2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS problems & reliability
190 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 133 | 70% |
| Parking Brake → | 18 | 9% |
| Service Brakes → | 13 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 6 | 3% |
| Steering | 4 | 2% |
| Engine | 3 | 2% |
| Power Train | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 12,000 miles (middle 50% between 6,000 and 24,123 miles), based on 167 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving the other day and noticed that one of my back brakes was sticking and so I took a look at it and fluid level was fine and there was no air in the brake line. I feel the cause of this is bad calipers and some others I have talked had the same issue.”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 19, 2019
“Fuel line rusts through causing fuel to leak out next to exhaust pipe. Happens to evap line as well. Poor design in the heat shielding traps moisture which rusts through the line. Fuel leaks out when the car is running, parked, moving or not. Rear brake caliper sticks out from using the parking brake and pad sticks to…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Dec 16, 2018
“Fuel lines under the car, driver side rear started leaking fuel. The lines were rusted through and fuel leaked past the exhaust system where a potential car fire could have happened if not noticed right away. The vehicle was parked in the garage and off when I noticed the strong scent of gas and saw a small puddle of…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Dec 11, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel Line Leak
Preliminary Evaluation PE20011 · opened Jul 5, 2020 · closed Aug 17, 2023
- Electric Power Steering Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE10005 · opened Jan 27, 2010 · closed Jul 19, 2010 · led to recall 10V073000
Technical service bulletins
189 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. The 10 most recent:
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.
04-06-04-051J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 27, 2024
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a…
08-07-30-026I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2024
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).
02-00-89-002X · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 12,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.