I love/hate my Cobalt
cobalt_bc_
Member Posts: 4
in Chevrolet
i own a 2006 cobalt, from the day i bought it i have had noting but problems and now 8 months later i am haveing even more problems.
1, my car was in a small accident coming of the delivery truck and i wasn't told about it until the paper work went through.
2, we were going around a narrow winedy lake road when all of a sudden for now reason and with no warning my car just shut off, i was told it was a safety feature (really safe lol),
3, my window regulator broke in the winter and was replaced, and is now broken again.
4, my defrost takes about and hour to defrost my windows, and i am told by gm that this is normal.
5, all of my mirrors wont stay in place.
6, the thradal body is now having problems.
7, and just now today it is telling me to service my airbags and the are bags have deactivated them selves.
And with all these problems the dealer ship is telling me i got a good deal and a good car.
I WARN ANYONE WHO IS INTRESTED IN BUYING A COBALT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULDN'T WISH THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY.
1, my car was in a small accident coming of the delivery truck and i wasn't told about it until the paper work went through.
2, we were going around a narrow winedy lake road when all of a sudden for now reason and with no warning my car just shut off, i was told it was a safety feature (really safe lol),
3, my window regulator broke in the winter and was replaced, and is now broken again.
4, my defrost takes about and hour to defrost my windows, and i am told by gm that this is normal.
5, all of my mirrors wont stay in place.
6, the thradal body is now having problems.
7, and just now today it is telling me to service my airbags and the are bags have deactivated them selves.
And with all these problems the dealer ship is telling me i got a good deal and a good car.
I WARN ANYONE WHO IS INTRESTED IN BUYING A COBALT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULDN'T WISH THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY.
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If your cobalt stopped in the middle of a mountain road, that also could be grounds to get your money back on the car under your states lemon laws.
My defroster is fast.
A buddy of mine and myself both bought loaded new 2006 cobalts SS models. After about 9000 miles each, we've had Zero problems. It is for me a delight to own and drive.
I'm very sorry to hear that you dislike or hate your Cobalt because everyone I know had problems but they got fixed and now they love their Cobalt. Good thing it's still on warranty.
There are some lemons in every car family and I guess you got one. Sorry about my wisecrack, I knew all the time you were talking about your car and not your son. He must be adorable but I'm the kind of person that's alway's joking. No hard feelings.
I don't blame you and I agree with you, riding with your love ones in a car that is not very safe that's not good at all.
You seem to be a caring and loving person for your family, don't stop. I hope everything's gonna turn up O.K. for you.
Good Luck!
How about winter driving with the Cobalt? I was thinking of buying one for my daughter but now I'm not to sure about it cause I'm taking your word for it. Thanks!
i do have to admit that the car did pretty good in the winter months, we had no problems in the snow, but the stock tires aren't the best in the rain for traction. And i would recomend getting a sun roof because it sure gets hot in the summer without one.
You can get a problem item in anything you buy today, but it doesn't mean they all have that issue. I had bought a Sony plasma tv and a few nights later the power switch failed and had to be replaced. That doesn't mean every tv is bad, same with cars.
Cobalt is a hit in my family and would recommend it highly.
This is my first car, and I have to say that I love it. I only had a tiny issue with the sun roof button before I bought it and the sun roof cover being stuck. But they fixed it before I drove it off the lot after I bought it.
It drives great, handels wonderfully. When I was car shopping I test drove a new Lexus IS300, and I still liked the way the Cobalt handeled. (Though of course I was still trying to justifiy spending the extra money for the lexus.)
I still would have bought the Cobalt. It has 20 miles on it when I bought it last year August, and now has 7k miles. The only thing that I have had to do was get the oil changed and regular maintaince.
Now if I can only calm down my driving so I can enjoy the wonderfull gas mileage this car has. (The woes of a lead foot)
Not to mention I have gotten loads of compliments on my cute little red Cobalt.
Just brings back bad memories that I have had with Chevrolets. Looks like I will be buying Fords from now on.
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
1) 2 weeks after I got the car the pieces in my doors started coming apart (I finally got that fixed after 7mos)
2) Took it in for an alignment 3 weeks after I got the car (It was pulling)
3) I've taken my car in 3 times for this...e-brake and highbeams coming on randomly and blinding people...(upgraded to 06' software...hasn't done it since)
4) Also taken it back 3 times...CD Player saying "error" and "no disc" when there was one...and wouldn't eject the CD. (on the 4th trip they finally replaced the CD player)
5) Passenger side speaker went out, it was bad...they fixed it.
6) There was a vibration that eventually got really bad when I would go on long trips...found out my rotors we're irregularly warped or worn. (Please...this car wasn't even a yr old!)
