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2009 Chevrolet CobaltProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 710 owner complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-171 the manufacturer reports only 72% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
63
CarFlaw IndexSolid year42% below the Cobalt median · #5 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 72%Owner complaints71095 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage97kFuel/propulsion system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt has problems

710 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
Fuel/propulsion system2266
Steering20628
Electrical system1519
Air bags7224
Engine395
Fuel system, gasoline360
Power train293
Structure156
Vehicle speed control143
15 other systems9423

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

5 recalls

2009 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 →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Lever and linkage: column shift

Recall 09V-073 · Mar 6, 2009 · 276,729 vehicles

Risk. THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE 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 fuel/propulsion system problems start?

97kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 174 fuel/propulsion system complaints. 52% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
4under 30k miles90under 100k miles84100k 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.

Fuel/propulsion system

12 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $675 – $1,008

Steering

9 owners mentioned a cost

$800median

Middle half: $239 – $942

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

2009 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

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt safety ratings

2009 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
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion AuditAQ10001 · closed Dec 28, 2015
    No recall
  2. Electric Power Steering FailurePE10005 · closed Jul 19, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-073
  3. Fuel Line LeakPE20011 · closed Aug 17, 2023
    No recall
In owners' words

What Cobalt owners report

Recent fuel/propulsion system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The air bag never deployed I bought car in 2018 from original owner with car only having 33,000 miles on it and still under warranty til car had 100,000 miles and I hit a deer head on 2 months after getting car which bought in may of 2018 hit the deer in July 2018. The deer was hit with the front…
Complaint 11631947 · Dec 21, 2024
There is a leak in the fuel lines that is just awful. Constant while driving Many others have experienced as well. Leaves huge puddles of gas
Complaint 11609896 · Aug 21, 2024
My Cobalt 2009 has gas leaking in front of the back driver's side wheel. This has been report it seems by several people online that I have found. Why can not GM cover this repair in a recall? I've tried to call around for pricing but most garage's won't give me a quote over the phone. The best I…
Complaint 11533270 · Jul 19, 2023

Own a 2009 Cobalt?

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