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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,377 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical problems

electrical problem

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2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner Comments (Page 5 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #33

Feb 092012

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Had just picked up child at school when light and chime on panel displayed problem.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #32

Oct 162012

Cobalt

  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition switch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis, who advised that the lock tumbler was fractured and the entire ignition assembly would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also referenced NHTSA campaign number: 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system) however, the 2010 model year was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000. The current mileage was 54,000.

- St Peters, MO, USA

problem #31

Feb 042014

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 57,742 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the key was not able to be removed from the ignition and the engine was unable to be turned off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition lock cylinder would need replacing. The dealer suggested detaching the wiring if the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57742. Updated 4/22/14 updated 04/25/2014

- Delavan , WI, USA

problem #30

Feb 142013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

TL- the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they were unable to diagnose the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but could not provide a remedy. The failure mileage was 10,000. Rk updated 03/31/14

- Norwalk, OH, USA

problem #29

Feb 242014

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 84,826 miles
Vehicle steering tighten up. Check under hood for power steering stick check info center indicated pwr steering pulled over let a mechanic chk N google issue N fought tht it was a recall called classic Chevrolet gave my VIN said no recalls clked ge motor corporate office who then gave me Chevrolet csrv nbr spw rep who chk and said still no recall was found rep then suggest to have vehicle place on a diagnostic machine under my pwrtrain I had rdside assist still have to me however she said depending on the result frm diagnostic I my have to pay out of pocket. Well service rep cll told me it was power steering module is out. Its electric pwersteering it cost $ 362. To be fix. No choice car was picked up at a stranded location with the covered roadside assistant. Received my car bck on day 2 yet I still paid out of pocket tht clearly identify as a recll N electrical issue with or when driving the vehicle. I feel I shouldn't hve been charged and would like this to be handle promptly. 2010 Chevy Cobalt customer.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #28

Dec 192013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Ignition switch stuck in the on position. Car will not cut off without choking the motor with the clutch. I have seen numerous complaints of this occurring on various different forums. It seems to be a very common problem.

- Mocksville, NC, USA

problem #27

Sep 112013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 62,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving my vehicle home from work during rush hour on a busy highway my power steering failed. My vehicle started to veer to the left and I had to use all of my effort to keep from hitting the concrete guard rail. I immediately slowed and proceeded to the shoulder. This was a very scary situation and I feel that my safety was compromised. I have since done some research and found that there is a recall for this exact problem already in place, but for some reason it goes by the VIN of the car. I would like to find out how I could either get my VIN added to this list or to get help with this situation.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #26

Aug 282013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition while trying to shut the vehicle off. The battery had to be disconnected to shut the vehicle off. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The dealer stated the ignition cylinder was defective. The dealer replaced the ignition cylinder with a redesigned ignition cylinder. The failure mileage was 48,000. Updated 10/17/13 the consumer recieved a refund check for a portion of the repair cost. Updated 10/25/2013

- White Lake, MI, USA

problem #25

Jul 212013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 24,000 miles
I was driveing alone and the power steering mesage came up on the displayand lost power steering. This has happen every time I get in the car knowit had a recall they said it was done before I purshased it new at dealerand its doing exactly what the recall said would happen in time if I had not had the recall done. And there saying it was replaced once and now its mine sounds like the recall was a joke.

- Pearl, MS, USA

problem #24

Jun 012013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 56,000 miles
I was driving in the highway and the power steering gave a warning with a sound suddenly the steering was hard to move and I have to reduce the speed because I was afraid to crash with this problem. I park the car and shut off the engine and turn it on again, but after 2minutes driving it the power steering once again stop working. I decided to go to the deqaler and left the car telling them there is a recall for the power steering.they took the car and after two days they said that the car wasnt include it in the recall. Now I have this problem and making payment and in top of that with a broken car. GM need to step up and take responsiblity for what they make.year 2010 and already giving a lot of troubles. Also the dealer where I bouht the car didnt said nothing about this problem. United auto sale from new hartford, NY need to be more honest when they want to sale a car with many problems like this.they only care to sell you a car and nothing else. Also GM need to stop making car with so many recall like this one or fix the recall and move on. Im speaking also for many people who encounter the same problem like me.

