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Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems

2

Comments

  • rctariorctario Member Posts: 1
    ended up with a 09 cobalt lt isb2 sedan. no real complaints with the car. 25,000km, drove it from b.c. to toronto. no problems. the car is designed for maximum velocity? went 11,000 with 39% left on the oil guage. still clean and didn't use any. windshield wiper resevour holds nearly 2 5l containers. motor, 2.2L VVT 155hp is very strong at certain rpms, a bit wheezy at slow speeds, but very acceptable, much better than old z24 cavaliers. overall a good car. only complaint, at 6 foot 4, i cant get comfortable.

    great car for the price. 22,000 taxes included.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    The steering column had a rattle when driving on gravel roads. The dealer replaced the steering column and the noise has disappeared. I have 2700 miles on an LT1 coupe I bought in September. No other problems and I've used the car for one 400 mile each way trip as well as around town. The dealer said that the 05 and 06 models had a few small problems but nothing big. .I drove an 06 Impala for two years and that was trouble free as well. I don't have any problem with GM cars. My 03 Deville has been trouble free since I bought it and it has 71,000 miles on it.
  • franco8franco8 Member Posts: 3
    I feel for George. People buy a new car so they do not have to bring it in for repairs except very few exceptions. I brought my Impala 2003 in at least 15 times for repairs on the steering system until I got rid from desperation and now it's happening the same with my Malibu 2005 with only 14,000 miles!. After 4 repairs the problem is still there, and worse. In the past I dumped cars that started with problems and I am glad I did because on one trade in I got me a Maxima that went about 200,000 miles with only 2 minor problems. I know every car have some problems but why not start after 50,00 miles?The questio here is: Why are we putting up with GM cars that seem to all have problems? EG: Steering problems on Impala, Malibu and some Pontiac models. My suggestion is this, if after repairing the problem it happens again, trade the car and search which cars have less problems.
    Franco M
  • frank122frank122 Member Posts: 1
    Hi it is the rack and pinion steering box. The gears in the box have become loose and are floating loosely. The shaking occurs due to the sudden pressure changes in the hydraulic system. before you believe I am an auto genius I know this because repair one was a partial shaft repair, repair two was a full steering column replacement, repair three is a repl;acement of the rack and pinion box. Of course out of warranty i am fighting with GM over the cost as it went in three times under warranty and now they see what the problem is once out of warranty.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    This is the second steering column in 6800 miles on an 09 Cobalt. I would think -since the dealer is stocking steering columns because of the problem - that GM would figure out a manufacturing fix for this. Does anyone who works in a Cobalt plant know what exactly is wrong?
  • fermin1fermin1 Member Posts: 1
    I got into my cobalt the other day after driving to work without any issues and went about 2 to 3 miles and heard the "dink dink" that is usually made upon the low fuel light coming on and noticed that the display said "Power Steering" and then my car proceeded to lose ability to steer with power. Luckly I only had to make a few turns with straight driving most of the way. It was like the car had absolutly no power steering at all. The next day I started the car and it was normal no power steering display and the steering was working normally, I thanked God, but after driving a few minutes inside my neighborhood, the "ding" sounded and the display displayed "power steering" and my steering was shot again. Just wondering if this has been an issue with anyone else. My husband is a mechanic and has done almost everything within his ability to fix this and now I'm on my way to the dealer. Any advice? (I'm writing this under my husbands thread)
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I think GM would be hard pressed to deny steering problems now given that they are suing their supplier over poor quality steering components. See link.

    http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20091123/BIZ/91123017/GM-sues-supplier-over- -Cobalt-steering
  • paula18paula18 Member Posts: 1
    I filed a complaint with NHTSA(National Highway Traffic Safety Agm and they responded and informed me that they were opening an investigation of EPS failure, over 1,000 people already file complaints the number is 888-327-4368, if anyone would like to see a copy of the investigation report my email is pct0314@yahoo.com I have a 05 Chevy Cobalt I only have 56,000 miles and my powersteering is gone please fail a compaint so we can get gm to recall
  • dusdus Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for the tip, paula18. The power steering on my 2007 Cobalt with 51,000 miles just shut off last evening. Shutting off the car and restarting it cleared the problem, but it did it again tonight. I just filed a report with NHTSA via internet, no response yet.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    Did NHTSA urge GM to do the Cobalt steering recall announced today - or did they do it out of their own good sense especially after seeing the safety issues with that other manufacturer in the news so much lately?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    GM used the same supplier, partly owned by toyota, that makes motors for Corollas.

    http://www.cardealerreviews.org/?p=253027

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • 78grannie78grannie Member Posts: 1
    First the fuel thing now the power steering. My 2006 Chevy Cobalt has 33,000 miles on it. Im 78 and handicapped so I will be contacting my dealer where I bought the car. Is there anything that we can rely on anymore.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Im 78... Is there anything that we can rely on anymore.

