2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe intermittent loss of power steering assist while driving, usually accompanied by a warning message and restored temporarily by shutting off and restarting the car. A second common theme is a fuel smell or visible fuel leak near the rear driver's side, which complaints frequently tie to recall 09V419000 or to rusted fuel lines. Reports of these symptoms appear across a wide mileage range, from tens of thousands of miles up to well past 150,000.

1. 1
   Steering

   Intermittent loss of power steering assist

   • 1,037 complaints (45%)
   • median 61,468 mi at 4.3 yrs old (928 state mileage)
   • 54 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 110 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2025

   Owners describe the power steering warning message appearing on the instrument panel followed by the wheel becoming very hard to turn, sometimes at low speed in parking lots and sometimes at highway speed. Many say turning the car off and restarting restores assist for a while, and the failure then returns repeatedly; several note dealers could not reproduce it or said the vehicle had already had the steering recall performed and was not eligible again. Some complaints mention the steering column or motor kit was quoted as the repair. Reported from under 30,000 miles up to about 200,000, with many reports in the 40,000-120,000 mile range; several owners mention it happening more in hot weather or after long idling.

   Recall 10V073000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 10V073000 was completed and whether it has recurred since. On a test drive, note any power steering warning message and check that assist is present at low speed with the wheel turned.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Power steering failure with my 06 chevy Cobalt. Started occurring around 40,000 miles. It spontaneously fails about twice a month with no real reason that I can tell. When it occurs, I have to pull off of the side of the road and turn my car off and then back on again. Sometimes I have to wait several minutes before restarting to correct the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10304114, filed 2010-02, 40,000 miles

   “My 2006 chevy cobalts power steering just went out for no apparent reason it has been working perfectly fine but now it decides to come off and on as it pleases. This is an issue it seems for alot more people then just me when researched about this model to find thousands more with this same problem it is a safety issue for me my pregnant wife and my two year old daughter and should be taken care of.”

   NHTSA complaint #10314943, filed 2010-02, 54,473 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor and fuel leak near rear of vehicle

   • 404 complaints (17%)
   • median 85,281 mi at 6.8 yrs old (332 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $636 (median of 24 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2025

   Owners report a strong gasoline smell inside the cabin or around the parked car, and in some cases puddles of fuel under the rear driver's side. Several say a shop found the fuel pump module or a rusted fuel line near the wheel well to be the source. Complaints often mention that the dealer checked the VIN and said the vehicle was not covered by recall 09V419000, or that a special coverage policy applied only in certain states. Commonly reported between roughly 48,000 and 130,000 miles, often noticed while parked or after short trips.

   Recall 09V419000

   What to check: Smell for fuel around the rear of the car and look for staining or damp spots on the fuel lines above the rear wheel well. Ask whether recall 09V419000 or any fuel pump module coverage was ever applied to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fuel leak near left rear wheel. Smelled gasoline. Parked vehicle. Saw a puddle of gas leaking from the vehicle. Checked with Chevrolet since there is a recall for this issue but was told my vehicle was not part of the recall. There is a special bulletin 12191 covering this issue that should be free of charge to fix but nobody related to Chevrolet I spoke with knows about this.”

   NHTSA complaint #11325645, filed 2020-05, 88,000 miles

   “My vehicle, a 2006 chevy Cobalt lt, like many other chevy cobalts I've found in my research, has a fuel leak in the rear driver side. I have not pinpointed the exact leak location but I have a picture displaying the fuel line covered in what seems like an aluminum foil to keep the lines from heating up. Clearly this doesn't work. This is a common issue and I believe it needs to be addressed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11374645, filed 2020-11, 80,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: no-start, gauges and warning lights

   • 116 complaints (5%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (97 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $903 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2024

   Complaints describe sudden stalling or a no-crank no-start condition, speedometer and fuel gauge readings that stop working or read incorrectly, and door locks that cycle on their own. Several owners mention multiple sensors being replaced and the problems returning. Some reports link the stalling and no-start to the ignition switch area. Scattered from about 52,000 to 200,000 miles, with no clear pattern beyond higher-mileage cars being more common.

