NHTSA Complaint #10239929 — 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT

WE PURCHASED TWO 2006 CHEVY COBALT CARS. ONE IN OCT OF 07 AND ONE IN MAY OR JUNE OF 08. ONE MONTH AFTER WE PURCHASED THE 2ND VEHICLE, MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN IT. WHILE ON THE ROAD (NOT SPEEDING) THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE-ROD BROKE (HE HEARD A SUDDEN SNAP) , THE C-V JOINT CAME LOOSE (OR SHATTERED?) AND HIS ENTIRE WHEEL ON THAT SIDE BROKE LOOSE THROWING HIM INTO A DITCH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALED. HE CAME VERY CLOSE TO ROLLING THE CAR AND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. FORTUNATELY HE REMAINED CALM AND WAS NOT INJURED. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIE ROD END AND CV JOINTS ESPECIALLY ON THAT SIDE WERE NEVER LUBRICATED FROM THE FACTORY. THE STRESS OF THE PARTS WITHOUT THIS LUBRICATION CAUSED THEM TO SNAP. THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE AUTO BODY SHOP THAT DID THE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. CONCERNED ABOUT THE 1ST COBALT THAT WE PURCHASED, WE INSPECTED IT ALSO. IT TOO, WAS IN THE SAME CONDITION. THE TIE RODS AND CV JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WERE BONE DRY AND THE DRIVERS SIDE HAD NEXT TO NO GREASE IN THEM. NATURALLY, WE HAD THEM LUBRICATED. BUT IT SEEMS VERY STRANGE AND OUTRAGEOUS THAT TWO VEHICLES WOULD HAVE THE VERY SAME DEFECT AND A VERY DANGEROUS ONE AT THAT. I FELT THAT SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS SO THAT OTHER COBALT OWNERS CAN HAVE THEIR VEHICLES INSPECTED. *TR