I just bought a SS Sedan (I know...not as cool or fast as the coupe, but I have 2 young kids and could not bring myself to buy a Corolla), and found this very cool site. This particular discussion about problems the Cobalt has got me a little concerned so I looked for a forum on a higher end comparable Japanese car and found an Acura RSX site very similar to this one. Guess what...they too have a problem section and it reads almost like ours. Look for yourself.

RSX Forum Problem Discussion (http://forums.clubrsx.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55)

Holy shit that is so funny, just go down reading all the topics and it sounds like they have more proplems.

Holy shit that is so funny, just go down reading all the topics and it sounds like they have more proplems.

You are joking right??

A good bit of there's seem to worse than most of them on the SS/sc.

Here check out some of these recalls.
Recalls (http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=33)

A good bit of there's seem to worse than most of them on the SS/sc.

For example?

Doesn't suprise me. Unfortunately the public is brainwashed to think imports are indestructible, and only american cars break. I've even caught myself believing inports are better than domestics, even though I've never owned or driven an import before. This info needs to get out to the general public.

Doesn't suprise me. Unfortunately the public is brainwashed to think imports are indestructible, and only american cars break. I've even caught myself believing inports are better than domestics, even though I've never owned or driven an import before. This info needs to get out to the general public.

You have to look at the number of problems per car manufactured. I have to say the Cobalt per car built has a lot more problems compared to the RSX.

For example?
Are you kidding me? Have you even clicked on the link? How about 85,000 honda minivan's recalled (kings of dependability eh) due to airbags!? That sounds safe :rolleyes:

Are you kidding me? Have you even clicked on the link? How about 85,000 honda minivan's recalled (kings of dependability eh) due to airbags!? That sounds safe :rolleyes:

Airbags deploying for minor accidents that is it(Nobody was hurt).. It was more of a problem for Honda then anyone else (Airbags are expensive).

What about Ford this year? 5th largest recall EVER! :rolleyes:

So really, who is kidding who?

*edit* Also did you miss where it said,
"GM recalls 804,000 trucks and SUVs",
"Chrysler, GM, Kia, Hyundai Recall 450,000 Vehicles ",
"Saab To Recall 300,000 Vehicles ",
"GM Recalling 19,000 CSVs "
"3500 V-6 Recall " ??????????????? :rolleyes:

"toyota recalls 1.4 million vehicles"

"toyota recalls 1.4 million vehicles"

Thats Toyota, I thought we were talking about Domestics (GM in particular) and Honda/Acura?

Airbags deploying for minor accidents that is it(Nobody was hurt).. It was more of a problem for Honda then anyone else (Airbags are expensive).

What about Ford this year? 5th largest recall EVER! :rolleyes:

So really, who is kidding who?

*edit* Also did you miss where it said,
"GM recalls 804,000 trucks and SUVs",
"Chrysler, GM, Kia, Hyundai Recall 450,000 Vehicles ",
"Saab To Recall 300,000 Vehicles ",
"GM Recalling 19,000 CSVs "
"3500 V-6 Recall " ??????????????? :rolleyes:

Umm, air bags deploying can be cause to write off a vehicle and they can cause serious injuries to people (just cause it didn't, doesn't mean it wouldn't. my mom is a claims adjuster for vehicle accidents). I never said that domestics didn't have their problems, I just showed you a "serious" problem as air bags ARE serious problems regardless what they do.

Umm, air bags deploying can be cause to write off a vehicle and they can cause serious injuries to people (just cause it didn't, doesn't mean it wouldn't. my mom is a claims adjuster for vehicle accidents). I never said that domestics didn't have their problems, I just showed you a "serious" problem as air bags ARE serious problems regardless what they do.

But you made it seem like that one minute problem (in this case) discounted all of Honda's reputation for dependablity and safety. I was just saying it did NOT.

And you are pointing out some flaws in GM (who by the way, makes MANY cars a day) discounts GM's reputation. GM's are made WAY more public, and than Ford is next..oh and who is at the bottom, Honda, Toyota, etc.
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2005089
And if you look at that, chevy has closed the gap on honda and acura, every year it gets closer and closer.

And you are pointing out some flaws in GM (who by the way, makes MANY cars a day) discounts GM's reputation. GM's are made WAY more public, and than Ford is next..oh and who is at the bottom, Honda, Toyota, etc.
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2005089
And if you look at that, chevy has closed the gap on honda and acura, every year it gets closer and closer.

