NHTSA Complaint #10296447 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 COBALT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY, IT HAD NOT DONE IT FOR TWO MONTHS. BUT RECENTLY, WHILE I WAS TAKING A TURN, IT WENT OUT, AND I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE CAR IN MY LANE AND HIT THE CURB ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THANKFULLY NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS PRESENT IN INTERSECTION, OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FRONT END COLLISION. NOW IT WORKS ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON , BUT GOES OUT EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER LOCKS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THEMSELVES CONSTANTLY WHILE I'M DRIVING, AND EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. I CAN NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED BECAUSE IT UNLOCKS ITSELF. I STARTED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT IN 2007, BUT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, ITS 63,000 MILES, AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IN A CAR LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. I LIVE IN MINNESOTA, AND THE ROADS ARE OFTEN ICY, I AM FEARFUL IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, AND I MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY AGAIN. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION, I HAD THE SHOCKS/STRUTS? REPLACED 2 MONTHS AFTER BUYING IT, AT AROUND 40, 000 MILES, AND THEY STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE DEALER FIXED IT, I SHOULD HAVE COMPLAINED THEN, BUT I WAS AFRAID TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY FOR SOMETHING ELSE THEY WOULD CLAIM WAS WRONG WITH IT. *TR