Chevrolet Cobalt

390 complaints across 1 scored model years and 6 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Chevrolet Cobalt Full report

Grade 2010–2010

2010 vs model median 1.0×

Model median3× median

Steering 168

Electrical 80

Airbags & Restraints 44

Weakest

2010

Best

2010

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Chevrolet Cobalt
Year	Complaint volume	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010		1.00×	387	C

Recalls

6 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
14V171000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION	2010	2,191,014
14V047000	AIR BAGS	2010	2,190,934
14V153000	STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM	2010	1,373,177
10V073000	STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM	2010	1,050,889
15V500000	AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW	2010	59,474
14E021000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH	2010	14,529

Others in Compact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura ILX	20142016	C
Audi A3	20152017	C
BMW 1 Series	none flagged	C
BMW I3	none flagged	C
Buick Verano	none flagged	C
Chevrolet Bolt EV	2017	C
Chevrolet Cruze	20112012	C
Chevrolet HHR	none flagged	C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2010 Cobalt

Complaints in window: 387
Severity-weighted: 651.5
Model median (weighted): 652
vs model median: 1.00×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 6
Open investigations: 0

Score 60 C