2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/12/2026

1,063Steering complaints

64.5%Of all 1,649 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING1,063 · 64.5%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM265 · 16.1%

ENGINE69 · 4.2%

AIR BAGS65 · 3.9%

POWER TRAIN55 · 3.3%

Share of the 1,649 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt overview page.

What owners report

“: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING LOCKED UP UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE…”NHTSA complaint 10172468 — filed 11/02/2006

“: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED, ALL DASH BOARD INDICATORS BLACKED OUT AND THERE WAS NO…”NHTSA complaint 10171928 — filed 10/26/2006

“: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED TWICE DUE TO A RATTLING NOISE HEARD WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THE STEERING…”NHTSA complaint 10165968 — filed 08/18/2006

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt: 1,063 of 1,649 complaints on file (64.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt have in total?

1,649 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 97 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 72 reported injuries, and 11 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.