- Rome, NY, USA

problem #23

Jun 032013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While beginning to turn at a corner my power steering light came on making it very difficult to turn the steering wheel of the car. I called my husband and he said to pull over and turn the car off and restart. So I did but after driving a few more miles the power steering light came on again and this continued until I made it home.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #22

Jun 172013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 33,197 miles
Arrived at my destination and the key was stuck in the on position. I have a manual transmission and had to drop the clutch and stall it to kill the engine. Car is out of warranty by 1 month for bumper to bumper. Talked with my local dealer and after discussing it with GM said they would cover the $300-$400 repair with $100 deductible. I ordered an aftermarket ignition cylinder for $42 and replaced it myself. I found the spring for one of the tumblers popped out of place when I removed the original. Poor design.

- Nampa, ID, USA

problem #21

Jun 062013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
Driving at 35 mph and panel light comes on showing power steering. Steering becomes real hard making turning the vehicle extremely difficult to maneuver. Due to the excessive force needed to turn the vehicle slightly and the unexpected frequent occurrence of the problem, makes this a safety violation and could cause a crash or even a life. The dealer was contacted on this and I was told my particular VIN model number was not covered. I was also informed by the dealer that this problem was not occurring on 2010 models and that they had not received any complaints from owners of 2010 Cobalts. If this is the case, why are some 2010 models covered while others are not? I feel the dealer does not want to cover this recall even though it is a safety hazard and they are picking and choosing which vehicles to repair. If there is a recall, then the vehicle should be fixed. There is a recall and T he NHTSA should make them repair all 2010S needing this repair and the dealer should not have the option to pick and choose.

- Mesquite, TX, USA

problem #20

Jun 062013

Cobalt

  • 37,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that after attempting to turn off the ignition, the key would not turn and the contact was unable to shut off the engine. The contact had to disconnect the battery cable to shut off the engine. The vehicle was not taken to dealer for diagnostic testing and was not repaired. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The failure and current mileage was 37,000.

- Portage , IN, USA

problem #19

Jun 062013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 59,000 miles
After parking the car (2010 Chevrolet Cobalt), the key would not come out of the ignition or turn to the off position. The car is a manual, so I had to stall it out and then unhook the battery to turn everything off. It is awaiting diagnosis at the mechanic.

- Bloomington, MN, USA

problem #18

Jun 032013

Cobalt

  • 56,000 miles
Driving to work I noticed the steering became increasingly difficult to maneuver. I made it to work and called my local service center and was told it was an electrical issue. Online I looked up a few things and others with the same problem said it was approximately $1,200 to repair. I also saw where Chevrolet issued a recall back in 2010 for this vehicle and the press release stated that "this is a condition that takes time to develop" -- which is why it did not occur in my vehicle until 3 years later (this vehicle was purchased in April 2010). Can the recall still be used to obtain this repair?

- Reisterstown, MD, USA

problem #17

May 122013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that she attempted to power the vehicle off but the key would not turn in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the ignition would have to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Davenport, IA, USA

problem #16

Apr 132013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 96,000 miles
The key is stuck in the ignition switch and will not shut off. Called Chevy and they will not stand behind it. All of the 2009's got recalled because of that incident, but they will do nothing for me about my 2010!! we did however, disconnect the battery so it wouldn't go dead! I bought a brand new car and now I am having issues, didn't buy a new car to have issues!!

- Elroy, WI, USA

problem #15

Feb 282013

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 600,010 miles
Started car normally. Went to turn it off. The key wouldn't turn off. Or come out of the ignition. I had to stall engine to turn it off. And disconnect the battery. I see, on the internet, a lot of people have had this issue. Dealership told me it was on me to pay for it.

- Camano Island, WA, USA

problem #14

Aug 232010

Cobalt 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
In June 2010 I purchased 2 Cobalts. Less than 3 months later, my key was stuck in the on position and I could not shut the engine off. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the part. 1 year later, the 2nd Cobalt had the same issue. In July of 2012, it happened to my car again. In barely 2 years of owning theses cars, 3 incidents of the same issue occurred. Come to find out, the replacement part was also defective, yet there was no recall. I'm still waiting for the 2nd car to fail again like the first. I am appalled to say the least at GM for this issue. How can not being able to shut off your car's engine not be a recall" would if there was an accident involving other vehicles" my family has owned Chevy cars since I can remember. I was so looking forward to purchasing another car next year. Unfortunately I found out there were ac issues in the Cruze. Where I live, the summer temperature reaches an average of 115 degrees. Don't think I want a faulty ac. I am seriously contemplating trading my car in to another car company (not Chevy) to avoid this embarrassing mess.

- Surprise, AZ, USA

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