2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe two things: loss of power steering assist while driving or parking, and gasoline leaking or smelling near the driver-side rear wheel well. Both are usually described as intermittent at first — steering assist that returns after a restart, and a fuel smell that shows up after the car is parked or shut off. Fuel-line reports carry noticeably higher mileage than steering reports in the sample, and several owners mention rust or corrosion around the line clips and heat shield.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel line leaks and gasoline smell near rear wheel

   • 205 complaints (24%)
   • median 101,263 mi at 8.9 yrs old (165 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $722 (median of 16 quotes)
   • filed 2011–2025

   Complaints describe a strong gasoline odor inside or outside the car, followed by fuel dripping or pooling under the car in front of the driver-side rear tire, often close to the exhaust. Several owners say a mechanic found the steel fuel line rusted through near a plastic clip or heat shield that traps water and road salt. Some report losing a noticeable amount of fuel, and a few mention hard starting or an illuminated check engine light along with the smell. Mostly reported between roughly 90,000 and 190,000 miles, with a few much lower-mileage reports; several owners describe corrosion developing over years rather than suddenly.

   Recall 12V459000

   What to check: Look under the driver-side rear area for wet or rusted lines and sniff for fuel after the car has been parked. Ask whether campaign 12V459000 applied to this VIN (it was limited to certain states) and whether the fuel lines have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have been noticing a gas smell for a few weeks and with further investigation I noticed that gas was leaking near the clip that holds the lines up by the driver's side rear tire. My mechanic noticed that when he cut back the heat shield that was a rusted out hole causing the leak. Both the fuel and the return line have rusted and are leaking.”

   NHTSA complaint #11361525, filed 2020-09, 155,000 miles

   “My mother in law has a 2008 chevy Cobalt and she has a strong smell of fuel in side the vehicle and she has to ride with the windows down, and cant take her grandchildren any where with me because of the smell. Also her fuel mileage has dropped considerably she only put $10 worth the gas in at a time because she am in fear of what will happen if she fills it up.”

   NHTSA complaint #10457641, filed 2012-05, 81,001 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out (hard to steer)

   • 298 complaints (35%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (255 state mileage)
   • 40 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2025

   Owners describe the electric power steering suddenly quitting, sometimes at speed and sometimes while parking, leaving the wheel very hard to turn in either direction; a power steering warning light often comes on. Many say the assist returns after shutting the car off and restarting, and comes back again later. Some owners report the assist failing again after an earlier repair, and several were told by a dealer that their vehicle was not covered by the power steering campaign. Reported across a wide range, from around 42,000 to over 200,000 miles, with many in the 70,000-150,000 mile band and no clear weather pattern.

   Recall 10V073000

   What to check: During a test drive, try steering at low speed and in a parking lot and watch for the power steering light. Ask whether the steering assist campaign 10V073000 was performed and whether the steering column or motor has been replaced since.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My power steering failed - several times, after my 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt hit around 45,00miles. I was told the car had just run out of warranty and I would have to pay to have this fixed. I refused, because all over the internet were complaints from Chevrolet Cobalt users saying that even after it was fixed, the issue returned. They finally agreed to fix it for free. The part was replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10304438, filed 2010-02, 45,000 miles

   “Power steering stopped working while driving. Stopped the car and shut it off, then restarted car and the power steering worked again. I was lucky, I was driving slow on a back street when this happened. If I had been on a highway it could had gone very bad. I found no recalls for my car.”

   NHTSA complaint #11390126, filed 2021-01, 174,061 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on, service airbag message

   • 59 complaints (7%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2025

   Owners report the airbag warning light or a service airbag message appearing at random, sometimes at startup and sometimes while driving, and sometimes on both driver and passenger sides. In some cases a dealer told the owner there was no campaign covering it; in others an independent shop diagnosed a failed airbag-related component. Owners say the uncertainty leaves them unsure whether the bags would deploy. Reported from around 10,000 up to about 260,000 miles, commonly in the 60,000-80,000 mile range, with no clear conditions noted.

   Recall 14V047000

   What to check: Turn the key to run and confirm the airbag light comes on and then goes out. Ask whether recall 14V047000 was completed and whether any airbag sensor or clock-spring work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While in motion the service air bag light come on and goes off randomly. A malfunction in the sensor or other area has lead to premature air bag deployment in other's vehicles. Airbags are a safety feature that give piece of mind that I currently do not have. This is the car we are considering handing down to our teenage son but am concerned with this warming that will not go away. The low tire pressure light randomly comes on as well, even when tires have adequate air.”

   NHTSA complaint #11329277, filed 2020-06, 10,000 miles

   “Our vehicle has had zero accidents the airbag light showed up on dashboard stating check airbags. Then as far as electrical the headlights seem to turn on there own at times. We feel this perhaps is a recall not known yet.”

   NHTSA complaint #11653303, filed 2025-04, 259,000 miles

Buying note. These complaints center on steering assist that drops out and fuel lines that corrode near the rear wheel well, so have a mechanic inspect the fuel lines and confirm the ignition and steering campaigns were completed for the specific VIN. Receipts for earlier steering repairs and fuel-line replacement are worth asking for, since several owners report the steering problem returning after a fix.

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.