS does has ground effects lowering the clearance.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I believe it is lower to the ground because of the suspension as well.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I was wondering, in these 3 styles what's the best seller or the best choise? Cobalt coupe LT, Cobalt coupe LT with the "sport package" option or the Cobalt coupe SS (Not Supercharged)?
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I am pretty sure the base LT is the best selling one based on the lower price. I personally prefer the LT with sport package but in the sedan model without the spoiler. The SS would be nice, but I like the smoother ride of the LT, and the LTZ is too flashy for me with the extra chrome.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I think a "stripped" Cobalt SS (not supercharged), in Coupe or Sedan, is a "best buy." All your extra money goes into real performance parts that would cost far more than the increase in MSRP to add yourself. The other models are mostly flash. You CAN search for and find lightly optioned SS models, which are the same price, or cheaper, than heavily optioned LT's.
  • wallstfunwallstfun Member Posts: 12
    I just happen to have heard this from the last visit to my dealer. I was talking with my salesman while waiting for work to be completed. The LS sedan out sells all the other cobalts combined. It's a money thing most are sold for under 15,000 and are bought as disposable transportation. The LT is next with the Supercharged SS next followed by the 2.4 SS last.
    Just for the record I bought my LT with leather and the sport appearance package for 17,400 when the red tag sale was active last fall.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A P&S topic for the Cobalt has been created. A few posts from here have been moved there. Please go to Cobalt: Problems & Solutions to continue discussing problem issues.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A national finance magazine is looking to interview consumers who are looking to purchase a or have already purchased the new subcompact cars because of the high cost of fuel. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Saturday, June 10, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and the vehicle you are considering.

    ---------------

    A national finance magazine is looking to interview consumers who have traded-in their larger SUV for a smaller vehicle, because of the high cost of gas. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Saturday, June 10, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and car you traded-in and the current car you own.

    Thanks,
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    Corporate Communications
    Edmunds.com
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    see GM's new 2.0L S/C 260hp engine in the Cobalt SS. If GM really wants to hit the nail on the head they could scrap the 2.0, and fit all solstice/Sky and hopefully Cobalt SS models with a VVT DI S/C 2.4L Ecotec, that would be enough to push it to about 300hp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Now, Dodge has 300hp on the caliber, but the difference is the Cobalt handles better, from all that i have read, so the only current shortfall is the weaker engine in the Cobalt SS.

    Why did GM work on a 2.0L when they already have a VVT 2.4? Meybe while they are working on it they can fix some of the bugs in the engine?

    I'd Love a 300hp Cobalt, who thinks it would draw more sales?
  • gerald41gerald41 Member Posts: 37
    I don't think it would help at all. The SS accounts for less than 20% of all Cobalts sold. I read the same thing someone posted on these boards that the majority of cobalts sold are bare bone LS's. These are like the Cavaliers were . They had the Z-24 package and very few sold on a percentage basis. The cobalt is disposable transportation. To quote a person who I met at the dealership one day is "if it outlasts the loan payments I'll be happy".

    You can buy a cobalt out the door for under 15,000. Don't expect alot from a new car that cheap.
  • kato1kato1 Member Posts: 64
    "The cobalt is disposable transportation. To quote a person who I met at the dealership one day is "if it outlasts the loan payments I'll be happy".

    You can buy a cobalt out the door for under 15,000. Don't expect alot from a new car that cheap. "

    these are ridiculous statements. im not a fan of domestics, but they have improved enough that anyone who takes proper care of a chevy cobalt should have a car that far outlasts the term of a loan. payments would last 5-6 years tops. heck, i see enough 10 year old cavaliers on the road. granted, i dont know what their owners are paying out to keep their cars on the road.

    if one spends 5 yrs paying off a $15k car, plus interest, the only way to really get your moneys worth is to drive in for many years after it is paid off. these cars are not yugos or the old pontiac le mans or even the former cavalier for that matter. 10-15 year ownership should be very realistic.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Better yet, pay cash and never-never buy a car on time payments. Save and buy what you can afford. If you can not buy a Cobalt new for $12k to $15K, then wait a year or two and buy one for $7K to $10K. You may get more goodies on it too. Should be a car that will last a good 10 years. That said, it could have a warranty for 10 years too; if it was a Hyundai, it would. I would think the Cobalt may outlast some other cars with expensive gizmos, and the parts when needed will cost less than German car replacement parts. You could keep it 20 years, if you are not easily bored. Most people just want something else in a few years, and sell before a car is really totally used up.

