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Chevrolet Cobalt

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Comments

  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    A KIA Spectra. Problem is, they're too reliable - Chevy buffs would miss the "involvement" they associate with Mexican-made iron...
  • ejackson75ejackson75 Member Posts: 3
    Chevy has not had the best reputation, but up until yesterday I owned 3.
    1. 2005 Cobalt
    2. 2005 Colorado
    3. 1997 Cavalier

    All three were purchased in 2005; the Cobalt in April, the Colorado in June, and the Cavalier in August. At the time my husband worked as a sales consultant for a Chevy dealer.

    The Cavalier was purchased to give to my mother when she gets her license (which she hasn't gotten yet)so the car has sat in storage for almost 2 years and we go out and start it and it fires right up. Great Car!!!!

    The Colorado was purchased as an economical decision with soaring gas prices. Dodge Ram or Chevy Colorado? Great little truck!!!!! minus the recent recall on the brake lights??????

    We have been pleased with both cars.........

    Then there is the Cobalt with numerous problems arising once it hit between 12-15 thousand miles (basically within the last year) The car has spent more time parked at the dealership then in my drive way for my use. I traded it in for Sebring Convertible when the Cobalt had only 20,000 miles on it yesterday.

    I really would not reccommend this car .... my husband sells cars and he wouldn't reccommend this purchase to anyone. He sold the Cobalt to me when I bought it and we have spent this past year trying to find a way for me to get out of the car and deal with the negative equity that the car incurred so I wouldn't have an out of site car payment.

    If you are in the market for a small car buy something else .... Hyundai Accent, Ford Focus, etc.. Don't buy a Cobalt .... you may regret it.
  • ejackson75ejackson75 Member Posts: 3
    People dig it because its a pretty little car. Kind of like some people -- they seem to have great personalities or be reliable. Then after a couple years and some wear on the tires the truth comes out. I believe lemons exist ... but if consumer reports is giving bad marks you may want to listen after all it is a CONSUMER REPORT!!
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    Yes, it is a consumer report. My question was, is and always will be: What is a red dot? A black dot? How many "reports" get you a black dot? With JD Power, you get a rote figure (102 problems per 100 cars or 1.02 per car). Now, is a broken knob the equivalent of a blown engine when they count problems, I don't know, but I'd rather take a real number and form my OWN opinion as to a car's reliability, than to trust CU to take those numbers, and give me their opinion, because I have to trust that their opinion is truely unbiased, even though it is human nature to have youor own likes and dislikes about a particular brand, model, etc.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I was wondering if the "cloth seats" in the Cobalt do the same as those in the Chevrolet Equinox. They easily get stained (even with water). I'm about to buy a Cobalt but I wonder if I should get the cloth or leather seats. What do you have in yours? and, Are you satisfied with them? Comfortable?
  • gman55gman55 Member Posts: 5
    After reading the last couple of pages here I would like to give my two cents worth.

    - Bought my LS Coupe in June of '06
    - Have 12,000+ plus miles (will avg. 20K per year)
    - Wished I had power windows.
    - Power locks seem useless since locks engage when in drive and open when in park.
    - Took awhile to get used to "new" blind spot

    The Good,

    31 MPG
    Great handling
    Good price (12K)
    Good looks

    The Bad,

    Poor spoiler fit (leaks water from left pylon after wash)
    Wheel covers "squeak" over bumps (dealer re-taped, starting to squeak again)

    Opinion:

