Vehicle Data Hub

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical system problems

Owners reported electrical system problems in 424 complaints for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, 14% of the complaints on file. It is the 3rd most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
424 14% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
80,000 miles 304 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
38 and 6
Injuries and deaths
122 and 4

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When electrical system problems show up

Electrical system complaints by mileage, 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 80,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 23 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 25 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 48 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 51 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 55 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 37 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 19 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 25 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 10 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 6 complaints 200k+ miles: 5 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 80,000 miles
Based on 304 complaints that include mileage. 32% 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 miles23
20k to 40k miles25
40k to 60k miles48
60k to 80k miles51
80k to 100k miles55
100k to 120k miles37
120k to 140k miles19
140k to 160k miles25
160k to 180k miles10
180k to 200k miles6
200k+ miles5

What the data shows

Of the 304 electrical system complaints that report mileage, the median is about 80,000 miles, and 32% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 38 crashes, 6 fires, 122 injuries, 4 deaths.

What owners wrote

It was a single car crash which happened at night during a rain shower. Their were no witnesses, but the car crossed the opposite lane of traffic and ran into the back end of a lowboy trailer ( a trailer used to transport heavy equipment ) the two 19 year old girls in the car were killed. Nothing about this accident made sense until I heard about the ignition issue with the cobalt.

Reported at 60,000 miles, November 2011 CrashInjuryDeath

I was stopped at a turn around east of garfield on 16 mile road in clinton township michigan. Proceeded to complete turn and go west on 16 mile road when I felt my vehicle (2006 chevrolet colbalt) had a loss of power. There was no response when I stepped on the gas pedal. The dashboard lights blinked. Then with in seconds I was struck by a vehicle in my passenger side rear, then I spun around and another vehicle hit me in the driver rear side. None of my air bags deployed.

Reported at 41,489 miles, February 2014 CrashInjury

Other problems reported for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

Electrical system problems in other years

Electrical system problems across all Chevrolet models