2009 Chevrolet COBALT - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB has a mixed safety rating based on the available data. The front crash passenger side rating is high at 5, indicating good protection for the passengers in case of a frontal collision. However, the front crash driver side and side crash ratings are at 4, which is decent but could be improved. The rollover rating is at 4, suggesting a moderate risk of rollover.

Additionally, this Chevrolet Cobalt model offers optional electronic stability control, providing an extra layer of safety by helping the driver maintain control in challenging driving conditions. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which could have further enhanced its safety features.

In terms of complaints and recalls, this vehicle has a high number of complaints at 891 and has been subject to 6 recalls. It's important for drivers to stay informed about any potential issues related to this model and ensure that any recalls are addressed promptly to maintain safety on the road.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

891

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

3

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Optional
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt 2-DR w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2010 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2010 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 4 3
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 4 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2010 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet COBALT

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"my cobalt 2009 has gas leaking in front of the back driver's side wheel. this has been report it seems by several people online that i have found. why can not gm cover this repair in a recall? i've tried to call around for pricing but most garage's won't give me a quote over the phone. the best i got was that this would cost around 2000-3000 for replacement. but it seemed like a shot in the dark on the pricing. i called the local dealership near me in darian connecticut, and was told that this was not covered under any recall. corrosion protection coverage expired in 2019 from gms site. but why would a fuel line be made of a metal that rust and is near the hot exhaust requiring a heatshield on the pipes? aftermarket repairs seems to be either braided stainless steel around nylon, or some nickel/copper piping using compression fittings that plumbers use."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-05-07

Complaint:
"fuel leak very strong gas smell"
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-09-06

Complaint:
"there is a gas leak an after reviewing online there are several complaints of chevy colbalt 09 owners whos car forms a gas leak on the driver side of the car near back seat. there is a very strong smell of gasoline and seems to be a repeated issue"
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-09-06

Complaint:
"vehicle is leaking fuel from rusted fuel line near drivers side rear tire. apparently a common issue with this model with no recall."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2025-01-04

Complaint:
"2009 chevy cobalt, driving to work friday january 13 2023, noticed heavy smell of gasoline. parked car and noticed a puddle just in front of the drivers side rear tire. got it home and did an inspection of the area and discovered a fuel line leak when car is running and line is under pressure. it is a big leak seemingly caused by rust developing on the line because of a heat shield trapping water and debris. this leak is very close to the hot exhaust system. fire is an obvious possibility. i'm afraid to even drive it to a shop. i plan on having it towed."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-01-01

Complaint:
"fuel leaking from near top of tank/pump. sounds similar to other recalls though my vin is not currently included. noticed fuel smell in garage and could see fuel from top of tank. no indicators showing a malfunction."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2022-07-11

Complaint:
"fuel pump leak: fuel pump line started spewing fuel over ground during engine start. engine wouldn’t not start due to high pressure fuel leak."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2022-09-10

Complaint:
"strong smell of gas inside vehicle. gas is leaking from vehicle. known problem of fuel leakage and vehicle recalls."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-04-07

Complaint:
"the vehicle had an instance of hard starting, then i became aware of the odour of fuel in my car which quickly made me exit the vehicle as the fumes were strong. liquid fuel was leaking out of the left rear in from of the wheel area, in proximity to the exhaust system"
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-06-07

Complaint:
"leak in fuel line"
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2022-09-06

Recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet COBALT

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM > IGNITION
Date of incident: 2014-04-10

CHEVROLET Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

CHEVROLET ranks 2 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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