2006 Chevrolet Cobalt User Reviews

Pros

gets you to and from where you need to be until somthing breaks which does not take long

Cons

electric power steering system and key locks into ignition constantly

Purchased As Used

This is the worst car I have ever owned I have only had it for a year and have had so many problems with it two major problems being that 5 months after I bought it the key started getting stuck in the ignition and you would have to keep switching the gears from park to drive till it would finally come out which could sometimes take 5 to 10 minutes of you time.My major problem just started happening 2 weeks ago when my husband got in the car to go to work and drove one block from our house and the power steering went out and the light came on we thought maybe it just needed some fluid but could not find where to check the power steering fluid so I figured I would check online to see if I could fiqure it out only to find out (1) that it is an electric power steering system and does not take fluid and (2) as I researched I came across a bunch of sites with hundreds of people having the same exact problem as me.I have since done research on the problem and got all the facts I could and then contacted GM about the problem they acted clueless to the problem and were very rude.I have now contacted the NHTSA and they informed me that if they get enough complaints about the problem they will issue a recall imediatly so my advice to anyone having the same problem as I am is to call them at (888) 327-4236 or go to safecar.gov If a recall is issued and you have not called them you will not be included in the recall as the recall would only affect the cars of the people who have made reports and givin them your vin number.This car is horrible no wonder GM is having so many problems I am going to trade in and will never by a GM brand car again...read morehide

Pros

sporty exterior

Cons

gear shift noises; key stuck in ignition repeatedly

I was really impressed with the Cobalt when it was first advertised on TV. It did NOT live up to that first impression. I have had numerous interior cosmetic probs...Plus, the floor gear shift assembly has been replaced 3 times now because the key kept getting stuck in the ignition switch and then the shifter started making a screeching noise --and the car isn't even 2 years old yet! Now there's a safety recall...I will NEVER by the first edition of ANY car ever again! This whole experience has left me feeling quite disappointed....read morehide

Pros

Good on Gas Informational Gauges

Cons

Not to many color selections

The car is very durable, especially if you are someone like me that is buying his first car I think that it was the best choice.

Pros

Love it!! Very sporty, handles great, and fuel efficient.

Met or exceeded all of my expectations, and I can't say enough about it I finally got the yellow sports car I've always wanted. It's a nice smooth ride, accellerates quickly, handles great, and averages 31.5mpg. Great things come in small packages!

Pros

great gas mileage, good excelleration, great steering response, nice sporty looking car, fair value

Cons

hard too see backing up and side view mirrors,

Overall I love this car. Had 1 problem with the battery going dead if I let it sit for about 3 to 4 days. Took it to dealer and could not find any thing wrong. I always left my radar detector pluged in on any of my other vechiles and did not bother. I thought I would unplug it and try to let it sit again for 4 days. Started find.... Don't know if Chevy not putting in heavy enough battery or what. Oh buy the way the dealer wanted to take the car for 4 days to hook up a scanner to see if they could see if there was anything coming on that shouldn't of while off. So guess I fixed my problem. So I didn't take it back. What is the GPS comes standard??? I did not get this on my car.....Is it like on-star?...read morehide

Pros

GREAT gas mileage, Love this car around town and on the highway,

Cons

I have had mine a year with no problems except the recall on the fuel injectors

From putting gas in my 2004 Ford pickup to filling my Colbolt I am very satified...I got my moneys worth buying this car for the price and the savings in gas..

Pros

Seems tight and I like the size for tooling around town.

Cons

Wish electric locking was a standard feature.

I do not envision any problems with the car, though I have only 3300 miles. Certainly this car rivals any foreign car and is lower priced. I have the 5 spd and the mileage (gas) is great and the car is peppy. I love buying American cars.

Pros

Strong acceleration, fuel economy, low price, less noise

Cons

not roomy

My previous cars:
Long termly: Nissan Sentra(1989), Nissan Altima(1993), Dodge Stratus (1997),
Short termly: Hyundai Sonata(2006), Honda Civic(2003), Toyota Camry(several models),
I am sure this car will depreciate faster than Japanese cars, but for the 0 down payment, 0 APR I got, I still think it is a good deal. Since the car is claimed to be made from so called "quiet steel", I feel it is generally less noisy than Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla and even Matrix.
Good acceleration is what I like. My cobalt has 145Hp 2.2 Liter engine: the most powerful in its class, of course the most gas consuming. It is also quite small. That gives it very good acceleration comparing to my previous cars. It is very easy to maneuver. Don't say it is because it is new. The Hyundai Sonata(2006) which is much more powerful but not much bigger doesn't have that kind of maneuverability.
I am very satisfied with this car. The biggest problem is still depreciation. If you buy it and only drive it for 2 or 3 years, you will definitely loose money, a lot. I think this trend will not change. So, let's hope Cobalt's quality will prove itself after the warranty period. And owners like us will not end up loosing too much money.
If you are looking for a reliable, cheap, and American made compact car for urban driving, Cobalt is a good choice....read morehide

Pros

Good fuel economy, exelents features and comfort.

Cons

Ride is exelent in the highways

Exelent economic auto. I like the interios is very confortable ride is very nice inthe urban roads and highways.

Pros

Good fuel economy, price, huge leap from the Cavalier

Cons

Sport suspension on coupes a little too rough

I just wanted to comment on this user's review... "Trim: Unspecified
Sad performance
by C. Davis from Key West, FL (8/16/06)

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Pros: nice looking
Cons: cheap feel, A/C leaks on floorboard, poor acceleration

We rented this car for the week when ours was in the shop. I'm glad we did becasue now we'll never buy one. The car just feels CHEAP. The inside is very plain. The acceleration for a 6-cylinder is just equal to my 4 cylinder. Very disappointing for GM ..." Obviously this guy doesn't know what he is talking about...
FIRST of all, COBALTS DO NOT EVEN COME IN 6-CYLINDER!
Second of all, you probably had the base LS sedan model as a rental (what do you expect in that low price range? Leather seats?!).
Third, I would much rather keep driving my LT Coupe rather than a Honda or Toyota!

But hey, maybe you work for Honda or Toyota and are just trying to put Chevy down cause they are selling Cobalts like hotcakes......read morehide