    Do you perceive vehicles to be less reliable now than they were 50 years ago?

    Potential problem has been identified, GM has agreed to fix it.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    Hi 78grannie,

    Please let us know how the dealership treats you with regard to this recall,
    including identifying the dealership by its name, but not identifying any people by name.

    I do hope you can rely on them to treat you properly, maybe with loaner car or courtesy-rides.

    I've been reading about these steering issues with cobalts for a while and it has dissuaded me from considering the vehicle - my GM card rebate is burning a hole in my pocket! :)

    cheers...
  • cmhj2000cmhj2000 Member Posts: 381
    Got a recall notice today. Be looking for it.
  • tcaloftcalof Member Posts: 29
    edited April 2010
    I got a letter from GM Canada this week saying that I will get a recall notice sometime in the future when parts are available. I would call it a pre-recall notice. What a waste of stationery and postage.
  • tlm6tlm6 Member Posts: 1
    My son just had a accident tonight while driving a 2009 Cobalt. He told me about the power steering going out while drving 55 mph. He was goin into a curve at the time the power steering failed. He was unable to recover from the failure and caused him to hit highway signs and crash into a bank of rocks. The car is a total loss and was a very dangerous accident. My son and his girlfriend are very lucky to be alive.GM here I come after you to make it right.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Did he get the prior recall notice for this problem and was the problem addressed by a dealer?
  • karen0256karen0256 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2005 Cobalt that my daughter drives. In October, I had the steering column replaced for over 800.00 and after filing a complaint they gave me a $1,000 loyalty certificate...that was all they could do. Sorry won't be buying another Chevy in my lifetime. Friday, the power steering went out again and then again today. Pushed up my appointment to get the new fix and had that done today (took 20 minutes to do). She drove off and within 15 miles, the steering went again. We had the car towed back to dealer tonight. Their response was that they are only authorized to replace the steering motor. I am not satisfied with that answer. If neither option worked....what do we do now? Anyone else have this happen.....both fixes and neither works. By the way, I did submit for reimbursement for the 800.00 as instructed in the recall....will see how that goes. AND the worst thing is that I had just bought a 2008 Cobalt for my younger daughter about two weeks before the initial issue. I will be trading that in for a Ford.
  • powderkeggpowderkegg Member Posts: 22
    I have an 08 LS coupe and received the recall notice several months ago. The notice stated there would be another notice in the mail when the dealers were equipped/prepared to repair the problem; of which I have yet to receive. The power steering problem should really only effect the driving capabilities at low speeds, similar to not having any power steering at all. Also to the person who's son had the accident, I certainly hope all involved are okay. There is something very specific to consider in this event. Did the DIC display "power steering fail"? The dealer should be able to recall this information from the OBD. If the message was not present there may be another explanation; bad tire, steering linkage failure or driver error (ie too fast for conditions). These are just things to look at.and may or may not be representative of the actual problem.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    i tend to doubt tlm6's veracity, but maybe we'll see a followup which makes it clear that trolling is not a factor here.
    for example, there would probably be a public report/record of such a serious accident.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    My thoughts exactly. The failures usually are on startup or low speeds. The DIC gives a warning that the motor is not reacting correctly to ASSIST the steering and it shuts off. The car is harder to turn like cars in the 50s and 60s without power steering.

    There will be a code stored in the computer if that really happened. The car should be checked in a forensic manner to determine if that failure did occur. My thinking is some other explanation.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Possibly true. In any event, any claim of an accident occurring due to a factory defect would certainly, at some point, have to bear the scrutiny of automotive forensics.

    Still, GM itself, in its own recall letter, states that this failure could result in a crash. Those are the approximate words they use----"crash".
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Karen0256,
    I apologize that you have had concerns with your vehicle. Can you please email me more information about your situation so I can look into this further? You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • karen0256karen0256 Member Posts: 7
    The dealer replaced the new motor with another motor. They contacted GM engineering technicians and they said that the motor installed yesterday was probably bad. They drove the car several miles to test it and believe that it will be okay. I hope so. We will be trading that car in asap. Thanks for your concern.
  • karen0256karen0256 Member Posts: 7
  • karen0256karen0256 Member Posts: 7
    In 9/09, we had the steering column replaced on our 2005 Cobalt to correct the steering problem.

