YearToAvoid

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Steering Problems

NHTSA has 309 owner complaints about steering problems in the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 37% of all 845 complaints for this model year. That is #4 highest steering complaint count among 10 Cobalt model years. These complaints report 37 crashes, 4 fires, and 24 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 68,122 miles.

Steering complaints
309
37% of 845
Crashes reported
37
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
24
Median mileage
68,122 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 18, 2008, latest Jun 25, 2025.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt steering complaints: complaints filed per quarter512008 Q42010 Q42012 Q32014 Q22016 Q12017 Q42019 Q42021 Q3
309 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q4 to 2025 Q2; peak 2010 Q1 (51).

Steering recalls for the 2008 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 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt have steering problems?
NHTSA has 309 owner complaints about the steering in the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 37% of all complaints for this model year, including 37 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 68,122 miles.
Which Chevrolet Cobalt year has the most steering complaints?
The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt has the most steering complaints (1,299), compared with 309 for the 2008.
Is there a steering recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2008 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.