What breaks most · 2004 to 2012 model years
Chevrolet Aveo problems by year
Owners have filed 1,269 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Aveo across model years 2004 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2005 for electrical system complaints, 2007 for air bags complaints and 2004 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2010, 2008 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2007, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2010, 2008, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 12692004 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005229 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12363 fires · 110 injuries · 6 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 58kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | 22 | 2 | Engine and cooling (62) | |
| 229 | 18 | 1 | Electrical system (66) | |
| 176 | 12 | 1 | Electrical system (58) | |
| 209 | 25 | 2 | Air bags (80) | |
| 150 | 17 | 1 | Air bags (68) | |
| 164 | 11 | 1 | Electrical system (48) | |
| 62 | 8 | 1 | Engine (20) | |
| 73 | 10 | 0 | Engine (21) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 29% |
66 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 27% |
62 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 20% |
46 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
18 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
16 | 3 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
| Air bags | 7% |
16 | 13 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
15 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 6% |
13 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Running lights don't work half the time, clock doesn't stay on, mileage od scrambles, front end always had a shimmy.
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Approximately 3 months ago my dash lights quit working and now my passenger rear drl quit also. I smelled something burning at about this time also.
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2004 chevrolet aveo. Consumer writes in regards to warranty notice #14093 issues. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the warrany had expired. Also, the water pump and timing belt were replaced. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Aveo years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2007, 2004 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Aveo. The 2005 alone has 229 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Aveo problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 66 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Aveo problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Aveo complaints that include mileage is about 58,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.