2004 Chevrolet Aveo problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine And Engine Cooling (25) · Electrical System (19) · Engine (15)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Aveo model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
160 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2014-05-19 · campaign 14V261000 · 218,000 vehicles
Defect: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Aveo vehicles equipped with daytime running lights (DRL). In the affected vehicles, there may be heat generated within the DRL module located in the center console in the instrument panel, which could melt the DRL module.
Risk: If the DRL module melts due to the heat generation, it could cause a vehicle fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a revised DRL module, inspect the wiring connector for heat damage, and clean the DRL circuit grounds. Owners were sent interim notices on August 14, 2014. The recall began on February 6, 2015. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14236.
Service bulletins (409)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2025-07-18 · PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from tac.
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-06 · PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. general motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. technician s
Electrical System 2024-08-26 · General Communication · Service Campaign
vehicle wide programming (vwp) is a new process to update software on gm vehicles. it provides the ability via a single selection within techline connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). the updating of modules is com
Power Train 2024-07-24 · 24-NA-141 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
gm is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. the damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. this bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions durin
Fuel/Propulsion System 2024-06-28 · 16-NA-383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, crank no start, extended crank or misfire, mil with dtcs, and explains how top tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
Unknown Or Other 2024-06-17 · 18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for use on a product assistance claim (pac), which is formerly known as a product allegation resolution (par) claim.
Showing the 6 most recent of 409 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2019-07-24 · Wheels · 208,000 mi · 💥 crash“takata recall. on october 13th 2018 i was in a horrific accident while on the highway was an single car accident my tire shredded but still maintained air and my airbags didn't deploy on either side and i got a broken nose and a few facial fractures. now i have severe headaches everyday since then.…”
2018-12-01 · Visibility/Wiper · 60,000 mi“what's with aveo's passenger side windshield wiper? it skids off the window and wipes the trim. when i first bought my car i thought someone made a mistake and put on the wrong size. when they needed replaced, i replaced the whole arm with a set matching maker specifications. and made no improvement at all. the tip of the passenger side wiper still…”
2018-09-28 · Engine · 116,000 mi · 🔥 fire“tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet aveo. while driving 45 mph, smoke appeared under the hood. the contact stated that the coolant pump housing fractured and coolant leaked out, which caused the smoke. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not under warranty and suggested t…”
2018-07-18 · Electrical System · 110,468 mi“ignition switch is overheating. the longer the car is driven (10-15 miles) the hotter it is becoming. it heats up so much that the ignition key becomes quite hot as well...but the switch itself is even hotter. i fear there will be an electrical fire starting soon, and have already decided to stop at intervals to turn the ignition off so it cools d…”
2017-07-26 · Electrical System · 91,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet aveo. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly shut off when pressing the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to haley automotive group dealer located in richmond, va but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the manufacturer was notified of the failur…”
2016-12-13 · Vehicle Speed Control · 85,250 mi“while backing up my vehicle i shifted the transmission from drive to reverse. the engine immediately accelerated to approximately 500 rpm. i immediately put my foot on the break, shifted to neutral, and turn the ignition to off. i was able to immediately restart to vehicle with no problem. this has happened before two or three times. onetime while …”
2016-07-08 · Air Bags · 140,390 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet aveo. the contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 140,390. updated 09/22/16*lj *js…”
2016-06-13 · Tires:sidewall · 120,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet aveo equipped with milestar ms932 (na) tires, size: 185/65/r14 (na). while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a loud boom sound and the vehicle veered left without warning. the contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and observed that the sidewall of the rear driver side tire was blown …”
2016-06-08 · Electrical System · 71,500 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet aveo. the contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition switch. due to the failure, the vehicle could not be turned off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure might be due to a defective gear shaft or ignition switch. the manufacturer was made aware of the failu…”
2016-03-19 · Power Train · 65,321 mi“i am on a fixed income. i bought this car used with 22,000 miles on it which i intended to take care of and drive for years to come, in fact into the ground. the manual i received with the car indicated that the timing belt should be replaced at 100,000. i live in a rural area where you really need a vehicle. i had driven to another town for a medi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.