2010 Chevrolet Cobalt: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 791 complaints
791
Total Complaints
66,218mi
Median Mileage
Steering
Top Issue
76
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

43,750 25th Percentile
66,218 Median Mileage
98,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Steering
235
Electrical System
112
Fuel/Propulsion System
101
Air Bags
76
Engine
38
Power Train
29
Unknown Or Other
28
Service Brakes
14
Vehicle Speed Control
13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
13

Severity Assessment

76
Crashes
9
Fires
67
Injuries
4
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"2006 COBALT STEERING PROBLEM VIBRATES AND SHAKES. *TR"
"2006 COBALT STEERING PROBLEM VIBRATES AND SHAKES. *TR"
"FEB 03, 2010 PURCHASED A 2010 CHEVROLET COBALT FROM PAPE CHEV. S. PORTLAND , MAINE. CAN HEAR POWER STEERING RUBBING NOISE UPON TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS. MILEAGE ONLY 660. NOW I HEAR THERE IS A PENDING RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE? DOES THE DEALER HAVE TO EXCHANGE FOR ANOTHER MODEL.. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Steering 235 complaints
25th: 39,032 mi Median: 56,045 mi 75th: 75,350 mi
Electrical System 112 complaints
25th: 36,375 mi Median: 57,638 mi 75th: 92,750 mi
Fuel/Propulsion System 101 complaints
25th: 91,000 mi Median: 104,000 mi 75th: 132,017 mi
Air Bags 76 complaints
25th: 40,500 mi Median: 67,000 mi 75th: 85,000 mi
Engine 38 complaints
25th: 70,000 mi Median: 87,440 mi 75th: 111,112 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

OH: 69 MI: 55 IL: 51 CA: 47 PA: 40 TX: 39 FL: 39 MO: 35 NY: 32 IN: 30

Who Files Complaints?

0.8%
Original Owners
99.2%
Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Cobalt — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
20052231150
20063056272
20071998173
20081102108
2009914103

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28