2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,221 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 45/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 68,367 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Cobalt years
What owners report
“I was driving. The power steering warning came on the dash. The steering became difficult. I drove home.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
“The car is leaking gas from the fuel line. The spot is by the back side driver rear wheel”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
“While driving the ignition switch turned off and i had no power to steer the car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
“Sensor in passenger seat malfunction and pretensioner on passengers side failure deactivated passengers side airbag system”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
“Suddenly will not start. Went inside the store and when i came back out it wouldnt start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Cobalt
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 941 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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 (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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 10V073000.
Technical service bulletins
955 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 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 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt reliable?
The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt drew 1,221 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 45/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt are steering (313 complaints), fuel system (253), and electrical (196).
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.