2004 Chevrolet Aveo

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COOLANT PUMP HOUSING FRACTURED AND COOLANT LEAKED OUT, WHICH CAUSED THE SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND SUGGESTED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000.

WHILE BACKING UP MY VEHICLE I SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 500 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK, SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, AND TURN THE IGNITION TO OFF. I WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART TO VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE TWO OR THREE TIMES. ONETIME WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND I HAD TO PRESS HARD ON THE BREAK AND SHUT OFF IGNITION TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I SEEMS LIKE IT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE ( IN THE 30"S F) . I THINK THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

I AM ON A FIXED INCOME. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED WITH 22,000 MILES ON IT WHICH I INTENDED TO TAKE CARE OF AND DRIVE FOR YEARS TO COME, IN FACT INTO THE GROUND. THE MANUAL I RECEIVED WITH THE CAR INDICATED THAT THE TIMING BELT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT 100,000. I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WHERE YOU REALLY NEED A VEHICLE. I HAD DRIVEN TO ANOTHER TOWN FOR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT. WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH THE CAR JUST DIED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN A 55 MPH ZONE. I WAS LUCKY THAT A GOOD SAMARITAN HELPED ME OUT OF THE DANGEROUS CONDITION I WAS IN ON THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE HAD 65,321 MIIES ON IT. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THE TIMING BELT BROKE CAUSING VALVE DAMAGE. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $5,000 TO REPAIR IT WHICH IS WHAT I PAID FOR THE VEHICLE. I DID NOT HAVING $5,000 SO I JUNKED THE CAR. THIS ORDEAL CAUSED SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS FOR ME FINANCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I WAS 62 AT THE TIME. THE WEBSITE CARCOMPLAINTS HAS 56 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS RELATED TO 2004 CHEVY AVEOS. ALL OF THE TIMING BELTS FAILED BELOW 100,000 MILES. THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THE 2005 CHEVY AVEO. WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SO I WOULD NOT LOSE MY SHORTS ON MY VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE EVENT WAS TERRIBLY FRIGHTENING. I SUFFER FROM HEART FAILURE. MY NEW CAR PAYMENT IS VERY HARD TO DEAL WITH ON A FIXED INCOME. I TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF THE CAR. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT SUCH DANGEROUS CONDITION. I WOULD LIKE SOME ANSWERS.

TIMING BELT SNAPPED AT 73K MILES WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. TOTAL LOSS OF POWER: STEERING, BRAKES, AND GAS PEDAL ALL NOT RESPONDING. MANUALLY MANAGED TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER WITH MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON, AND WITHOUT HITTING OR BEING HIT BY ANYTHING ELSE. I'M ALIVE AND SO IS MY PASSENGER, BUT I FEAR WE COULD HAVE DIED ON THAT DAY. RELATED TSBS AND NHTSA BELOW TO AUGMENT REPORTING THIS PROBLEM. ---- TSB #3936 / NHTSA ID #10020573 STATES THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN PRIOR TO 60K MILES TO OTHERS AS FAR BACK AS 2006; TOTAL ENGINE LOSS DUE TO DAMAGE FROM THE BELT AT HIGH SPEED NOT REPORTED OR FIXED. SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE ALSO IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR THIS PART: # TSB #060601021 -- TIMING BELT INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, WORN, WEAR.*KB (NHTSA ID #10020843, OCTOBER 01 2006)

