2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I'VE GIVEN THIS CAR REGULARLY BY THE BOOK MAINTENANCE AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS REPLACING. THERE ARE NO REPAIR MECHANICS THAT WANT TO REPLACE IT EITHER. THEY ALL STATE IT IS TOO COMPLICATED TO GET TOO. THEY TELL ME ITS CHEAPER TO BUY A NEW CAR. WITH THE AMOUNT OF CAR I'VE GIVEN THIS CAR, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD GO BAD. ANYTHING SMALL WITH IT SHOULD BE EASY TO REPAIR. IT IS AS IF THE ENGINEERS SET THE CONSUMER UP TO FAIL. I HAVE A GREAT CAR THAT IS ONLY AN 08 WITH A NICE BODY, STARTS INSTANTLY, AND NO ONE WILL TOUCH THE TRANSMISSION! WHEN I START OFF WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I SLOWLY START TO TAKE OFF FROM 0-20 IT TAKES IT A STRANGE AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET TO 20MPH THAN ITS FINE. IT ALSO HAPPENS AT STOP SIGNS AND SOME LIGHTS. OCCASIONALLY, IF I TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT ITS FINE. I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE A SECOND VEHICLE AND DEALERS WOULD NOT EVEN ACCEPT IT AS A TRADE IN WHEN I TRIED TO GET A NEW CAR. LIKE I SAID, BODY WISE SHE IS IN GREAT CONDITION. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS TRANSMISSION IS OUTRAGEOUS.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONING, SPEEDOMETER AND WARNING INDICATORS FLASHING, GOING OUT, RESUMING NORMAL OPERATION, THEN REPEATING THE FAILURE SYMPTOMS REPEATEDLY. DURING FAILURE SYMPTOMS THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE BOG DOWN, STALL AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILS (WITH ENGINE STILL RUNNING) . RANDOM ELECTRICAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, CAR ALARM SENSOR, ETC FLASH ON AND OFF THEN START WORKING AGAIN TOTALLY NORMALLY. CAN NOT GET THE FAILURE TO OCCUR AT THE DEALERSHIP OR MECHANICS. FAILS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. FAILS WHEN DRIVING ON STREET, HIGHWAY AT LOW SPEEDS, MEDIUM SPEEDS OR HIGH SPEEDS.

WHEN DRIVING AT A CONSTANT RATE, WITH CONSTANT ACCELERATOR PRESSURE, BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 50 MPH, THE RPMS JUMP/FLUCTUATE CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH AND HESITATE. THIS CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD, PARTICULARLY IN ICY CONDITIONS. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THE HESITATION IS TO ACTIVELY ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OWNERS THAT HAVE POSTED AN IDENTICAL ISSUE ON MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE STATED THAT THEIR VEHICLES HAD SIMILAR ISSUES THAT WERE REMEDIED BY SIMILAR REPAIR PROCESSES AND THAT CHEVROLET HAS ALTERED THE PROCESS USED TO MAKE REPLACEMENT PARTS AS THE INITIAL PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION TO BEING A SAFETY HAZARD, IT IS ALSO AN EXCESSIVE AND COSTLY BURDEN ON VEHICLE OWNERS. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE UNDER 35,000 MILES. IT CANNOT BE DOCUMENTED WITHOUT A VIDEO. THE RPMS JUMPING IS A CONSTANT AND UNRELENTING ISSUE WHEN DRIVING AT A CONSTANT RATE OF SPEED BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 25-50 MPH.

NO FORWARD DRIVE,HIGH OR LOW GEAR,BUT REVERSE WAS WORKING. DRIVING AT 45 MPH FORWARD GEAR JUST WENT OUT AND I HAD TO TURN INTO A BUISNESS. WOULD NOT MOVE IN FORWARD, BUT WOULD GO IN REVERSE. HAD CAR TOWED TO HOME.

THE POWERSTEARING MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD LAST NIGHT WHILE, THANKFULLY I WAS PARKED AND STATIONERY BEFORE I TURNEDMY CAR ON. I HAD NO MOBILITY WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND APPEARED TO BE LOCKED UP. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND AFTER STARTING THE CAR A SHORT BIT LATER THE CAR WAS OPERATIONAL. THE CAR RUNS FINE FOR NOW BUT I FEAR IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. TO ADD BEFORE THIS HAPPENED I JUST FINISHED DRIVING 500 MILES WHEN I PARKED THE CAR.

