2008 CHEVROLET COBALT Owners Manual

Roadside Assistance Program
For vehicles purchased in the U.S., call
1-800-CHEV-USA (1-800-243-8872);
(Text telephone (TTY): 1-888-889-2438).
For vehicles purchased in Canada, call1-800-268-6800.
Service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
As the owner of a new Chevrolet vehicle, you are
automatically enrolled in the Chevrolet Roadside
Assistance program.
Who is Covered?
Roadside Assistance coverage is for the vehicle
operator, regardless of ownership. In Canada, a person
driving this vehicle without the consent of the owner
is not eligible for coverage.
Services Provided
The following services are provided in the U.S. and
Canada up to 5 years/100,000 miles (160 000 km),
whichever occurs rst, and, in Canada only, up
to a maximum coverage of $100.
Fuel Delivery:Delivery of enough fuel for the
vehicle to get to the nearest service station
(approximately $5 in Canada). In Canada, service
to provide diesel may be restricted. For safety
reasons, propane and other alternative fuels will not
be provided through this service.
Lock-out Service:Lock-out service will be covered
at no charge if you are unable to gain entry into
your vehicle. A remote unlock may be available if you
have an active OnStar
®subscription. To ensure
security, the driver must present personal
identication before lock-out service is provided.
In Canada, the vehicle registration is also required.
Emergency Tow From a Public Roadway or
Highway:Tow to the nearest dealership for warranty
service or in the event of a vehicle-disabling crash.
Winch-out assistance is provided when the vehicle is
mired in sand, mud, or snow.
7-7

Flat Tire Change:Installation of a spare tire in good
condition, when equipped and properly inated, is
covered at no charge. The customer is responsible
for the repair or replacement of the tire if not covered
by a warrantable failure.
Jump Start:A battery jump start is covered at no
charge if the vehicle does not start.
Trip Routing Service (Canada only):Upon request,
Roadside Assistance will send you detailed,
computer personalized maps, highlighting your
choice of either the most direct route or the most
scenic route to your destination, anywhere in North
America, along with helpful travel information
pertaining to your trip.
Please allow three weeks before your planned
departure date. Trip routing requests will be limited to
six per calendar year.
Trip Interruption Benets and Assistance
(Canada only):In the event of a warranty related
vehicle disablement, while en route and over
250 kilometres from the original point of departure,
you may qualify for trip interruption expense
assistance. This assistance covers reasonable
reimbursement of up to a maximum of $500
(Canadian) for (A) meals (maximum of $50/day),(B) lodging (maximum of $100/night) and
(C) alternate ground transportation (maximum of
$40/day). This benet is to assist you with some of
the unplanned expense you may incur while waiting
for your vehicle to be repaired.
Pre-authorization, original detailed receipts and a
copy of the repair order are required.
Once authorization has been given, your advisor will
help you make any necessary arrangements and
explain how to claim for trip interruption expense
assistance.
Alternative Service (Canada only):There may be
times, when Roadside Assistance cannot provide
timely assistance. Your advisor may authorize you to
secure local emergency road service, and you will be
reimbursed up to $100 upon submission of the
original receipt to Roadside Assistance.
In many instances, mechanical failures may be covered.
However, any cost for parts and labor for non-warranty
repairs are the responsibility of the driver.
Chevrolet and General Motors of Canada Limited
reserve the right to limit services or reimbursement to
an owner or driver when, in their sole discretion,
the claims become excessive in frequency or type of
occurrence.
7-8

Calling for Assistance
For prompt and efficient assistance when calling, please
provide the following to the Roadside Assistance
Representative:
Your name, home address, and home telephone
number
Telephone number of your location
Location of the vehicle
Model, year, color, and license plate number of the
vehicle
Odometer reading, Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN), and delivery date of the vehicle
Description of the problem
Towing and Road Service Exclusions
Specically excluded from Roadside Assistance
coverage are towing or services for vehicles operated
on a non-public roadway or highway, nes, impound
towing caused by a violation of local, Municipal, State,
Provincial, or Federal law, and mounting, dismounting or
changing of snow tires, chains, or other traction devices.
Roadside Assistance is not part of or included in the
coverage provided by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Chevrolet and General Motors of Canada Limited
reserve the right to make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at any time without
notication.
7-9

