2004 CHEVROLET AVEO Complaints

NO CRASH, NO INJURIES; INCIDENT BEGAN WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLE AFTER I PURCHASED THE AVEO USED; MY FUEL ECONOMY CONTINUED TO DECREASE FROM ABOUT 33 TO 34MPG DOWN BELOW 30MPG EVEN THOUGH I WAS CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE SAME WAY EVERY WEEK. ECONOMY WAS ABOUT 33-34MPG AT 26K MILES AND EVENTUALLY AT 28-29 MPG BY 34K MILES. AFTER CHANGING FUELS, ADDING INJECTOR CLEANER, CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE WEEKLY, CHECKING SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE OR ABUSE TO ANY COMPONENT, I FINALLY PRIED OPEN THE BLACK AIR CLEANER BOX BY BREAKING TWO OF THE RUSTED BOLT/FLANGES ON THE CLEANER. THE AIR CLEANER WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY PLUGGED. I CHANGED THE FILTER AND THE FUEL MILEAGE WAS BACK TO 35 TO 37 MPG. BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO BREAK TWO BOLT/FLANGES ON THE CLEANER BOX TO GET THE CLEANER OPEN. I NOTICED ONE OTHER FLANGE WAS ALREADY BROKEN. I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER NEVER CHANGED THE AIR FILTER. THE FILTER IS INACCESSIBLE ONCE THE BOLTS ARE RUSTED TO THE NUTS. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS AND FOUND I CANNOT GET REIMBURSED SINCE I DAMAGED THE CLEANER. I BELIEVE THAT THE DEALER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FILTER EITHER. I DID NOTICE THAT THE BOLTS ARE STEEL/IRON BECAUSE OF THE RUST COLOR AND THE FLANGE HAS A CAPTURED NUT MADE OF BRASS WITH BLUISH-GREEN RUST. THE USE OF TWO DISSIMILAR METALS UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR WHERE SALT AND CORROSION ARE HIGHLY LIKELY IS EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED TO A CONSUMER. I HAVE TO PAY MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET FOR A FILTER BOX REPLACEMENT WHEN THE FILTER BOX SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ENGINEERED THIS WAY. THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE AN EMISSIONS ISSUE SINCE MY FUEL ECONOMY WAS SEVERELY AFFECTED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE. *TR

HORN MALFUNCTION WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IGNITION WAS OFF. HAD TO PULL FUSE ASSOCIATED WITH HORN/REAR-DEFROSTER TO STOP HORN FROM GOING OFF. *JB

DURING A RECENT OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SERVICE TO MY AIR FILTER WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO THE INABILITY TO REMOVE THE SCREWS/BOLTS/FASTENERS THAT COULD NOT BE REMOVED. *JB

ON THURSDAY MORNING 28 JUNE 2007 THE TIMING BELT ON THIS CHEVROLET AVEO BROKE, RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO RADLEY CHEVROLET, WHERE THIS DIAGNOSIS WAS RENDERED. RADLEY CHEVROLET HELD A NEW CAR OWNER'S ORIENTATION CLASS AT WHICH THEIR SERVICES AND HOURS WERE DISCUSSED. CLASS TOPICS INCLUDED TIMELY OIL AND FILTER CHANGES. NO MENTION WAS MADE,OR EMPHASIS PLACED, ON THE NEED FOR INSPECTION OF THE TIMING BELT AT 30,000 MILES OR ITS REPLACEMENT AT 60,000 MILES. WHEN I MENTIONED THIS RECENTLY TO THE RADLEY CHEVROLET GENERAL MANAGER HE RESPONDED BY TELLING ME THAT ALL CHEVROLETS MADE IN THE USA USE TIMING CHAINS INSTEAD OF TIMING BELTS. HENCE HIS STAFF WOULD NOT THINK TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO INSPECT AND CHANGE THE TIMING BELT. IT APPEARED THAT THIS LACK OF CONCERN OR TRAINING MAY HAVE EXTENDED TO SOME MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE NEED FOR THIS INSPECTION AT EITHER OF THE TWO OIL CHANGES, PERFORMED BY RADLEY AROUND THE 30,000 MILE POINT. THE TIMING BELT FAILED AT AN ODOMETER READING OF 60,331 MILES. THE 331 MILES BEYOND THE 60,000-MILE RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT POINT SUGGEST THAT THE ODOMETER HAS AN ACCURACY BETTER THAN .55%. CONSIDERING THE TECHNOLOGY USED TO MEASURE SPEED AND MILEAGE IN VEHICLES SOLD TO THE PUBLIC IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT ANY ARE SO ACCURATE. HAD OBSERVED THAT IN DRIVING FROM ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA TO FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA SHE WAS OFTEN AMONG THE SLOWEST ON THE ROAD IN SPITE OF SPEEDOMETER READINGS THAT SUGGEST SHE WAS DRIVING WELL ABOVE THE POSTED LIMIT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SHE HAD HER HUSBAND RECORD THE ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN MILE-POSTS AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE TRAVELING AROUND 5 TO 6 MILES PER HOUR LESS THAN THE SPEEDOMETER READING. THIS AMOUNTS TO AN ODOMETER READING FROM 6.25% TO 8.5% GREATER THAN ACTUAL DISTANCE TRAVELED. HENCE AT AN ODOMETER READING OF 60,331 MILES, ACTUAL MILEAGE IS BETWEEN 56,560 AND 55,203 MILES. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG SENSOR REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT 17,000 MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SENSOR. AT 20,000 MILES, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO ILLUMINATE, BUT STATED THAT IF THE SENSOR DOES NOT GET REPLACED, THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY. AT 29,000 MILES, THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT IT FELT LOSE. THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BECAUSE THE WHEELS WOULD NOT MOVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY FELL APART. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT 40,000 MILES. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 42,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

