CHEVROLET COBALT · model year

2011 CHEVROLET COBALT

2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011CHEVROLETCOBALT carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 COBALT is steering with 2 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2011 COBALT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

0 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

20190211STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET COBALT. WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO COURTESY CHEVROLET (1233 E CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85014, (602) 635-2559). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

Mileage: 80,000

20120314STEERING

WE BOUGHT THE 2011 COBALT USED FROM SHELOR MOTOR MILE IN CHRISTENBURG, VIRGINIA. WE NOTICED ABOUT 1 DAY LATER THAT THERE WAS A POPPING IN THE STEERING WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND EVEN TO THE LEFT. WE'VE ALREADY HAD IT CHECKED AT THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP HERE IN WYTHEVILLE, VIRGINIA AND WAS TOLD THE IT WAS THE INTERM SHAFT DEALING WITH THE STEERING, ($69.00), JUST TO HAVE IT CHECKED. WE'VE DONE ALOT OF CHECKING AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLANTS AND RECALLS FOR THE STEERING FOR THE COBALT. WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AND START TO MAKE A TURN ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR, YOU CAN FEEL THE STEERING ACTS LIKE IT CATCHES. WE'VE ALSO CONTACTED GM ABOUT THIS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE ISN'T ANY RECALLS FOR THE STEERING. WE FEEL THAT THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY GM AND OUR $69.00 THAT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT. WE HAVE JUST OVER 44500 MILES ON THE CAR. *TR

Mileage: 42,500

Compare 2011CHEVROLETCOBALT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 CHEVROLET COBALT have?
The 2011 CHEVROLET COBALT has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 CHEVROLET COBALT?
The most-complained component for the 2011 CHEVROLET COBALT is STEERING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2011 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 as of 2025. 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.