    Great car for the money and does what I needed it to do.
  • shovelmanshovelman Member Posts: 1
    Have heard about a couple of Cobalts that will not start and GM can not fix it. I have just ordered a Cobalt and am getting antsy about it. Anyone heard about this problem?
  • alan34alan34 Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2006 Cobalt LT/5 speed. For the past several months the front suspension makes a loud noise if the car is driven over anything but a ultra smooth road. My dealer has replaced my steering shaft twice but this does not seem to help. I am getting very frustrated with this problem. My 2004 Impala LS has been problem free and for this reason we went back to GM for our second car. Has anyone had the same problem? If so is there a fix for it that I can tell the dealer? Thanks!!!!
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Is the Cobalt's front suspension equipped with "struts". If so, I've encountered lots of Chevrolet Equinox with the similar description as yours and the problem was the struts. The noise is worst on "speed bumps" even at a very low speed.
  • tsarmywifetsarmywife Member Posts: 1
    I do not recommend this car to anyone. I have had nothing but problems from day one. Yes, it does have a problem with not starting and if I don't press in the clutch a certain way, it won't start. I brought a 2007 SS Supercharged and you have to use premium unleaded in it. My has a problem with wanting to speed up even when I don't have my foot on the gas pedal. The chevy dealership tells me it is how I am driving it. When the car had 500 miles on it, the clutch master cylinder went out and left me stranded. My car is a lemon....I am going to be trading it in soon....and it doesn't have that many miles on it...save yourself some headache and heartache...don't buy this car.... :sick:
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    If you find one bad apple in a basket, are you going to throw the entire basket away?
    If your dentist finds one bad tooth cavity in your mouth, are you going to tell him to pull all of them out.
    You're right, there are lemons out there in every kind and brand of vehicule. Unfortunately, you got one. Get rid of it, but don't declare the Cobalts all lemons, lots of my friends own Cobalts and all are trouble free.

    Better luck with your next car.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    Oh puleeeeeeeeze. Sometimes poor reputations are well earned.

    If you heard that a restaurant had bad food and went there anyway and got a bad meal, would you go back?

    Pay the extra couple of grand for a Civic and stop dealing with those problems.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    DUH! If somebody would tell me that a restaurant had bad food I wouldn't be so stupid and go there in the first place to have a meal.
    I often go at a famous steak house. My first times there we're great but it happened once that my steak was burned but I returned and all the other times the steak was excellent (as usual).
    Maybe that Cobalt SS was a bad steak and the others are great. (Like my friends).

    Yeah! Buy a Civic and put one of our citizen on unemployment insurance. Great for our economy.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    "DUH! If somebody would tell me that a restaurant had bad food I wouldn't be so stupid and go there in the first place to have a meal."

    Yet you disregard all the reviews of the Cobalt and recommend it to others.

    All Civics sold in America are made in Ohio. The Cobalt is probably made in Mexico. I'm a patriot, but I'm not buying an inferior product. I was a GM loyalist, but after getting burnt by them I have no intention of going back.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    You must be a very unlucky person. I'm a loyal G.M. owner since my first car and all were G.M's 1971, 1975 (used) and then 1977, 1983, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2005 (new) and I'm looking forward to buy a new Cobalt, YES A COBALT in 2009 and I'm not afraid at all of that car's performance. All those cars, trucks, vans, suv's that I owned gave me satisfaction and no major problems. On average I drive 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year.
    My father and grand father were G.M. maniacs. I guess it runs in the family cause my son is in love with his car. Can you guess what he's driving? A COBALT SS.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    My lucks been great in the last dozen years that I've owned 2 hondas and a nissan..... go figure. My Altima has 40k and has never had any repairs (not just major repairs but any repairs). My Camaro on the other hand was falling apart at 50k.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I agree with you, the camaro and firebird were real "junk" cars. Unfortunately, lots of people who didn't know to much about cars fell for them and got caught.
    I see that your Altima, hondas and nissans are as good as my chevrolets, pontiacs and G.M.C. were.
    The only repairs I've done on all my previous cars were normal repairs, tune-ups, brakes, mufflers, shocks, light bulbs etc... One of these days, you'll have to change (repair) those parts to.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    One of these days but if I bought a Chevy I'd be changing them already. I'm the only import buyer in a family of domestic loyalists. None of their recent cars have been horrible but they've all dealt with stupid little problems that they just accept as normal. I'd rather not deal with it.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Like they say "Every family has a black sheep"
    We'll, good luck anyways with your japanese toy.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Sounds like you are each happy with what you've got and that is what is important. So, end of argument. :shades:
  • kate17kate17 Member Posts: 3
    I definately agree! My parents bought a 1993 Chevy Lumina Euro brand new, it had 3 miles on it. Wheny I got my license, they gave it to me and when I finally got a new car, my lumina had 185,000 miles on it. My sister bought it from my parents, and then sold it to one of her friends who is till driving 15 years later. It has 250,000 miles on it, and my sis's friends says it runs great. It goes to show ya, if you take care of a car its going to last you. Chevy is a good a good product and I will probably buy chevy for the rest of my life! By the way, I have a 2005 Cobalt, and I absolutely love it. The SS gets great reviews.
  • kate17kate17 Member Posts: 3
    I have never heard of a problem. The only big problems are the ignition and a seal on the air conditioning hose. I had both problems, but my warranty covered them, and the problem is completley gone now.

