252 of the 353 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Cobalt SS are about the braking system — 71% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2009.
252
Complaints
71%
Share of all complaints
5
Crashes
2
Fires
SERVICE BRAKES
I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY AND NOTICED THAT ONE OF MY BACK BRAKES WAS STICKING AND SO I TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND FLUID LEVEL WAS FINE AND THERE WAS NO AIR IN THE BRAKE LINE. I FEEL THE CAUSE OF THIS IS BAD CALIPERS AND SOME OTHERS I HAVE TALKED HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #11181202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
FUEL LINE RUSTS THROUGH CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK OUT NEXT TO EXHAUST PIPE. HAPPENS TO EVAP LINE AS WELL. POOR DESIGN IN THE HEAT SHIELDING TRAPS MOISTURE WHICH RUSTS THROUGH THE LINE. FUEL LEAKS OUT WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING, PARKED, MOVING OR NOT. REAR BRAKE CALIPER STICKS OUT FROM USING THE PARKING BRAKE AND PAD STICKS TO ROTOR CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR.
NHTSA complaint #11161868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE PARKED THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RELEASE BUTTON JAMMED AND I COULD NOT RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKES. THERE IS ABNORMAL NOISE HEARD IN THE REAR BREAKING SYSTEM WHEN REVERSING. ABNORMAL PREMATURE WEAR TO INSIDE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR DISCS
NHTSA complaint #10993868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
REAR BRAKES WEAR THE PADS UNEVENLY AND SCRATCH THE ROTORS. COMMON PROBLEM THAT MOST 2008+ COBALT SS OWNERS EXPERIENCE. DUE TO THE FAULTY BRAKES, THE HAND BRAKE WILL OFTEN NOT WORK, WHICH IS A LARGE INCONVENIENCE IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN TRYING TO PARK ON A HILL.
NHTSA complaint #10893782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
REAR BRAKES WEAR OUT WAY TOO QUICKLY
NHTSA complaint #10787557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
ABOUT THE THIRD TIME THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES WITH IN LESS THAN 30000 MILES. THE PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD THE CAR. THE PADS WEAR UNEVEN, ONLY THE INTERIOR PAD IS BEING WORN. GM DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO STATE THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE. AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE IS COMPROMISED BY THIS UNEVEN AND PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR BRAKES.
NHTSA complaint #10735636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
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.... WHY WOULD ONE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS GO BAD.....COMPLAINED TO GM AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A CERTIFIED GM DEALER TO LOOK AT IT SO I TOOK IT TO GM ALSO FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY ARE SAYING MISFIRE IN 2ND CYLINDER WHICH IS WHAT THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE SAYS- PER THE PAPERWORK GIVEN ME THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT THE REPAIR IS GOING TO ENTAIL OR HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM..... PER INTERNET COMPLAINTS THIS S A PROBLEM THAT HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES IN COBALTS.... IS IT BECAUSE NO ONE GOT HURT OR DIED THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO CONSIDER THIS A RECALL? THE CAR IS ONLY 9 YEARS OLD AND HAS 68800 MILES ON IT.....AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED 1000 MILES AGO... VERY FRUSTRATING AND UNBELIEVABLE! PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
NHTSA complaint #10692791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
AFTER CLIMBING A STEEP DRIVEWAY, BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO MAIN ROAD. BRAKES WOULD STOP BUT CONTINUED TO GO TO FLOOR IF 1) BRAKES WERE PUT ON PART OF THE WAY; RELEASE AND THEN PUT ON TO STOP AGAIN OR 2) FOOT STAYED ON BRAKE PEDAL UPON STOPPING. IT WAS NOT A SUDDEN DROP BUT A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. TOOK TO SOUTHTOWNE CHEVROLET IN NEWNAN, GA AND AFTER A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE BRAKES (REPLACING FRONT BRAKES, ETC) A FORMAN RODE WITH ME AND THEY ENDED UP HAVING TO FLUSH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TO GET THE BRAKES TO STOP. UPON HEARING OF THE RECALL ON THE MALIBUS THIS MORNING, I FELT LIKE MY COBALT MIGHT HAVE ALSO SUFFERED A POTENTIAL HAZARD IN ITS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM.