Actually I was pointing out A LOT of flaws in GM that PROVED their reputation. Who cares if its made public or not, as long as nobody gets hurt and the problem(s) get fixed? You are just trying to get your feelers hurt with this discussion. :cool:

You know wasey, I see everyone having all these problems with GM cars, and every car that my family has owned that wasn't GM has nothing but problems. We have yet to have any of the problems others have seen with GM cars. Maybe we're lucky, or maybe GM really doesn't suck. Personally, I will only buy GM because I've had nothing but bad experiences with Ford Motors and Daimler Chrysler, and imports don't fit with my tastes (ample torque is a necessity). I do this by choice and I'm not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking. And I will never buy anything that comes out of Japan, and if I do, it will be so I can pack it full of C4 and blow it to hell.

Actually I was pointing out A LOT of flaws in GM that PROVED their reputation. Who cares if its made public or not, as long as nobody gets hurt and the problem(s) get fixed? You are just trying to get your feelers hurt with this discussion. :cool:
man I hope I don't hurt my feelers, I need them.

anyways here is JD powers vehicle nameplate dependability study.

http://www.jdpa.com/presspass/pr/images/2004055bfull.gif

You know that there's the general feeling that the man who pays morefor a car is generally more satisfied with the product than the guy who gets a deal. You'll note that the items near the top are either expensive (Lexus, Infiniti) or driven by old people (Buicks, Caddys, Lincolns) who put 20,000 miles on a car in 4 years. Just worth noting.

German cars seem to fare the worst on the list and that's just because they are less forgiving of missed service appointments than other types of cars.

I don't care, even IF GM vehicles do have a few more problems. I would NEVER lower myself to drive jap\korean crap :p


Peace :eek:

You know that there's the general feeling that the man who pays morefor a car is generally more satisfied with the product than the guy who gets a deal. You'll note that the items near the top are either expensive (Lexus, Infiniti) or driven by old people (Buicks, Caddys, Lincolns) who put 20,000 miles on a car in 4 years. Just worth noting.

German cars seem to fare the worst on the list and that's just because they are less forgiving of missed service appointments than other types of cars.
I honestly can't say I dissagree with really any of the ranks they have on that chart. I just think alot of peoples perception of reliable cars is a bit skewed by personal bias. Also the list isn't about satisfaction, it is numerically based on the ammount of service work done per 100 cars.

I don't care, even IF GM vehicles do have a few more problems. I would NEVER lower myself to drive jap\korean crap :p


Peace :eek:
many japanese automakers have setup plants in America and provide Americans with jobs. For instance the Acura TL is made in America. Don't be so fast to shun something.

many japanese automakers have setup plants in America and provide Americans with jobs. For instance the Acura TL is made in America. Don't be so fast to shun something.

Ya, they are providing jobs that were lost elswhere in the USA by their presents. Then the huge profit they make goes back to their homeland.

The eastern world foreigners are lowering the good wages of the American/Canadian people.

I don't know why people buy'em, I think 90% of them are ugly as hell. Must be a result of media brainwashing :)

Peace :eek:

Well the majority of your "domestic" GM vehicles are made in Canada, so really they may be imported. Since GM moved the majority of its plant to canada, there have been less employee accidents and a higher efficency rating. They are thinking of moving all the plants into ontario who now produces more car per year than michigan.

Well the majority of your "domestic" GM vehicles are made in Canada, so really they may be imported. Since GM moved the majority of its plant to canada, there have been less employee accidents and a higher efficency rating. They are thinking of moving all the plants into ontario who now produces more car per year than michigan.


In my book Canadians are not foreigners. Although they do have the best plants in north America I doubt GM will move ALL or MOST production to Ontario as it would not be a business smart thing to do.

Peace :eek:

Ya, they are providing jobs that were lost elswhere in the USA by their presents. Then the huge profit they make goes back to their homeland.

The eastern world foreigners are lowering the good wages of the American/Canadian people.

I don't know why people buy'em, I think 90% of them are ugly as hell. Must be a result of media brainwashing :)

Peace :eek:
I assume by "lowering the good wages" your specifically talking about at automobile plants correct? I wouldn't personally call it "lowering" as much as bringing it back to reality. Alot of UAW workers have been extremely overpaid for quite some time now and you know what it has done? Basically bankrupted GM.

I assume by "lowering the good wages" your specifically talking about at automobile plants correct? I wouldn't personally call it "lowering" as much as bringing it back to reality. Alot of UAW workers have been extremely overpaid for quite some time now and you know what it has done? Basically bankrupted GM.


We could argue about this for years :D

Guess I'm not in the mood :rolleyes:

Peace :eek:

You hate Japanese cars because?

In my book Canadians are not foreigners. Although they do have the best plants in north America I doubt GM will move ALL or MOST production to Ontario as it would not be a business smart thing to do.

