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2009 Chevrolet Cobalt

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2009 Cobalt.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt is a passenger car that calls for a 5‑quart fill of 5W‑30 API engine oil, and it accumulated 900 owner complaints with the fuel/propulsion system emerging as the leading issue area while being subject to six recalls. In the model’s broader complaint history covering 1996 through 2017, the 2009 year sits well below the peak of 2,330 complaints recorded in 2006 yet far above the single complaint logged for 1996, placing it in a mid‑range tier of reported problems. This positioning suggests that while the 2009 Cobalt is not among the most trouble‑free years, it also avoids the extreme complaint volumes seen at the model’s worst point, indicating a moderate reliability profile for researchers evaluating the lineup.

Model year2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 90 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12580255. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 90 · 590 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP195/60R15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6, 6, 7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12580255 alt 12605566
Engine air filter	21999324 alt 25894265
Fuel filter	19169217 alt 22734980
Spark plug	12681663 alt 12681658
Battery	88866263
Front wiper blades	20918023 alt 20918022
Serpentine belt	12634322 alt 12634320
Thermostat	12622410 alt 03522676
Cabin air filter	52493319

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	180.3 in
Overall width	68.1 in
Overall height	55.9 in
Wheelbase	103.1 in
Curb weight	2732 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.9 / 58.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	60/40

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Cobalt of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.4–7.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.40 sec — 2009 SS Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2009	SS Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-4	5.40 sec	13.90 sec	260 hp	FWD
2009	SS Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-4	5.50 sec	14.20 sec	260 hp	FWD
2009	SS Sedan 2.0L Turbo I-4	5.50 sec	14.00 sec	260 hp	FWD
2009	XFE Sedan 2.2L I-4	7.50 sec	15.90 sec	155 hp	FWD
2008	SS Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	5.50 sec	13.90 sec	260 hp	FWD
2008	SS Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	5.70 sec	14.20 sec	260 hp	FWD
2007	SS Supercharged Coupe 2.0L Supercharger I-4	6.10 sec	14.60 sec	205 hp	FWD
2007	SS Coupe 2.4L I-4	7.10 sec	15.70 sec	171 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	7
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	10.3 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	10 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.035-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	.90 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	4.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	90
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	90

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	57-67
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100
Engine Oil Pressure	50-80 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	85 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.933 in / 1.023 in / 0.783 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.933 in / 1.023 in / 0.783 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.896 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 125

74 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 125

74 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The Chevrolet Cobalt's complaint volume peaked between 2005 and 2007, followed by a steady decline through 2010. The 2009 model year falls within this downward trend, recording 900 complaints, which is a slight decrease from the 938 reported in 2008 and significantly lower than the 2,330 seen in 2006. Despite the lower complaint volume, 2009 saw a peak of 3 investigations and 6 recalls, with primary issues concentrated in the fuel/propulsion system (205 complaints), steering (155), and hydraulic service brakes (125). The data also records 67 crash complaints and 9 fire complaints for this year, though the root causes are not specified. Technical Service Bulletins continued to climb throughout the generation, reaching 1,015 for the 2009 model. Given the declining complaint trend compared to the generation's peak, this is a relatively better year to buy than the 2005–2007 models.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1015

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

900

Owner complaints

67 involved a crash · 9 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’96 ’00 ’02 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08’09’10 ’11 ’12 ’16 ’17

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 900 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel/Propulsion System205

Steering155

Service Brakes, Hydraulic125

Electrical System79

Fuel System, Gasoline30

Air Bags30

Electrical System,Air Bags17

Service Brakes15

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V171000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 10/04/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In… Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the…

14V047000Air BagsReported 10/02/2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1015 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Cobalt. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 90 battery Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 12580255 Engine air filter 21999324 Fuel filter 19169217 Spark plug 12681663

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2009 Cobalt take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2009 Cobalt have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.