Problems · by component
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt service brakes problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt cite service brakes, 2% of all 1,564 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
2% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED(~6 MONTHS APART). WHEN I'M GOING AROUND 50-60 MPH AND NEED TO HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE CAR QUICKLY (NOT SLAM THE BRAKES), THEY LOCK UP. I HIT THE BRAKES AND TURNED TO THE LEFT THE FIRST TIME AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT THE SECOND. BOTH TIMES THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP, I WENT FISHTAILING ACROSS 3 LANES AND ENDING UP FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC BOTH TIMES. I'VE BEEN LUCKY BOTH TIMES AND NOT BEEN HIT BY ANYONE ELSE BUT I'M SURE MY LUCK WILL RUN OUT ONE DAY. ADDITIONAL NOTE: THE CAR TURNED OFF THE FIRST TIME. AND THE 2ND TIME, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WAS SHREDDED.--2007 COBALT- 125K MILES. BRAKE JOB DONE 2016. THIS ENTRY IS 2/27/19.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE DID NO SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL TO SLOW THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE BRAKES ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE BRAKES HAD TO BE RECALIBRATED. THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,686.”
“REPLACED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS SINCE PURCHASE: BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS DUE TO BUSHING FAILURES; BOTH FRONT SHOCK AND STRUT ASSEMBLIES DUE TO SHOCK FAILURES/LEAKS; BOTH SWAY BAR LINKS DUE TO FAILED COMPONENTS; BOTH FRONT SWAY BAR BUSHINGS DUE TO DRY-ROT; BOTH FRONT ROTORS DUE TO FAILED/WARPED COMPONENTS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE BRAKE CALIPERS; HARMONIC BALANCER DUE TO DEFECTIVE/WEAK COMPONENT; BOTH REAR SHOCKS DUE TO FAILURES/LEAKS. STILL NEED TO REPLACE REAR COIL SPRINGS DUE TO WEAKNESS, ALL WHEEL HUB BEARINGS DUE TO UNSTABLE DRIVING/STEERING AND THE VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR CAUSING HIGH IDLE AND ERRATIC IDLING AFTER WARM-UP.”
“BROUGHT 2007 COBALT ON 7/09/14. REPORTED THE PROBLEM OF THE VEHICLE SHUTTING- OFF ON ME AND NO INSPECTION STICKER WAS ON THE CAR 7/10/14. THEY WROTE A WORK ORDER OUT. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO ARCHER AUTO TO GET WORK PERFORMED AND FOR A INSPECTION STICKER. ARCHER AUTO KEPT MY 2007 COBALT FOR 3 MONTHS. UNTIL I CALLED BBB BUSINESS AND FILED A COMPLAINT. ARCHER AUTO SAID THEY FIX MY VEHICLE BUT DIDN'T. ARCHER AUTO PUT A ILLEGAL INSPECTION STICKER ON IT TO PASS THE EMISSION TEST. ARCHER AUTO RETURNED MY VEHICLE. THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. BROUGHT IT TO FIRESTONE TO GET FIX. THEN LATER FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING. THE 2007 COBALT WAS SHUTTING-OFF ON ME AND LOSING ALL POWER..THEN I TOOK IT BACK BECAUSE THEIR WAS ANOTHER RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THEN ON 9/13/14 THE ENGINE SHUT-OFF ON ME. LOSING ALL POWER , LOCKING THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING ALSO. I RAN INTO THE BACK OF A VEHICLE AND TOTALED PUT THE 2007 COBALT. *TR”
“MY HEAD LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF UNLESS I UNPLUG MY BATTERY, AND MY SIGNAL LIGHT WON'T GO OFF THE CHAVY DEALER CLAIMS NOT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT UNLESS I PAY THEM $200 ,FIRST. ITS BEEN ABOUT 30 DAYS NOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON. *TR”
Showing 6 of 25 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.