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#BS-2010-CHECOB-47342010 Chevrolet Cobalt
Based on reports from 794 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 794 complaints, 76 crashes, 9 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 8.4x the class average.
Top reported problems
gas line rusted out
6 complaints • Severity 8.3/10
key stuck in ignition
2 complaints • Severity 9/10
head gasket blew
1 complaints • Severity 8/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
235 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 67K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (182 reports) • Median: 67K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Steering (235 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2010 Chevrolet Cobalt: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 30% of all reports filed for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, with 235 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 66,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 67K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, with 113 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, with 113 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, with 76 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. Recent trend: stable.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 CHEVROLET COBALT AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 PONTIAC G5 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
UCI-FRAM Group is recalling certain LS1328 ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1328, Duralast LS1328, Airtex 1S6097, and Carquest 53-27479, and LS1497 Ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1497, Duralast LS1497, Airtex 1S10961, and Carquest 53-27967, for use on various General Motors model and model year vehicles during repair and replacement of the original ignition switch. The weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the affected ignition switches to move out of the run position, turning off the engine and disabling the air bags.
AIR BAGS
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Chevrolet Cobalt is the 2005 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is steering.
2010 Chevrolet Cobalt vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)
This vehicle
794
Class avg
94
8.4x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical subcompact cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 794 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Chevrolet Cobalt Model Years
View all Chevrolet Cobalt years →2010 Chevrolet Cobalt: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 794 owner reports. Know before you buy.