Chevrolet Cobalt

djfunkmasterg

I picked up this car used on Saturday and I am really in love with this car. It has 66,000 miles on it, and other than some interior problems (seat stitching) this car drives and runs great.

I used it as my back and forth to work daily driver (60 miles each way) so i can keep the miles low on my 2012 Mustang GT.

I really liked these cars when my mother purchased a 2007 Pontiac G5. I don't know what it is about the car, but it just intrigues me.

Once I grabbed it from the dealer I took it and changed all the plugs, fluids and filters, even though dealer claimed they did I wanted to know for sure it was done.

Since Saturday I have put 600 miles on this car (400 just driving around over the weekend and only used 1.5 tanks of gas.)

I am not sure of the clutch condition, but I am not worrying about it as it shifts very smooth and releases pretty easy. Once I get a replacement seat (ordered from a junk yard out of wrecked 08 with exact interior... this car will be in really great condition. It has some minor door dings, but otherwise paint and body are in original shape, no accidents no repaint.

The car gets about 34mpg and I am sure it could get more, but I drive 75 mph so the RPM's run close to 3000 in 5th.

While it i snot the best riding car, it is a great daily driver with a nice sporty look and style.

If you need an economic car for daily errands and driving I recommend a cobalt over any small import, but I recommend getting a stick shift model as I have been reading a lot issues with automatic models.

Definitely the best $6,000.00 I ever spent on anything.

donnie

Can somebody help me? I acquired a used '09 Certified Cobalt in August 2010. Right away I noticed oil drippings in my garage. Turned out to be a timing gear gasket but dripping continued after repair under wty. Dealer said the dripping was caused by oil trapped in the engine support rails. Turned out that was not the case. After several tries it was finally fixed. Recently the Check Engine light went on. Dealer repaired #2 cylinder and head under the extended drive train wty. Got it home, now dripping oil again! Dealer says again that it is oil trapped and it will stop after all is out of the supports. I'm wondering if this is true or am I getting a "story?" Has anybody ever heard of this situation?

donnie

Hold everything. Service mgr. at dealer put it on a lift and found oil leak on the side of the engine, to be corrected next week. Now the parking lamp bulb is out. Looking at owner's manual it looks like a real pain to get to it. Any advice? Wonder what a dealer would charge to replace a bulb?

imidazol97

IIRC, the whole headlight assembly comes out easily forward. I'd have to check my factory service manual, but I believe the plastic grill between the headlights unsnaps or unbolts at the top to give a little room by flexing it away. Remove a screw on clip and the whole headlight comes forward. Then the headlight bulb just came out by rotating 90 degrees left. Most small bulb holders do the same.

alternator

Try searching YouTube for "cobalt lamp replacement"

imidazol97

The center grill has 4 push pin plastic plugs that hold it in place: pull up on the center post and the pin comes right out.

The headlight has two screws on the top at the rear on metal straps holding it back.

alternator

have driver's side seats that do not fold forward for easier access to the back seat area?

I like and enjoy driving my 2010 Cobalt coupe, but I am constantly frustrated when trying to reach the back seat area.

I have never had, or even heard of, any coupe that did not have a driver's side seat that could be folded forward.

imidazol97

Did you try reading the owner's manual in the glovebox about the seats?

alternator

What I was trying to say is that the passenger seat back can be tilted forward and then returned simply to the original position, but when the drivers seat back is tilted forward, the seat back position must then be readjusted. Unlike the four previous Cavaliers and other coupes I have owned.

