NHTSA Complaint #10315578 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT. SHE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH OVER A RAILROAD TRACK, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND FLASHED ACROSS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE MOMENTS LATER AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING COLUMN DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED BY HER FACTORY WARRANTY. THE REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING COLUMN A SECOND TIME. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED A THIRD TIME. SHE ALSO STATED THAT MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE VEHICLE HAD FAILED; UPON OPENING THE DRIVER'S DOOR, THE HORN WOULD BLOW. THE POWER LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE, THE ELECTRICAL TRUNK RELEASE WOULD NOT OPERATE AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ALSO FAILED. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL POWER STEERING FAILURES AFTER THE THIRD REPAIR, HOWEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD FEEL HARD AT TIMES. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR ANY OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000.