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2009 Chevrolet Aveo

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 169.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

144 reports with mileage · 25 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports

Engine complaints

36 reports
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8,900 miles · Jan 27, 2020
Engine

MY 2009 CHEVY AVEO HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH 89,000 MILES. IN IDLE, AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES, THE CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY WITH NO PROBLEM THEN THE CAR SURGES, LOOSES POWER, THEN STALLED IN TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES OF SITTING, THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED THEN AFTER ABOUT 4…

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MY 2009 CHEVY AVEO HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH 89,000 MILES. IN IDLE, AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES, THE CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY WITH NO PROBLEM THEN THE CAR SURGES, LOOSES POWER, THEN STALLED IN TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES OF SITTING, THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED THEN AFTER ABOUT 4 BLOCKS, LOST POWER AGAIN. THE CAR KEPT DYING & RESTARTING. FINALLY GOT HOME. TURNED THE CAR BACK ON , THE IDLE WAS GOING UP & DOWN, SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHILE IDLING IN PARK. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CHANGED, O2 SENSOR CHANGED, MASS AIR SENSOR CHANGED. AIR FILTER CLEAN. THIS CAR IS TERRIBLE. I WILL NEVER TRUST & BUY A CHEVY AGAIN!!!!! SHAME ON YOU CHEVY.! GET YOUR QUALITY CONTROL IN CHECK. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW TO STAY CLEAR OF CHEVY CARS!!!!!

NHTSA ODI #11302225

58,153 miles · Sep 30, 2019
Engine

TIMING BELT BAD, NOT EVEN 60K MILES

NHTSA ODI #11258995

103,000 miles · May 22, 2018
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

COOLANT TEMPERATURE ENGINE HEATING UP

NHTSA ODI #11097279

48,500 miles · Apr 3, 2018
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or OtherFire

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, US ROUTE 93 AT EXIT 33, SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND BURNT AND THE GAS TANK EXPLODED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT PRECEDING THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.

NHTSA ODI #11082677

70,615 miles · May 24, 2017
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

YOU CAN'T DRIVE IT ANYWHERE IT RUNS RIGHT THEN FOR NO REASON IT LOOSE POWER AND WON'T ACCALRATE WHILE DRIVING IT WILL DROP BELOW 10 MPH IN TRAFFIC OR LOSE ALL POWER WHILE CROSSING ROAD OR TURNING I'M AFEEAD I'LL B HIT IN SIDE OR RAN OVER IN TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI #10991383

80,432 miles · Dec 12, 2016
Electrical SystemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO STALL AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO STALL AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,432.

NHTSA ODI #10934685

72,000 miles · Oct 20, 2016
Engine

ENGINE KEEPS OVERHEATING. TWO BLOWN HEAD GASKETS IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. HOSES BURST WITH NO WARNING OR PRIOR DAMAGE, CAUSING CAR TO OVERHEAT. ENGINE IS BUILDING PRESSURE FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. MECHANIC IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT OF THE OVERHEATING. REPLACED THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, MULTIPLE HOSES, TWO HEAD GASKETS AND IT IS…

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ENGINE KEEPS OVERHEATING. TWO BLOWN HEAD GASKETS IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. HOSES BURST WITH NO WARNING OR PRIOR DAMAGE, CAUSING CAR TO OVERHEAT. ENGINE IS BUILDING PRESSURE FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. MECHANIC IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT OF THE OVERHEATING. REPLACED THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, MULTIPLE HOSES, TWO HEAD GASKETS AND IT IS STILL OVERHEATING AND RUNNING HOT.

NHTSA ODI #10917478

99,500 miles · Aug 29, 2016
Engine

MY 2009 AVEO STANDARD TRANSMISSION LOOSES POWER FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO FAULTS DETECTED. CAR HAS 99K MILES.

NHTSA ODI #10899359

29,300 miles · Aug 19, 2016
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. PERSISTENT PROBLEM (SINCE 2012): ENGINE SHUTS OFF BY ITSELF. NO WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD BEFORE EACH OCCURRENCE. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. ON 08/17/2016 AROUND 11:45 A.M. CAR SHUT OFF BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING ON THE MIDDLE OF A MULTI-LANE (6+) HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL DOWN TH…

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LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. PERSISTENT PROBLEM (SINCE 2012): ENGINE SHUTS OFF BY ITSELF. NO WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD BEFORE EACH OCCURRENCE. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. ON 08/17/2016 AROUND 11:45 A.M. CAR SHUT OFF BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING ON THE MIDDLE OF A MULTI-LANE (6+) HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL DOWN THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW (IT WORKED ) ON THE DRIVER SIDE, I PRESSED THE WARNING LIGHT (IT WORKED). AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS CAR STARTED, AND I DROVE AWAY. THE CAR WORKED WELL FOR A WHILE, TOOK SIDE ROADS(35MPH SPEED LIMIT). CAR SHUT OFF BY ITSELF A SECOND TIME. I WAS ABLE TO RESTARTED AND MADE IT TO A SAFE LOCATION. I HAVE REPORTED THIS LAST SITUATION TO CHEVROLET AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO A DIFFERENT DEALER, AND ONLY AFTER PRESSURING THEY PROVIDED A 100.00 DOLLAR COUPON TO GET THE CAR CHECKED. CHEVROLET CLAIMS THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON MY CAR'S RECORD OF SHUTTING DOWN BY ITSELF, THAT THEY DEALER ONLY REPORTS THE REPAIRS. HOWEVER, ONE OF THE DEALER INVOICES FROM 2012 READS: "VEHICLE STALLED", " ANOTHER INVOICE READS "CAR DIED ONCE", ETC. AND ON THE NOTES IT INCLUDES "UNABLE TO REPLICATE CLIENTS CONCERNS". JUST BECAUSE THE DEALER CANNOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE, IT DOES NOT MEAN THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE. THE CAR SHUT DOWN ON US AND WE WERE LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY WITH CARS GOING 65+MPH. THE SUDDEN COMPLETE SHUT OFF OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF ANY ROAD IS A GREAT DANGER NOT ONLY TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR BUT TO OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL. OTHER PROBLEMS: CLOCK/TIME GETS RESTARTED EACH TIME I START THE CAR (AND IT IS NEVER RIGHT). IN MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, DURING THE MORNING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START (BUT RADIO AND WINDOWS WORK), THE CAR WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES TO GET STARTED.

NHTSA ODI #10897291

111,725 miles · Apr 17, 2016
Engine

OIL PAN CRACKED AFTER OIL CHANGE SHOWED LEAKING AND STRIPPED OIL PAN BOLT. LESS THAN 115K MILES, USED CAR, NO WARRANTY COVERAGE. 2009 CHEVY AVEO5 LT

NHTSA ODI #10859954

Official recalls

1

14V460000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid

Jul 29, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Aveo and 2009 Pontiac G3 vehicles. The vehicles may contain brake fluid which does not protect against corrosion of the valves inside the anti-lock brake system (ABS) module, affecting the closing motion of the valves.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the ABS valve corrodes it may result in longer brake pedal travel or reduced performance, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS module, free of charge, in any vehicle that did not have its module replaced under a previous customer satisfaction campaign. The recall began in late September 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac). GM's number for this recall is 14505.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.