NHTSA complaint #10588479 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I DRIVE A 2009 CHEVY COBALT SS, MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHEN I PARKED AT A FRIENDS APARTMENT COMPLEX I APPLIED MY E-BRAKE ON A SLIGHT HILL AND THE BRAKE DID NOT HOLD AT ALL. I HAD TO RE PARK MY VEHICLE ON A COMPLETELY FLAT SURFACE AND THEN PLACE IT IN FIRST GEAR. A FEW DAYS LATER I DECIDED TO TEST SOMETHING. SO I PARKED MY CAR ON A FLAT SURFACE AND ENGAGED THE E-BRAKE. THE LEVER WAS ABLE TO BE PULLED ALL THE WAY UP WITH VERY LITTLE RESISTANCE. I THEN GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY VEHICLE FORWARD WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. I THEN TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY. I THEN BEGAN TO APPLY THE E-BRAKE AND PUT MY CAR IN FIRST GEAR EVERY TIME I PARK. THEN A FEW MONTHS AGO, ABOUT ON 01/05/2014 I EXPERIENCED THE SIMILAR ISSUE. I NOTICED THAT I WAS ABLE TO PULL MY E-BRAKE LEVER ALL THE WAS UP WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. I THEN PARKED MY CAR WITH IT IN NEUTRAL AND THE E-BRAKE ENGAGED AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR FORWARD WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE PART IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT FOR FREE. WHILE LOOKING ONLINE I NOTICED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE CABLE GET STRETCHED OUT VERY EASILY AND THAT ONE OF THE TWO BRAKE CABLES IS OFTEN MORE STRETCHED THAN THE OTHER.
NHTSA complaint #10575774 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
ON 10/2013, I WAS DRIVING ON THE 105 FWY GOING EASTBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND I NO LONGER COULD ACCELERATE. EAST BOUND TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND CHP OFFICER HAD TO PARK BEHIND ME WITH HIS LIGHTS TO AVOID ME GETTING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES, SINCE THERE WAS NO SAFETY LANE TO PULL OVER FOR BROKEN DOWN CARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ONE OTHER PLACE BEFORE BEING TOWED TO PENSKE CHEVROLET, 18605 S STUDEBAKER RD., CERRITOS, CA 90703 THE FOLLOWING DAY. IN SHORT, I TOOK MY CAR BACK 3 DIFFERENT TIMES FROM THE FIRST TIME IT WAS TOWED THERE. THEY WOULD FIX ONE PART AND I WOULD LEAVE AND SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON AND I WOULD RETURN. THEN THEY STATED IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE AND THEY WOULD "FIX IT". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON ONCE AGAIN. THE LAST AND FINAL TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN THEY REPLACED YET ANOTHER CAR PART AND IN TOTAL I PAID $500.00 DOLLARS IN FEES, NOT TO MENTION TIME LOSS AT WORK AND GAS THEY USE TO DO "LONG TEST DRIVES". TO THIS DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON FROM THE DAY I LEFT PENSKE CHEVROLET. THE MANAGER THERE "[XXX]" IN SHORT STATED THAT THE CAR IS FIXED AND THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. HE ASSURED ME THE SECOND TO LAST VISIT THAT THIS WOULD BE FIXED AND IT NEVER WAS. THE VEHICLE IS STILL NOT WORKING AS IT DID PRIOR 10/2013. IT CUTS AND DOES NOT ACCELERATES WHEN YOU INITIALLY STEP ON THE GAS. IN ADDITION, THE DOOR LOCKS ARE ELECTRIC AND WHEN I DRIVE THEY POP UP AND DOWN ON THERE OWN. I ALSO WILL LEAVE MY CAR LOCKED AND WHEN I GET BACK THE CAR WILL BE UNLOCKED. THIS ALL BEGAN AFTER I GOT MY VEHICLE BACK FROM PENSKE CHEVROLET OF CERRITOS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10566895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
REAR BRAKE CALIPER PISTON DRAGGING CAUSING EXCESSIVE INNER PAD WEAR. REAR BRAKES FREEZE UP. DAMAGED REAR ROTORS. INADEQUATE BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION.
NHTSA complaint #10562735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
REAR BRAKES WEAR OUT VERY FAST FOR A NEW CAR, ALSO VERY NOISY AND DESTROY MY ROTORS. OUTTER PAD SEEMS FINE, INNER PAD IS DETERIORATING AT AN ALARMING RATE.
