Chevrolet Aveo Sedan

frenchcar · June 2004

Thanks for the 2005 information from Chevrolet on the Aveo. I too had several questions for Chevrolet Customer Service info and it took them several weeks to come up with all the answers However they did send me an e-mail every 10 days and beg me to be patient as they were having to go out of the country to get much of the info on the engine and automatic transmission and I assume they had to go to Holden in Austrailia and Daewoo in Korea. Eventually they came up with most all of it. This vehicle is new to them and so it takes time for them to get up to speed. This updated 2005 info from bigdaddy was the basis for some of the direct quotes in e-mails to me. The engine is also used in Opel and Vauxhall Astra models in Europe and the automatic tranny is an Aisin design. Ill bet SAAB and Toyota use one similar. Fastdriver, I too remember reading somewhere about an appearance package but cant remember where. It could have been a mistake or error by a salesman or magazine road tester and might have been erroneous.

jchan2 · June 2004

Thanks for the information. Very informative!

aveodriver · June 2004

Has anyone had any luck finding engine air filter and AC air filter for the Aveo?

I always buy Fram when I can. I usually avoid going to the dealer for stuff like filters.

I DID find a Fram OIL filter.

lngtonge18 · June 2004

You might want to reconsider your oil filter choice. Fram filters used to be high quality in the old days but they make just about the worst quality filters on the market today. They have less filtration, no antidrain valves, and the ends of the filters are made out of cheap cardboard. Purolator makes a much better filter at a still reasonable price.

pulgo · June 2004

Supertech filters sold at Walmart are less than $2 and of very good quality (manufactured by WIX).

aveodriver · June 2004

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=17000- 5&rel_no=1

Interview with Nick Riley, head of GM/Daewoo. Note that Mr. Riley's wife drives a Kalos, the twin of our Aveo.

jchan2 · June 2004

quite informative. Will the SUV come here in 2006 as a Suzuki or Chevrolet?

klingon · June 2004

Both companys will probably have thier own modles

robert4380 · June 2004

Hi everyone... Does anyone know of any significant changes, if any, for the 2005 Aveos? Is there something coming out in the next model year that I should wait for as opposed to buying a 2004? Any informaion is most appreciated. Thanks!

bigdaddycoats · June 2004

http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/phelan-bar217e_20040617.ht- m

http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/phelan17e_20040617.htm

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/phelan-bar117e_20040617.htm

jchan2 · June 2004

Its sales so far bear that out. The Aveo went on sale in January. Chevy has sold 16,776 so far this year in the United States, including 4,993 in May. "We have a 26.6-percent share of the economy segment," Kamm said. "We're within striking distance of the leaders," the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio.

Pretty impressive for Chevrolet, which just got to the Economy Market recently.

frenchcar · June 2004

2005 MODEL YEAR CHANGES FOR ROBERT

Check out post # 571 on this Aveo sedan board for a link to changes for 2005. I am going to wait but I bet there is a clever price increase with the trim level name changes. Chevy was doing just that back in the 1950, 60, 70 era.

frenchcar · July 2004

What ever happened to the great owner comments that used to show up on this board and I wonder if the HOST can shed some light on it??

aveodriver · July 2004

I've had my Aveo LS sedan since February, and I already have over 10K miles on it. (A round trip TX to NY, with another one coming up soon). This is my family car (4 of us) and we really like it. I just wish it had cruise. I had that creaking sound with the brakes for a little while, but it went away (brake booster or pedal?) I found that there are floor vents under the front seats to serve the rear seat passengers. That's a neat feature I didn't know it had. I think the AC will be straining this summer in the Texas heat, but maybe window tinting would help. It blows enough cold air, I just think there's too much heat gain in the cabin. My Aveo is white, and I hope the light color helps. This past weekend I drove 900 miles round trip to Brownsville, and on one of the tanks of gas I got just over 37 MPG - pretty darned good, and at speeds of between 65 and 70 MPH. One time the right rear door did not lock, so when my son opened the door the alarm went off. Also, twice when I opened the trunk the alarm went off. Has anyone else experienced this? You can force the alarm to go off by locking the doors with the keyless remote while you are in the car, then opening the door from the inside without unlocking with the remote.

frenchcar · July 2004

We live in Arizona with high temperatures 5 or 6 months a year. Both of our vehicles are white as that makes a big difference and we have dark tint on the windows which helps even more. When parked in the sun make sure your vent system is open (not on recirculate) and leave your back side windows open 1/4 inch for the hot air build up to have an exit. We also have the white accordian type pull across windshield shade that is so easy to use when the car is parked. They can be ordered from Dash Designs of Tempe, AZ We also have nice dash mats and steering wheel covers from them. They have an internet site. Sounds like the Aveo is treating you right and we are still considering one. Have you had much problem with side winds at high speeds or semi truck buffeting? Do the standard tires grip well in hard rain ? Does the A/C have to be on the highest fan speed as that is quite noisy as I remember ( I have driven 3 Aveo briefly) I like the hatchback and she prefers the sedan. At least yours has an alarm.