    The ignition: The key gets stuck, and when you turn the car on, you can take the key out and put the car in gear and everything, its kinda funny at first.

    The Seal: I live in Michigan, and we have some pretty hot summers. Summer of 06 was hot, and I used my air everyday it seems like. One day I noticed this huge puddle of water on my passenger floor. I immediately took it the dealer, they fixed it and end of story.

    So, for the Cobalt being a completely new model, I am going to expect some problems. But GM is working the kinks out, and I believe the Cobalt will do nothing but get better. Nice replacement for the Cavy.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    They're supposed to work the kinks out before you buy it. You set the bar too low.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    "but if consumer reports is giving bad marks you may want to listen after all it is a CONSUMER REPORT!!"

    A little late for a response, but I couldn't resist.

    Consumer Reports, auto's, you have got to be kidding me.

    CR is a good source for toasters, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, etc., but I wouldn't go much further than that. Their recent scandal involving the child safety seats and the outsourcing of the test was not good for them, not to mention other questionable practices.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I haven't been on the message board since the big Edmunds change over.

    The early Cobalts had the starting ignition problem and I thought they corrected that. The issue was with the ignition model if I recall. This was also an issue with some Toyota's and others as well.

    The notion that a Civic is far superior is a false. The cars are so close that there really is no gap in quality to speak of. Most of us already know that Chevy's are long runners. The Civic has been a real good car for Honda for a long time but in 2006, it was one of the most recalled models so that inconvenience is not good for their reliability rating.
  • kate17kate17 Member Posts: 3
    Set the bar too low? Ok, Donald Trump. What do you drive, a Mercedes Benz? :P
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    If all goes well, I will be the owner of a 2007 Cobalt LTZ on Saturday. The color is the Sport Red, and some of the options are the sunroof, Onstar, and the CD changer. I have driven the LTZ, and I must say I am amazed at how quiet it really is. My Buick was no where near this quiet. Anyway I will keep everyone posted :D
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Amazing. What model of Buick are you comparing the Cobalt to.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    The Cobalt may be quiet for a small car, but Buick sets the standard for quiet.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    No Kate. You can drive a lesser car than a Benz and still reasonably expect to not have to deal with multiple warranty repairs.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    I am now the owner of my new Cobalt. Like I mentioned above, this car is very quiet. The Buick I was comparing the Cobalt with was my old 99 Regal GSE. A very good car in its own right, but I still think the Cobalt LTZ is a little quieter. I have not driven any of the new Buicks with the "quiettuning" So far I really like the car. It has pretty good power, smooth transmission shifts, and it rides pretty good. The XM radio is great. Gas mileage is pretty good too, but hopefully that will get better as the engine is borken in.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    Congratulations! Hope you enjoy your Cobalt and have many year of fun with it. I'm happy for you. I bought a 2005 Equinox FWD LT new and I'm looking forward to bying a Cobalt as my next car. That's why I look at all the comments on the Cobalt forum. So far it seems to be a very good and well built car. Take care. The Cobalt is said to be superior to the late Cavalier, that's what my wife used to own and we thought it was perfect, imagine the Cobalt.
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    Hello there. I work with GM vehicles on a daily basis. And yes when i saw the Cobalt the 1st time they roll them out, after years suffering with the prehistorical Cavalier i thought WOW.....but then that WOW turned to ohhhh ok..... I dont believe the Cobalt is the worst car out there...but i truly believe that after decades of inferior small car products like the Cavalier/Sunfire, i though GM would do better. Yes the Cobalt is light years ahead of the Cavalier, but is poorly excecuted. Ok first, rear seat room even by small cars standards is abysmal. The car itself is big (or looks big outside) but inside is very cramped. The engine in my opinion is very good, noisy but has good fuel economy. Interior quality is average at best. All u touch inside is thin hollow plastic. Try knocking the dashboard and listen the sounds those plastics make, like there's nothing behind them, empty and hollow. The small steering wheel is a joke and the electric power steering is lifeless. And the ignition key system is a BIG problem in this vehicles, bad bad bad quality ignitions. Keys get stuck in them, people getting stranded all the time because of this, is no joke. Leaky A/C's too. Not all is bad, the car is very spirited, good fuel economy, good look's, the Coupe LT and SS in my opinion look's awesome black on black. As i said is not the worst car ever, but by 2007 standards should be better. Now let's see how many years will pass 'till GM brings a brand new Cobalt. Hope no more than 10 yrs.
  • exzur2071exzur2071 Member Posts: 43
    I drove a new 2006 Cobalt SS supercharged out of dealer's lot last Feb 1st. So far so good for the frst 756 miles. The mpg is closed to 28 according to the computer.

