NHTSA Complaint #10568898 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

MY ELDERLY PARENTS PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM A CHEVY DEALERSHIP IN PALM HARBOR, FL. THEY TOOK THE CAR IN NUMEROUS TIME FOR THE CAR SEIZING UP WHILE DRIVING AND POWER STEERING PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER THEIR PURCHASE. THE STARTER WOULD TURN OFF, THE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT, AND THEY OFTEN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THERE WERE VERY FEW MILES ON THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED SINCE THEY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2005. THEY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR FOR SUCH PROBLEMS BUT WERE TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT NOTHING WRONG. THEY SOLD THE CAR TO ME, THEIR DAUGHTER, BECAUSE THEY HAD GOTTEN TO OLD TO DRIVE AND THEY WERE TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THEM IN APX. 2010 AND IT HAD APX 9000 MILES. SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIME IN CHAPEL HILL, NC. THEY INSIST THAT THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT. WHEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT, THE IGNITION SWITCH TURNS OFF THUS TURNING OFF THE CAR, AND THE STALLING WHILE DRIVING IS VERY SCARY TO SAY THE LEAST. THE MOST RECENT RECEIPT FROM CHEVROLET FOR THIS PROBLEM IS FROM 8/14/2013 WITH 42950 MILES ON THE CAR. AGAIN THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT. THE MOST RECENT TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING FUSE AND IT HAS BEEN NOT INDICATING THAT PROBLEM. THE START STILL TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING. I THINK CHEVROLET HAS KNOW THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY COBALT SINCE 2005 AND DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. $500 TOWARD A NEW CAR..,.CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO WANT TO MAKE ME PURCHASE A CHEVY ANY TIME SOON. IF THEY CAN FIX THE CAR IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR