NHTSA Complaint #11280418 — 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT

THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR DO SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THEY ALSO TURN ON BY THEMSELVES SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND OFF. WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED WITH A DEAD BATTERY WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 AND NEWER COBALTS. TYPICALLY CARS HAD A PHYSICAL RELAY TO CONTROL THE HEADLIGHTS. IN THESE CARS THE RELAY CIRCUIT IS BUILT IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX. THE BOX IS NOT SEAL PROPERLY AND MOISTURE GETS INTO THE BOX, CAUSING A FAILURE ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS CAR FIRST STARTED DOING THIS BACK IN 2009 WHEN MY DAUGHTER HAD IT. I RECENTLY TOOK THE CAR BACK AND IT WAS STILL BEHAVING IN THIS MANNER. THE WORK AROUND THAT SEEMED TO WORK FOR A LONG TIME WAS TO MANUALLY TURN THE AUTO LIGHTS OFF USING THE MULTIFUNCTION LEVER ON THE STEERING WHEEL. TODAY, THE LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON BY THEMSELVES WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. ALSO, TURNING THE AUTO LIGHTS OFF MANUALLY HAS STOPPED BEING EFFECTIVE. WE ARE NOW FEARFUL, WILL THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF WHILE WE ARE DRIVING, AND OFF COURSE WILL WE BE STRANDED WITH A DEAD BATTERY WHEN PARKING THE CAR. THE SOLUTION SEEMS TO BE TO REPLACE THE FUSE BOX IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT A $200 PART PLUS A FEW LABOR HOURS. THEN YOU HAVE TO RIG UP A SOLUTION TO MAKE THE DEFECTIVE BOX SEAL, SUCH AS ADDING WEATHERSTRIPPING. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL FOR GM TO FIX AT NO COST TO CUSTOMER. [XXX] *PM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR