CHEVROLET COBALT · model year

2002 CHEVROLET COBALT

2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002CHEVROLETCOBALT carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2002 COBALT is steering with 2 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2002 COBALT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING2

Recent Complaints

20091111STEERING

2005 CHEVROLET COBALT 1. COMPUTER DISPLAYS "POWER STEERING" MESSAGE AND VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE. 2. NO STEERING. HAPPENS WITHIN 2-3 MINUTES AFTER EACH IGNITION. VERY DANGEROUS WITH DIFFICULT STEERING. 3. NOT REPAIRED YET. *TR

Mileage: 72,500

20081023CrashSTEERING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 22 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LOST POWER STEERING ABILITY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CEMENT BARRIER AND WAS DAMAGED. THE POLICE WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,624.

Mileage: 11,624

Compare 2002CHEVROLETCOBALT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT have?
The 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT?
The most-complained component for the 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT is STEERING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2002 CHEVROLET COBALT; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.