2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA ON VACATION AT 65-70 MPH WHEN THE IGNITION KICKED OFF LUCKILY I ACTED QUICKLY AND RESTARTED THE CAR THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW OTHER INSTANCES WHEN THE IGNITION HAS JUST SHUT OFF WITH OUT WARNING. I DRIVE A 5 SPEED SO I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I TOOK MY FOOT AWAY FROM THE GAS, BUT I JUST LEARNED THAT GM HAS A RECALL OUT ON THIS MODEL FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

ON 12/18/13 I BEGAN TO NOTICE A "HUMMING" NOISE COMING FROM THE CAR. THE HUMMING NOISE GOT INCREASINGLY WORSE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED THE "SERVICE AIRBAG" SIGN CAME ON AND THE RADIO BEGAN FLASH AND ATTEMPTED TO EJECT A CD WITHOUT ME MANUALLY PUSHING THE BUTTON OR CD BEING INSIDE IT. THE "HUMMING" NOISE PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO STIFFEN UP. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF THE PROBLEM BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORSE, I DECIDED TO HAVE MY MECHANIC DO A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. HE BELIEVED THAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING AND STATED THAT AFTER MUCH RESEARCH THE COST WOULD BE $900+ BECAUSE THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE TO BE BY A CERTIFIED GM AND PARTS WOULD HAVE TO BE SPECIALLY ORDERED DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE WAY THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. HE ALSO STATED THAT APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL CAR AND REGRETFULLY WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND VALUE ME AND MY CHILD'S SAFETY BUT AT THIS TIME THE NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE DUE TO THE OBSCENE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN QUESTION TO REPAIR IT AND ONGOING FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I FEEL THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO A MORE SERIOUS ISSUE AND MAY BE A PART OF A BIGGER ISSUE. *TR

ON DECEMBER 31, 2009, MY 25 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ALONG AN INTERSTATE IN HER CHEVY COBALT. SHE CRASHED INTO A TREE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. HER AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND HER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK. SHE DIED ON IMPACT, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE ON REVIEWING THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, MY SON OBSERVED THAT THE TRACKS LEFT BY THE CAR BEFORE IT CRASHED WERE IN A STRAIGHT LINE, SUGGESTING THAT THE BRAKES EITHER HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED OR HAD NOT WORKED. ON DOING RESEARCH, HE FOUND INFORMATION ONLINE SUGGESTING THAT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER, SIMILAR CRASHES IN COBALTS AND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THOUGHT TO BE DEFECTIVE. WE HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS WITH GM AND COMPLETED OUR ACTION, AND, AT THE TIME, I FILED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE. I JUST READ THAT THIS AGENCY WILL BE INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE AWARE OF MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH IN A COBALT IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK, AND THAT WE STRONGLY SUSPECT, THOUGH GM NEVER CONFIRMED THIS, HAD A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

VEHICLE WAS EXITING INTERSTATE 81, TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THOUGH BRAKING, THE CAR WAS NOT SLOWING PROPERLY AND THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD, POWER SEEMINGLY LOST. THE CAR COULD NOT BE STEERED AROUND THE LEFT HAND CURVE AND HIT A BRIDGE ABUTMENT AND SPUN AROUND BEFORE COMING TO REST WITH THE MOTOR NOT RUNNING. THIS APPARENT MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS NOTED IN THE POLICE REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 10V073000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 142,000. MH

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE HARD TO TURN AND VEHICLE JERKED. THE POWER STEERING WARNING BELL BEEPED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WANTED TO ALSO STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO HAVE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 10V073000 PERFORMED HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000. LI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 10V073000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 232,900.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH FORCE BEING APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V073000 (STEERING). THE REMEDY FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES WITHIN A PERIOD OF SIX WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. ..UPDATED 02-28-14 *BF UPDATED 03/14/2014 *JS