2004 CHEVROLET AVEO Complaints

AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I FELT THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PICKING UP, I COULD ONLY GET TO AROUND 40-45MPH ON A HIGHWAY THAT IS 65MPH. I NEARLY GOT REAR-ENDED BY CARS FLYING UP ON ME AND I QUICKLY PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER JUST IN TIME AS THE POWER STEERING ALSO WENT OUT AND THE CAR APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED RUNNING. I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO START AGAIN. THE DIAGNOSTICS CAME BACK THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD GONE AND IT COULD BE FIXED FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN $800 TO NEEDING A BRAND NEW MOTOR. THIS FLOORED ME AS I ALWAYS HAD THE OIL AND FLUIDS REPLACED AND THE CAR ONLY HAD 84K MILES ON IT. I BEGAN TO RESEARCH THE AVEO AND BAM, THERE IT WAS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON-LINE. OWNERS ALL COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR AVEO. THE TIMING BELT ON THE AVEO, ESPECIALLY THE 04-07 MODELS GO AND WILL REQUIRE ANYWHERE FROM A MAJOR FIX TO A BRAND NEW ENGINE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM ON A LITTLE CAR. I WENT ON CRAIGSLIST TO LOOK FOR A NEW ENGINE, BUT INSTEAD FOUND 10 AVEOS IN ONE HOUR... THAT WERE BEING SOLD FOR PARTS BECAUSE THEIR TIMING BELT WENT! PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE AVEO DESERVING OF A RECALL, AND OWNERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND THE PERSISTENT NEED TO HAVE THEIR TIMING BELT REPLACED OR FACE A TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN REAR-ENDED OR WORSE BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER AND POWER STEERING. THANK YOU. *TR

THE TIMING BELT BROKE IN OUR VEHICLE WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. THE CAR MADE A HORRIBLE RACKET, THEN COMPLETELY LOST POWER BEFORE IT DIED COMPLETELY, WHEN IT BROKE, IT BENT THE RODS AND PISTONS IN THE HEADS. NOW JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, IT HAS DONE THE SAME THING. CHEVY NEEDS TO MAKE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE ITS GOING TO END UP KILLING SOMEONE AND THIS ISN'T THE ONLY AVEO TO HAVE DONE THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE CAR FELT LIKE CAME OUT OF 5TH GEAR. I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE CAR WAS IN GEAR. PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN (VERY TIGHT). THE CAR WAS LOOSING POWER BUT TACH WAS STILL AT 3000. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR HAD NO SPARK. LIGHTS STILL WORKED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED AND FOUND THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED WHICH TOOK OUT THE WATER PUMP AND DAMAGED MY HEAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING AT ALL. AT THIS TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MECHANIC AND 2 CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THANK GOD IT WAS 5:15 AM AND NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. *TR

TIMING BELT BROKE WHILE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH. CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUT OFF AND LEAVE ME STRANDED WHEN IT BROKE IT CRUSHED ALL 4 CYLINDER HEADS. *TR

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP THIS YEAR. THE REAR SEAT BELTS DON'T EXTEND OR RETRACT. THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED ON OCTOBER 15, 2004 (RECALL # 04V407000). CHEVROLET'S RECALL CENTER HAS TOLD ME IT'S NO LONGER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE REAR SEAT BELTS, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THIS IS A PASSENGER SAFETY CONCERN, THIS RECALL ITEM IS NOW IN A, "CLOSED" STATUS. MY QUESTIONS IS, "REALLY"?! DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT BELTS ARE NO LONGER CHEVY'S RESPONSIBILITY AFTER A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO WHAT MY RIGHTS ARE AS A CHEVY OWNER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,995.

MY PASSENGER REAR SHOE BROKE IN HALF. IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, APPROXIMATELY ONCE EVERY WEEK TO TWO WEEKS MY SPRINGS AND SELF ADJUST FALL OFF. WHEN THE DRUM IS PULLED OFF THEY ARE EITHER COMPLETELY DETACHED OR HANGING BY A HAIR. THEY ARE NOT CONNECTED NOR ARE THEY DOING ANY GOOD FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM. IN THE 7 MONTHS THAT I HAVE HAD THE CAR, I HAVE HAD IT WORKED ON 18 OR MORE TIMES ON THE EXACT SAME BRAKE. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AFTER THE FIRST ATTEMPT AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NINE TIMES ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETECT A CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,500. UPDATED 07/25/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT DAYS. UPDATED 07/25/12

MY STEPDAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND WERE TRAVELING CROSS-COUNTRY FROM CALIFORNIA TO ILLINOIS. CAR HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED BY A MECHANIC PRIOR TO TRIP AND SAID WAS OK. ON I-40, ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE NM, SHE REALIZED THE CAR WAS GETTING WARM, THEN THEY SAW STEAM FROM HOOD, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ME, IN ILLINOIS. THEN SHE CALLED AAA FOR TOWING, AND WAS TOWED TO GALLES CHEVROLET IN ALBUQUERQUE. THE NEXT DAY THEY DIAGNOSED TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OVERHEATING; CAUSE OF FAILURE LIKELY A BROKEN THERMOSTAT HOUSING. I SEARCHED FOR THIS ISSUE AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN EDMUNDS FORUM; THIS CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. IN THE END THE GIRLS WERE SAFE, THANK GOD. NOT ONLY WAS THIS A VERY EXPENSIVE INCIDENT (~$5000), BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, LEAVING TWO YOUNG COLLEGE GIRLS STRANDED IN A REMOTE DESERT LOCATION ON A HOT DAY, VERY VULNERABLE. THE NEXT PERSON THIS HAPPENS TO MIGHT NOT BE SO FORTUNATE. I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO REQUIRE GM TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR