Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
I drove to my destination and tried to turn off my car, however, the key would not turn off. Luckily, I drive a 5 speed and was able to kill the engine by popping out the clutch otherwise I would be forced to let the engine run until it ran out of gas. With the engine off, the key was still stuck in the car and all that was needed to re-start the car was a giggle of the key. This is really unsafe. With my key stuck in my car, I was unable to lock the car door; otherwise I would not be able to reenter the car. This meant that a child could have entered my car and with the key already in the car (since it was stuck) they could have driven it and caused serious bodily injury or death to themselves or to another. If my car would have been an automatic transmission, then there would have been no way to shut it off except for running it out of gas. This could pose a serious safety risk in several situations such as a car being trapped in a garage with little ventilation or if it was involved in an accident involving leaking gasoline. General motors is aware of the problem and have even issued a service bulletin on the matter (document 2552146 ; #10256: customer satisfaction - ignition lock cylinder - replace ignition lock cylinder - (Dec. 14, 2010). . Read more...
Key is stuck in the lock cylendar. Can not turn off car. This is an extreme safety hazard. Electro-mechanical release mechanism interlocked with gear shifter appears to be working correctly (inside bottom of steering column). The key is physically stuck in the ignition lock cylendar, so the car can not be turned off. Quick search on the web reveals dozens of the same complaint on Cobalt models at least back to 2005.
The first occurrence was on 9/9/2011 at 7:30 am in the morning. The vehicle would not start. The second occurrence was on 9/9/10 at 5:00 p. M. The vehicle started and when arriving at designated location the vehicle would not stop in park. The engine continued to run, unable to take key out of ignition, the vehicle when put into other gears was able to drive. We attempted to get the engine to stop and get the key out of the ignition but we failed to do so for a lenghty period of time. The battery had to be disconnected with the engine running. This decision was made after no other alternatives could be made to shut off the vehicle. This was a dangerous situation and could have cause electrical burns or other issues while doing this.
The key will not turn in the ignition cylinder. Therefore the car will not turn off. There is a special bulletin #10256 about this exact problem including only the 2009 Cobalt however as there is not an open recall the manufacturer will not repair my car because my car has a branded title and they will only repair 'open recall' items. This issue is not listed in the global database when my VIN is searched but it needs to be listed under my VIN and there needs to be an open recall on this issue because it is certainly a huge safety problem that many owners have been experiencing. The only way to turn the car off is to get under the hood and remove the fuel relay fuse. In case of a fire this would be a catastrophic safety issue which could result in serious injury or even death.
Issue: my ignition key will not turn once inside the ignition, preventing my car from starting. Dealership: will charge for replacing and cylinder, housing and key if vehicle exceeds bumper-to-bumper warranty (36,000 miles or ~2 years, whichever comes first). Cost including labor is $797 + tax! number of occurences: 2 safety: depending on where you last park your car, you can be stranded anywhere! tip: I have learned from the tow company that this is the most frequent problem from these chevy vehicles and that many people have had this problem.
After shutting off my 2009 chevy Cobalt I was not able to turn the ignition switch to restart the car. I had to have it towed to the dealer and have a new ignition lock cylinder replaced.
Rear brakes and rotors bad , severe groves in rotors .
Power steering becomes inoperable after several turns of the steering wheel on the new electronic power steering system. General motors was aware of the condition as disclosed in the diagnostic bulletin provided to me after the third return to the local dealer to report the problem. (see attached bulletin). I have contacted general motors customer service and they are supporting the statement provided in the bulletin that this is a normal condition and no resolution for the problem. I informed the dealer salesman, management and title agent the vehicle was needed for driver education purposes. The vehicle is unsafe and puts students in danger when making hard turns, evasive maneuvers to avoid accidents and parallel parking. In addition, they are failing the mva road test due to an inability to control the steering. The selling dealer was aware of the problem as noted in the bulletin and should have informed me the electronic power steering becomes inoperable when the system warms-up. And to not have a resolution is unconscionable.
No crash, injury's.
2009 chevy Cobalt ss 4door car has only been put under standard driving conditions city/highway and before 20000 miles the rear brake rotors were groved and warped beyond repair and the inside rear brake pad was down to metal. The outside pad still had over 70% life left on it but was groving the rotor also. Front brakes are fine with no issues.