IN MID-FEBRUARY AFTER ONE OF OUR MANY BLIZZARDS, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER SEDAN HOME. THERE WAS A PILE OF SNOW ON OUR STREET THAT HAD HARDENED OVER. I GUESS SHE MISCALCULATED ITS HEIGHT (AND HARDNESS) AND WHEN SHE WENT OVER IT, THE CAR LURCHED UP AND SHE HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING IMMEDIATELY AND WITHIN SECONDS DIED. SHE CALLED ME OUT AND I TOOK A LOOK AT THE CAR. IT WAS DEAD. I WALKED OVER TO THE ICE AND IT WAS ROCK HARD, SO I TRIED TO TAKE A SHOVEL TO IT AND IMMEDIATELY EMAILED MY NEIGHBORS TO BE CAREFUL OF IT. I AM NOT MECHANICALLY-INCLINED, SO WHEN I GOOGLED WHAT MIGHT'VE HAPPENED, I SAW SEVERAL COMMENTS THAT IT COULD BE AS MINOR AS A DAMAGED OIL PAN THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. FIGURING IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING MINOR, I CALLED AAA (HAD TO WAIT A FEW DAYS SINCE THEIR LINES WERE DOWN) AND HAD THE CAR TOWED DOWN THE STREET TO A SERVICE STATION. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE ASSESSMENT FROM THE MECHANIC: APPARENTLY DURING THE COLLISION, THE TIMING BELT SLIPPED AND CAUSED THE PISTONS TO BEND. THIS WOULD COST SEVERAL THOUSAND TO FIX. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAR HAS AN "INTERFERENCE" DESIGN WHICH IS PRONE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. MANY AVEO OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ONLINE. THE WORST PART ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENED DURING A COLLISION, OUR INSURANCE CHALKED THIS UP TO "WEAR AND TEAR" AND WE WERE FORCED TO JUNK THE CAR. OUR CAR HAD LESS THAN 60K MILES ON IT AND WE KEPT IT IN GOOD CONDITION. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THIS SHOULD HAVE EITHER BEEN HANDLED THROUGH A MANUFACTURER RECALL OR MY INSURANCE SHOULD HAVE TREATED IT AS THE COLLISION IT WAS AND COVERED IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT FRACTURED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUINED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 5/4/15*CN UPDATED 05/12/15*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND UPON PULLING OVER, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES AND SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT PASSENGER EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS ABLE TO BE EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V261000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED .. IF I WAS DRIVING ANY FASTER OR IF THERE WAS A CAR BEHIND ME I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!!!RESULT WAS THE TIMING BELT. THE CAR ONLY HAD 52000 MILES. I CONTACTED CHEVY AND ALL THEY COULD OFFER ME WAS A LOYALTY DISCOUNT ON A NEW CAR... WHICH I PROBABLY WOULD BE ENTITLED TO ANYWAY .. I JUST FOUND A LETTER FROM GM INDICATED THAT THE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT WAS AT 60K MILES... WELL MY CAR DIDN'T MAKE IT TO 60K .....SO THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND CONTINUE TO DENY IT!! *JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ON MY WAY HOME TO KNOXVILLE FROM ATHENS, TN, AND I HEARD MY CAR MAKE A FUNNY NOISE, AND THEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE, I PULLED OVER OFF OF THE INTERSTATE ONTO AN EXIT AND THEN THE CAR BASICALLY DIED WHEN I MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SMOKE WAS WHITE AT FIRST, BUT THEN IT TURNED BLACK SO WE RAN FROM THE CAR. THE CAR PROCEEDED TO CATCH ON FIRE AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED IT WAS TOO LATE. I HAD A LOT OF CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS IN MY CAR, AND MY BOYFRIEND'S LAPTOP AND REALLY EXPENSIVE TEXTBOOKS WERE IN THE CAR AS WELL. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY BURNED EXCEPT FOR PARTS OF THE TRUNK AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS SALVAGEABLE. I WAS LOOKING ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT MY CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF FIRES, BUT I HAD NO IDEA BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE NO CAR AND I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AND I NEED A CAR SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I'M NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT MY PROBLEM. I AM VERY UPSET THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, AND IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF SOMEONE COULD HELP ME FIX THIS. *TR

MY 19 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER JUST ARRIVED AT HER MOTHERS HOUSE, PARKED THE CAR AND CAME INSIDE. WHEN WE STARTED SEEING, AND SMELLING SMOKE. SO WE WENT OUTSIDE TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AS IF THERE WAS A FIRE CONTAINED UNDER THE HOOD. SO WE CALLED 911 AND SUDDENLY WE HEARD A LOUD POP AND SAW FLAMES ON THE HOOD. WE PROCEEDED TO GET A WATER HOSE TO POUR WATER ON THE CAR UNTIL FINALLY THE FIREMEN ARRIVED. THE CAR STILL REMAINS IN FRONT OF HER MOTHERS HOUSE, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR. THE FIREMEN DEEMED IT TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. I WOULD LIKE ANY INFORMATION FOR RECALLS ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR