Faults:

Signal light relay malfunctioned.

Sunroof malfunctioned.

Thermostat malfunctioned.

TPS sensor malfunctioned.

General Comments:

I purchased this car as a way to get to and from work - I wanted something that would be cheap to maintain and operate. So far, this car has exceeded my expectations.

I drive 40 km each way to work in a mix of city and highway driving. The car handles well and has plenty of acceleration on the highway. It might not be the fastest thing on the road, but I've never had a problem passing another car when I needed to. The interior is reasonably quiet, and has plenty of room (I'm 6'3"), while the exterior is small enough to keep it maneuverable and easy to park. I generally use the vehicle for commuting, but it has comfortably fit 4 adults (and all of their luggage) on longer road trips.

Gas mileage is decent(7-8L/100km), and if you drive carefully, it can be excellent (5L/100KM).

The vehicle has been very reliable so far, despite my casual approach to maintenance. I do not wash the car often, yet the paint is still in great shape and there is little to no rust. The car is simple to repair if you want to take a DIY approach (in fact if you wanted to learn how to fix cars, I'd suggest this is a great vehicle to use for that purpose). Parts are plentiful and cheap when you need them. Mechanically very little has gone wrong, and what has gone wrong has been straightforward to repair. Generally, the only things I've replaced have been high-wear parts (brake pads, tires, oil changes, spark plugs, wipers, etc...).

If you're looking for economical transportation, this car is a good option.

Faults:

Numerous front bushings replaced.

Rotors replaced 3 times.

Electric steering motor failed.

Engine light on randomly.

Random no start; turns over but won't start.

Both front speakers don't work.

Radio reception is crap.

Transmission lines replaced due to major leak, $300.

General Comments:

Overall, a very cheaply made car. All hard plastic, light grey color seats and cheap carpet. They stain if you look at them.

It gets 32 MPG on the highway. GM claims 52. That's straight flat highway doing 110km/h.

The brakes are awful. The front rotors warp every 6 months. The rears squeal, and have to be cleaned and deglazed all the time.

For whatever reason, it goes thru wiper blades every month. From cheap $6 blades from Canadian Tire, to $20 blades from the GM parts department, they all go hard, chatter and smear on the window.

Faults:

At just under 55,000 miles, it developed a small gas leak where one of the lines meets the gas tank. Was not very hard to fix.

General Comments:

I have been overall very pleased with my Cobalt. I bought it in early Feb. of 2011 with 14,000 miles on it. I have put an additional 41,000 since then, and have not had any major issues with the car.

It is not the most powerful car, but it can get up and go when you need it. It gets good gas mileage, has decent room for a small car, and has been very reliable.

Like most cars, if you take care of it properly and do regular maintenance, it will take care of you.