Scheduling Service Appointments
When your vehicle requires warranty service, contact
your dealer/retailer and request an appointment.
By scheduling a service appointment and advising your
service consultant of your transportation needs, your
dealer/retailer can help minimize your inconvenience.
If your vehicle cannot be scheduled into the service
department immediately, keep driving it until it can be
scheduled for service, unless, of course, the problem is
safety-related. If it is, please call your dealership/retailer,
let them know this, and ask for instructions.
If the dealer/retailer requests that you simply drop the
vehicle off for service, you are urged to do so as early in
the work day as possible to allow for the same
day repair.
Courtesy Transportation
To enhance your ownership experience, we and our
participating dealers are proud to offer Courtesy
Transportation, a customer support program for vehicles
with the Bumper to Bumper (Base Warranty Coverage
period in Canada) and extended powertrain warranty
in both the U.S. and Canada.Several courtesy transportation options are available to
assist in reducing your inconvenience when warranty
repairs are required.
Courtesy Transportation is not a part of the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. A separate booklet entitled “Warranty
and Owner Assistance Information” furnished with each
new vehicle provides detailed warranty coverage
information.
Transportation Options
Warranty service can generally be completed while you
wait. However, if you are unable to wait, GM helps to
minimize your inconvenience by providing several
transportation options. Depending on the circumstances,
your dealer can offer you one of the following:
Shuttle Service
Shuttle service is the preferred means of offering
Courtesy Transportation. Dealers may provide you with
shuttle service to get you to your destination with
minimal interruption of your daily schedule. This includes
one-way or round trip shuttle service within reasonable
time and distance parameters of the dealer’s area.
7-10

Public Transportation or Fuel
Reimbursement
If your vehicle requires overnight warranty repairs, and
public transportation is used instead of the dealer’s
shuttle service, the expense must be supported by
original receipts and can only be up to the maximum
amount allowed by GM for shuttle service. In addition,
for U.S. customers, should you arrange transportation
through a friend or relative, limited reimbursement for
reasonable fuel expenses may be available. Claim
amounts should reect actual costs and be supported by
original receipts. See your dealer for information
regarding the allowance amounts for reimbursement of
fuel or other transportation costs.
Courtesy Rental Vehicle
Your dealer may arrange to provide you with a
courtesy rental vehicle or reimburse you for a rental
vehicle that you obtain if your vehicle is kept for
an overnight warranty repair. Rental reimbursement will
be limited and must be supported by original receipts.This requires that you sign and complete a rental
agreement and meet state/provincial, local, and rental
vehicle provider requirements. Requirements vary and
may include minimum age requirements, insurance
coverage, credit card, etc. You are responsible for fuel
usage charges and may also be responsible for taxes,
levies, usage fees, excessive mileage, or rental usage
beyond the completion of the repair.
It may not be possible to provide a like-vehicle as a
courtesy rental.
Additional Program Information
All program options, such as shuttle service, may not be
available at every dealer. Please contact your dealer
for specic information about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will be administered
by appropriate dealer personnel.
General Motors reserves the right to unilaterally modify,
change or discontinue Courtesy Transportation at any
time and to resolve all questions of claim eligibility
pursuant to the terms and conditions described herein at
its sole discretion.
7-11

