2009 Chevrolet Cobalt problems
Owners have filed 916 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. Fuel system is the most reported problem area, at 29% of complaints. After that come steering (23%) and electrical system (17%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 916 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 103 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 54 and 10
- Typical mileage
- 74,000 miles 724 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 78 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 88 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 112 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 116 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 103 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 78 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 68 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 45 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 19 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 13 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 724 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 74,000 miles. For fuel system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 97,000 miles (203 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 103 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 54 injuries reported; 10 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Chevrolet Cobalt with enough data (462 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Driver died in a solo car accident involving a 2009 chevrolet cobalt. After swerving from his to the next, the driver could not safely return to his lane. His car just went off the road and crashed. The steering on the car just did not seem to work together with the car braking system.
The accident on making a sweeping turn and the car loss control and hit a tree. After the accident a couple of weeks got a recall letter in the mail from chevy for a recall 10023 loss of power steering assist. I do not know if this contributes to the accident. If further information contact me.
During july I had to have my 2009 chevy cobalt towed into a repair shop because I couldn't turn my key in the ignition. I had to have the ignition cylinder replaced which cost me over $200. Now in november 2011, 4 months later, my car is having the same problems. There hasn't been a recall yet on this and multiple people are having the same issues. This is getting ridiculous.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet cobalt. The contact smelled a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle upon starting the engine and noticed fuel leaking onto the ground. The dealer stated that the VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 12v459000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 11,000.