aveodriver · July 2004

My Aveo does wander around a little in the wind at high speeds, but it doesn't seem to be blown around too much by passing trucks. I have not had any problem with slipping/sliding in the rain, and I have driven the Aveo in the rain quite a bit lately (near-record rainfall here for June). I consider myself a cautious driver in the rain, so I can't say that I've really tested the traction. Incidentally, I do not have ABS brakes. I run the AC on fan speed 3 until the cabin is cooled down, then use speed 2. In the humid mornings, the back window keeps fogging up with the AC on, so I have to have the defogger/defroster on. The defogger/defroster heats the rear window and the outside mirrors, and is NOT on a timer on this car. One little annoyance: when I try rolling down the windows to squeegee off the dew, it doesn't work. The windows only get partially swept clean of water. Oh, well, if this is all I can find to complain about, then my day is going pretty well.

bigdaddycoats · July 2004

http://info.detnews.com/autosconsumer/autoreviews/index.cfm?id=15- 423

frenchcar · July 2004

The Detroit News review was a fairly good one on the Aveo sedan but they missed a few points and I disagree with them on a few others. They should also have tried a hatchback, one with ABS and an automatic too. This car is really a sleeper and needs to be driven and compared to some other low cost brands to be appreciated. A Chevy salesman told me that it is not just young people looking at and buying them. Older retired budget minded seniors on fixed incomes also like them. This has also happened at Toyota with the Echo and Matrix and also the Scion xA and Suzuki with the Aerio. Many older people like them and buy them which was a surprise to the manufacturers as they aimed them all at young people or so they thought..

frenchcar · July 2004

Fastdriver used to post interesting comments and neat pictures of his sedan. Have not heard from him and I know he had written to Chevrolet about fog lights, mudguards and those strange extra light set ups in the headlight cluster. I wonder if he heard from Chevy and where he disappeared to?

adorable · July 2004

Friend crashed her car, so driving the Enterprise rent-a-car Aveo 4-dr. White, auto now.

Never would have thought the Koreans would ever get around to making a car that runs good, but also worth considering and buying.

Here, drives quieter and less bumpy than my 93' Sentra 4-dr, AC cools faster, fake graphite on the door handles are pretty cool, all of the AC and other controls have a nicer, light touch to them, and the baby rides quieter than the Sentra and gives a nicer, higher view of the freeway here in So.Cal.

Same old not quite enough HP to gun the baby past some tanker truck just like the Sentra, but otherwise, a very nice daily around-town commuter (or even a direct replacement for anyone running the old 91-94 series Sentras and wanting to spend the -exact- same money they did buying the Sentra years ago for a brand-new Aveo. No inflation problems here, for sure!)

Naturally, steering is similar, though lighter and better, but still soft vs. a tight sports car, etc. But nothing scary here, and you can direct it where you want it to go w/o much worry.

Cup holders are nice and grippy, well designed and they pop out of the console just like on the european cars! Very nice since they hold the regular sodas from Subway just fine, w/o any problems at all. A smart thing! - they got the front cupholders right. Rear, only one cupholder, so guess one friend will have to hold onto his cup.

Roomy all around -- almost the same dimensions as the Sentra, but better headroom front and back -- so no problems entering or exiting, esp. with the extra 5" of height over the Sentra.

Seats are firm enough to be comfy for an hour's drive, so they're decent. Not a single complaint here, and they don't feel cheap either. Or too hot on a summer day, so they do good.

Buttons are nice and soft-touch with a reliable on/off contact. You can't ask for much better on a low-end commuter, and it's certainly got a nice, higher-end feel to them.

Vents are as cute as can be! The two in the center are like little eyes, and the whole console looks like a cute car character looking at you. VW Bug like for sure.

The half-moon fabric patch over the door handles are a little odd, almost like an asian fan folded open, but suppose that's a minor thing.

Great car for a beginning driver (kids) and great for anyone wanting something that's actually low in price (in case of dents, just-learning-to-drive accidents,etc), runs as well as their old putt-putt car, and looks even better ,)=

Yeah, not a Civic EX for sure, but not something you'd kill yourself over if you got one for free (or had to buy one because of budget). It's so cheap, you could even just run it three years into the ground, then replace it when it breaks and still be just as good as with a lease on a pricier car.

Minuses? Well, figure that despite being quieter than the other econoboxes (according to Road & Track magazine which said it was quieter than a Civic and other econoboxes at max speed at 76db), it is a bit thunky over any potholes - something the other cars don't do. No cruise control on this model (is it on any model?), and no power windows until you get to the LS model (why bother selling the cheaper ones? for rental cars....)

