2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Problems
- Complaints
- 95filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 16,500miles, 85 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 0campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error
What owners report
Owners of this model year report one dominant concern: rear brakes that wear far faster than the fronts, with grinding noise, scored rotors and, in some cases, a parking brake that no longer holds. Most of these complaints were filed in the first year or two of ownership at low mileage. A smaller group of reports covers fuel odor around the fuel pump and tank area, and scattered reports describe airbag warning lights and ignition/electrical faults at higher mileage.
- Brakes
Rear brakes wear out before the fronts
- 59 complaints (62%)
- median 15,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (53 state mileage)
- filed 2009–2016
Complaints describe rear pads worn down to metal and rotors deeply grooved or scored while the front brakes still had most of their pad life left. Many owners report grinding or squealing from the rear, especially in reverse, and some say the parking brake stopped holding the car. Owners who raised it at a dealer report being told the wear was normal or that it was not covered once the brake warranty period had passed; a few describe rotors being machined, then failing again within a short distance. Mostly reported under about 20,000 miles, often within the first year or two of ownership, under normal commuting use.
What to check: Inspect the rear pads and rotors closely rather than trusting a general brake check, and ask for service records showing whether the rear brakes were replaced and how many miles ago. On a test drive listen for grinding from the rear and try the parking brake on a slope.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Ss rear brakes faulty. Rear pads are gouging in to rotors very badly at this point, 11,000 miles. I driver conservatively. This gouging of rotors actually became noticeable at only 3500 miles. I have owned the car since new. I recommend GM puts recall out on rear brakes for this car to replace rotors and pads free of charge.”
NHTSA complaint #10285599, filed 2009-09, 3,500 miles“My 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Ss rear brakes had to be changed before the front brakes (40000km). The rotors were heavily scored to a point where they could not be resurfaced. The pads were worn out unevenly and had a different levels of wear. The front brakes at 60000 still have lots of brake pad left. I replaced the brakes myself and did not keep the old parts.”
NHTSA complaint #10329385, filed 2010-05, 50,000 miles - Fuel system
Fuel odor from fuel pump / tank area
- 6 complaints (6%)
- median 56,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
- filed 2012–2018
Owners describe a strong gasoline smell inside and around the car, often traced by a shop to the top of the fuel pump or to cracked or rusted fuel and vapor lines near the tank. Some report visible fuel leaking under the car while driving. In these complaints the work was typically done by an independent garage rather than a dealer. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 100,000 miles, and in one case around 70,000 miles; several vehicles were well past their early years.
What to check: Check for a fuel smell around the rear of the car and under the hood after a drive, and look at the fuel and vapor lines above and near the tank for rust or seepage. Ask whether the fuel pump area has been inspected or serviced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I started smelling fuel in the passenger compartment and it has gotten worse. People complain about the fuel odor when they walk by. I have recently been informed by my mechanic that it is fuel leakage at the top of the tank. I have found the recall issues for the 2006 and 2007 cobalts and I believe the 2008 should be included. My car is currently registered in tx, but it is a ca vehicle. Overwhelming odor inside and outside of vehicle. Extreme fire danger!!!!!”
NHTSA complaint #10457685, filed 2012-05, 56,000 miles“As I was driving on a city street, the engine began to run rough and I noticed the odor of gasoline. I pulled over to check for the source of the odor and found fuel leaking from the bottom of the car and onto the road. This was an extremely dangerous condition, as I could not stop the fuel from continuing to leak. I found that the fuel supply line between the fuel tank and engine rusted completely through near the driver side rear fender well, causing the leak. …”
NHTSA complaint #11144570, filed 2018-10, 70,000 miles - Electrical system
Stalls, flickering lights and ignition/key faults
- 5 complaints (5%)
- median 72,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
- filed 2014–2017
Owners describe dashboard and headlights flickering, the engine stalling without warning at speed, and keys sticking in the ignition with a loss of power to lights and accessories. Some complaints tie the symptoms to the ignition switch, which in one case was replaced more than once. Reported from about 40,000 miles upward, with the highest-mileage reports near 90,000 to 180,000 miles.
What to check: Check that the key turns freely and that all warning lights behave normally at startup, and ask whether the ignition switch or any electrical modules have been replaced or reprogrammed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“The key is stuck in the ignition and the car will not start. In addition, I can't get the gear to shift to park to move to neutral, I've lost all power to the car from the lights to being unable to open the trunk. I had to put the emergency break on for fear that the car would roll away because I couldn't move the gear shift. The car has been parked in my driveway for the last three months.”
