Problems · by component

2005 Chevrolet Cobalt engine and engine cooling problems

51 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt cite engine and engine cooling, 3% of all 1,649 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
51
3% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I WOULD LIKE TO START A PETITION FOR AN INVESTIGATION ON THE REPLACEMENT PARTS BEING USED FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND THE SOFTWARE THEY USE TO RE-PROGRAM OR RE-LEARN THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THE REASON I AM REQUESTING THIS IS BECAUSE MY MOMS 2005 CHEVY COBALT WAS TAKEN IN FOR THIS RECALL REPLACEMENT AND WAS RUNNING FINE WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN. GOT A CALL THAT THE CAR WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP 7 HOURS LATER. A COUPLE DAYS LATER I'M DRIVING THE CAR AROUND IT STARTED TO RUN TERRIBLE. THE CAR IDLED ERRATICALLY AND IT WOULD STALL EVERY TIME I STOPPED. NOW THE CAR STARTS AND DRIVES AWHILE BUT IF I SHUT IT OFF AND THEN START IT AGAIN THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING,IT BOGS DOWN AND HAVE NO POWER WHEN I ACCELERATE. I CAN SMELL GAS BUT THERE ARE NO LEAKS AND I ONLY SMELL THE GAS WHEN THE CAR STARTS TO DO THIS. I HAVE BEEN ON THE GM RECALL UPDATE WEBSITE AND HAVE READ ABOUT SIMILAR STORIES TO MINE SAYING THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE PARTS OR THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE RE-PROGRAMING. I THINK ONE OR BOTH OF THESE IS THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM. SO COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ASAP BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 29, 2014Engine and engine coolingODI 10617536
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 12/17/14*LJ UPDATED 01/26/15.*JB UPDATED 06/2/2015 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2014Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemFire reportedODI 10587411
“2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START. WHEN SHE CALLED THE DEALER, THE TOLD HER TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL UP AND DOWN AND TAP ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THERE WERE TIMES THROUGH OUT THE YEARS, WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT, THE OIL PAN WAS LEAKING, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS INOPERABLE, AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 7, 2014Steering, Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bagsODI 10585888
“WAS DRIVING ON 1-40 AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND SUDDENLY ENGINE SHUT DOWN - DASHBOARD LIT UP. MANAGED TO REACH SHOULDER SAFELY. COULD DISCERN NO PROBLEM BY CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES FURTHER THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE MOVING AND CONTINUE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. TECHNICIAN AT CHEVROLET DEALER IN SANTA FE, NM TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS TOO WEIGHTY A KEY CHAIN - HE ALSO GAVE ME A PRINTOUT INDICATING THE PROBLEM, WHICH I STILL HAVE. I LIGHTENED THE KEY CHAIN AND NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM AGAIN.. VERY SCARY TO HAVE YOUR CAR KONK OUT AT 70 MGH WITH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC ON YOUR TAIL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 11, 2014Engine and engine coolingODI 10568621
“VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE, FILLING TIRES WITH AIR. A CIGARETTE LIGHTER POWERED AIR COMPRESSOR WAS BEING USED TO FILL TIRES. WAS ONLY IN USE FOR A FEW MINUTES, WHEN AIR COMPRESSOR STOPPED. THE FUSE FOR THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS BLOWN. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE FUSE FOR THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WOULD BE BLOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE ONLY USED IT IN THE PAST TO USE MY OBD II SCANNER, BEING THAT THE OBD DIAGNOSTIC PORT IS POWERED BY THE SAME FUSE AS THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. BESIDES USING THE OBD SCANNER, NO OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN USED VIA THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. REGARDLESS THE FUSE WOULD BE BLOWN. AFTER THE FUSE WAS BLOWN WITH THE AIR COMPRESSOR, I UNPLUGGED IT FROM THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER, ONLY TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FUSE MELTED IN THE FUSE BLOCK. FROM THERE, THE WINDOW WIPERS BEGAN OPERATING, AS WELL AS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID BEING SHOT OUT FROM THE NOZZLES. SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR, FROM UNDER THE DASH. I QUICKLY RAN TO THE TRUNK WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED, AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AS SOON AS I COULD. GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE, WITH THE OMINOUS BURNT ELECTRONIC SMELL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 27, 2013Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10553997
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD COMPLETELY LOOSE POWER SPORADICALLY, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 05/10/12*LJ”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 17, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10455482

Showing 6 of 51 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.