2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,231 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 70/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 61,465 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Cobalt years
What owners report
“Power steering went out in 2005 chevy cobalt. I am small i could barely steer. Will call dealer today”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
“ABS light lit, Traction light lit, power steering light lit, car jerking, not shifting. Stalling.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
“Engine would not turn over no electrical connection this happened several times during ownership.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
“My chevy cobalt just stalled in traffic at a dangerous rate of speed on street approaching a stop light the screen in car said engine power reduced then said engine disable. This is very dangerous and very unsafe.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
“Traction control warning light came on after starting vehicle. Shifted from p to r and the shift was hard. Shifted to d and a clunk occurred. Vehicle did not drive correctly. Shut off vehicle and started it again. Problem went away. This could be very dangerous if it happens while driving at speed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
“I was driving out of my parking spot at a very low speed (less than 5mph) and the air bags deployed, unprovoked. Just the driver's side deployed. I received burns and cuts to my arm and have hearing loss in my one ear.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Cobalt
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,838 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 63,444 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,022 and 95,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
UCI-FRAM Group is recalling certain LS1328 ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1328, Duralast LS1328, Airtex 1S6097, and Carquest 53-27479, and LS1497 Ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1497, Duralast LS1497, Airtex 1S10961, and Carquest 53-27967, for use on…
Fix: UCI-FRAM Group has notified its purchasers to quarantine and return all inventory. Any switches already installed in vehicles will be replaced by GM dealers as part of NHTSA recall 14V-047, free of…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ROOF-MOUNTED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, 'OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT.'
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ENERGY ABSORBING PLASTIC TO THE HEADLINER TRIM TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF HEAD IMPACTS IN A CRASH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 21, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE BULB SHIELDS INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMPS CAN LOOSEN DUE TO VIBRATION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL TWO NEW HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 10V073000.
Technical service bulletins
645 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2005 Cobalt TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt reliable?
The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt drew 2,231 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 70/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt are steering (1,154 complaints), electrical (356), and engine (121).
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt problems around 63,444 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,022 and 95,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.