The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car initially introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The Cobalt replaced both the Cavalier and the Prizm as Chevrolet's compact car. The Cobalt was available as both a coupe and sedan, and is based upon the GM Delta platform also shared with the Chevrolet HHR, Astra (Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, and Saturn marques), and the Opel Zafira (a seven seat MPV). Also available was a high performance, Super Sport variant.A Pontiac version was sold primarily as the Pontiac G5 in Canada for its entire run (where it was briefly known as the Pontiac Pursuit and later Pontiac G5 Pursuit), as well as the Pontiac G4 in Mexico for 2005–2006, and in both Mexico and the United States under the G5 name for 2007–2009. In all cases, the G5 replaced the Cavalier-related Pontiac Sunfire. While the Cobalt was available as a 2-door coupé and a 4-door sedan in all markets it was offered in, the G5 was only available as a coupé in the United States while a sedan version was sold alongside the coupé in Canada and Mexico.
Faulty ignition switches in the Cobalts, which cut power to the car while in motion, were eventually linked to many crashes resulting in fatalities.[2] The switch continued to be used in the manufacture of the vehicles even after the problem was known to GM.[3] On February 21, 2014, GM recalled over 700,000 Cobalts for issues traceable to the defective ignition switches. In May 2014 the NHTSA fined the company $35 million for failing to promptly recall the cars.
All Cobalts and its Pontiac equivalents were manufactured at GM's plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico and Lordstown, Ohio. The United States Environmental Protection Agency classifies the Cobalt as a subcompact car
