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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,206 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Chevrolet Aveo engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Chevrolet Aveo Owner Comments

problem #19

Jul 042024

Aveo

  • 121,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the transmission became unbolted and separated from the vehicle. Additionally, the engine separated from the motor mounts rendering the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was later towed the local mechanic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.

- Muncie, IN, USA

problem #18

Sep 022020

Aveo

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that the vehicle started losing motive power and decelerated however, the vehicle did not stall. The contact pulled over and waited for the vehicle to regain full power. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither a dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

- Piscataway, NJ, USA

problem #17

Apr 152016

Aveo

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle restarted and was taken to antelope valley Chevrolet (877-385-0885, located at 1160 motor ln, lancaster, ca). The dealer replaced the throttle body. The contact also stated that the vehicle lost power in the middle of traffic. The contact shifted into park, shut off the engine, and restarted the vehicle. When the vehicle was in park, the engine revved and jerked when it was shifted into drive. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times, but the vehicle restarted each time. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the throttle body again, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and stated that there was no recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #16

Jun 052019

Aveo

  • 124,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact called on behalf of their mother who owned a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that while the driver was driving approximately 35 mph, a white smoke was present coming from the rear of the vehicle and the instrument gauges began to malfunction. The engine rpms violently increased and decreased. The hazards were engaged and moments later smoke was scene coming from under the hood of the vehicle. After stopping and exiting the vehicle, flames were seen coming from under the vehicle and from under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident the vehicle was destroyed. A fire report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 124,000.

- Novi, MI, USA

problem #15

Apr 042012

Aveo

  • 62,000 miles
Car shutoff while driving

- New York, NY, USA

problem #14

Dec 292018

Aveo

  • 81,200 miles
Somewhere in between the 81,100 - 81,300 miles mark my vehicle has received the check engine light P2135 code, for throttle/pedal sensor/switch a / B voltage correlation. At the time of receiving the code I did not notice anything irregular until I researched the problem. One of the symptoms being, revving of the engine when gas pedal is not pressed. That's when I realized my car had been doing that just recently on start up before receiving the code. Finally after about a month, driving very minimally maybe 10 shorts trips or less, the car stalled out after approximately 0.1 miles of below 15mph driving. I got out and checked under the hood and I didnt see anything wrong so I began to push the car back home. After I realized it would take some maneuvering I decided to try starting the car backup and it did so I quickly turned it around and drove it back home. Stalling of the engine is also a symptom of the P2135 code. Since than out of necessity I've driven the car twice for 13 mile trips without stalling out but the check engine light has not gone away. The engine still revs on its on start up until finally settling into consistency. After trying to figure out what exactly needs replacing online, it appears evident to me that a large amount Chevy Aveos no matter the year or specific model, encounter this problem. It's just a matter of how many owners talked about the problem online and reported it. Those who have taken it online fixed the problem by cleaning the throttle body, which only lasted for so long and could result in damage or getting a whole new throttle body assembly with a new throttle position sensor attached.

- Mansfield, TX, USA

problem #13

Apr 252017

Aveo

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was rear ended by another vehicle while driving in traffic on the highway in slow and go traffic. I was driving at a slow pace, about 15 mph.the other vehicle was traveling at about 30 mph. When he hit me, he forced my vehicle into the one in front of me. My airbag did not go off. My car burst into flames about 5 minutes after the accident. The flames were coming up from the engine. My car is totaled as a result of this. I am 12 weeks pregnant with twins. One of my placenta's has a tear in it and is bleeding as a result of this accident. I will have to be on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I am at risk of miscarrying one or maybe both of my babies.

- Pueblo West, CO, USA

problem #12

Sep 012014

Aveo 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag and the check engine warning indicators illuminated. In addition, the hold button to activate the four wheel drive failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired twice. The dealer was unable to diagnose the other failures; however, all the failures recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. Updated 12/20/16 updated 12/21/16.

