YearToAvoid

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

89/100

#2 most-complained of 10 Cobalt years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt has 1,564 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 89 out of 100 — #2 highest of 10 Cobalt model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is steering (689 complaints, 44% of the total). Complaints report 116 crashes, 16 fires, 109 injuries, and 7 deaths.

Complaints
1,564
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
116 / 16
Injuries / deaths
109 / 7
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
24
21 city / 29 hwy

Top 2007 Chevy Cobalt problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Steering689 (44%)
  2. Fuel System431 (28%)
  3. Electrical System289 (18%)
  4. Airbags144 (9%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires97 (6%)
  6. Engine96 (6%)
  7. Brakes76 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain43 (3%)
  9. Other38 (2%)
  10. Structure & Body31 (2%)
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt complaints: complaints filed per quarter2582006 Q42009 Q22011 Q42014 Q22016 Q42019 Q22021 Q42024 Q2
1954 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (258).

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V171000Apr 10, 2014Electrical System2,191,014 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

    Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.

  2. NHTSA 14V047000Feb 10, 2014Airbags2,190,934 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

  3. NHTSA 12V459000Sep 19, 2012Fuel System49,768 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.

    Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles in for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

See all 5 recalls for the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt →

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21 MPG
Highway
29 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,200
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2007 compared with other Cobalt years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102011201220162017
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid781,649524
2006Avoid1002,330524
2007Avoid891,564524
2008Caution56845426
2009Caution67710528

All Chevrolet Cobalt years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt ranks #2 of 10 among Cobalt model years (Complaint Index 89/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 1,564 complaints and 5 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt?
The most reported problem areas are steering (689 complaints), fuel system (431 complaints), and electrical system (289 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 64,857 miles.
Does the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, most recently reported 2014, covering electrical system, airbags, fuel system, and steering.
What is the fuel economy of the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt?
EPA rates the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt at 24 MPG combined (21 city / 29 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

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.