MY 2008 CHEVY COBALT BEGAN SECRETING A VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR; IT DIDN'T MATTER IF IT WAS PARKED, OR DRIVING, THE ODOR HAS BEEN PROMINENT 24/7. I CHECKED FOR LEAKS AND FOUND NOTHING. I RECENTLY MOVED, SO I HAVE YET TO FIND A NEW, TRUSTWORTHY MECHANIC, SO I'VE BEEN DRIVING MY HUSBANDS CAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CHEVY AT THIS POINT. I HAD HOWEVER, BEEN REGULARLY STARTING THE ENGINE ONCE A WEEK, WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE A MECHANIC, HOWEVER NOW. MY CHEVY IS COMPLETELY DEAD; IT WONT TURN ON, NOR WILL THE LOCK SYSTEM EVEN FUNCTION VIN NUMBER: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

START OF THE PROBLEM THE GAUGES WILL GO ERATIC, MY CAR CHIMES A FEW DINGS THEN THEFT LIGHT COMES ON. I DON'T HAVE A THEFT SYSTEM. LS MODEL. ALSO EFFECTS THE TRANSMISSION(AUTOMATIC) CAUSE IT WILL SHIFT HARD AND JERK THE CAR. THE AC ALSO SHUTS OFF DURING THIS ISSUE, IT WILL BLOW AIR BUT IT WON'T BE COLD. SEEMS LIKE THE ISSUE ALWAYS COMES BACK WHEN IT'S EXTREMELY HOT OUTSIDE. THIS IS AN ON GOING ISSUE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND IT COMES AND GOES. EVERY MECHANIC I WENT TO THEIR CAR READER CAN'T READ MY CAR. ALSO IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND AGAIN WHEN I'M PARKED AND JUST STARTED THE CAR. AND I HAVE HAD ALL THE RECALLS FIXED THAT WERE REPORTED.

CLUTCH IS LOSING PRESSURE, CAN NOT SHIFT GEARS TO DRIVE THE 2008 CHEVY COBALT LS (MANUAL). MUST PUMP CLUTCH OVER 200 TIMES TO GET PRESSURE BACK. THE CLUTCH PRESSURE GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING ON STREET AND THE HIGHWAYS, MAKING IT NO WAY TO DOWNSHIFT/ SLOW DOWN. COULD CAUSE INJURY TO ALL PASSENGERS. *TR

CAR ROLLED DOWN SLIGHT HILL AFTER TURNING OFF AND EXITING VEHICLE, TRANSMISSION SHIFTER APPEARED TO BE IN PARK BUT OBVIOUSLY NOT AS CAR ROLLED AFTER LEAVING ALONE ON SLIGHT SLOPE. AFTER ACCIDENT, I PLACED KEY IN IGNITION, STARTED CAR BUT WILL NOT BACK UP OR CHANGE POSITION OF GEAR FROM NEUTRAL OR DRIVE. WILL NOT GO BACK INTO PARK. KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION NOW. BUMPER AND RADIATOR ARE DAMAGED AFTER CRASH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT WAS OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BUTTON LOCATED ON THE GEAR SHIFTER HOUSING BECAME COMPLETELY DETACHED. IN ADDITION, THE TURN SIGNAL AND WINDSHIELD WIPER MECHANISM FRACTURED UPON ENGAGING. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REPAIR EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

THE VEHICLE'S RPMS AND ENGINE WILL SURGE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

MY LEG ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE KEYCHAIN 3 3/8 INCHES LONG (ONLY ONE KEY ON IT , THE IGNITION KEY) WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. I WAS IN A 35 MPH AREA, I SHIFTED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STEER INTO A LEFT TURN LANE, SHIFTED IT INTO PARK AND STARTED IT. *TR

A 2008 CHEVY COBALT WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MILES, PARKED, SHUT OFF, THE KEY REMOVED & LOCKED WITH REMOTE. A FEW HOURS LATER THE CAR WAS UNLOCKED WITH REMOTE, THE KEY WAS INSERTED IN THE IGNITION BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN NOR COULD THE GEAR SHIFTER BE MOVED OUT OF PARK. THE CAR WAS STARTED USING THE REMOTE BUT SHUT OFF AFTER THE 10 MINUTE TIME-OUT. TRIED TO CALL ON-STAR BUT NOTICED THE GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT WORK. HAD TO USE HOME PHONE TO CONTACT THEM. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR IT W/O COST EVEN THOUGH THERE APPEARS TO BE A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM. CAR HAD ABOUT 37,000 MILES HOWEVER PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION NOT TURNING ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT WERE NOTICED ON MANY OCCASIONS PRIOR TO FAILURE. *TR

