10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
11 / 1
Average Mileage:
596,857 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #14

Nov 222019

Aveo

  • 120,000 miles
Our son had a car accident on high I -49 N, the air bags did not deploy. The brakes would not break. He substained head, neck trauma, back and leg in the vehicle.

- Shreveport, LA, USA

problem #13

Oct 162019

Aveo

  • 7,800,000 miles
I had a accident the car cought on fire.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #12

Jan 052017

Aveo

  • 50,000 miles
I have had to replace the suspension rods, (tie rods, struts, and brakes and now the ball bearrings in the tires. I bought this car in 2010 which from my understanding it was supposed to be new at the time of purchase from baum Chevrolet in clinton, Illinois. I have bought three sets of tires (new) what is up with this car? drive daily. I have reported it to General Motors who insist it is not on recall. It should be.

- Champaign, IL, USA

problem #11

Jun 022016

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
Had an accident when someone ran into me. Airbags did not deploy. Suspension bars had to be replaced. Also have a crack in the vacuum hose. I was driving apprx 25-30 miles.the problems had nothing to do with the accident..my question is that I should not have to replace the suspension bars this soon. Now the drums have to be replaced (why?) I only have 60,000 miles on the car but these problems started long before this. Is this car on the recall list? ) [xxx] ('parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).')

- Champaign, IL, USA

problem #10

Sep 152014

Aveo

  • 113,000 miles
Air bag light remain on and brinks, also the electrical system has went out it effects doors and panel.

- Austell, GA, USA

problem #9

Sep 012015

Aveo

  • miles
Since I got my aveo5 ls in 2013. I have been problems since the air bag light on thinking my air bags don't work at all. The clock doesn't keep set. The flex tube needs be replaced every month. My headlights and brake lights need to replace two times a month or more. Then to find out I almost had a fire with my headlight plug is melted crispy black, now my headlight don't work as well. The module behind passenger side back always need to replace especially in winter. I had my car for 3 years and my paint has been coming off due to factory paint problem. Now I can not keep engine light off since I got my car, I think I put more money in buying parts then I paid for the car. GM did a very poor design for this model

- Oneida, NY, USA

problem #8

Mar 012011

Aveo 4-cyl

  • miles
S10 appropriate handling- letter to the secretary from constituent re copy of a letter to the U.S. attorney general regarding a complaint against General Motors. The consumer stated in March 2011, the vehicle began to loose power steering and the engine would shut off by itself. The consumer went to the dealer, where they claimed the problem was fixed. However, the problem continued. The problem continued into 2012. In May 2014, due to the existing problem, the consumer was involved in an accident and the vehicle was totaled. Also, the air bag did not deploy, even though the impact was severe enough to warrant air bag deployment. Updated 10/05/15.

- Vadnais Heights, MN, USA

problem #7

May 022015

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 26,670 miles
My 2009 Chevrolet Aveo was T-boned by a driver going 50-55 mph, and we were traveling 25 mph (according to police report). The Aveo was hit on the front passenger side tire / front panel / passenger side of front bumper. The driver's side air bag deployed, but the passenger side air bag did not. It should have deployed. I had noticed a few months before the accident that the "passenger side air bag is off" light would go on and off while my husband was sitting in the passenger seat. The light eventually stayed on even when he was sitting in the seat. I had been meaning to take the car in to the Chevy dealer to have it looked at since it was still under warranty. Also, I noticed on this website that there is only one recall on this car. I received a recall notice directly from Chevy about the spark plugs not sitting correctly in the boots, or something like that, and had them replaced for free from the dealer. I was never notified by Chevy of the recall notice on this website about the ABS system, but my car didn't have ABS. (not sure if it will post my VIN, but if it does, just an fyi, this car was deemed a total loss/beyond repair).

