YearToAvoid

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

44/100

#6 most-complained of 10 Cobalt years

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

The 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt has 574 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 44 out of 100 — #6 highest of 10 Cobalt model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is steering (239 complaints, 42% of the total). Complaints report 46 crashes, 7 fires, 45 injuries, and 4 deaths.

Complaints
574
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
46 / 7
Injuries / deaths
45 / 4
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
29
25 city / 35 hwy

Top 2010 Chevy Cobalt problems

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

  1. Steering239 (42%)
  2. Electrical System127 (22%)
  3. Fuel System122 (21%)
  4. Airbags77 (13%)
  5. Engine54 (9%)
  6. Brakes38 (7%)
  7. Other31 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain31 (5%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires22 (4%)
  10. Structure & Body16 (3%)
2010 Chevrolet Cobalt complaints: complaints filed per quarter872010 Q12012 Q12014 Q12016 Q12018 Q12020 Q12022 Q12024 Q1
771 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2014 Q2 (87).

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V500000Aug 10, 2015Airbags59,474 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles manufactured January 4, 2010, to June 23, 2010. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an improperly routed Side-Impact Sensor (SIS) wiring harness in the driver side front door. The misrouted wiring harness could cause an electrical short that disables the driver side curtain air bag.

    Risk: A disabled driver side roof-rail air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of that air bag, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sensor's wiring in the driver's door and make repairs as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 8, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15075.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 14V153000Mar 31, 2014Steering1,373,177 vehicles

    Steering:electric power assist system

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

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

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.

See all 5 recalls for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt →

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25 MPG
Highway
35 MPG
Combined
29 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,250
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
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.

2010 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
2008Caution56845426
2009Caution67710528
2010Good44574529
2011No verdict3320—
2012No verdict010—

All Chevrolet Cobalt years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt ranks #6 of 10 among Cobalt model years (Complaint Index 44/100, verdict: Good). It has 574 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 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt?
The most reported problem areas are steering (239 complaints), electrical system (127 complaints), and fuel system (122 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 64,438 miles.
Does the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, most recently reported 2015, covering airbags, electrical system, and steering.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt?
EPA rates the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt at 29 MPG combined (25 city / 35 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,250. 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.