    Problem is the yellow leather insert where I seat got stretched and wrinkled. Looks like very cheap letaher was put in place.
  • exzur2071exzur2071 Member Posts: 43
    Dealer acknowledged the defect. Leather seat insert cover will be replaced. Also there is a recall #06217 Head Impact Protection. Dealer will perform the recall.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    What year Cobalts are you relating to with the AC and ignition problems. I thought those issues were mostly 2005 models. As far as the backseat is concerned you haven't been in to many compact cars have you. Pretty much most cars in this class have a backseat issue and the Cobalt is no different but can hold 3 adults none the less, 2 in comfort. Very quiet car and really who goes around tapping on and rubbing interior plastics. Great plastics and they don't get you sick like some of the low quality high chemical fume plastics that Toyota and others have been using.
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    Well David when u work on a daily basis with cars, you learn how to tell between good and bad quality. Who goes tapping around plastics? People who know about cars and have worked with automobiles for a long time. Toyota think they are invincible, and the bigger they get, the harded will fall (if they ever)...and im not a Toyota fan...i belive their cars are souless and dull, but they are reliable and mostly constructed with good quality materials (some models are the exception). I belive in alternatives, i belive to drive not what everyone drives. But some alternatives are not worth the cost. For example: Choice between A Chevrolet Cobalt or a Mitsubishi Lancer? Or a Nissan Sentra? Or a Kia Spectra? Go ask any people who owns any of this cars are more likely they will tell you their cars are good (note that i said good, not excellent)cars (if they are people who take care of their vehicles). As i said in my previous messg, I NEVER sais Cobalt's were the worst vehicles, but when you wait more than 10 yrs for a replacement, and they send you a dissapointment, well you should understand why the reports and reviews for the Cobalt are so low. The car is mediocre. ION is even more mediocre. G5 is a desperate rebadging. Oh well. And btw, 06 and 07 Cobalts, ION, even Hummer's H3 still have crappy ignitions.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,280
    The back seat in a Corolla was surprisingly comfortable. When I was in my friend's I actually noted that I was surprised about how room it is.

    The taller roof allows the back seat to be higher so that you're not sitting on the floor.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I never owned a small car but by daughter has a 1995 Toyota Corolla with 107000 milles on it and my niece has a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier with only 53000 milles. Both are base models. I'm not saying that the Cavalier is no good, by the way I like very much the car and planing to buy a Cobalt in the future.
    My point is that the comfort of the Corolla's back seat and suspension is not comparable with the Cavalier. The Corolla is much more comfortable. Why? I can't figure it out.
    I'm not saying that those cars ain't good. I'm only comparing the ride.
  • gerald41gerald41 Member Posts: 37
    I've posted in the past. I own a 06 Cobalt lt Coupe that now has 38,500 miles on it. I drive over 150 miles a day and the only issue I had with this car was the shift assembly being changed because of the key being stuck in the ignition. I just now replaced the tires, I never like the michelins anyway with a set of good year eagles. Much better ride. The car is flawless Great ride for it's size Good MPG's I average 29 hwy. Nothing has failed or broke in this car and I drive the hell out of it. I wouldn't think twice about buying another cobalt in 3 years when I'm in the market for a car again.