NHTSA complaint #10514913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
REAR BRAKES NOISY AND PIT VERY EASILY.
NHTSA complaint #10487797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER SEIZED AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE ALL REAR BRAKES. THE REAR BRAKE PADS WILL WEAR DOWN TO BARE METAL ON THE INSIDE SO NO WEAR BAR NOTIFIES THE DRIVER YOU HAVE AN ISSUE TILL YOU NO LONGER HAVE REAR BRAKES. THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!
NHTSA complaint #10486508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THIS CAR, THE PARKING BRAKE STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THE REAR CALIPERS HAVE LOCKED UP AND DO NOT DO ANYTHING WHEN THE HANDLE IS PULLED UP. THIS IS A TERRIBLE DESIGN WHICH CAUSES, AT BEST AN INCONVENIENT, AND AT WORST, POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS, FOR A CAR EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THERE IS NO PARK TO PUT THE CAR IN SO I HAVE TO BLOCK THE WHEELS WHEN PARKING UNTIL I CAN GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THE GM DEALER SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX. HOW CAN SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT? WHAT IF I HAD PARKED ON A HILL AND MY CAR ROLLED DOWN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR A PEDESTRIAN?
NHTSA complaint #10482600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I PURCHASED MY 2009 CHEVROLET COBALT SS SEDAN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. WITHIN THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE STARTED TO GET EXTREMELY LOOSE. IT THAN COMPLETELY STOPPED HOLDING WITHIN 6 MONTHS AND 40,000 TOTAL MILES. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS BEGAN TO PREMATURELY WEAR OUT EXTREMELY QUICKLY. SINCE THESE ARE NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY AND DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO FIX THE ISSUE FOR FREE, IT'S VERY COSTLY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. I CAN'T PARK ANYWHERE NEAR ON OR A HILL, DUE TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING COMPLETELY BROKEN. AND THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS NEED EITHER REPAIRED OR RESURFACED CONSTANTLY EVERY SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES. MY OTHER MAJOR ISSUE IS WITH THE TPMS (TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM) THIS HAS BEEN GIVING ME AN ERROR CONSTANTLY FOR AROUND 10,000 MILES, ON HOW IT NEEDS TO BE SERVICED. MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT WITH MAINTENANCE DONE ON TIME, AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
NHTSA complaint #10475549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
THE REAR BRAKE PADS ARE WORN SEVERELY UNEVENLY. THE INSIDE PADS ARE DOWN TO METAL WHILE THE OUTSIDE PADS ARE STILL AT LEAST 50%. THE ROTORS ARE DEEPLY SCORED BECAUSE OF THE WEAR.
NHTSA complaint #10461404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
NOTICED PARKING BRAKE NOT HOLDING ANYMORE. THEN CHECKED REAR BRAKES AND FOUND REAR PASSENGER SIDE INNER BRAKE PAD (NOT THE OUTER PAD) COMPLETELY WORN OUT....ALL OTHER PADS ON CAR HAVE ATLEAST 70% PAD LEFT. NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE WITH THIS LOW OF MILEAGE WITH NOT BEING DRIVEN IN ANY WINTERS. HOPE THERE IS A FIX FOR THIS! MAY BE PROPORTION VALVE DESIGN PROBLEM?
NHTSA complaint #10460885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PARKING BRAKE
NOTICED PARKING BRAKE NOT HOLDING ANYMORE. THEN CHECKED REAR BRAKES AND FOUND REAR PASSENGER SIDE INNER BRAKE PAD (NOT THE OUTER PAD) COMPLETELY WORN OUT....ALL OTHER PADS ON CAR HAVE ATLEAST 70% PAD LEFT. NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE WITH THIS LOW OF MILEAGE WITH NOT BEING DRIVEN IN ANY WINTERS. HOPE THERE IS A FIX FOR THIS! MAY BE PROPORTION VALVE DESIGN PROBLEM?
NHTSA complaint #10460885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
EXCESSIVE WEAR ON REAR BRAKES, CAUSING UNTIMELY REPLACEMENT. REAR BRAKES WEAR MORE QUICKLY THAN FRONTS CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS.
NHTSA complaint #10459533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.