YearToAvoid

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Fuel System Problems

NHTSA has 243 owner complaints about fuel system problems in the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 29% of all 845 complaints for this model year. That is #4 highest fuel system complaint count among 10 Cobalt model years. These complaints report 1 crash, 4 fires, and 1 injury. Median mileage at failure: 101,000 miles.

Fuel System complaints
243
29% of 845
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
101,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel system complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 18, 2009, latest Jun 6, 2025.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel system complaints: complaints filed per quarter202009 Q22012 Q42015 Q12016 Q42018 Q32020 Q42022 Q4
243 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q2 to 2025 Q2; peak 2020 Q3 (20).

Fuel System recalls for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt

  1. 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.

Fuel System complaints by Cobalt model year

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

  1. 200556 (3%)
  2. 2006466 (20%)
  3. 2007431 (28%)
  4. 2008243 (29%)
  5. 2009261 (37%)
  6. 2010122 (21%)
  7. 20110 (0%)
  8. 20120 (0%)
  9. 20161 (100%)
  10. 20170 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt have fuel system problems?
NHTSA has 243 owner complaints about the fuel system in the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 29% of all complaints for this model year, including 1 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 101,000 miles.
Which Chevrolet Cobalt year has the most fuel system complaints?
The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt has the most fuel system complaints (466), compared with 243 for the 2008.
Is there a fuel system recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt concerns the fuel system: 12V459000.

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.