- Lees Summit, MO, USA

problem #6

Jul 132010

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 3,000 miles
1st incident: Was on interstate during rush hour in St. Paul, mn w/ 2 toddlers in the back seat. The car suddenly started bucking and then shut off. I was in the 2nd left lane on 4 lane so I had to coast to the right hand shoulder w/ no power steering and no acceleration almost getting hit by multiple vehicles. Took four hours for tow truck.. 3 weeks for the fuel pump to be manufactured and shipped as the car was brand new w/ less than 3000 miles on it and they didn't have spare parts for it. Also, discovered that the onstar wasn't connected even though I was supposed to receive a free year. It wouldn't even come on. They fixed that at the same time as the fuel pump but then when I got it back I noticed my clock wouldn't keep time and the onstar wasn't showing the free year which never got resolved. The dealer said they wasn't sure what was wrong with the clock but the replaced some fuses, etc. To this day it still doesn't work. 2nd incident which is still ongoing: Dash and radio fuses randomly blow, car eats coil packs and spark plugs every 3-4 months. At red lights/extended stops it will start idling roughly and usually will shut off. Car will sometimes not accelerate and other times it will shoot off like a rocket w/ a mild press of gas pedal. Gas mileage is a joke, I'm lucky to get 20/mpg. I have taken this car to 3 Chevy dealer mechanics and 2 independents and no one can tell me what is wrong other than 'electrical' saying I could replace the computer and wiring harness but that is not a guaranteed fix and at almost $2500 not worth it at this point. I will just be so glad to have this thing paid off in a few months (bought it brand new w/ 43 miles on it) so I can sell or trade it in though every dealer I've approached about trading it in tells me they do not accept them B/C of 'known' problems in the auto community. 2 wrecks, airbags never deployed, front & rear.

- Burgaw, NC, USA

problem #5

Sep 022014

Aveo

  • 49,000 miles
My car had habits of motor shutting off..I would put in neutral restart no problem.the on Sept 02 2014 a person coming opposite direction decided make lft turn in front of us we broaded him.....no airbags deployed and car was total loss.

- Loris, SC, USA

problem #4

Jul 112012

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 24,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated while driving at 35 mph the steering wheel became difficult to turn and the vehicle veered to the right and went into an embankment. The contact also stated that three of the tires became detached from the wheels and the air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, forehead, and back and the contact was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. The police was at the scene and filed a report. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 24,000 updated 9/11/14 updated 1/20/2015

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #3

Jun 072014

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 69,900 miles
My wife and I were traveling in our Chevy Aveo 2009, going about 65mph on a fairly secluded state highway, when suddenly it felt as though we were on black ice. I tried continuing straight, but we were pulled violently to the right, hitting the cement barrier, which launched us left across both lanes of traffic. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic at the time. When we hit the left shoulder, our car did a 180, and rolled 3 times, landing upright. I blacked out part way through the accident and awoke hunched over with my leg out the window. But we were both very fortunate to leave the accident alive, getting released from the hospital with only superficial injuries--cuts from the glass, minor headaches and soreness, etc. Our seatbelts were our saving grace. However, we noticed that none of the airbags ever deployed. From the significant body damage done to the Aveo, we and the spectators who arrived to help us, expressed surprise that they never went off. Now 2 days later, we're beginning to experience greater pain in the lower back and upper legs, which we hope doesn't turn into something more serious and costly than originally determined. Would it be considered a defect for airbags, even side ones, to not deploy when getting hit at those speeds?

- Pleasant Grove, UT, USA

problem #2

Jun 062009

Aveo

  • 1,200 miles
My mother swerved to keep from hitting a vehicle entering the highway. She ended up in the oncoming traffic lane. Her car was hit by a pick up truck, spun and was hit again by the truck. Traffic was not heavy and it was on a rural road. Her air bags did not deploy in spite of multiple strikes. We will never know if her car cut off due to an ignition problem or it was faulty air bags. She sustained catastrophic injuries including a broken neck, broken back, broken wrists, broken pelvis, broken leg, broken ribs and chest injuries. She was air lifted to a trauma center. She died on 6/9/09. The air bags never deployed which could have helped reduce her injuries.

- Roanoke Rapids , NC, USA

problem #1

Feb 202012

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 39,233 miles
My daughter was in a roll over accident, there was damage on both sides of the car and none of the air bags deployed. When we purchased this car the sales guy went on and on about all the safety features including side air bags and none of them worked!

- Columbia, MO, USA