Vehicle Data Hub

2005 Chevrolet Cobalt steering problems

Owners reported steering problems in 1,154 complaints for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, 52% of the complaints on file. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
1,154 52% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
61,000 miles 1,027 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
52 and 7
Injuries and deaths
34 and 6

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When steering problems show up

Steering complaints by mileage, 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 61,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 60 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 135 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 286 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 243 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 125 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 76 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 42 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 17 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 19 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 13 complaints 200k+ miles: 11 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 61,000 miles
Based on 1,027 complaints that include mileage. 47% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles60
20k to 40k miles135
40k to 60k miles286
60k to 80k miles243
80k to 100k miles125
100k to 120k miles76
120k to 140k miles42
140k to 160k miles17
160k to 180k miles19
180k to 200k miles13
200k+ miles11

What the data shows

Of the 1,027 steering complaints that report mileage, the median is about 61,000 miles, and 47% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 52 crashes, 7 fires, 34 injuries, 6 deaths.

What owners wrote

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet cobalt. The contact stated her daughter perished in a violent car crash on january 10, 2010 and believed the crash was a result of a defective power steering module. The police officer who handled the crash stated the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, the vehicle flipped several times and the driver was ejected from the vehicle and run over. A police report was filed accordingly.

Reported at 50,000 miles, January 2010 CrashFireDeath

I was stopped in line of traffic and had to move to the right slightly to get out of a firetruck's way (not in a jerking and forceful movement, but normal turning of steering wheel). When I tried to get back into the line of traffic, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to move and I heard electrical motor noises coming from behind the steering wheel. These noises continued for 10-20 seconds and then the power steering message came on the display.

Reported at 103,000 miles, March 2015

Other problems reported for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt

Steering problems in other years

Steering problems across all Chevrolet models