Problems · NHTSA complaints
2011 Chevrolet Aveo problems
Owners filed 77 complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo with NHTSA between Dec 2010 and Mar 2021. The most-cited component is engine (22).
Complaints
77
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine22
- Electrical system15
- Power train11
- Vehicle speed control11
- Air bags7
- Service brakes7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Steering6
- Fuel/propulsion system5
- Wheels4
- Structure3
- Suspension2
- Seat belts2
- Fuel system, gasoline1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
2
9
6
18
8
15
8
3
4
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 18 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
22 reports
“I HAVE BEEN TO THE SHOP SO MANY TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THE FIRST TIME OUT OF NOWHERE IT STARTED SMOKING WHITE SMOKE AND OVERHEATED THE ENGINE AND COME TO FIND OUT THE TUBING IN THE CAR HAD EXPLODED. THEN GOT EVERYTHING FIXED AND NOW STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING AND WHITE SMOKE BUT NOW A BURNING SMELL. IT'S SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME. I FOUND THIS RESPONSE O. YOUR WEBSITE WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS THIS CAR AND THIS HAPPENED TO MINE AS WELL: ' HOSES TO MY COOLING SYSTEM ALL BUSTED ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITH IN 5 DAY WE COULD SEE THE WEEK SPOT IN THE HOSE AFTER THY BUSTED,HAD THE THERMOSTAT CHANGED , IT ALSO BLOW MY HEAD GASKET' THIS IS ALSO HAPPENED AND I BARELY DRIVE IT. IT'S 5 MILES DOWN THE STREET WHERE I WORK WITH A 45MPH MAX SPEED LIMIT. I HAVE PICTURES AND VIDEOS AS WELL BUT CAN'T ATTACH IT”
Electrical system
15 reports1 fire
“ARRIVED AT HOME PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND UNABLE TO SHUT MY CAR OFF. HAD TO PULL FUSE TO THE COMPUTER AND DISCONNECT NEGATIVE SIDE OF BATTERY. TOOK IT TO A SHOP THEY ADVISED NO COMMUNICATION WITH SHIFTER. SHOP DRILLED OUT MY OLD IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACED WITH A NEW KEY LOCK CYLINDER. SEEMS TO BE WORKING AS OF NOW AFTER A $518.74 BILL.”
Power train
11 reports1 crash
“AT 60K MILES THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. VEHICLE RUNS FINE BUT NOT HAVING A SPEEDOMETER IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW TRANSMISSIONS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER IN OPERATED BY A PLASTIC GEAR INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION COST ME 1600 DOLLARS AND THE 9 MONTHS LATER THAT GEAR LET GO ALSO. AGAIN I HAD TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION WITHOUT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKING. THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED.”
Vehicle speed control
11 reports1 crash
“PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES FROM A LOCAL DEALER. PROBLEMS INCLUDING POWER LOSS AND OVER HEATING WITHIN FIRST FEW DAYS OF PURCHASE. CHEVY DEALER "REPAIR" WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES CURRENTLY. CHEVY ESCALATES AND SAYS NOT A KNOWN ISSUE, WE SHOULD PAY THOUSANDS TO REPAIR HEAD GASKET EVEN THOUGH THERE TECH SUPPORT SAYS TO DAMAGE TO GASKET IS NOT SHOWING UP WHEN TESTED. DANGEROUS SMALL VEHICLE THAT LOOSES POWER FOR UNKNOWN REASON AND OVERHEATS FOR UNKNOWN REASON. SO FAR IT CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. MANY CONSUMER BLOGS AND SAME COMPLAINTS. THOUSANDS OF BLOGS.”
Air bags
7 reports2 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS STILL DRIVEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY A PARENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,512.”
Service brakes
7 reports1 crash
“RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE BLEW OUT LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKE WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. UNABLE TO STOP HAD NO BRAKES HAD TO SWERVE IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MECHANIC SAID IN HIS 35 YEARS AS A MECHANIC NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN AND TO MAKE A REPORT AS THIS COULD KILL SOMEONE.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.