Chevrolet Cobalt Stopping Short Problem

ladyme

I have a 2006 Cobalt and I used to love it. Now I am somewhat afraid of it. Twice now my car has completely shut off while I was driving it. Everything except the radio and headlights went dead. It is in the shop again being fixed. Has anyone else had this problem?

t_l_mack

:mad: The same thing has happened to me three times. So I took it to the dealership and they told me that my car is in great condition; I didn't accept that. Now they are contacting GM engineers to see if they've heard of others with this same problem. What did they do for you?

ladyme

Well, first...if GM tells you they haven't heard of anyone else with this problem, don't believe them. They looked at my :lemon: car last month. All they did was run the codes to see if the computer picked up anything. It didn't. They then drove it for a mile or so. Nothing. They then said my car was fine, had no problems and it was "...safe to give back to the consumer." Now, though, I have a good lead on what the problem is, but it is hard to find and even harder to prove. But Chevy knows about it...whether they do anything is a different issue.

ladyme

Hey, has GM looked at your car yet?

chugarchezy

:mad: :confuse: I bought my car 6 months ago. I recently experienced the stop n go. I would be at a red light and the car would just shut off. The radio continues to play. I don't know what else to do. I took my car to the dealer on Tuesday. They gave it back to me on Wednesday. I'm taking it back on Friday. They don't have any error codes and frankly I don't even want the car anymore. This is the first car I bought with Chevy and it will be the last!!!!!!

grosloup

Sounds to me like a fuel pump problem. Maybe there is no error codes for that. Could you restart your car after it when dead? or it had to be towed to the dealer?
You know today it's all electronic sensors and sometimes it's hard to pinpoint a problem. Bring it back to the dealer until they fix it. They have to take this seriously.

ladyme

I hear that Chevy knows about the problem, but since it is ntraceable they are bing very hush-hush about it. I actually had them check the fuel pum because one serviceman told me the maybe the car was out of gas and my gas gauge was broken. I knew that wasn't the problem, but he checked it anyway and found nothing.

chugarchezy

The dealer replaced the ECM and the car is doing fine. I haven't had the problem since.

wendaloopa

My father works at the plant in Lordstown that makes the Cobalt (he doesn't work the line, he is a safety engineer). I bought a 2006 Cobalt in Dec 2005 and immediately it began stopping and shutting down while I drive it. They gave me the same run around as did all of the above, the no traceability on the computer, they couldn't recreate the problem, etc. My father started talking to some friends out there and they suggested I remove some of the things I had on my keychain. I am a 30 year old woman and God knows we have tons of crap on them. Wouldn't you know I haven't had the car do it since? Apparently somehow the way the key fits into the chip that makes it start has something wrong with it and all it takes is for the pressure to pull on the key in the ignition just hard enough so the chip doesn't recognize a matching key and BOOM, you are in shutdown. It is actually an anti-theft feature. Obviously an anti driving feature as well. NICE. Right now the car is in the shop since it has now stopped shifting. Basically the car stays in 1st gear no matter how fast I am going. I have been reading up and finding alot of complaints for this too. My Cobalt sounds like a jetliner landing and shutting down any time I slow down. On top of this now my gear shift is screwed up and won't let me remove the key from the ignition even when it is in park. On lighter note my father said that the transmissions are outsourced and built by non-union workers which includes are so well put together ignition. Hope this helps and maybe we should all check your keychain weight, just for safety sake. Good luck.

Wendy

dajumac

I purchased a 2006 Chevy Cobalt for my 18 years old daughter and God knows all the craps she has on her key chain. I had to jump start her car over the weekend and drive it to the dealer 15 miles away on a highway unable to drive faster than 40 mph and once again, technician spent untold hours trying to diagnose the problem and nada. Reading this, I think I found an answer to the problem and we will see.