NHTSA complaint #11052151, filed 2017-12, 179,000 miles“Fuel pump harness caught fire. Contacted GM about 2012 recall that I was not notified about. Explained to GM that the mechanic that worked on the cobalt said fuel harness caught fire do to too much power at start up. And explained to GM that when I put the key in the ignition to start the car the wheel would lock. Gmwas very rude all the said was take other keys off ring and would not fix at the time the ignition. And wouldn't reimburse the cost of the fuel pump. …”
NHTSA complaint #10579304, filed 2014-04, 98,000 miles
Buying note. The rear brake wear is the item to check first on any example of this model year, since it shows up early and is often attributed to normal wear. Also confirm the airbag light and ignition switch behaviour, and check for fuel odor around the tank area on higher-mileage cars.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 95 consumer complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. 85 of the complaints include a mileage, and 80% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 16,500 miles. Of all complaints, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 186 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Brakes73 77%
- Fuel system7 7.4%
- Electrical system6 6.3%
- Engine6 6.3%
- Other or unknown6 6.3%
- Air bags4 4.2%
- Equipment2 2.1%
- Exterior lighting2 2.1%
- Steering2 2.1%
Also reported: Seat belts (1), Body and structure (1), Tires (1), Vehicle speed control (1).
Example complaints
Brakes: “The rear brakes on my 2008 Cobalt Ss/tc were completely shot at around 14000 miles. The gouges in the rotors were too deep to get turned and I had to do a full brake job on the rear brakes because GM said that they only cover the brakes until 12,000 miles. The new brakes still make strange noises and when the car is in reverse sometimes a very loud screech comes from them.”
NHTSA complaint #10327353, filed 2010-04, 14,000 milesFuel system: “Purchased my chevy cobalt about 7 months ago with about 45000 miles. Just rolled over 50000 miles when strong gas fumes in & out of car. Had authorized mechanic.check it, he said he has seen this problem several times with this make & model. Said it is the fuel sending/return lines cracked on top of fuel pump. Researched & found this problem has been known by manufacturer back to 2005. This is a very dangerous situation, but Chevrolet co. Will not recall. What will it take for recall to be issued, a car to blow up or person to be burned to death? I'm sure law suits will follow.”
NHTSA complaint #10445766, filed 2012-01, 49,500 milesElectrical system: “Hello I have a 2008 chevy Cobalt Ss and I have experienced a big defect with my car, the car itself turned off as in all electrical parts went off suddenly while the car was in motion this was reported to my dealership right away since this is a leased brand new car, the dealership did not respond to the complaint in anyway, the car has been fixed but still continues to have electrical problems and the dealership nor the manufacturer want to take any responsibility.”
NHTSA complaint #10313460, filed 2010-02Engine: “Engine light came on.... Had it checked by firestone... They told me the 2nd cylinder was misfiring per the diagnostic code.. Should be 130 PSI and only registering 90 PSI....then while stopped longer than 30 seconds service traction light comes on.....asking $2300 to repair.... …”
NHTSA complaint #10692791, filed 2015-03, 68,800 milesMileage when problems were reported
80% of the 85 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 10,000 and 40,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Recalls and investigations
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 186 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11023091Sep 9, 2025Other or unknown. New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- 11021792Aug 7, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming…
- 11020816Jul 18, 2025Other or unknown. This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- 11019074May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11019073May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11019072May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11009531Sep 27, 2024Engine. This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.
- 11009088Sep 16, 2024Transmission and drivetrain. This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk…
- 11008956Sep 9, 2024Other or unknown. This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).
- 11007208Sep 6, 2024Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires…
Other model years of the Chevrolet Cobalt SS
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9 | 45,528 | 0 | — | 25 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 190 | 11,900 | 0 | — | — | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Stable |
| 2008 | 95 | 16,500 | 0 | — | — | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Stable |
All Chevrolet Cobalt SS model years
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS?
Owners of this model year report one dominant concern: rear brakes that wear far faster than the fronts, with grinding noise, scored rotors and, in some cases, a parking brake that no longer holds. The issues reported most often: Rear brakes wear out before the fronts; Fuel odor from fuel pump / tank area; Stalls, flickering lights and ignition/key faults.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS have?
NHTSA recorded 95 consumer complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS is reported most often?
Brakes is named most often, in 73 complaints (77% of the total), followed by fuel system with 7.
Has the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS reported?
Among the 85 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 16,500 miles and the middle half falls between 10,000 and 40,000 miles; 80% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.