Problems · by component

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt air bags problems

146 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt cite air bags, 6% of all 2,330 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
146
6% of all complaints
Crashes
59
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
47
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY, CAR WENT DEAD> HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP. POWER STEERING WENT OUT, BUT AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR IT WAS OK. IT KEEPS HAPPENING OFF AND ON- ON OCCASIONS. I KEPT SMELLING GAS, TOOK IT TO CAR REPAIR SHOP WAS TOLD I COULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE, WAS TOLD THE GAS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED OR WHATEVER THE PART INSIDE THE GAS TANK. NOTE: WHEN THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM ARRIVED I WAS LEAVING GOING TO WORK. I STARTED THE CAR BUT THE STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN SO I PULLED BACK INTO PARKING SPACE AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I RESTARTED AFTER A FEW MINUTES-WAS ABLE TO STEER OK. UPON SMELLING GAS THIS WENT ON FOR SERVAL DAYS. I THOUGHT IT WAS FUMES FROM OTHER CARS. I WOULD SMELL GAS WHILE DRIVING IT. ONE DAY AS I PULLED UP TO WORK I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND NOTICED SOMETHING WET NEXT TO MY FRONT TIRE. I COULD SMELL GAS FUMES. I TOOK IT TO REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY. SHOP TOLD ME THE CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 28, 2021Steering, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11390483
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14E021000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 10V073000(STEERING) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JEFF JOHNSON CHEVROLET(2533 CARROLLTON PIKE, WOODLAWN, VA 24381) WHERE SHE DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF TO HAVE THE RECALLS REPAIRED. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT DROVE STRAIGHT INTO DITCH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES DUE TO THE ACCIDENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HER FIANC'S HOUSE. SHE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER TO INFORM THEM OF THE ACCIDENT AND ALSO INFORMED THAT SHE HAD NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SLANTED TO THE RIGHT BY ABOUT ONE TO TWO INCHES UPON RETURN OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED HER THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT APART OF THE STEERING WHEEL RECALL. THE CONTACT CALLED ANOTHER DEALER,FLOW BUICK-GMC(1945 SKIBO RD, FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28314) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN SERVICED,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2020Steering, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11354386
“1.GAS SMELL - FUEL LEAKS AFTER LEAK FIX STILL SMELL GAS (EVEN AFTER SETTING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. 2-DOOR LOCK ISSUES-EVEN AFTER FIXED BY GM-NOW WON'T LOCK AT ALL 3.AIR BAGS- GM STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT GET PARTS IN 4.ELECTRONIC ISSUES -START AUTO NOW SHOW-POWER STEERING, HAD CHECKED BY GM WONT ECM WON'T CUMMUNICATE WITH TCM. I HAVE HAD ALL OF THIS CHECKED BY ANTHONY CHEVROLET AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE! STATE THEY CANNOT GET PARTS AND OR NOT WORTH FIXING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2020Electrical system, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11348551
“ON 7-20-20 I SPOKE WITH STEPHANIE ( 1-800-222-1020) ON THE NHTSA SITE, WERE I GOT THE PHONE NUMBER. I TOLD HER I ENTERED MY VIN AND FOUND THERE WERE 6 RECALLS ON MY 2006 CHEVY COBALT. I EXPLAINED TO HER ON 7-15-20, I LEFT FOR WORK BUT NOTICED MY POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I WAS AFRAID I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY BECAUSE OF THE STEERING. I WENT AND PURCHASED POWER STEERING FLUID, ONLY TO LEARN THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PUT IT. STEPHANIE AND I LOOKED AT THE RECALLS TOGETHER. WE DISCUSSED THE NUMEROUS RECALLS SHE SAW ALONG WITH ME. SHE SET-UP A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT HERE IN CONWAY, ARK WERE I NOW RESIDE FOR 7-23-20 @ 7:00AM. SUPERIOR DEALERSHIP. I ARRIVED AND (LISA) ASKED IF I HAD AN APPOINTMENT, I SAID YES. I TOLD HER WHAT MY ISSUE WAS AND SHE WENT INTO MY CAR AND PULLED OUT SOMETHING UNDER THE DASH. SHE HAD IN HER HAD SOMETHING SHE SAID WOULD LIGHT UP RED IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PLACE THE VEHICLE ON A MACHINE IN ORDER TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEMS. SHE THEN TOLD ME THERE WERE THREE RECALLS ON THE CAR BUT THEY ALL HAD BEEN FIXED. AND STATED I WOULD BE CHARGED $ 150.00 FOR A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2020Steering, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11341085
“THE CAR ISN'T DRIVABLE. ELECTRIC POWER STEERING OUT, ELECTRIC PLUGS AND WIRES, WON'T START AT ALL. NO CLICKS, NOTHING. IF YOU TURN THE KEY NOTHING HAPPENS, BUT A LIGHT THAT IS A CAR WITH A LOCK THROUGH IT. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S ONLY TRANSPORTATION. I SAW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING AND ELECTRICAL. THANK YOU KATHY KEY”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2020Steering, Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11331423
“THE CAR SAYS SERVICE AIRBAG THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN AND IT MAKES A GOOD KNOCKING NOISE WHEN YOU GO OUT LOW-SPEED A HIGH-SPEED MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO LEAVE ON THE ROAD AND MAKE YOU SWEAR IT PULLS TO THE LEFT AND IT'S HORRIBLE AND GAS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 7, 2020Steering, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11297548

Showing 6 of 146 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

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

1 recall on this component

Air bags

Remedy pending

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. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

Air bagsReported Feb 10, 2014NHTSA 14V047000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

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