masshoosier

09 cobalt LT sedan going on the auction block later this month... little ole' ladies estate. 1100 miles!!. I drive A LOT. About 40-50K per year for my job. Got an '01 focus w/250k (been wrecked 4 times, looks like hell but keeps on chugging...very little engine/trans probs, what a gem) but my work pays out through runzheimer and they are trashing the monthly base payout on anything out of complience...pigs. So, in fear of the focus dying along with my base I need to get something else. Whats good to pay on this? Is it gonna get me at least 180k?? w/o falling apart?? Recalls I should check for(seem to be reading about steering column issue)....and are these recalls still available if the owner didn't have them done?.....opinions all please!....thanks so much Cobalt owners
masshoosier

dispencer2

I have an 09 (bought in Sept 08)Cobalt LT 1 coupe (Victory Red) (35,000 miles) that other than the steering column recall has been fine. I have a rattle inside the driver's door ("fixed" twice without any positive results) but other than that the car is great. Got 41.9 going to Albuquerque from Clovis NM. I normally get about 27-29 around town and 38 on the road at 70-75)

I purchased a new 2011 LT1 Malibu last summer and am selling it with 4300 miles. I frankly don't need it. The Cobalt is more fun to drive, rides about the same but isn't as well insulated and gets FAR better mileage. It feels like driving a sports car. The Malibu feels like a cheap rental car with a pretty interior. The back of the back seats are hard as a rock. I was going to use the Malibu for trips but I've decided that the Cobalt is just fine. I'll probably keep it for years. For years I drove Cadillac DeVilles. I'll probably get an XTS when I sell the Cobalt. I was suprised that I liked the Cobalt so well. I got it as basic cheap transportation when I still had the last 03 DeVille.

Why Consumer Reports and the car magazines knock the Cobalt is beyond me. The "great" Cruze (I rented one in NJ last summer) has a noisy engine, great from a light but no passing power. I barely got 22 in suburban driving, and has a complicated console. I had to pull off the road and read the owners manual to figure out how the touch screen radio worked and how to change the date and clock. The 6 speed down shifts constantly. You can have it. I'd take the Cobalt any day.

alternator

The Owner's Manual for my 2010 Cobalt says that a warning notice will appear on my dashboard if the battery in my remote key fob is near the need for replacement. I would like to know how that is done. Is the strength of the signal emitted by the key fob sensed in some way and a low signal triggers the warning?

alternator

Do the gas-filled struts in Cobalts normally open the lid after the lid is raised past half-open ?

I need to manually assist opening my trunk lid all the way. That doesn't seem right.

gmcustsvc

alternator,

I wasn't able to find a definitive answer for you in the resources I have available for you. Hopefully other Cobalt owners will chime in soon; if you decide to have this or any other concern evaluated by your dealership, be sure to keep us informed of that! We're available to assist you in that process if you were to contact us at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name, contact information, and the last 8 digits of your VIN with your inquiry).

Sarah, GM Customer Service

alternator

Please Cobalt owners, give me some input on this. I need corroboration that Cobalt trunk lids normally "pop open." Dealer's first response has been that they do not.

Sarah, when I experimentally tried socialmedia@gm.com, that URL was not recognized as valid.

imidazol97

My Cobalt is in Columbus getting a college degree, but I believe it pops up when the remote is used to open it. IT stands up a few inches from that but does not open itself fully. However, raising it with a hand has it holding itself fully open on its own.

gmcustsvc

Good morning,

I know that Edmunds changes the "@" symbol to a picture rather than text to help prevent spamming. If you still have no luck, give sarah_grace@gmexpert.com a try.

Sarah, GM Customer Service

steve333

I haven't heard of this being an issue.
Steering, suspension, rotors, ignition switches, and others but not this one

alternator

Could someone with a 2010 Cobalt coupe or sedan please go to their car, push "open trunk" on their remote and tell me this:

Does the lid pop open completely?

If it only unlocks but doesn't pop-up at all, does it open itself completely after you give it nudge towards the fully open position?

steve333

It doesn't pop up, it just unlocks it. I don't think its supposed to pop up but I could be wrong. Mine never has

alternator

Thanks Steve333. I guess I must accept that Cobalt trunk lids do not pop-up like my former six Cavaliers. Perhaps some engineer saw that as a safety issue.