   Recall 14V171000Recall 14V047000

   What to check: Confirm both ignition-related recalls (14V171000 and 14V047000) were done for the VIN, and check that the speedometer, fuel gauge and door locks behave normally during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The traction control light appears the car idles and shifts hard tries to shift off. The locks unlock and relock in a fast pace. The service engine soon light flashes. It does not matter my speed of the vehicle it happens even when driving 10 miles an hour. It is very scary. I am afraid to drive this car. When turning the steering wheel it is rough to turn.”

   NHTSA complaint #11311998, filed 2020-02, 140,640 miles

   “The car isn't drivable. Electric power steering out, electric plugs and wires, won't start at all. No clicks, nothing. If you turn the key nothing happens, but a light that is a car with a lock through it. This is my daughter's only transportation. I saw there was a recall on the power steering and electrical. Thank you kathy key”

   NHTSA complaint #11331423, filed 2020-06, 202,385 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Front suspension and steering clunks

   • 382 complaints (16%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 4.2 yrs old (337 state mileage)
   • 23 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 71 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2025

   Some owners describe clunking or grinding noises from the front end when turning, and dealers diagnosing worn front struts, control arms, tie rods or steering column parts. A few reports mention the front of the car dropping or a tie rod separating. Reported from about 27,000 to 160,000 miles, with several cases under 90,000.

   Recall 07V014000

   What to check: Listen for clunks or grinding while turning at low speed and have the front suspension and steering column inspected before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in the middle of parking when my vehicle was stationary and I was pausing to check my rear view mirror before proceeding to reverse into a parking spot when my vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed on the front right hand side. My spindle a factory piece was faulty if I had been on the highway when this happened me and my baby sister would have wrecked and been seriously injured. The chevy Cobalt already has numerous recalls and manufacturers took many short cuts! That cheap metal could've costed a life!”

   NHTSA complaint #11318176, filed 2020-03, 158,132 miles

   “We purchased two 2006 chevy Cobalt cars. One in oct of 07 and one in may or june of 08. One month after we purchased the 2nd vehicle, my son was involved in an accident in it. While on the road (not speeding) the passenger side tie-rod broke (he heard a sudden snap) , the c-v joint came loose (or shattered?) and his entire wheel on that side broke loose throwing him into a ditch. His car was totaled. He came very close to rolling the car and could have been killed. Fortunately he remained calm and was not injured. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10239929, filed 2008-08, 60,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and seat occupant sensor

   • 142 complaints (6%)
   • median 79,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (91 state mileage)
   • 56 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2020

   Owners report a service airbag message and concerns that the passenger-side airbag may not activate because the seat occupant switch failed. Some describe being told the sensor is built into the seat cover, making the repair costly. Others mention airbags failing to deploy in a described impact. Mostly reported between roughly 78,000 and 170,000 miles.

   Recall 14V047000

   What to check: With the ignition on, check that the passenger airbag indicator responds correctly to an occupant, and ask whether the airbag recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The activating switch for the passenger-side air bag failed around 78,000 miles. This seat switch activates the passenger airbag safety system when an occupant sits down in the front passenger seat. I was told at the time we had the ignition switch recall repair done to the car that the only way to replace the broken seat switch was to replace the passenger seat cover. To do this requires an initial outlay of $150.00 dollars for the part( the switch is woven into the seat fabric)plus labor to install(price unknown)at the dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10959549, filed 2017-03, 78,000 miles

   “The car says service airbag the steering is hard to turn and it makes a good knocking noise when you go out low-speed a high-speed make it difficult to leave on the road and make you swear it pulls to the left and it's horrible and gas”

   NHTSA complaint #11297548, filed 2020-01, 200,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop check the power steering assist and the fuel lines above the rear wheel well, and confirm which of the open recalls for this model year have actually been completed for the specific VIN, since several complaints center on vehicles that owners believed were not covered.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 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.