- Columbas, IN, USA

problem #11

Sep 252015

Aveo

  • miles
Since, I obtained the vehicle from phone# 909-379-3256 go=motors christopher in hemet, ca. It has had problems. 1) no ac, 2)problems with starter & starting vehicle, took it back and 3) forth to dealer4X problem never resolved took it to another dealer friend 4)who repaired and charged me $1500, 5) as of 3/31/16 there has been a loud rattling in the engine, I had the oil charged and the mechanic @ walmart said it 6) sounds like a timing-belt or water/fluid pump rattling, and be careful it doesn't blow. So, the vehicle is setting in our driveway. Your move on resolution. Please inform, next move, I do not want to keep making payments for a lemon of a vehicle? I enjoy driving such an economical vehicle, but!!! 7) I have a loan with premier auto credit, artura caldas 818-933-4966.

- Wildomar, CA, USA

problem #10

Jun 012015

Aveo

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. After driving the vehicle for prolonged periods of time, fumes emitted from the front of the vehicle. When the contact opened the hood, smoke appeared. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V261000 (exterior lighting). The failure mileage was 80,000.

- Elberton, GA, USA

problem #9

Feb 162009

Aveo

  • 5,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased this vehicle brand new. The first winter I had it, the throttle body seized leaving the throttle open and the engine racing - the car has a manual transmission, therefore I was able to depress the clutch and pull it over. The local Chevrolet dealer in circleville, oh performed a technical service bulletin on the car, rerouting the egr system & removing some parts around the throttle body. On subsequent events, the car experienced severe loss of power and surges. The throttle body was replaced. The problem occurred again with the same trouble code being set. The car is now on its third throttle body (tps sensor cannot be replaced separately) this model year has a throttle-by-wire engine control system. My car still suffers from an intermittent engine trouble codes related to the throttle body and surging problems. Finally, the manual transmission broke its internal shifting mechanism and the car locked itself in gear. At the same time, the clutch did not seem to function. I am afraid to drive with family members in this car.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #8

Jun 282015

Aveo

  • 102,000 miles
I was driving on the highway on my way home from 3 hours away, and I was about an hour and 30 min from home. I stopped at mcdonald S to feed the 3 kids, I was there for 35 min with the car off. Not even 10 min later, back on the highway, the car sort of spit and/or sputtered. I thought maybe I had gotten some bad gas because it only did it about 3 times and it was ok, there were no lights on indicating anything was wrong. Just a couple minutes later it did it spit and/or sputtered 2 more times, still no light indicators had come on and I looked down at the gauges I had 6/8ths tank of gas, almost full. The engine temp was reading hot though, but no lights were on, suddenly we were going up a slight incline but the car would not go faster, in-fact it was actually slowing down and it would no longer switch to a higher gear. As soon as the highway leveled off, I put the car in neutral to give the engine a brake until we reached the next gas station, but as soon as it hit neutral the car shut off and was coasting. I had to pull over as quick as I could. When someone finally stopped to help, we found a tiny hole in a hose, we cut the hose, readjusted it but it still wouldn't start, after 3 jumps it still wouldn't start. We were stranded for over 4 hours, and the battery finally completely died out as our ride had just gotten there. There was absolutely no warning for the break down, not even a check engine light had came on. Because of this me 3 kids all 5 years old and under, and my aunt who is deathly afraid of semi's were stranded on the side of a highway for over 4 hours!

- Toronto, OH, USA

problem #7

Apr 142013

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 76,300 miles
I have a 2008 Aveo that I purchased from a Chevrolet dealership in russellville, ky. Since the 2nd day I owned it, it has been nothing but problems. Air bag sensors not working, have had this repaired three times. Yesterday the air bag light came on again. My biggest trouble has been with the throttle position sensor. Get a P2135 code that tells you to replace the entire throttle body. I did this ($300 part) did no good. The car has been in the shop for over 7 months in the 15 months I've owned the car. Computer has been "flashed" numerous times. Didn't work. GM customer care asked me to take the car to and authorized Chevrolet repair shop. I did. After 2 trips there and a total of 6 weeks in the shop, they tell me they think the problem is with the ECM engine control module. This part has an 8 year, 80,000 mile warranty. I bought the car with 76,000 mile on it. The problem has been documented by the Chevy dealership I purchased the car from for many thousands of miles prior to me purchasing the car. GM refused to honor the warranty because the car now has 82,000 miles. This is the thing that gets me. When I bought this car, they knew I was buying it for a daughter in college. They knew the car had these problems and sold it to me anyways. I had to purchase another car for my daughter. I am currently driving the Aveo to and from work. The lights that are currently "on" are the check engine light, the air bag light, and I can not allow a passenger in the car because, when they sit in the passenger seat the air bag light that indicates that the passenger side air bag is now engaged does not go off.

