NHTSA Complaint #10379893 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

WITH NO ADVANCED SIGNS OR WARNING (MILEAGE AT 99,930), UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR'S RPM REVVED UP AND DOWN AND WANTED TO STALL. THE FUEL GAUGE JUMPED BACK AND FORTH. THERE WAS A CONSTANT CLICKING IN THE GEAR SHIFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED INTO PLACE WHERE I COULD NOT TURN IT. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES BEFORE EVERYTHING SEEMED TO GO BACK TO NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE. THE NEXT TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS WHEN MILEAGE WAS AT 99960. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT STOPPING AND STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SECURITY WARNING LIGHTS WENT OUT AND I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR TO DRIVE, ONLY TO BE PRACTICALLY JERKED OUT OF MY SEAT WITH HARD SHIFTING AND ACTING LIGHT IT WANTED TO STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED ON THE ENTIRE DRIVE THERE. ONCE THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RECREATED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEREFORE I WAS SENT ON MY WAY WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG. THE NEXT REPEAT EVENT OCCURRED 3 WEEKS LATER (MILEAGE 100,450) BUT CORRECTED ITSELF WITH SEVERAL OFF/ON OF THE ENGINE. NEXT OCCURRENCE AGAIN AT 100,600 WITH SAME RESULTS. THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, BUT I DID ASK THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING AND HE SAID IF IT DID, I WOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. PERSONALLY, I DO NOT WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS WHILE DRIVING 55-65 MPH! THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS COULD BE A COSTLY FIX SINCE IT IS A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION AND NO GUARANTEES EACH TIME WHATEVER THEY TRIED WOULD FIX IT...NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE COMING FROM THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP MECHANIC!! *LN