Ryan07

just gt mine fixed today umm all i found out is that ******* gear that locks it breaks off but my uncle works at a dealer and took one off another cobalt

YelloEye

iTrader: (3)

Mine was actually the metal tooth that grabs the gear, think it was a spring or something. Could probably fix it on your own if you felt so inclined. But you still have a warranty so why would you wanna do that?

goldchain69

Im out here in california and I had the same problem about a month ago and the gl dealership had my car in and out in two days, but I know what it's like waiting for something on back order, I've been waiting a week for a slave cylinder

cobaltcraz

I have fixed the ebrake on my wifes balt twice now it is the ratchet gear it just falls out of its seat in the brake it is just placed in there with no welds or bolt to hold it in its a crapy design. And just another reason why we will never buy a gm product again.

NYG5GT

Anyone have a small write up on where this ratchet piece goes. I have the piece, but I don't see where it's supposed to sit in there?
TIA

cobaltcraz

heres the write up I just did
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...70#post4351770

jasonreed54

Hey I've got the exact same problem... my Cobalt has 41400 miles and the shady ass dealers won't do anything about it. They quoted me $240 for the 25791357 part and installation... I've had it apart and found the metal ratchet piece just chillin on the floorboard. I wonder if there's a way to fix it myself or am i stuck getting this thing?

XStylus

I realize I'm necro-posting here, but it's not as if this is an uncommon problem so figured I'd chime in.

Anyway, I'm having this same situation. The gear that holds up the brake fell out. I've got the gear, as well as a white plastic ring which I suspect has something to do with it in some way. Dunno if there's any way to put it back on.

As I was searching online I did manage to find the parking brake assembly, but interestingly there appears to be a replacement part number associated with it now. 25791357 has supposedly been replaced by 25999926. The former can be found for around $50, the latter goes for around $100+. Dunno if there's any GM parts guys around here who can tell us what the difference is...?

ChevyChase

I actually have had this same issue recently. A buddy and I took the whole e-brake out and looked at it. As far as either of us can tell, the locking gear literally just sits in there and I am assuming it is supposed to fit snugly in there and not fall out. Well, as many of us have figured out, that is total BS. So, we put JB Weld around the gear, obviously not on the actually teeth, but in contact with the other metal that holds it in place.

I have had zero issues since, BUT since I waited a long time to actually fix this issue, there has become a lot of slack and the car does not completely stay on slopes unless it is in gear. The slack appears to be going away but I don't know what type of e-brake the Cobalts have and I am not so certain that the slack will ever go away on it's own. Any thoughts?

XStylus

I did the exact same thing you did. J-B welded the gear back on and the e-brake handle has been fine ever since. Took a lot of patience to get the gear in just right before I put on the J-B weld though. The spot the gear fits in is very snug, so much so that I wondered why the hell it kept falling out.

I also had the exact same problem in that it just didn't feel like the parking brake was tight enough and it'd roll on slopes. This had always been the case though. I tried to see about tightening the e-brake cable but it doesn't tighten any further, so it was just something I simply put up with...

...until just last month when I had the rear brakes rebuilt (new brake shoes and refurbished calipers). The rears had been untouched since it left the factory 110k ago, and they never really felt like they gripped quite right. I finally took it in to Midas (my pads, their labor) and the rears are so much better now, and the e-brake is TIGHT (a mere three clicks and it's engaged fully).