Other than that, everything works well, feels solidly built and doesn't bring any undue attention to itself (a great point since bad cars always have something yucky about them).

In the end, highly recommended if you want a decent, well-build commuter on a budget and one that does everything well. Can't find a big complaint anywhere, and the minor issues...well, you are buying an econobox now...aren't something that'll make you neurotic in a few years.

Now... wonder what it'll be like if we dropped the baby a few inches, added some killer rims, struts, and a good turbo

probably could get at least a good 150-170hp turbo'd gently

bigdaddycoats · July 2004

Anyone know who makes the manual trasmission?

frenchcar · July 2004

Hi bigdaddy, I was able to get Chevrolet to admit that the manual transmission is either a Y 4 M or D-16 from DWMC. Any idea who DWMC is? The Aisin-Warner automatic is an 81-40 LE

I am puzzled at how I see great reviews on the Aveo and bad ones too so it must be in the minds and experiences of those involved, what they drive, their old favourites and any long time prejudicices. I think they drive just fine (the automatics) but want to check out the Lancers, Sportbacks and Outlanders as there new warranty and free service set up is tops.

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

http://embargoed.autodeadline.com/gm/2004/05pig/chevycars/aveo/in- dex.html

pat · August 2004

Bigdaddycoats, the site at that link is looking for login info ...

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

It works for me. Got to it by way of the GM media site.

pat · August 2004

Possibly because you have a cookie set and/or an automatic login created?

It's still asking me to log in, and then when I can't/don't, it tells me I'm not authorized to access that information. Maybe you can provide an alternative way to get there?

pat · August 2004

Edmunds has posted a Full Road Test of the Aveo. You can access it using the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page.

Please discuss it here! Just a note in case you aren't aware - if you want the editors to see your comments, you should also use the "Feedback" option at the Help link at the bottom of the article.

So what do you think?

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

Link does not work for me anymore.

infinia1 · August 2004

does the aveo use dexcool or normal coolant? just curious...

pat · August 2004

The link in the Helpful links box that is titled "Full Test: 2004 Chevrolet Aveo - Back to Basics" does not work? Perhaps you have javascript disabled or are using a popup blocker? It works for me every which way I try it, but it does use javascript and results in a popup.

If it's a popup issue, there usually is a way to tell the blocker what popups are okay, in my experience.

Anyone else having trouble with it?

Try this direct link: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2004/chevrolet/aveo/100352649/roadtest- - article.html?articleId=102473

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

Sorry, no, I was talking about the link I had posted.

frenchcar · August 2004

Hey bebe Im curious if you ever heard from Chevrolet about your various AVEO questions? Do you remember who it was that said he had a sharp sedan that he put on a rear wing and added pin stripes? I think you also agreed that it would be nice to see pictures of that rig. Sounded sharp.

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

General Motors Recalling Troubled Aveo
08.20.2004, 05:12 PM

General Motors Corp. is recalling 32,301 of its new Aveo cars because the rear seat belt can lock and become unusable, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.

All of the cars involved in the recall are from the 2004 model year.

NHTSA said the seat belts in the rear seats can become twisted. If that happens, the seat belt retractor may lock into position and the seat belt can't be used.

GM plans to start notifying owners about the recall next month. Under the recall, GM dealers will install a guide in the belt to keep it from twisting.

GM has had substantial problems with the Aveo since it went on sale last year. In February, the company ordered dealers not to sell the cars for a week after they were involved in five crashes that caused injuries.

GM found that the vehicles weren't to blame for the wrecks and let dealers begin selling them again.

frenchcar · August 2004

The rear seat belt problem has been known for some time now and they recently announced a Recall and that is the first one. With proper care and awareness it would not be a problem for most folks but just to be safe they issued a recall which is the proper thing to do. This is a first year car in the USA for GM and they did make a few changes for this market. I had rented an Aveo shortly after the time there were 5 accidents close together and they held up sales. I discussed this with the manager at Enterprise Rent a car who knew all about it. GM investigated immediately and found that each was caused by a third party or driver error and none by a defective car. There was a discussion at Just Auto.Com also and not all of them involved injuries and something like 3 or 4 of them were rental cars.. There have been 7 or 8 TSB bulletins and just this one recall. I dont think that is bad at all for a first year car and a local Chevy Service Manager told me they have replaced 2 Remote Keyless Entry units and thats all and the Enterprise Mgr. said they hadf been using them since November and had experienced no problems and they are impressed with them. Actually this was in April so the accidents had happened a few months earlier and a Chevy salwsman told me about it too as he bragged about the safety (5 Star Frontal) scores.. BIGDADDY I USUALLY AGREE WITH MOST EVERYTHING YOU SAY BUT I dont think GM has had substantial problems with the AVEO. Certainly not like the 2000 Ford Focus (I owned one of those) or some of GM's other first year cars. It often takes GM 3 years or so to get things right and I think this Korean model is actually better than some of their other efforts. Just my opinion.