Thanks for the info.

amolina

I have the same problem. Ironically tho, they fixed it temporarily last year, and now i'm having the second part of your problem this year. My key is held ransom and my shifter is extreamly screwed up. We should file a class action suit against GM.

ladyme

We should file a class action. The car sucks and Chevy told me no one else had the same problems. In addition to the stopping, I had the same problem with my shifter, too, . It was almost like the shiftbelt would melt and become really pliable. It would bunch up everytime I tried to shift. It would get stuck with me and my friend literally trying to kick it out of gear. Between the stopping, the gearshift that they eventually replaced, and the inference that I was making these problem up in my head, I just got rid of the car. I now drive a Scion and I am very happy.

poncho167

So it sucks because of that? This may have been an issue with the Cobalts and HHR's which share the same transmissions, ignitions, but this is not just a GM thing and has occured in the Corolla as well. Its interesting that you decided to start supporting a Japanese company, but when the problems start with that overpriced poor fuel economy car I bet you won't be leaving them. Your friend kicking the shifter and you expect someone to cover that under warranty? It's unfortunate it occured but that doesn't make for a bad car or the I won't buy American mentality.

ladyme

Ok, I don't know if you are one of those racists who believe everything America does is beautiful or if your dad just happens to be a Chevy truck afectionado, but in either case, my decision to buy from a "Japanese company" had nothing to do with the fact that they were Japanese, but careful research on reliability, resale value, etc. So, when a car nearly kills me...twice...yes, I tend to think it sucks. When I am forced to kick the gear shift b/c it is stuck in "drive", then yes, I tend to think a car sucks. And when the company tells me that I am the only one with these issues instead of saying they know and they are working on solving the problem, then yea, I tend to think they suck, too. So please do not project your post 9-11 ultrapatriotism on me. The fact that I want to avoid an untimley end has nothing to do with my love for my country and all of its ignorant...I mean interesting characters.

gerald41

I guess you got a Lemon. I had an 06 with over 40,000 miles on it and only had a few small issues , key stuck and radio). The car was totaled in a head on collision and we walked away without a scratch. We replaced it with an '08 Cobalt in January and it now has 7,000 miles on it and we havn't had 1 issue with it. Bottom line is some cars are Lemons but that doesn't mean all the cars are.

cobaltken

That happened to me the day I bought my 07 Supercharged,I left the dealership and about 5 miles away it did that,So it got towed back.This is what they told me and on my repair sheet,They checked the circuits,found number G107 circuit 1350 had high resistance check G107 found the wire was not completely stripped causing the ground to be poor,they repaired that and I never had it happen again.Talk to your dealer and ask them to check that and see if yours is like mine was.Good luck If you need anymore info let me know.

humphrey_mc

06 cobalt- taken good care of- piece! My car gauges will stop out of nowhere and the car will not go over 5 mph. Once you get to a safe place to turn the car off, it wont restart for at least 15 minutes. I have taken to a mechanic and they said it is a computer malfunction that can not be fixed until they see it in action. Also, the plastic around my shifter has buckled up and doesn't always want to go in park. Please let me know if anyone has experienced these same problems and what to do about them!

dft56

I had bought my 2007 chevy cobalt new and since have had some problems with it. Starting with the minor...the seatbelt wouldn't retract and was fixed. At 12,000 miles the battery had dead cells and wouldn't start. At 14,000 miles i noticed a banging in the front end while going over bumps in the road..railroad tracks etc. The problem was fixed by GM putting new parts on the front end with the only reason by GM mechanic (bad parts). Well now at 16,000 miles the same problem arrived again...the banging in the front end..hope the warranty still covers it as i am taking it back to GM dealership for repairs. Think i made a mistake switching to GM. Had a Dodge Neon and started having problems around 78,000 miles...wonder if the Cobalt will even make it that far? I surely don't think so.

poncho167

Engine wise you probably have the best engine on the market so the longevity will be there with that Ecotec.

dft56

The engine i know is a good one from what i've read on it...the rest is what i wonder about...only 16,000 on it and to have these problems? Not a good thing.

