Problems · by component
2005 Chevrolet Aveo engine and engine cooling problems
62 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo cite engine and engine cooling, 26% of all 235 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
62
26% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAGE DISPLAY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V261000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), HOWEVER THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.”
“COMING HOME FROM WORK, DASH LIGHTS GOT BRIGHTER, AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON, CAR TRIED TO STALL AROUND A CORNER WHEN BRAKES WERE PRESSED. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE, HAD ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY REPLACED, ALSO SERPENTINE BELT. THIS WAS 4 MONTHS AGO. PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, JUST MADE IT LESS SEVERE. SINCE THAT TIME, WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKES THE HEADLIGHTS DIM. THE DASH CLOCK COMES ON AND OFF RANDOMLY, THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME. WHEN IT IS COLD (THE CAR, NOT THE WEATHER), THE TRANSMISSION HAS A HARD TIME SHIFTING. AS OF THIS MORNING IT WILL NOT START. AM GOING TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT TOMORROW MORNING, BUT DO NOT HAVE HIGH HOPES. BOUGHT CAR IN 2006 WITH 8,000 MILES ON IT, HAVE HAD SHIFT LOCK ASSEMBLY REPLACED, WHEEL BEARINGS, BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, SERPENTINE BELT. PROBABLY OTHER THINGS I CANNOT THINK OF RIGHT NOW. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WORRIES ME THOUGH. *TR”
“2005 AVEO (BOUGHT NEW) WITH TIMING BELT FAILURE DESTROYING ENGINE. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES AN HOUR IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. FROM MY RESEARCH GMC HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE AT LEAST 2006 AND YET HAVE NOT ASSISTED CONSUMERS TO CORRECT THIS NOR RECALLED THEIR CAR. I HAVE READ REPORTS ON ALMOST ALL YEARS OF AVEO HAVING THIS PROBLEM WELL BEFORE THE 60000 RECOMMENDED TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT. TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS CONFIRMED TIMING BELT FAILURE. ALL I GET FROM GMC IS THE RUN AROUND. UPSET OVER MONEY BUT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE CARS BEING ON THE HIGHWAYS AND CREATING SOME HORRIBLE ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPS WORKING AND CONTROLLING THE CAR IS DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE. PLANNING TO GET RID OF MINE, CAN'T AFFORD THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX NOR DO I TRUST THIS CAR. *TR”
“THERMOSTAT HOUSING HAS CRACKED DUE TO ITS UNRELIABLE PLASTIC COMPOSITION. AFTER FAILURE, COOLANT WAS LEAKED THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT CREATING A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE ENGINE COMPONENTS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WERE DISCOVERED WITH THE EXACT NATURE. *KB”
“2005 CHEVROLET AVEO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TIMING BELT FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION HAD FALLEN OUT. WHILE TRYING TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE TIMING BELT IDLE PULLEY HAD BROKEN, ALONG WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE 16 VALVES WERE BENT. THE TOTAL COST IN PARTS AND LABOR WAS $ 2,914.54. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE DOOR LOCK CYLINDER FELL INTO THE DOOR PANEL, THE VACUUM SUPPLY LINE TO THE SENSOR WAS CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED A VACUUM LEAK.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT GEAR WAS FRACTURED ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER SIDE WAS CLOSE TO FAILING. THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED TWICE PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT FAILURE BY A LOCAL MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,096.”
Showing 6 of 62 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.