The Used Car Index

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt problems

NHTSA lists 845 complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 76 of them mention a crash and 14 mention a fire. 44 complaints mention an injury, with 79 injuries and 13 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as CHEVROLET COBALT.

At a glance

Complaints
845
With crash
76
With fire
14
With injury (complaints)
44
Injuries
79
Deaths
13
Recalls
4
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
2,191,014
Investigations
2
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
946

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
STEERING30936.6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM20223.9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM16619.6%
AIR BAGS9811.6%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE404.7%
ENGINE364.3%
POWER TRAIN293.4%
SUSPENSION273.2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL222.6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING182.1%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMIGNITION16
STEERINGELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM12
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINEDELIVERY10
STRUCTUREBODY8
AIR BAGSFRONTAL6
POWER TRAINAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION5
AIR BAGSSIDE/WINDOW4
SUSPENSIONFRONT4
POWER TRAINMANUAL TRANSMISSION3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGENGINE2

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags: This model year has not been tagged.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

4 recalls.

14V171000

Date: 2014-04-10. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Defect: 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. (excerpt)

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 occup (excerpt)

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 c (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

14V047000

Date: 2014-02-10. Systems: AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Defect: 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 200 (excerpt)

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. (excerpt)

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 Apr (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

12V459000

Date: 2012-09-19. Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Defect: 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 ve (excerpt)

Consequence: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire. (excerpt)

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. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

10V073000

Date: 2010-03-03. Systems: STEERING.

Defect: 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: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

2 investigations; 0 open.

PE20011

Opened: 2020-07-05. Closed: 2023-08-17.

Fuel Line Leak

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 w

Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

PE10005

Opened: 2010-01-27. Closed: 2010-07-19.

Electric Power Steering Failure

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

Systems: STEERING.

Linked campaign numbers: 10V073000.

Manufacturer communications

946 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT435
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM211
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING95
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY67
POWER TRAIN64
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE54
ENGINE47
TIRES41

11023091

Date: 2025-09-09. Type: Other. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH

11021792

Date: 2025-08-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

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 on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3060, B3935, C0750, C0755, C0760, C0765, and/o

11020816

Date: 2025-07-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

11019072

Date: 2025-05-30. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

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.

11019073

Date: 2025-05-30. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

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.

11019074

Date: 2025-05-30. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

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.

11014455

Date: 2025-02-20. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to

11011782

Date: 2024-12-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads. The J-35616-64B is the latest test probe released for checking tension or probing the .64 series terminals. The test probe

11009156

Date: 2024-10-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester A and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and st

11009531

Date: 2024-09-27. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
COBALT845

Same model, other years

All model years | All Chevrolet models

Other Chevrolet models, 2008

Sources

Get this record as JSON

The free rate-limited demo needs no key.

curl "https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/demo/vehicle_risk?make=Chevrolet&model=Cobalt&year=2008"

Paid endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/vehicle_risk. MCP endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp.