NHTSA Complaint #10587788 — 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT

THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT THE FUEL PUMP RECALL FOR THIS CAR, WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V419000, DID NOT SHOW UP IN THE DATABASE VISIBLE TO EITHER MY MECHANIC OR A GM DEALER. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING PART FAILURE, WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE CAR, EITHER WHILE IT IS MOVING OR STOPPED, AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS THIS PROBLEM, LEAKING GASOLINE AT QUITE A RAPID RATE. THE FUEL SMELL WHILE DRIVING IS UNBEARABLE. WHEREVER I PARK A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE FORMS UNDER THE CAR. IF I PARKED IN A CLOSED GARAGE, THIS WOULD BE A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS FOR GOOD REASON THAT THIS RECALL WAS PUT IN PLACE. HOWEVER, APPARENTLY THIS ISSUE SHOWS UP IN THE GM SYSTEM AS A "SPECIAL COVERAGE" AND NOT A RECALL. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLINE. I WAS SEARCHING BECAUSE I WAS PREPARING TO PAY $833 FOR MY MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. WHEN I PHONED THE DEALER, HE SAID HE HAD TO GET TO "ANOTHER SCREEN" TO SEE THE SPECIAL COVERAGE ITEMS, AND HE ONLY DID THAT BECAUSE I PROMPTED HIM. APPARENTLY THEY DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO WARN CAR OWNERS OF THIS ISSUE EVEN WHEN THE OWNER HAS THEIR VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL (WHICH MINE WAS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS). I HAVE ALSO NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THIS RECALL, AND I'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE JANUARY OF 2007. AFTER THE RECENT PRESS COVERAGE OF THE RECALL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR THIS VEHICLE, I AM SHOCKED THAT THIS KIND OF A SAFETY CONCERN IS ESSENTIALLY BEING HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW. *TR