NHTSA Complaint #10296518 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT IN AUGUST 2008 BY EARLY SPRING OF 2009 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A BEEPING NOISE AND ON THE SCREEN IT SAID POWER STEERING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING I AM A VERY SMALL 100 POUND GIRL AND HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO PULL MY CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALL FOR HELP. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO A GM DEALER WHO THEN TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COBALT AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME OVER 800 TO FIX AND THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY . I COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY THEM THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY AFTER JUST PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND BEING A STUDENT IN SCHOOL . I THEN FOUND A MECHANIC THAT PUT THE PART IN FOR A CHEAPER PRICE BUT STILL ENDED UP COSTING ME 450.00. I WAS RELIEVED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TODAY NOT EVEN 6 MONTHS LATER ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD THE SAME BEEPING NOISE AND ON MY SCREEN IT CAME UP POWER STEERING!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS TIME I COULD NOT SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND MYSELF AND MY GIRLFRIEND USED ALL OF OUR STRENGTH JUST TO TURN THE WHEEL TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY EXIT...THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY COSTLY I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN HOPES TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE A FAIR DISTANCE BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SAFETY PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS. IM AFRAID THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE T HAPPEN EVERY 6 MONTHS AND ONE OF THESE TIMES IM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP SAFELY. IF I HADN'T HAD MY FRIEND IN THE CAR I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A SMALL GIRL MY SIZE . NOW THAT IT IS WINTER IM WORRIED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING IN SNOW AND ICE I WILL HAVE NO CONTROL OVER MY VEHICLE IM VERY CONCERNED FOR MYSELF AND THE SAFETY OF ALL OTHERS ..I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND SEEN HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IF I HAD OF KNOWN THIS I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. *TR