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2008 Chevrolet CobaltProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 845 owner complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, most often about the steering. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-171 the manufacturer reports only 72% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
58
CarFlaw IndexSolid year28% below the Cobalt median · #4 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 72%Owner complaints845134 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage68kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt has problems

845 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering30939
Fuel/propulsion system2024
Electrical system1669
Air bags9838
Fuel system, gasoline401
Engine364
Power train292
Suspension273
Vehicle speed control224
20 other systems14321

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-171 · Apr 10, 2014 · 2,191,014 vehicles · 1,569,104 repaired

Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags

Recall 14V-047 · Feb 10, 2014 · 2,190,934 vehicles · 1,571,075 repaired

Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 10V-073 · Mar 3, 2010 · 1,050,889 vehicles

Risk. IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

68kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 263 steering complaints. 73% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
39under 30k miles193under 100k miles70100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Steering

13 owners mentioned a cost

$1,200median

Middle half: $830 – $1,500

Fuel/propulsion system

9 owners mentioned a cost

$700median

Middle half: $553 – $950

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Cobalt year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cobalt median. How we score

'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'16'17
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt safety ratings

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Electric Power Steering FailurePE10005 · closed Jul 19, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-073
  2. Fuel Line LeakPE20011 · closed Aug 17, 2023
    No recall
In owners' words

What Cobalt owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that the power steering suddenly failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was turned off for a while and restarted for the power steering functionality to return. The failure was persistent. The contact stated that the power steering…
Complaint 11669269 · Jun 25, 2025
The ignition doest work right n want release the key the car dies n stalls while driving we was almost hit by a trooper n he called we spoke to 2 people n they had a gm call us n they said that this has been a big concern of these cars n we tried n tried to get it fixed n they say sorry can't can…
Complaint 11661851 · May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the message "Steering Locked" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn; however, he drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting…
Complaint 11543171 · Sep 7, 2023 · 171,117 miles

Own a 2008 Cobalt?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.