7) My little cruise control button feels like it wasn't detached right (no big deal yet, but ...it will eventually fall off!)
this was all in less than 8,000 miles!
and now....with 12,000 miles...the newest edition to my long list of PROBLEMS would be MY KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION! Yeah, I haven't gotten ahold of my dealership b/c i've been so damn busy...but, it's happened 8 times in the past week. So, we're going to get that fixed!!! I still LOVE my car tho....even after all that, I just hate her sometimes! hahaha
Here is where I need some help. I got my first car a 1973 Dodge Swinger (the only one bought used) at 18 yrs. old then a 1977 Chev. Chevelle Malibu Classic at 20, a 1984 Chev. Blazer S-10 at 27, a 1992 GMC Safari at 35, a 1994 Chev. Blazer S-10 at 37, a 1999 Chev. Venture at 42 and now I drive a 2005 Chev. Equinox 48 when I bought it. I'm going on 50 and I'm interested on buying a Cobalt SS Coupe. Since 1984 I've been a truck owner and now going back to a car? As you can see I've been a loyal G.M. lover for a long time. Is my decision a normal one or I'm I going crazy? What kind of car is realy the Cobalt? Good or Bad?
That said....In the small car category, the most reliable vehicles are the new Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Toyota Corolla. The Chevrolet Cobalt, with 37 percent more problems than the average, scored the lowest among small cars, followed by the Nissan Sentra (2006), the Volkswagen Jetta (5-cyl.) and the Chevrolet Aveo.
Consumer reports rates the reliability of the Cobalt as the worst among small cars. I'm not a CR subscriber and I'm not fond of the fact that CR only surveys it's subscribers.
How can I say this without offending Cobalt owners.....OK, IMO every small car currently made and sold in the US would be preferred over the Cobalt.
How can I say this without offending Cobalt owners.....OK, IMO every small car currently made and sold in the US would be preferred over the Cobalt." ((
How can I say what I'm about to say without offending, hmmm... oh, yeah, you.....OK, IMO you've repeatedly gone out of your way to denigrate Consumer Reports over several months with allegations of the publisher's bias towards subscribers, (funny, CR does report the bad along with the good in their subscriber-based surveys - which does represent a rather broad portion of the socio-economic spectrum...) but then use the publication's (allegedly suspect) ratings to excoriate the Cobalt. If both CR and the Cobalt's deficiencies are so unnerving for you, why do you persist in mentally flagellating yourself by dwelling on them?
I'm looking forward to buying a Cobalt Coupe SS (not supercharged) because it seems to be a great car. I agree there are some lemons in every brand of cars.
I can see you live in the north-east. How was the winter driving (ice and snow) last year. I live just north of you (Canada) where there is plenty of snow and that's my biggest concern. To face the winter season with a Cobalt. Do you ride on snow tires? By your name I figure you're 41. Right?
If not how old are you and your co-workers? Cause people tell me that the Cobalt Coupe is for young people only. I'm going on 50 and I love the Cobalt. My wife had a 1998 Cavalier and she never had any problems and they say that the Cobalt is much better than the Cavalier. So it must be a fantastic car.
No problems whatsoever; very quick with the stick shift. Saved $6,000 vs. getting a Honda Civic Coupe (the regular, not the Si!). 35 mpg on my commute (calculated by hand over many gas tanks; the onboard computer is 1 mpg optimistic).
I guess my next car will be a Cobalt Coupe SS. Now I'm more confidant about the winter season. I agree with Ray h1 about the hassle the coupe could be versus a sedan but my wife seems to like more the coupe (sportier look)she says. And yes Cobalts are made for the old guys like us that feel young as we are.
Thanks again for your help.
First let me say I own a 2006 Cobalt. I purchasd the Cobalt for 2 reasons first I owned a 94 Cavalier which gave me 183,000 good miles, second I have a relative which works for a chevrolet dealer. Currently I have 6,000 miles on the cobalt my only problem was the dreaded "key stuck in the ignition" problem. It was an easy fix having my car in and out the shop in around an hour. Here's the comon issues that Cobalts suffer according to my cousin.
Key stuck 05 and 06 models. pin in shifter assembly falls out of alignment, fix change complete shifter assembly that has improved pin.
A/C leaks mainly 05's seal on unit is poor, they reseal it with a new seal.
All other issues are rare, the 2 above account for most service calls. He says the key being stuck happens to nearly 6 out of every 10 cars and you might see a recall coming because of that. The average car starts seeing this problem between 5 and 10 thousand miles.
Steering colume vibration very rare has only seen 1 car with this problem.
Interior sunroof moulding falls off. New clips installed.
There are a few other issues He mentioned that I forgot but those were the most common.
Without doubt though the Key stuck is very common, they see them everyday.New shifter assemblys are fixed, but he's says even as recent as the summer some of the replacement shifters still had the problem and had to be changed again.
So if you key starts to give you problems go to the dealer and have the shifter assemby changed It won't go away by itself and will only get worse.