jchan2 · August 2004

Just one. Not bad considering the Ford Focus And Escape had a lot of recalls at launch.

backy · August 2004

I think even the current-gen Civic had three recalls in its first year. That "news" report gives "sensational journalism" a whole new meaning.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2004

I mean, my first Kia, a 1999 Sephia, had two recalls. Both were fixed within about 2 hours time-at no cost to me. My Sportage needed a few warranty repairs early in it's career(about at the 15,000-mile mark)but nothing that caused a flick of an eyebrow of worry on my part. I left a good dealer in Washington state and am happy with the one dealer in Missouri I've dealt with so far. An intelligent service department is so important, isn't it, car dudes? It really is.

The Aveo is doing great, a fine new entry and a joy to see in amidst a sea of large GM trucks and SUV's. The Midwest region is literally GM land. Yukko! Daewoo(not GM's Chevrolet division...hello??!!)did a great job with the Aveo sedan and hatchback.

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

Those were not my words at all. I copied them from a press release. My bad, I should have made that clear. I do not think this is a big issue or that there have been any with the Aveo.

pat · August 2004

Bigdaddycoats, can you provide a link to that press release?

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2004/08/20/211103.html

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0408/22/autos-248833.htm

jchan2 · August 2004

A classic story of picking on the little guy. (in this case, the Aveo) And they normally don't write a huge article about Honda/Toyota recalls. Just a little blurb. A Chevy recall on a brand new model makes front page news almost.

frenchcar · September 2004

Have any of you seen the 2005 Aveo models yet? The black out trim on the B and C pillars looks sharp in pictures. I asked Chevy to send me a brochure but they goofed and sent the 04 one. In Europe this car is called the Kalos and next year they will have a 3 door hatchback available. Someday we might get it. ??

muffin_man · September 2004

The Aveo would be very attractive in a 3-door hatchback. I hope they send it over.

frenchcar · October 2004

How do Aveo owners rate their A/C systems for this past summer and is your gas mileage about what you expected? All comments appreciated.

aveodriver · October 2004

AC seems a little anemic, but cools OK on fan speed 3 (which is noisy). On the other hand, the AC doesn't seem to drag down engine performance like I would expect with the little 1.6.

MPG has been just about what the sticker said it would be. Even fully loaded and cruising at 70+ MPH, I still get very good MPG (35 or so). Around town, 25 to 27 MPG.

No mechanical problems yet to report, we like our little Daerolet!

iraoddone · October 2004

I have a new 2004 Aveo with 121 miles on it. So far it has exceeded my expectations. The standard features impressed me, the price shocked me 12291.00 before the 1500.00 rebate,a/c,keyless entry, 5 speed sedan with am/fm and mp3 player. Comfortable,responsive and cute. The dealer Enterprise Chevrolet very professional.

gasman3 · November 2004

I purchased a new 2004 leftover Aveo LS last week.I have always been a Saab and Volvo owner but needed to downsize to a less expensive car with a son in college this year and his brother next year. I came across the Aveo while shopping for other economy models and realy liked the vehicle. Alot of nice features with full warranty for around $10K with rebates and discounts from dealer. I decided to give the car a coat of wax before winter season arrives(Maine) and discovered the paint had small rust specs all over car except on non-metal surfaces like the bumpers. I thought it was just dirt or pitch from sitting at the dealer for several months but it appears to be in the paint or just below surface. I am concerned this may be a defective paint job. Does anyone have any suggestions?? Or is this the "price" you pay when purchasing an economy vehicle??

backy · November 2004

This could be "rail dust", small metal flakes picked up during rail shipment which get embedded in new paint, or impurities from the factory. It can happen to any kind of car. In any event, it should be covered under your warranty. I'd take it to the dealer ASAP to make a claim.

jamfam · November 2004

looks there is no other function

fuelmiser · November 2004

I have about 1000 miles on this car.

When I am shifting and take by foot off the gas (at the same time depressing the clutch pedal - the normal way to shift) the engine rpm's go up, and hang there for awhile. After about 3 seconds, they drop down and I can complete the shift with a reasonable degree of smoothness.

I took it back to the dealer (Bob Bell Chevrolet in Bel Air, Maryland), and he told me this is normal. He came to that conclusion, he said, because they had another Aveo on their lot that they test drove, and it did the same thing.

This is a very annoying problem, and it is a defect, as I see it. It makes the shifting awkward, and results in more clutch wear. I would recommend that you not buy an Aveo with a manual transmission unless you are sure it is OK.

Has anybody else experienced this?

Chevrolet Aveo Sedan

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