Driving home from work on 8/26/2010, the thermostat housing just split in have on my 2005 Chevy Aveo ls. The antifreeze spilled out and I needed to have the car towed. The thermostat housing is made of cheap pvc pipe like material and is in two pieces that appear to be glued together. A very low grade risky design in my opinion. The replacement part is only available from a GM dealer at a cost of $98 plus tax. The replacement part is made of sturdy aluminum. It appears to be a better design and structurally sound. My complaint is, GM obviously knew this part was substandard. Evidence of that is the reengineered replacement part. GM should have recalled the Chevy Aveo's and replaced the cheap/defective thermostat housing instead of not informing owners of the defect, and allowing the part to fail on the open road. Further, the cost of $98 plus tax for the upgraded thermostat housing should not passed on to the owner/customer. GM should refund that cost and/or recall the vehicles for free replacement. This is a safety concern, especially when you break down on a interstate highway, in a small compact Chevy Aveo, with small children in the car. I have read hundreds of blogs online of Chevy Aveo owners this same part has failed on (after mine failed). It's appalling that there has not been a recall on this issue, and that the NHTSA has not forced GM to recall the vehicles with this cheap/faulty thermostat housing. It's not only a safety issue, but no engine light comes on when this happens, so a person can continue driving and cause further serious damage to the car if the engine block seizes up, etc.

- Scranton, KS, USA

I purchased a 2005 Chevy Aveo and I have had nothing but problems ever since. After 1 year the car broke down. The idler stuck at full-throttle and burned my timing belt off. Not only the engine but the car was rendered useless after that. I had to replace the engine (my pops did really) and now the second engine has done the very same thing at only 18,000 miles. Twice I was lucky enough to be in a position where my daughter was not with me at the time and I could push my car off of the road myself and not get killed. I called GM and they say that they cannot guarantee that they will fix the problem for me. The first time I talked to them they wouldn't even listen to me. They told me that my VIN number did not match the recalls...though these cars had the very same problem. The car should have either been replaced or I should have gotten my money back. I have been rendered homeless and jobless twice now because of this car. I've lost everything. I can't keep paying on this car with their faulty engines. If I replace the engine it will do the same thing. It's not VIN specific...it's the engines period. I could have gotten killed twice!

- Clearlake Oaks, CA, USA

I have a 2005 Chevy Aveo and recently was driving to work when it started to smoke and make funny noises, after being fixed at the dealership, I was told that the clutch was red hot, cracked the plate and the fly well and was a hazard to drive, I have only had the car three yrs and never did anything to cause this, I am wondering if this was a manufacture or mechanical issue with the car, I ended up paying 854$ to fix the car but for the time that I was without it, I had to take a bus to work for three weeks and rely on friends to help me out. Is this car safe?

- Barre, VT, USA