NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
10 reportsClear category filter69,000 miles · Sep 8, 2014
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER AFTER KEEP…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER AFTER KEEPING THE VEHICLE PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. IN ADDITION, ONCE THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ACTIVATED TO LEVEL THREE OR HIGHER, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE MASTER CYLINDER ON THE BRAKES WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 10/23/2014*LJ UPDATED 4/21/2015 *JS
NHTSA ODI #10631427
73,000 miles · Apr 4, 2014
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury
I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25 - 30 MPH WHEN WITH OUT WARNING MY 2009 CHEVY COBALT BEGAN TO SPIN IN THE MOST VIOLENT SPIN I HAVE EVER BEEN IN A VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING ME THE REAR OF THE CAR THEN SLID AROUND AND SLAMMED MY CAR INTO A POST OR CHAIN LINK FENCE HITTING IT HARD.THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WAS CREASED DOWN T…
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I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25 - 30 MPH WHEN WITH OUT WARNING MY 2009 CHEVY COBALT BEGAN TO SPIN IN THE MOST VIOLENT SPIN I HAVE EVER BEEN IN A VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING ME THE REAR OF THE CAR THEN SLID AROUND AND SLAMMED MY CAR INTO A POST OR CHAIN LINK FENCE HITTING IT HARD.THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WAS CREASED DOWN THE WHOLE SIDE, THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL WAS ALL RIPPED UP AND THE FRONT PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WAS COMPLETELY SMASHED AND BROKEN. WHEN THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED MY HAND WAS TWISTED IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE CAR WAS SPINNING AND THE FORCE OF THE CAR HITTING SPRAINED MY BACK. NO AIR BAGS WERE SET OFF AND I WAS BROUGHT TO THE ER BY AMBULANCE. I HAVE BEGUN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SINCE THIS ACCIDENT. MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE ACCS POSITION AND I CAN NOT MOVE IT EITHER WAY. I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE CAR SITS FOR A WHILE SOMETIMES HOURS BEFORE IT WILL UNLOCK. VERY SCARED TO DRIVE IN THIS CAR NOW. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10577437
111,766 miles · Mar 13, 2014
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteeringWheelsCrash
AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TO TURN INTO MY PARKING LOT I STARTED TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT WHEN I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP AND DROVE OVER THE CURB OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX CAUSING MY WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR $1300.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME FIRST TIME NO DAMAGE WAS…
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AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TO TURN INTO MY PARKING LOT I STARTED TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT WHEN I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP AND DROVE OVER THE CURB OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX CAUSING MY WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR $1300.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME FIRST TIME NO DAMAGE WAS DONE THAT WAS BACK IN OCTOBER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10569070
Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
AT ABOUT 5000 MILES I NOTICED GROOVES DEVELOPING IN THE REAR BRAKE DISCS. AT 10,000 MILES I HAVE ONLY 35% LEFT IN THE REAR BRAKES AS THE GROOVES HAVE DEEPENED AND NOW DAMAGE THE PADS EVERY TIME THEY ARE ENGAGED. AT THIS RATE THE BRAKES WILL FAIL AT BEFORE 16,000 MILES OF USE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10424018
15,000 miles · Sep 5, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THE REAR BRAKES STARTED MAKING SOME NOISE AT 15,000 MILES. LOOKED AT THEM AND DIDN'T SEE ANY UNUSUAL WEAR. CHECKED AGAIN AT 18,000 MILES AND THE REAR ROTORS ON BOTH THE DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE ARE SCORED TERRIBLY, WAS GOING TO GET THEM RESURFACED BUT THE METAL IS BEYOND REPAIR. I CHECKED ONLINE FOR A POSSIBLE FIX WHEN I …
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THE REAR BRAKES STARTED MAKING SOME NOISE AT 15,000 MILES. LOOKED AT THEM AND DIDN'T SEE ANY UNUSUAL WEAR. CHECKED AGAIN AT 18,000 MILES AND THE REAR ROTORS ON BOTH THE DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE ARE SCORED TERRIBLY, WAS GOING TO GET THEM RESURFACED BUT THE METAL IS BEYOND REPAIR. I CHECKED ONLINE FOR A POSSIBLE FIX WHEN I CAME ACROSS A FORUM SITE SPECIFICALLY FOR MY CAR THAT HAS LISTED MULTIPLE INCIDENTS IN THIS SAME NATURE WITH THE SAME CAR. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10423776
100 miles · Jun 9, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK WHEN APPLIED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD VIBRATE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE REAR ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK WHEN APPLIED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD VIBRATE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE REAR ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES AND WAS REPAIRED TWICE BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 36,000.