So, what's the big problem? My car won't start & the key is STILL stuck in the ignition! Yesterday my brother goes out to my car to get his sweater & uses the keyless entry. He said when he pushed the "unlock" button, it didn't work. So, then he had to use the key to unlock the door. Then, he says he tried to pop the trunk (using the button), and nothing. He then thinks he needs to put the key in the ignition to activate the power, and when he does the trunk still doesn't pop open. After that he couldn't release the key from the ignition. Next, he said he tried to start the engine to release it, and the car never started! So he goes & gets me... and of course I'm thinking you just need to mess with the key for a bit & it'll pop out. But what suprised me was the car was COMPLETELY DEAD! And no, it wasn't my battery! Even if it was the battery, the trunk should still be able to pop open, right? So, everyone there gives it a shot, and nothing. I wait about 2 hours & try it again. The key only moves forward (which starts the engine), then moves back but I still can't get it out!
So I call the dealership, and the lady says everyone is busy & someone will have to call me back. She gets my name, and number & the type of vehicle I drive. So I'm waiting here thinking someone will call within the hour, nothing. I call again, she says the same thing, "Nobody is available for her to transfer me to", and says she can get my info again. So... Here I am on the net tryin to research & see if this has been a problem for anybody else. I can see that the key getting stuck in the ignition is quite common. BUT... I think I've only seen one other person post about a "lease" they had where the car didn't start, but they were able to get the key out, but had to get it towed back to the dealership, and got another Cobalt. Well, mine is a purchase & I'm pretty much stuck with it unless I shop for a new vehicle. I'll admit that I was having the whole "key stuck in the ignition" problem as well for at lease 3-4 weeks, but my busy schedule kept me from gettin it to the dealership. I guess that was my problem for not getttin it taken care of right away.... BUT WHY DID MY CAR HAVE TO DIE??? Since nobody from the Dealership is calling me back it looks like I need to get it towed. I'm sure they're gonna have it for more than a day. Do you know if they pay for a rental while it's getting worked on?
I'm soooooo ticked about this! That was the whole point of me gettin a brand new vehicle, so I wouldn't run into any problems like this. It's only been a year & a half since I've had my Cobalt =(
(One final point - your car didn't "HAVE TO DIE". It just did. The lock-the-ignition-key-in-the-switch malady is an equal opportunity aggravation.)
Do you know what has to be done with in regards to the steering vibration? I have been to the dealership 4-5 times about this problem and they can not figure out what it is. The vibration occurs once every 2 months or so, but it's scary as heck... Any advice will help! thanks!
Basically happy with both.
ONE problem I have had....while driving down the innerstate at 70 MPH the brake warning light blinked on...checked fluid and that was ok...it did not do it again for 3000 miles. This is one of those deals where the dealer cannot duplicate the problem because the light does not blink regularly...only twice in 23000 miles.
I did notice that the brake pedal seems to be higher/lower at randon.
Has anyone else had this difficulty?
I would just like to find out what needs replaced.
Thanks.
Have you ever had a problem with uneven tire wear or vibration ?
Both of mine have and I just do not know what to have checked.
1) The car sat in my drive way over night several times and had to be jump started -- I took it to the dealership and apparently the battery was dead bad fuse or wire or something...... funny little thing is that after the battery was replaced the car still had to be jumpstarted a coupl eof times my husband and I finally deducted that I had to UNPLUG the cell phone charger I think that thing only pulls 1 amp, but apparently the poor car couldn't handle it .... so those people charging their cell phones in their cars over night I wouldn't reccommend it with this car.
2.) The motor in the sunroof died .... then the bracket around the button to the sunroof fell out of the ceiling.
3.) The little ashtray/garbage container wouldn't close it kept falling open and I kept having to replace it.
4.) The clip on the center console broke.
5.) The paint on the bumper started peeling for no real good reason?????? Get that one.
6.) Then lastly -- the straw that snapped the cammels back was -- getting pulled over by a cop because the brake lights and my left turn signal were out.
I have owned other makes/models of cars in the past 10-15 years I have never had to replace lightbulbs, or window motors in the cars before my loan was finished!!!!
7.) The most pitiful part of all is that I decided to trade it in and buy Sebring Convertible and the fleet manager said he couldn't give me a good deal on the trade because he was going to send the car to auction and not recondition it for resale --- I know some of you are thinking oh the dealership is lying to you ..... BUT my husband works for that dealership and they had to really work a deal so I could get out of my headache that we all call a Chevrolet Cobalt.
Maybe I got a LEMON, but truthfully my husband worked for that dealership when I bought that car. It was a new model and he now tells me that people are turning them in like hotcakes and that because their is such a high turn over and the market is saturated with them that they don't hold their value.
BUYER BEWARE!!!!!
- Cheap wheel covers "squeak" over road bumps. (dealer re-taped)
- Seatbelt retract mechanism getting weak, closing door on it.
- Spoiler's left pylon leaks water days after a high pressure wash.
Haven't had any of the other problems listed here though...
Guess I'm just lucky...so far.
I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU COBALT OWNERS I WISH I HAD THIS KNOWLEDGE WHEN IT HAPPENED TO MY CAR!!! :P
Janice
What do you think of black cars. Good choise or not.
In the past my cars were beige, gray, red and blue. Now my wife wants black for our next car. Need some advise, negative or positive.