Peace :eek:
Free health care for ALL employee's isn't a smart business move?

wwwooooooowwwwww...this shit is amazing!!!! This thread went from showing and comparing some of the problems of the Ac and the Balt to hating japanese cars and how the economy is hurting cause of it!!! But the Cobalt is still a better purchase
fewer problems
1. shift knob
2. rear knocking (unknown still)
3. water/sealent problems
I am sure there are otherprobs. (Lemons) that I have not read about nor experianced, but take into account this is a FIRST YEAR vehicle! The RSX has been here for a minute!
Not too bad by chevy if you ask me :D

wwwooooooowwwwww...this shit is amazing!!!! This thread went from showing and comparing some of the problems of the Ac and the Balt to hating japanese cars and how the economy is hurting cause of it!!! But the Cobalt is still a better purchase
fewer problems
1. shift knob
2. rear knocking (unknown still)
3. water/sealent problems
I am sure there are otherprobs. (Lemons) that I have not read about nor experianced, but take into account this is a FIRST YEAR vehicle! The RSX has been here for a minute!
Not too bad by chevy if you ask me :D

http://www.cobaltss.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1575 .... Not lemons, almost EVERY single cobalt. Also the number of RSXs produced compared to Cobalts 1st year is probably 3 or 4 (maybe more) to 1.

Despite some of the more colorful and frankly less fact based comments, I have found this thread to be very interesting and has at a minimum changed my perception of American/Canadian vehicles and their quality. I've owned all foreign cars over the years, Hondas, VWs and Toyotas and really felt that American was not as good in the quality department. When my wife and I decided that it was time to buy a new car, we ALMOST completely ruled out American/Canadian cars. In fact my top choice before visiting the dealerships was the Mazda 3, followed by the Toyota Corolla XRS, and Honda Civic Si. The Cobalt came into my radar at the last minute and was a “I’ll look at it just to say I did” kind of thing. I test drove all of these cars in 1 day, even going to the extreme on putting my 3 and 4.5 year old kid’s booster seats in the back of each car for the test drive (not a test without the kids in the car). I thought I’d test drive the Cobalt first as the dealership is real close to my house and I wanted to get it out of the way for the main event at Mazda. Well…after seeing the Cobalt SS sedan in the lot I literally had to rub my eyes and look a couple of times, as this car looks hot. My wife and 2 kids test drove this very peppy (not a SS super charged kind of pep, but good nonetheless), nimble, nicely appointed interior with a very good factory sound system (7 speaker with MP3 and 10”sub) around town (Calgary) and we were very impressed. I recently owned a 2003 1.8t loaded Jetta and my wife and I really felt that the Cobalt SS sedan was comparable in almost every way and better in a couple. It was too good to be true as the price was $10k less than my Jetta in 2003.

So, we test drove Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla XRS, and Honda Civic Si that same day and without question, my wife and I agreed that the Cobalt was the best car all round in the test drive. Before I went back and sealed the deal with Southgate Chevrolet, I went home and spent some time researching the car on the Internet which by-in-large were all very positive with similar observations that I had especially on the SS models.

Long story short, I will be the proud owner of a 5 speed manual (is there any other type of transmission worth owning) 2006 Victory Red Cobalt SS sedan with sunroof and grey interior (leather and kids do not work as well as you wound think based on experience in my Jetta) within a week. When I found this forum and saw some folks getting bummed out about GM not being as good as foreign due to some common issues, I could not help by post the link to the RSX site which had similar threads (very similar). I have changed my opinion about American/Canadian cars and after seeing some of the facts on this growing thread, I am even more confident of my new Cobalt purchase.




By the way, I did not have a good chance to play with the sound system in the test drive, though I can tell you it was miles better than my upgraded Monsoon sound system in my Jetta (a $500 upgrade too boot). How do others feel about it? Does it pound pretty good (sub) or is it more show than go?

Great forum by the way!

Despite some of the more colorful and frankly less fact based comments, I have found this thread to be very interesting and has at a minimum changed my perception of American/Canadian vehicles and their quality. I've owned all foreign cars over the years, Hondas, VWs and Toyotas and really felt that American was not as good in the quality department. When my wife and I decided that it was time to buy a new car, we ALMOST completely ruled out American/Canadian cars. In fact my top choice before visiting the dealerships was the Mazda 3, followed by the Toyota Corolla XRS, and Honda Civic Si. The Cobalt came into my radar at the last minute and was a “I’ll look at it just to say I did” kind of thing. I test drove all of these cars in 1 day, even going to the extreme on putting my 3 and 4.5 year old kid’s booster seats in the back of each car for the test drive (not a test without the kids in the car). I thought I’d test drive the Cobalt first as the dealership is real close to my house and I wanted to get it out of the way for the main event at Mazda. Well…after seeing the Cobalt SS sedan in the lot I literally had to rub my eyes and look a couple of times, as this car looks hot. My wife and 2 kids test drove this very peppy (not a SS super charged kind of pep, but good nonetheless), nimble, nicely appointed interior with a very good factory sound system (7 speaker with MP3 and 10”sub) around town (Calgary) and we were very impressed. I recently owned a 2003 1.8t loaded Jetta and my wife and I really felt that the Cobalt SS sedan was comparable in almost every way and better in a couple. It was too good to be true as the price was $10k less than my Jetta in 2003.

