2009 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,138 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 38/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 97,341 miles.
Below average
Where 2009 sits among all Cobalt years
What owners report
“My car is leaking gas from the rear of the car. I noticed a smell and it's dripping”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
“My power steering is having issues and i am unable to turn my wheel at times the speedometer and rbm goes back and forth and the whole car shifts when i drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
“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.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
“The ignition switch won't turn on and sometimes won't turn off its very loose once you do get it on and now won't turn over at all”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
“Service airbag message comes on with warning light mostly in colder temperatures and when turning the vehicle. This is random and does not occur all the time. Happens when just starting the vehicle and also when in motion and turning. Dealership is unable to find an issue.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
“The car lights will flicker on and off while driving. Strong smell of gas after i put the car in park. Been going on for the flickering 2 months now. For the fuel 2 weeks now”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cobalt
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 906 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 61,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,000 and 100,000 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 (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…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 10V073000.
Technical service bulletins
1,015 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 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 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt reliable?
The 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt drew 1,138 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 38/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt are fuel system (269 complaints), steering (214), and brakes & stability (187).
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt problems around 61,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.