    Got the second recall notice from GM with the reimbursement forms and sent them in. Today they called to tell me I was not entitled to be reimbursed since the fix I had done then was not the fix that they are doing now.

    So be prepared those of you that did the same thing. I am so angry right now.
  • karen0256karen0256 Member Posts: 7
    To top this day off with some more great news.....the second motor that was installed yesterday after I had to have the car towed back to the dealer after the installation of the first motor. The power steering is out again.

    OMG - this cannot be happening.

    And then the phone call that they are not reimbusing me because the fix in September is not the fix they are doing now. You mean the fix that is not working.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Karen0256,
    I want to look into your situation further. Can you please email me your contact information, dealership, current mileage, VIN and service request number. You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • ecorlissecorliss Member Posts: 4
    i bought this certified pre owned in january 2010 with a little over 29k on it. i have had it bad at least 4x already. pinging noises.. needed struts ,etc on the front passenger side.. got that fixed.. then everytime i turend the wheel or put it in reverse thud sounds.. back again.. had the intermmediate steering shaft replaced in addition the car smelled like rotten eggs. so i figured it was the catalytic conveter.. they said they hooked it up to the computer and found no problem with it. told me to use a better grade of gas but they did clean out the fuel line... WHOOPIE HURRAH.. thanks god its still under warranty.. and the next tiny little noise i hear again i will be right back there.. they are sooo tired of seeing me....
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Ecorliss,
    I apologize that you are experiencing concerns with your vehicle. Are you still experiencing issues with your Cobalt? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    I own a ‘06 Cobalt Sedan. I have had the steering column and intermediate shaft replaced before. My car was recalled for the power steering motor so i had it replaced but now the car feels like crap, just like it did before the steering column was replaced so now I have to bring it in again!
    The rest of the car is OK, but the front end issues are unacceptable.
    My front end has noises when I go over small bumps and the front end just thunks as if it doesn’t have an independent suspension up front, which it does. The Dealer heard it, felt it, couldn’t diagnose it except to say it’s probably the struts. I already had the strut cartridges replaced and they would have to be dropped at my expense to see if its the issue. They swore the bushings were OK, even though Cobalts are known for having bad control arm bushings and sway bars also.
    Very frustrated right now.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Steve33,
    I apologize that you are experiencing an issue with your vehicle. Can you please email me more information about your situation so I can look into it further? Please include the VIN and current mileage in your email. You can get my email by clicking on gmcustsvc. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • gerald41gerald41 Member Posts: 37
    My problem is this. I own a 2008 Cobalt with 26,000 miles on it. The dealer said you have a steering recall while your here for service we can take care of it, it's only a half hour job. I agreed. Well 4 days later my steering went out. remind you it never went out before. What did they do replace my good unit with a defective one? I'm so fed up with this car! The chrome on the door handles peeled off, My drivers power window motor died, I have a metallic noise when in gear idling with the A/C on never found or fixed. Warped rotors , Radio short, and I could go on. I owned a 2006 that was totaled in 08 never had these problems. What is quality getting worse?
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Actually, yes it is (or was).
    I went to shop a '08 Cobalt to possibly replace my '06 and was shocked at the poor build quality. The carpet didn't even go all the way to the seat rails! It looked worse than mine and immediately changed my mind.
    It amazes me that GM chose Lordstown to build the replacement, the stupidly named Cruze. It's apparent that Lordstown workers couldn't give a damn about what they build. Hoping things have changed but we'll see.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Gerald41,
    Has the dealership fixed the concern? Has the other concerns that you have mention been taken care of? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • gerald41gerald41 Member Posts: 37
    Some were fixed some were not. The noise when idling was never fixed even though they claim to have tightened a different part every visit. The steering motor was replaced again so we'll see about that. It's not so much that they fix the problem, but why are there so many of them? Why should chrome peel of interior door handles at 2 years? Why should a radio short out? Rotors warped at 14,000 miles? It just seems all wrong.
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Mariah,
    I emailed you but received no reply yet.
    They replaced the intermediate shaft and I had to pay for it. They said it wasn't properly lubed. This part had been already replaced under warranty and they obviously didn't do it properly. Now that it is out of warranty I had to pay $260 to replace it because the new power steering motor was stronger than the old one and caused the steering to feel even more loose.
    I should not have had to pay for this.
  • sugarbear0523sugarbear0523 Member Posts: 3
    OK here is my question, my steering wheel while I am backing out of my drive way or a parking lot gets really tight trying to turn it. As the power steering is going out or something, well I took it to the dealership three times and this is what they are telling me. First it was because my motor was idling was the reason for my steering wheel to do this, second time i took it back up there it was ac putting pressure or some crap, and then after riding with me the service manager seen what I was talking about after turning the AC off. So he said "oh it might be the rack and pinion or some module.. So i took it back 2 days later and had then look at it to properly diagnose it and now they are telling me it was the air pressure in my tires. What could be the cause of this happening with my steering wheel. I want the real answers, and yes my car is still doing this. And all this is going on after they replaced the steering motor that was a part of the recall. I am tried of the bull crap lies they are feeding me.oh by the way before anybody tells me to put power steering fluid in the car, there is no power steering fluid in my car it is totally electric.
    I have already tried lemon law and they told me it was nothing and paid me 4,000 on the car. And another thing of course it was not the tire pressure because guess what it is doing it still.
  • sugarbear0523sugarbear0523 Member Posts: 3
    I am having the same problem, they replaced the recall part and it is still acting up they have come up with the off the wall excuses. Such as ac putting pressure on it, tire pressure being low called the steering to almost lock up trying to turn it. I will be in contact with GM again tomorrow. I have had my 06 in the shop 4 times in 2 weeks
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Gerald41,
    So I just want to clarify that currently you just have the idling problem? Or do the other concerns you have mentioned still exist? Can you please email me your VIN and current mileage? You can get my email by clicking on gmcustsvc. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Steve333,
    I did reply back to you. If you didn't get the email yet please let me know. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Yes, I did get your email, thank you. I sent you all my info, hopefully I can get reimbursed for this since it was already replaced once under warranty and had to get replaced again because of this new motor recall.
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Got a call from GM, basically they told me tough luck, I would have to contact the original dealer who I don't go to anymore because of gross incompetence and a repair they charged me for but never did. The original repair for the faulty intermediate shaft and steering column (that GM has known was faulty since 2005 but never replaced or improved) was done under warranty so you think they are going to pay me now, 2 years later?
    Basically, GM told me to go screw myself. Well, right back at ya GM.
    The upcoming Ford Focus is looking better and better to me now.
  • ecorlissecorliss Member Posts: 4
    I would definetly go back to the dealer. i bought a 2009 in january 2010 have had nothing but problems.. they replaced the intermitent sterring .. had balls joints and such replaced priior to that. and alway is smells like rotton eggs. they said it wasnt the catalytic converter (they hooked it up to the computer) i was told to try using a better grade of gas... BS
  • ecorlissecorliss Member Posts: 4
    Good for you. the car sucks , the gas mileage sucks. im lucky if i am getting 18mpg..
  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    I can't go back to the dealer that originally did the work because I have severed ties with them. So, instead of GM going to bat for me seeing that the part shouldn't have been defective in the first place they basically told me I was on my own.
    The Steering motor shouldn't have been the only thing that was recalled-the entire steering column should have been, including the defective lower control arm bushings and whatever other defective front end component was installed on this rolling turd of a car.
    No more sticking up for GM for me, I'm steering friends and family and all internet message boards towards Ford.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    >The upcoming Ford Focus is looking better and better to me now.

