YearToAvoid

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems

NHTSA has 1,299 owner complaints about steering problems in the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, 56% of all 2,330 complaints for this model year. That is the highest steering complaint count among 10 Cobalt model years. These complaints report 78 crashes, 4 fires, and 133 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 60,800 miles.

Steering complaints
1,299
56% of 2,330
Crashes reported
78
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
133
Median mileage
60,800 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 17, 2006, latest Sep 18, 2025.

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints: complaints filed per quarter3852006 Q42009 Q12011 Q22013 Q32015 Q42018 Q12020 Q22023 Q2
1299 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q4 to 2025 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (385).

Steering recalls for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

  1. NHTSA 10V073000Mar 3, 2010Steering1,050,889 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: If power steering assist is lost, it would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the electric power steering motor free of charge. Owners are being notified on a rolling basis between march 29 through november 2010. A copy of the mailing schedule is located in the recall file. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Steering complaints by Cobalt model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20051,143 (69%)
  2. 20061,299 (56%)
  3. 2007689 (44%)
  4. 2008309 (37%)
  5. 2009206 (29%)
  6. 2010239 (42%)
  7. 20112 (100%)
  8. 20120 (0%)
  9. 20160 (0%)
  10. 20171 (100%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt have steering problems?
NHTSA has 1,299 owner complaints about the steering in the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, 56% of all complaints for this model year, including 78 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 60,800 miles.
Which Chevrolet Cobalt year has the most steering complaints?
The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt has the most steering complaints (1,299), compared with 1,299 for the 2006.
Is there a steering recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt concerns the steering: 10V073000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.