NHTSA ODI #10405734
31,509 miles · Jul 3, 2010
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicSteeringCrash
CHEVY COBALT 2009. TWO INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE SAME MODEL BUT DIFFERENT CARS. BOTH RENTED FROM ENTERPRISE. DON'T KNOW WHAT CATEGORY TO PUT THE COMPLAINT IN. STEERING? BRAKING? OR SOMETHING ELSE? THIS MODEL HANDLES TERRIBLY ON WET PAVEMENT. DOESN'T BRAKE WELL ON WET PAVEMENT, AND TIRES SPIN WHEN STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSI…
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CHEVY COBALT 2009. TWO INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE SAME MODEL BUT DIFFERENT CARS. BOTH RENTED FROM ENTERPRISE. DON'T KNOW WHAT CATEGORY TO PUT THE COMPLAINT IN. STEERING? BRAKING? OR SOMETHING ELSE? THIS MODEL HANDLES TERRIBLY ON WET PAVEMENT. DOESN'T BRAKE WELL ON WET PAVEMENT, AND TIRES SPIN WHEN STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. INCIDENT 1. CHANGING LANES ON I270 MD. GOING ABOUT 50 MPH. AND SLOWED DOWN TO MOVE ONE LANE TO THE RIGHT. GOING FROM A LESS USED WETTER LANE TO LANE TO THE RIGHT, WHICH WASN'T QUITE AS WET. CAR SPUN OUT TWICE AND HIT THE JERSEY WALL TWICE. THEN I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC, AND NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED, THANK GOD. STATE POLICE WERE ON THE SHOULDER FOR TRAFFIC GOING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION ACROSS FROM ME BUT DID NOT COME TO THE CAR. INCIDENT 2. RENTED ANOTHER OF THE SAME MODEL. WHENEVER THE STREET WAS WET, THE CAR DID NOT BRAKE WELL. SEEMED TO BE VERY SHORT PERIODS OF NOT BRAKING. WHEN SLOWLY STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE WHEELS SPUN AND THEN TOOK HOLD. COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ANOTHER SITUATION FOR SPINNING OUT. ENTERPRISE SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS. INSURANCE COMPANY RAISED MY RATES FROM $103 TO $167 PER MONTH! *TR
NHTSA ODI #10341322
Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2010
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteeringCrashFire
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. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10304983
23,000 miles · Oct 14, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2009 COBALT SS. THE INNER REAR BRAKE PADS ARE COMPLETELY GONE WHILE THE OUTER BRAKE PADS STILL HAVE OVER 80% LIFE LEFT ON IT. BROUGHT THE CAR TO RICK HENDRICK CHEVY AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. THE CAR HAS 23K MILES ON IT, JUST ABOUT ALL OF THAT IS HIGH WAY MILES. I DRIVE THE …
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2009 COBALT SS. THE INNER REAR BRAKE PADS ARE COMPLETELY GONE WHILE THE OUTER BRAKE PADS STILL HAVE OVER 80% LIFE LEFT ON IT. BROUGHT THE CAR TO RICK HENDRICK CHEVY AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. THE CAR HAS 23K MILES ON IT, JUST ABOUT ALL OF THAT IS HIGH WAY MILES. I DRIVE THE CAR NORMAL AND DO NO ABUSE IT. ALSO WANT TO STATE THAT THE FRONT BRAKES STILL HAVE OVER 50% LIFE LEFT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10287403
16,000 miles · Jul 6, 2009
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY DUPLICATED THE FAILURE THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONTACT WAS N…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY DUPLICATED THE FAILURE THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED OF WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. HE WAITED TWO WEEKS FOR A CLAIM PERSON TO CALL HIM BACK. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST GO THROUGH HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID NOT COVER BRAKE FAILURE. THE DEALER TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. IT HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY OR THROUGH THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 16,000.
NHTSA ODI #10275873
Official recalls
5Apr 10, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
Feb 10, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Electrical System:ignition:switch
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Sep 19, 2012
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles in for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Mar 3, 2010
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 CHEVROLET COBALT AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 PONTIAC G5 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS ARE BEING NOTIFIED ON A ROLLING BASIS BETWEEN MARCH 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2010. A COPY OF THE MAILING SCHEDULE IS LOCATED IN THE RECALL FILE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Mar 6, 2009
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3PE20011 · Fuel Line Leak
Opened Jul 5, 2020 · Closed Aug 17, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Other:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings; Fuel/propulsion System
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Fuel/propulsion System
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.
Fuel System, Gasoline
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.
Fuel System, Other:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the attached identification numbers.
AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.
PE10005 · Electric Power Steering Failure
Opened Jan 27, 2010 · Closed Jul 19, 2010
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:electric Power Assist System
In a March 1, 2010 letter, General Motors Corporation (GM) provided a defect information report to NHTSA regarding a problem that could result in sudden loss of power steering assist in certain model year (MY) 2005 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and MY 2007 through 2010 Pontiac G5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS).The letter indicates that the loss of steering assist could occur at any time while driving and that, once assist is lost, a message is displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and a chime sounds to inform the driver.The letter further states that steering control is maintained in manual mode, but would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds.In the next ignition cycle, power assist is typically regained and the DIC message is no longer displayed.GM's letter identifies the root cause of the EPS failure as the EPS motor and indicates that production of a new motor started in December 2009.GM's recall repair procedure instructs dealers to replace the EPS motor in all recalled vehicles. ODI's analysis of all information available related to sudden loss of EPS assist while driving in the MY 2005 through 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles shows current complaint and warranty rates of 323/100,000 vehicles and 0.4% respectively.In response to ODI's request for information, GM identified 81 complaints where a crash was claimed that may be related to loss of EPS assist.ODI's analysis of all crash claims was based on verifiable factors such as; whether a loss of EPS was indicated at the time of the crash by a chime or malfunction indicator lamp or if a EPS related component malfunction was identified after the crash occurred.With this method ODI identified 36 possible crashes related to EPS failure.GM assessed crash claims based on the available facts and excluded crash claims that indicated that the vehicle was travelling at speeds in the range of 30 mph or greater.GM said that it believes if power assist is lost while a vehicle is moving at speeds in the range of 30 mph or greater there is a small difference in steering efforts perceived in subjective evaluations at those speeds and it is unlikely to lead to loss of vehicle control. Based on GM's safety recall, this investigation is closed.
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