TIMING BELT FAILED AT 70,000 MILES CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. TIMING BELT FAILURE IS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE WITH THE AVEO AS GM ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS IN OCT 2006. BASED ON INTERNET SEARCH OF AVEO PROBLEMS, CHEVY IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AVEO'S TIMING BELT FAILING EVEN BEFORE THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE DATE. *JB

TIMING BELT WENT ON MY CHEVY AVEO 2004 IN JANUARY. @ 55,000 MILES AND THE BELT DAMAGED THE WHOLE ENGINE. THE GMC COMPANY REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. I FOUND OUT THAT THE CHEVY AVEOS ARE HAVING LOTS OF PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO AND STATED THAT SINCE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS NEVER LOCKED CORRECTLY IN PLACE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAT BELT, BUT SHE BELIEVED THAT THEY SWITCHED IT FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK. CURRENTLY, THE SEAT BELT HAS BEEN LOCKING WHEN ANYONE SAT IN THE BACK. ALSO, THE DOME LIGHTS IWERE CONSTANTLY BURNING OUT. THIS HAD OCCURRED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES. IN ADDITION, THE CLOCK DID NOT WORK WHENEVER SHE SET THE TIME, IT WOULD CHANGE ON ITS OWN ACCORD. SIMILARLY, THE KEY LOCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FELL THROUGH THE DOOR PANEL. THE DEALER REPAIRED AND PAINTED THE DOOR THE WRONG COLOR, AND THEY PAINTED OVER THE DOOR HANDLE. JUST LAST WEEK FINALLY, THE TENSION PULLEY FELL OFF WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THEY TOLD HER THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO MAKE FURTHER REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,750.*AK

SUMMER 2005 THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING DURING A RAINSTORM WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE LEAVING MY VISIBILITY EXTREMELY IMPAIRED. UPON SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION, I NOTICED THAT THE NUT HOLDING THE WIPER TO THE POST HAD LOOSENED AND BACKED OFF. THIS STRIPPED THE MATING GROVES OFF BOTH THE WIPER ARM (CAST ALUMINUM) AND POST (SOFT METAL). EVEN AFTER RE-TIGHTENING THE NUT, THE WIPER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE BECAUSE THE WIPER ARM AND POST WERE TOO BADLY DAMAGED; ALL OF THE GROVES WERE ENTIRELY REMOVED FOR THE CAST ALUMINUM WIPER ARM. I WAS UNABLE TO GO TO A DEALER TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I DRILLED A KEYWAY INTO BOTH THE WIPER ARM AND POST. I FILLED THE KEYWAY WITH A PORTION OF A LARGE PAPER CLIP. THE DAMAGE REMAINS THIS WAY CURRENTLY. SUMMER 2005 HAVING EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH THE AVEO 2004 (ABOVE) I TIGHTENED THE NUTS ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S WIPERS ON MY AVEO 2005. JANUARY 2007 THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING DURING A SNOWSTORM WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE LEAVING MY WIFE'S VISIBILITY EXTREMELY IMPAIRED. UPON SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION, I NOTICED THAT THE NUT HOLDING THE WIPER TO THE POST HAD LOOSENED AND BACKED OFF EVEN WITH RE-TIGHTENING THIS NUT IN THE SUMMER OF 2005. THIS STRIPPED THE MATING GROVES OFF BOTH THE WIPER ARM (CAST ALUMINUM) AND POST (SOFT METAL). I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE BOTH THE WIPER ARM AND POST REPLACED. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING ON PARTS TO HAVE TO REPAIR MADE.--AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB I DISCOVERED THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEIR DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER ARM NUT COMING LOOSE. HTTP://WWW.EPINIONS.COM/CONTENT_160219565700. *JB

MAJOR FUEL LEAK ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. LEFT ME STRANDED. PUMPED OUT 9 GALLONS OF GAS IN 20 MILES. LUCKILY NO FIRE. FOUND THE PLASTIC RETAINER HOLDING THE MAIN FUEL LINE CRACKED AND ALLOWED THE FUEL LINE TO COME LOOSE SPRAYING GAS OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. THEY WILL PUT ANOTHER PLASTIC RETAINER ON THE LINE BUT HOW LONG WILL THAT LAST? CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR DEFECT AND COULD LEAD TO VEHICLE FIRES WHICH COULD BE DEADLY. I WAS LUCKY BUT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NOT BE. I DO NOT LIKE THE FIX. A BETTER FORM OF LINE CLAMPING SHOULD BE USED. I NOTIFIED GM AND THERE IS NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME. THEY TOOK THE INFORMATION AND PUT IT ON FILE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR TOWING AND THE LOST FUEL. GM WILL NOT DO THIS. NOTE:THE CAR IS AT KNEBEL AUTO IN HIGHLAND ILL NOT THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB