2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems: Steering (2,317 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt is Steering (50% of 2,317 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
1,147 of 2,317 filings named Steering (50% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Fuel system (425 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Steering, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2005 has 1,619 reports on file; this year has 2,317. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 162
- Fires 14
- Injuries 196
- Deaths 8
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 1,147 | 49.5% | 58 crashes · 1 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 425 | 18.3% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 247 | 10.7% | 22 crashes · 4 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 95 | 4.1% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 80 | 3.5% | 5 crashes · 2 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 76 | 3.3% | 42 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 35 | 1.5% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 31 | 1.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 24 | 1.0% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 521 | 22.5% | 37 crashes · 5 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 09V419000 was reported 247 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V073000 was reported 1,172 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V171000 was reported 2,879 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14E021000 was reported 2,899 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 150 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 176 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 413 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 68 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 62 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 59 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 66 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 80 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 108 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 62 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07V014000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V419000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V073000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V047000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V171000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14E021000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE10005 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Steering, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 07V014000
Safety recall 07V014000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IN A CRASH, HEAD IMPACT PROTECTION MAY BE INADEQUATE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL ENERGY ABSORBING PLASTIC TO THE HEADLINER TRIM TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF HEAD IMPACTS IN A CRASH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 21, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
-
Recall campaign 09V419000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. A SPECIAL COVERAGE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SAME TIME FRAME FOR MODEL YEAR 2006 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE AND TEXAS AND MODEL YEAR 2007 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN: ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND TENNESSEE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 4, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V073000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, IT WOULD REQUIRE GREATER DRIVER EFFORT AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS ARE BEING NOTIFIED ON A ROLLING BASIS BETWEEN MARCH 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2010. A COPY OF THE MAILING SCHEDULE IS LOCATED IN THE RECALL FILE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14E021000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the ignition switch moves from the run position to accessory, the car would stall and the air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury to the occupants.
- Remedy:
- UCI-FRAM Group has notified its purchasers to quarantine and return all inventory. Any switches already installed in vehicles will be replaced by GM dealers as part of NHTSA recall 14V-047, free of charge. UCI-Fram's purchasers should contact UCI-FRAM Group at 1-800-890-2075. GM vehicle owners requiring additional information on that recall campaign should contact GM at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac) or 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn).
-
Recall campaign 14V047000
Safety recall 14V047000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
-
Recall campaign 14V171000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- 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 the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
- Remedy:
- General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Owners named Steering most often — 1,147 of 2,317 reports (50%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Steering, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.