So, we test drove Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla XRS, and Honda Civic Si that same day and without question, my wife and I agreed that the Cobalt was the best car all round in the test drive. Before I went back and sealed the deal with Southgate Chevrolet, I went home and spent some time researching the car on the Internet which by-in-large were all very positive with similar observations that I had especially on the SS models.

Long story short, I will be the proud owner of a 5 speed manual (is there any other type of transmission worth owning) 2006 Victory Red Cobalt SS sedan with sunroof and grey interior (leather and kids do not work as well as you wound think based on experience in my Jetta) within a week. When I found this forum and saw some folks getting bummed out about GM not being as good as foreign due to some common issues, I could not help by post the link to the RSX site which had similar threads (very similar). I have changed my opinion about American/Canadian cars and after seeing some of the facts on this growing thread, I am even more confident of my new Cobalt purchase.




By the way, I did not have a good chance to play with the sound system in the test drive, though I can tell you it was miles better than my upgraded Monsoon sound system in my Jetta (a $500 upgrade too boot). How do others feel about it? Does it pound pretty good (sub) or is it more show than go?

Great forum by the way!

I hope Canada has GAP insurance.

Depending on where you live, it isn't called GAP insurance, rather its called Full Coverage and you can add glass and other stuff into the package that is your choice. Again, every province differs slightly and sometimes each insurance company can differ slightly.

Depending on where you live, it isn't called GAP insurance, rather its called Full Coverage and you can add glass and other stuff into the package that is your choice. Again, every province differs slightly and sometimes each insurance company can differ slightly.

GAP and full coverage are not the same things. :confused:

GAP insurance is to covers the rest of your loan over the value of the car. It saved my butt in July.

I don't know but insurance laws may be different in Canada. Buying a new vehicle is a bad investment 99.9% of the time. It just depends on how bad of an investment you care to make. I remind the salesman about shitty resale value when we're talking price and it usually does well for me. It got me a new 2004 STi for 28k in the summer of '04. There's a marginal difference in resale value between cars in ths SS/SC's segment. Nobody really knows what the SS will be worth in a few years because the LSJ could be the monster that it is hoped to be or it could turn out to be a bummer. Only time will tell. Personally, I couldn't care much less about resale because I'll mod the hell out of it and not expect to get anything for it but I knew that going in.

Yeah I think the cobalt has more problems but RSX looks a little severe in some cases throttle body getting stuck and reving by itself into another car then again that one guy on here has assloads of problems with his the lemon guy ours are mainly panel trim, buttons, and stuff like that not really engine right?

oh my boost controller for the brakes did go bad and i had that replaced hmm maybe I'm wrong about my last post lol....

just my two cents... im not exactly going towards imports but you talk about not buying them b/c the money goes towards japan and other asian countries. Arent a lot of electronics made in the imports? xbox, playstation, tvs, dvd players etc. so your giving them your money that way

the only problems i have had is when it is cold out i couldnt get my car in gear that was when the car was new it now has 5000km on it and is fine. the other problem i had is the front brakes pulsating. @ 2500km it happend. had them machined ,was fine until last week, had them machined again. shitty rotors? has any one else had the problem?

"toyota recalls 1.4 million vehicles"

Having worked in the auto industry for years (both foreign & domestic), I can atest that ALL have their issues. Where the lines are currently starting to fade is sharing of parts, designs, (etc) from domestic to foreign & vice versa. What also doesn't help is the fact that many 'foreign' cars are more domestic than 'domestic' cars (in regards to where they are built & designed). NAFTA has helped & hurt in this matter. As noted previously, defects per mfg'ered car is a good guage of the quality of a car compay. Only watching JD Powers' type of reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. You will notice with a lot of these reports are the first couple months of ownership, not over a substantial length of time. Also, how the car is mfg'ered also help the quality. The laws, specifically EPA regs, also make mfg'ing a car in American much more difficult than in, say, Japan. Parts can be made & assembled a lot easier in Japan than in the states. Most of the recalls from (for example) Japanese auto makers are 'preventitive', not reactive as are most from Domestic makers. While the domestic's quality has improved VASTLY over the past 10-15 years (specifically more so over the last 5-6), they are still not superior in any way to their Japanese counterparts.
I personally went from a Japanese mfg'ered car to a domestic & while the domestic was greatly improved ove rthe past few years of the same car, it still couldn't touch the Japanese car - plain & simple.