    For the record I don't listen to consumer reports I owned a 94 Cavalier that I sold with 182,000 miles on it, and it never gave me any serious problem nor did it ever strand me.
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I'm planning on buying a Cobalt but I can't decide on which model. Coupe LT. or Coupe SS (not supercharged) that's where I'm stuck. And my other concern is... How does it handle snowstorms cause here we get lots of it.
    But my mind is made on a Coupe.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I have owned 7-8 cars/trucks including a 1967 GTO convertible that I sold 2-years-ago. I do my own maintenance and most of anything else that should arise. I would consider myself a car guy because it is one of my hobbies. Going back to the plastic tapping and feeling, that is an amateur thing new car buyers do like kicking car tires.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    As I have mentioned more than once CR is a joke of a magazine if you rely on them for automobile statistics/tests. CR doesn't use the general publics car experience, they only use peoples opinions who subscribe to their magazine; additionally, CR is now trying to recover from a false report about child car seats in which almost every seat failed in its test. CR admitted that they outsourced the tests and there was a mistake in how they were evaluated. If CR outsources tests, we have no way to know the legitimacy of the tests and the people who are doing the tests. This information further answers my
  • aladdinsanealaddinsane Member Posts: 182
    Hi...

    As far as the Cobalt tracking in snowstorms? I'm curious about that too. I hope someone in the know is able to answer that one for us.

    I also have this strong feeling that for 2008 Chevy will add electronic stability/PLUS traction control, as an option, with its higher priced versions of the Cobalt.
    Time will tell-

    Cheers-

    Peace!<- :shades: --
  • gerald41gerald41 Member Posts: 37
    I drive from whiteplains N.Y to NYC everyday and the car handles very well in snow. I wouldn't say it's better or worse than any other front wheel drive car with traction control. What I will add is that the factory tires do make a difference. When I bought my cobalt LT it came with 205/55HR16 michelins energy mvx4 , another family member has the same car but is an 05 and it came with perellis. I think the perellis p-6 are much better in the snow than the michellin's which don't seem to clean the snow from the grooves as well. Just my opinion since I've drivin both cars in snow. I now have Good year Eagles Size: 205/50HR16
    on the car we'll see how they do next winter, I went a little wider.
    The car is closing in on 40,000 miles and still has not had any issues other then the key being stuck. Shifter assembly fixed that.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    I recently purchased a new Cobalt LTZ with the sunroof. I opened it fully today, and I was apalled at the amount of wind noise. I was wondering if anyone out there has the same problem (probably), and if a sunroof deflector would help. :confuse:
  • grosloupgrosloup Member Posts: 239
    I would like to know some negative points and positive points about the or your cobalt.
    Thanks in advance.
  • wr_guywr_guy Member Posts: 13
    I think it's a great car and the price was right.

    Sure it's no Cadillac nor is it a Porsche but it drives fine with a good ride and plenty of power.

    Yes my VW golfs and passats were better driving and better made but the chevy is much cheaper than either of them.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    I only have about 2300 miles on my car, but I absolutely love the car, and would recommend it to anyone. I bought the LTZ pkg, and I am so glad I did. I find the power of the engine very good, gas mileage is not as good as the competition, but I am getting around 27mpg. The braking and the steering are pretty good. I also like the features that are standard, that are not available on the competition. Trunk room is deceiving, it is bigger than it looks. And the back seat is pretty comfortable from what I hear. Overall, it is a great car for the price. Recommend Onstar, and XM radio, both worthwhile options. :)
  • babercrombie21babercrombie21 Member Posts: 1
    i saw your posting about your cobalt. when you mentioned the issue of the key being stuck. are you talking about when you shut the car off and the key wont turn all the way off.
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