    JD Power Initial Quality Survey 2006 is out now.

    -Loren
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    I spoke to my mechanic recently on this matter and he agreed that anyone can get a lemon, but if you take that out of the picture, you should be able to get 8 to 10 years out of most anything provided that it is driven reasonably and maintained.,

    I think that the issue w a Cobalt (and many other GM cars) is that while the engine and tranny are holding up, how many other parts will go bad? My father has an 03 Century with 15,000 miles on it and the ABS light just went on. The dealer was overjoyed to tell him that it needed an "ABS module" for $650. He hasn't had other problems with the car, but a $650 repair with 15,000 miles is just not acceptable.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I personally would want the hot 2.2 L engine. I am no longer in my hot rod faze, and if I were I would be a 1960's GTO', Cutlas', Elcamino', Impala', etc.

    A 300 hp Cobalt would have to be limited production. There would not be too many people buying this kind of car. GM's Ecotec engine family has a huge amount of aftermarket products made for improving performance. In fact you can buy every engine internal part from a special GM Cobalt performance catalog available for $20 or so. The Ecotec is setting speed records all over the world, and holds quarter mile times as well as land speed records. Honda race motors can no longer keep up.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Yes, I agree, he should see if GM will back this repair. Seems more than reasonable that they would do so. There are so many options people have these days for buying cars with real warranties, like Hyundai, I would think GM would want to keep a customer. Let us know what they say. The dealership may give you a quick answer, or more likely this will be turned over to the district manager. You may get in touch with this regional manager directly. Hope it all works out.
    -Loren
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    The Hyundai warranty is only good for the original owner or direct family member. It is a non-transferable warranty to anyone outside of the family, so you are stuck with the car. The Suzuki and Isuzu warrantees are transferable on the other hand.
  • exalteddragon1exalteddragon1 Member Posts: 729
    I just can't agree with that. Even if 20% sold are SS versions, if you improve the version then more will buy it, like the GP GXP. Also, if you think about it GM makes more money on the SS cobalt than the LT, so its in GM's interest to make the SS better.

    While i like the fact that the ecotec has some racing history and speed records behind it, i would be buying the street version, and i would like the street version to dominate.

    A 300hp S/C 2.4L VVT DI Cobalt would mean TONS of exposure for the cobalt, AKA on mags and such, that GM would not have to pay for, and WINNING a comparison test would be nice too, with its curent handling, a superrior power factor can improve the standings of the car, and sales do go up if your 1rst in a C&D review.

    So is your street cred, and thats the kind of marketing that you can't buy. If people see how good the Cobalt performed in the mags, they will go to the store and get an LT, just like the folks who buy mustangs, not everyone can afford a GT or GT500.
  • tripletriple Member Posts: 2
    Well i have been kind of looking at the cobalt supercharged ss.

    I have lookin a the different options and came up with a few questions.

    1. how many of you guys got the $1500 performance package. Is it worth it. To me i think it one of those thing i could live without.

    2. Is the xm radio upgrade just an antenna or does it have a replacement in dash radio/cd.

    3. How well do you guys like the sun roof? Do you get much noise from it(rattles).
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I can't say about the performance package, it depends on what you expect with performance and looks.

    As far as I know the radio is slightly different, but sorry I am not for sure.

    Early model sunroofs rattled but I haven't heard anyone here recently with sunroof issues if they indeed got one.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Second and/or subsequent owners have powertrain components coverage under the 5 year / 60,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Excludes coverage for vehicles in commercial use (i.e. taxi, route delivery, delivery service, rental, etc.).

    -Loren
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I was talking about the Hyundai, not the Cobalt. The Hyundai has the 10-year non-transferable warranty.
  • bigdaddycoatsbigdaddycoats Member Posts: 1,058
    If you really enjoy spirited drvining, get the performance pkg. The limited slip dif. will really make a difference. Try the seats before you buy - the recaros can be kind snug.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    I copied and pasted that from the Hyundai website. 5 year on the drivetrain is transferable.

    I would suggest GM should extend their warranties on all their cars to compete. If they take care of reliability issues, the coupe in the Cobalt would be kinda neat little car to zip around in.
    -Loren
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