- Russellville, KY, USA

problem #6

Aug 042014

Aveo

  • miles
My car started to shake, squeak, and jerk. This has been ongoing for a few days now, after taking it to two different mechanics. I then learned about the safety recalls for the wheel bearing, drive train, and pulley system for the engine. I called my dealership where I purchased the used car and was told they couldn't help me with recalls. I then called GM directly and was told there was no open recall on my car. I further researched and found that to be a lie, your data base alone states there is one that may cause the car to catch fire. This is my first car to purchase and with it having major safety recalls and no one wanting to help, I didn't know who else to contact.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #5

Jun 112012

Aveo 4-cyl

  • miles
I purchased a used 2008 Chevy Aveo in June 2011. Nearly one year later I started having issues with it. June 2012 - valve cover gasket was cracked and caused smoking after an oil change. Repaired at dealership. Sept. 9, 2013 - sputtering and stalling. Was told it was due to a hold in the exhaust pipe. Replaced at dealership. Sept. 16, 2013 - still experiencing power issues. Was told I needed new spark plugs and wires. Replaced at dealership. Nov. 7, 2013 - engine light came on. Was told it was a faulty cam sensor. Replaced at dealership. Jan. 23, 2014 - engine light came on. Was told the oxygen sensor had failed. Replaced at dealership. April 20, 2014 - TPMS light finally went off after being on for 3 months. Air conditioner stopped working the same day. Was told it was an electrical issue (ac clutch). During the same visit an inspection found the right front top bushing worn, left lower bushing worn, and rear cross member bushing broken. I sent a letter to Chevrolet, expressing my disappointment in the quality of the Aveo. My other Chevy vehicles had been great, but this Aveo fell short. After speaking to someone in customer service, who"in response to my statement "individuals who purchase these kinds of economy cars are typically on a budget and can't afford the repairs the Aveo has needed due to its poor quality""simply told me that it was not her fault that I couldn't afford a better car. I will never buy another Chevy again.

- North Royalton, OH, USA

problem #4

Sep 112013

Aveo 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 10 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 26,000. The consumer stated the vehicle would not start. Updated 11/18/13

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #3

May 252013

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 77,443 miles
Car was going 60-65 in carpool lane of freeway when my husband, driving, said he lost the ability to accelerate. This was without warning. We managed to cross 3 lanes and exit the freeway and he lost the ability to steer. The car broke down at the first stop light and began smoking very heavily. The car smoked for 30-40 minutes after the engine was already shut off. All I kept thinking was 'thank goodness we got off the freeway!' apparently, according to the mechanic which was later confirmed by bulletin no. 08-06-02-002B the fan shroud had been rubbing against the radiator causing it to crack and leak fluid. It overheated, melting and damaging many parts and causing us to break down on the freeway going 60+ miles an hour.

- Mission Viejo, CA, USA

problem #2

Oct 062010

Aveo

  • 52,973 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle decelerated independently and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was maneuvered to the shoulder where the engine was turned off. Upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normally for ten minutes and the problem recurred six times before arriving at the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and they stated that the failure was contributed to the throttle positioning sensor, catalytic converter, and accelerator pedal. In 2010 the same defective components were replaced under service warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 52,973.

- Buford, GA, USA

problem #1

Nov 122008

Aveo 4-cyl

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the brake pedal was engaged when approaching a stop and the engine began to rev. The engine was turned off and upon restarting the vehicle resumed normally. The failure occurred five different times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 12,000. Updated 12/06/12

- Lyburn, WV, USA

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