pa356228

Is your cobalt an automatic or Stick Shift? because if it is a stick shift, it could be the clutch. Meaning that either you are letting go the clutch pedal too soon when the streetlight turns green and you are trying to rush the traffic. Just by letting go the clutch pedal too soon will stall the engine and cause it shutdown leaving the radio on (safety feature)

Of course, my question is dumb and is a bad question to ask. If your cobalt is automatic, then you are having about the same problem I am having. I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt LS black sedan-automatic with now 57,138 m, after 50,000 miles, my cobalt has the tensionsity of wanting to stall or shutdown at a streetlight on red, but it doesn't. That's only with the defrosters or foggers on, though. My ignition key is not on a key chain, so it's not the weight. Although, I have never change the fuel filter, yet. Before November 2009, I will have to get my car service.

pa356228

My 2006 Cobalt LS, was in a Showroom before I brought it, never had any problems until after 50,000 miles, I had to do some minor repairs on it, next step is the fuel filter, and brakes.

One thing good about it is the gas milage which consumes 34mpg/hwy 27mpg/city
and also, never had to buy brakes for my car since I brought it, of course now the brakes are starting to squeek. I'm a 18wheeler truck driver and know all about brake fading and using brake procedures properly.

Don't wonder about too much, my friend had a cobalt two door, and the transmission went within 5,000 miles after buying it brand new, front struts were bad, headgasket cracked, A/C didn't want to work half of the times, again only less than 5,000 miles on it, brand new. So, my friend had to trade that cobalt in for another 2007 Chevy Cobalt two doors automatic. So, far no problems. 16,000 miles guess it is bad karma assuming the worst. Your in much better shape then the friend were. In the world, glass is half full.

mccardle

Our 07 Cobalt had grinding noises in the rear brakes and rattling wheel covers since new. The dealer Roberts Chevrolet has a service adviser named Craig who actually laughed at my wife and said there's nothing wrong with your car. We were told they all do that but your the only one that complains. The car was embarrassing to drive. This is NOT a very well built car. We recently traded it in on a Kia sorento. I would advise anyone to stay away from Roberts Chevrolet and Cobalts.

dwaters217

Hi. I have a 2005 Chevy Cobalt. Out of know where the engine just stops and the car goes dead. It happens several times a day. I am scared to drive my car. I don't know what to do. When I bring it into the shop they can't find anything wrong. I am worried that one of these days the car is going to stop in an intersection or on the highway and something horrible will happen. It seems like there are so many of us with this problem. I just don't understand how the car hasn't been recalled. Has anyone found a way to fix it? Has anyone contacted Chevy?

dft56

I had Sears put on the top of the line wearever brake shoes from advance auto parts as chevy puts cheap brake shoe on. the rattling in the hubcaps are because of the plastic wheel nuts for the hubcaps..nothing to do about that excerpt keep tightening them.

stig_wanna_be

I just put my cobalt past 182,000km/~113,000mi and the only thing that I have to deal with the computer giving me the occasional knock sensor code because I am too lazy to figure out if where the spark plug sits is stripped and a rattle in the dash board because a rock I kept on the dash for luck fell into the vent. Just putting that out there to support your arguement. Sorry to hear about your other cobalt though I'm glad you've made it out of that collision without a scratch.

Kirstie_H

I wonder if the engine shut-off while driving issue reported in the first post of this thread is related to the recent GM faulty ignition switch recall on Chevrolet Cobalts of this era?
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020104579431141203677528

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to speak with a GM owner whose vehicle has been subject to the recent recalls, and whose vehicle has experienced sudden stalling. If you and your vehicle fit this criteria, please contact us at pr@edmunds.com by Friday, March 21, 2014.

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to speak to a GM owner whose car was part of the latest rounds of recalls and had all necessary recall work completed. If this is you, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, 4/15/14 at noon PT/3 p.m. ET.