PURCHASED COBALT "REVOLUTION" WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN FEB 2009. ALWAYS GOT SOME MINOR GRINDING WHEN SHIFTING INTO 4TH GEAR. WAITED DURING BREAK-IN PERIOD BUT ONLY GOT WORSE. AROUND 15,000 MILES TOOK TO DEALER, HE COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE GRINDING GOT WORSE AND EXTENDED TO 3RD GEAR TOO. AT APPROX 30,000 MILES IT WAS ALMOST CONSTANT. DEALER REPLACED THE 3RD AND 4TH SYNCRO GEARS. PROBLEM RECURRED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY IN 3RD ONLY. SHIFTER FAILED AND HAD TO BE TOWED AT APPROX. 50,000 MILES. DEALER AGAIN REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED A SHIFTER LINKAGE PIN. PROBLEM RECURRED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY IN 3RD ONLY. SHIFTER AGAIN FAILED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER WAITING FOR BACKORDERED CABLE FOR SHIFTER AND THEN WILL "TRY" TO FIX GRINDING. DEALER SAYS CABLE IS NOT PART OF POWER TRAIN WARRANTY! *TR

PROBLEM STARTED SPEED AT 55 NOISE ON RIGHT FRONT THEN HARD VIBRATION WHEN YOU APPLY BRAKES IT IS WORSE .NOW AT 45 IT DOES THIS NOT ALL THE TIME ABOUT ONCE A WEEK AND AFTER 5 MILES OR MORE IT WILL FINALLY QUIT HAVE HAD WHEELS REBALANCED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT THE PROBLEM AND HAVE CHANGED TIRES STILL NO DIFFERENCE.THEY DID TELL ME SEEPAGE AROUND STRUTS BUT NOT BAD.TOLD ME TO TAKE TO DEALER AS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. TOOK TO CHEVY DEALER IT DROVE OK FOR THEM AND THEY HAD ME DRIVE IT TO EXPLAIN MY PROB THEY PUT ON A LIFT AND THEY SEE NOTHING SEEPAGE AROUND STRUTS NO BIG DEAL UNLESS DRIPPING. THEY SAID UNLESS IT HAD VIBRATION WHEN THEY DROVE OR I KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS COULDN'T HELP ME NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT PROBLEM .DEALER TOLD ME NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED TO BRING IT IN AND THERE WOULD BE NO CHARGE. THAT WAS A JOKE. WHEN IT HAPPENS MAY NOT BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO A DEALER UNLESS I PAY A TOW PERSON TO TAKE IT THERE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABT 3 MONTHS. *TR

WENT TO START 2008 CHEVY COBALT WITH JUST OVER 8000MILES. WHEN INSERTED KEY INTO IGNITION KEY GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE/TURN TO START VEHICLE. CAR WOULD NOT EVEN SHIFT OUT OF PARK. *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2008 COBALT SPORT AND FROM THE FIRST FEW WEEKS THAT I GOT IT , TO THIS DAY, I FOUND THAT SOMETIMES WHEN GOING INTO THIRD OR FOURTH GEAR W/CLUTCH FULLY ENGAGED THERE IS A VIBRATION AND NOTICEABLE GRINDING WHILE ENGAGING INTO GEAR, IT IS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO 2ND GEAR IN VERY COLD WEATHER. *TR

4TH GEAR SYNCHRO NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL(MANUAL TRANSMISSION)....AVERAGE OF 10% OF THE TIME WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SELECT 4TH GEAR W/CLUTH FULLY ENGAGED GRINDING NOISE & VIBRATION OCCURS...DOES GO INTO GEAR, BUT GRINDS...DEALER TOLD ME THAT CHEVY TOLD THEM THAT NO DAMAGE WILL BE CAUSED BY PROBLEM, AND TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH DEFECTIVE PART...NEW PART FOR 08 IN TRANNY VS 05-07 TRANNY. *TR