YearToAvoid

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt Fuel System Problems

NHTSA has 261 owner complaints about fuel system problems in the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, 37% of all 710 complaints for this model year. That is #3 highest fuel system complaint count among 10 Cobalt model years. These complaints report 2 crashes and 4 fires. Median mileage at failure: 97,454 miles.

Fuel System complaints
261
37% of 710
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
97,454 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel system complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 24, 2011, latest Mar 30, 2026.

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel system complaints: complaints filed per quarter262011 Q12013 Q42015 Q42017 Q32019 Q22021 Q12022 Q42024 Q4
261 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q1 to 2026 Q1; peak 2020 Q3 (26).

Fuel System recalls for the 2009 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 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt have fuel system problems?
NHTSA has 261 owner complaints about the fuel system in the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, 37% of all complaints for this model year, including 2 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 97,454 miles.
Which Chevrolet Cobalt year has the most fuel system complaints?
The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt has the most fuel system complaints (466), compared with 261 for the 2009.
Is there a fuel system recall for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2009 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.