    Here are some new discussions for you to read.

    focus transmission problems discussion

    focus lighting and electrical problems.

    lfocus engine problems

    And there are many others of various likes or dislike of the car. Search for Focus in the box at the right for topics.

    If you want to post here for help about your Cobalt and problems with dealers, that's readable and on topic. If you want to tell how you like Fords and threaten that you will buy a Ford, I ask for myself that you post in the Ford discussions. You can find the hours for the local dealers by searching on the internet and I'm sure they'll sell you a Ford happily. They will even take your Cobalt in trade. :)

    Have a good day and good luck on the new Ford.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • steve333steve333 Member Posts: 201
    Are you a moderator?
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I have had two steering columns replaced under warranty on my 09 Cobalt (Bought Sept 08 -15,880 miles on it now). The only sign was a rattle on a washboard surface. I had no problem with the power steering motor but it was replaced this week under the recall. This is obviously a trouble prone vehicle and I'm purchasing very shortly the Protection Plan (6 year 60,000 miles). I won't be keeping this car past 60,000 miles. I'd advise those of you who still can purchase this warranty to do so.. At $800 per steering column it will be a bargain..It is a shame that a car that has been manufactured since 2005 can't be perfected in four years. If Ford would build a compact that looks like my Cobalt coupe I'd buy one.
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