Collision Damage Repair
If your vehicle is involved in a collision and it is
damaged, have the damage repaired by a qualied
technician using the proper equipment and quality
replacement parts. Poorly performed collision repairs
diminish your vehicle’s resale value, and safety
performance can be compromised in subsequent
collisions.
Collision Parts
Genuine GM Collision parts are new parts made with
the same materials and construction methods as the
parts with which your vehicle was originally built. Genuine
GM Collision parts are your best choice to ensure that
your vehicle’s designed appearance, durability, and
safety are preserved. The use of Genuine GM parts can
help maintain your GM New Vehicle Warranty.
Recycled original equipment parts may also be used for
repair. These parts are typically removed from vehicles
that were total losses in prior crashes. In most cases,
the parts being recycled are from undamaged sections
of the vehicle. A recycled original equipment GM part,
may be an acceptable choice to maintain your vehicle’soriginally designed appearance and safety performance,
however, the history of these parts is not known. Such
parts are not covered by your GM New Vehicle Limited
Warranty, and any related failures are not covered by that
warranty.
Aftermarket collision parts are also available. These are
made by companies other than GM and may not have
been tested for your vehicle. As a result, these parts may
t poorly, exhibit premature durability/corrosion problems,
and may not perform properly in subsequent collisions.
Aftermarket parts are not covered by your GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any vehicle failure related
to such parts are not covered by that warranty.
Repair Facility
We recommend that you choose a collision repair
facility that meets your needs before you ever need
collision repairs. Your dealer/retailer may have a
collision repair center with GM-trained technicians and
state of the art equipment, or be able to recommend
a collision repair center that has GM-trained technicians
and comparable equipment.
7-12

Insuring Your Vehicle
Protect your investment in your GM vehicle with
comprehensive and collision insurance coverage.
There are signicant differences in the quality of
coverage afforded by various insurance policy terms.
Many insurance policies provide reduced protection
to your GM vehicle by limiting compensation for
damage repairs by using aftermarket collision parts.
Some insurance companies will not specify aftermarket
collision parts. When purchasing insurance, we
recommend that you assure your vehicle will be repaired
with GM original equipment collision parts. If such
insurance coverage is not available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching to another
insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing company may
require you to have insurance that assures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
parts or Genuine Manufacturer replacement parts.
Read your lease carefully, as you may be charged at
the end of your lease for poor quality repairs.
If a Crash Occurs
Here is what to do if you are involved in a crash.
Check to make sure that you are all right. If you are
uninjured, make sure that no one else in your
vehicle, or the other vehicle, is injured.
If there has been an injury, call emergency services
for help. Do not leave the scene of a crash until all
matters have been taken care of. Move your vehicle
only if its position puts you in danger or you are
instructed to move it by a police officer.
Give only the necessary and requested information
to police and other parties involved in the crash.
Do not discuss your personal condition, mental frame
of mind, or anything unrelated to the crash. This will
help guard against post-crash legal action.
If you need roadside assistance, call GM Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on
page 7-7for more information.
If your vehicle cannot be driven, know where the
towing service will be taking it. Get a card from the
tow truck operator or write down the driver’s name,
the service’s name, and the phone number.
Remove any valuables from your vehicle before it is
towed away. Make sure this includes your insurance
information and registration if you keep these items
in your vehicle.
7-13

Gather the important information you will need from
the other driver. Things like name, address, phone
number, driver’s license number, vehicle license
plate, vehicle make, model and model year, Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN), insurance company and
policy number, and a general description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
If possible, call your insurance company from the
scene of the crash. They will walk you through the
information they will need. If they ask for a police
report, phone or go to the police department
headquarters the next day and you can get a copy of
the report for a nominal fee. In some states/provinces
with “no fault” insurance laws, a report may not be
necessary. This is especially true if there are no
injuries and both vehicles are driveable.
Choose a reputable collision repair facility for your
vehicle. Whether you select a dealer/retailer or a
private collision repair facility to x the damage,
make sure you are comfortable with them.
Remember, you will have to feel comfortable with
their work for a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read it carefully and
make sure you understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you have a question,
ask for an explanation. Reputable shops welcome
this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage Repair
Process
In the event that your vehicle requires damage repairs,
GM recommends that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined repair facility of
choice, take your vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any required replacement
collision parts be original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled original GM parts.
Remember, recycled parts will not be covered by your
GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you must live
with the repair. Depending on your policy limits, your
insurance company may initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with your repair
professional, and insist on Genuine GM parts. Remember
if your vehicle is leased you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts, even if your
insurance coverage does not pay the full cost.
If another party’s insurance company is paying for the
repairs, you are not obligated to accept a repair
valuation based on that insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have no contractual limits with
that company. In such cases, you can have control of
the repair and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits.
7-14