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Chevrolet Aveo Maintenance and Repair

24

Comments

  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Probably not because you arrived home as the temperature gauge went to red. Make sure you put the proper mix of water and antifreeze.
  • cclement1cclement1 Member Posts: 2
    Dear Fellow Aveo Owners - I can't tell you how glad I was to find this forum. The thermostat housing on my Aveo burst - also with no lights, steam or warnings- in fact, up until my car stopped running with a (possibly) frozen engine and a blown head gasket- it seemed to be running great. I had no warnings at all. The third party warranty people sent an adjustor to check out the engine and refused to cover any of the cost. I am battling with the dealership and the warranty company about this and was starting to think I was really negligent and it must have been my fault until I saw all the posts about this same problem. I have not received any service bulletins about this and would like to know more about where to find out about how to try to get some help with this. Of course, neither the dealership nor the warranty company have said anything about this. Any thoughts?
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Well first it is a rather new issue here on the forum with only posts about the plastic housing coming in the last 6-months or so. It also appears that it takes a couple/few years for the housing to finally deteriate and crack.

    I would printout the forums posts to use as evidense of this problem for one. I can't advise in further.
  • poohbearsmama9poohbearsmama9 Member Posts: 1
    We are having the exact same issue with our 2005 Aveo. We bought the car new in 2005 and this is the 2nd problem we have had with the vehicle. We no longer have any warranty on the vehicle because we did not purchase the extended warranty. We have about 65,000 miles on the car because we used to live about 20 miles away from our jobs and commuted daily. In the middle of the week my husband was driving from his job to pick me up at my job and found that the car was over-heating! Of course there were no warnings, no lights, nothing to indicate a problem other than the the thermostat rising. We checked out the engine, added antifreeze and it came pouring right back out like a water hose!!! We found that the thermostat housing had busted. Upon calling the dealer, we were told there was no warranty to cover this issue. We called around to see if we could purchase the part from the local parts stores, and were told it's a dealer item only. We called the dealer to get pricing and we were told that the part would cost about $25 and were relieved...until they tried to look up shipping info, then the price trippled to $90 and they told us that the part had to be updated because the part they quoted the first time (the "old part" as they called it) had to be updated because it didn't function properly. So, the "old part" is what the manufacturer put in our car when building it. SOUNDS LIKE A RE-CALL ISSUE TO ME! WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULDN'T THIS PART HAVE BEEN RE-CALLED?
  • macarpiomacarpio Member Posts: 6
    can you believe that this happen to me too today out of all days. i was on the freeway and it was raining. I'm trying to find out if its going to be covered by the warranty because my car only has 33,000 miles on it. But by the looks of this from other people that it has happen to I don't that it will, but oh well. Also I"m trying to call local dealerships, but they have not returned my call. the worst part is that I live 40 miles away from home where this happen, Lucky this happen within 2 miles from my aunts house :D but i think you are right, this part should be recalled. I'm going to call chevy on monday.
  • macarpiomacarpio Member Posts: 6
    Can you believe that this happen to me to today out of all days. I was on the freeway and it was raining. I'm trying to find out if its going to be covered by the warranty because my car only has 33,000 miles on it. But before I noticed what has happen I felt like a loud click (sound like when you shift gears) then by the smell of burning water. Since where was a lot of traffic on the freeway and it was raining, I tired to get off as soon as I could, until 5 blocks later I was able to pull into an exit ramp and into a parking lot, that's where I saw what has happen. Lucky there was a auto zone close by and they told me what part it was and that I had to get it from the dealer. But by the looks of this I don't know about the warranty from other people that it has happen to I don't that it will, but oh well. Also I"m trying to call local dealerships, but they have not returned my call. the worst part is that I live 40 miles away from home where this happen, Lucky this happen within 2 miles from my aunts house but i think you are right, this part should be recalled. I'm going to call Chevy on Monday. :sick: I also think these cars should be recalled
  • macarpiomacarpio Member Posts: 6
    Can you believe that this happen to me to today out of all days. I was on the freeway and it was raining. I'm trying to find out if its going to be covered by the warranty because my car only has 33,000 miles on it. But before I noticed what has happen I felt like a loud click (sound like when you shift gears) then by the smell of burning water. Since where was a lot of traffic on the freeway and it was raining, I tired to get off as soon as I could, until 5 blocks later I was able to pull into an exit ramp and into a parking lot, that's where I saw what has happen. Lucky there was a auto zone close by and they told me what part it was and that I had to get it from the dealer. But by the looks of this I don't know about the warranty from other people that it has happen to I don't that it will, but oh well. Also I"m trying to call local dealerships, but they have not returned my call. the worst part is that I live 40 miles away from home where this happen, Lucky this happen within 2 miles from my aunts house but i think you are right, this part should be recalled. I'm going to call Chevy on Monday. I also think these cars should be recalled

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  • frankyjfrankyj Member Posts: 1
    As I've read this, I also had gone to the internet searching on the issue. This is actually the first time I have seen a thermostat permanently enclosed like this. This is a know defect issue with Chevy; however, it is happening around the 30K - 46K mileage. Short reasoning for this: it's happening about the time most cars go out of warranty. This is not a "power train" part to them. Yes it can affect the power train, but it's not, so it gives them an out. The dealers and any mfgs are going to try and squirrel out of having to pay in any way possible.

    This is not specifically an DOT issue either, but here is what I sent DOT, NTSB, BBB and my state Attorney General. I suppose you can even send something to the EPA... I'll have to look into that. It is happening more often than you might think, but nothing will get done if you don't speak up. Oh, be sure to keep any tow and parts receipts. Actually it will do best to scan them.

    2005 Chevy Aveo.
    Thermostat is originally, from factory, permanently encased in a PLASTIC type housing. This is all ONE (1) piece. Chevy has superseded this item with a METAL type housing within their ranks/computers, because it was a known issue. This item (Plastic Thermostat Housing) knowingly splits as early as 30,000 miles, for us it was about 46,000 miles. This was never a recall item nor was any information ever sent out warning about it.

    Failure of this part leads to the known leaking and expelling of hazardous anti-freeze/coolant on roads but also leads to the unrealized overheating of engine. This can lead to unnecessary engine damage from simple overheating of oil to the extreme of blown head gaskets, blown/broken cylinder rings, warped engine heads or complete engine seizure.

    Chevy retails the new Metal part from
    $82.00 - $95.00. This failing part was known early enough that the new product had already been made and distributed to dealerships. Web logs are full of this particular failure, on this vehicle.
  • cclement1cclement1 Member Posts: 2
    I am still trying to figure out a way to prove that I am not at fault with the busted thermostat housing in my 2004 Aveo. Can you list the other car forums where you saw that this issue was talked about by other Aveo owners. I am trying to find all the information I can about this to convince Chevy and the 3rd party warranty company that they are responsible for the part failure that blew my engine. I know it was a while ago for you, but would appreciate any other sites that talk about this issue.

    Thanks to all.

    Carrie in St. Louis
  • srs5694srs5694 Member Posts: 3
    I saw a thread about the issue at Automotive Forums. There are only three posts in that thread, though.
  • pdm123pdm123 Member Posts: 2
    keep looking back on this site threr are at least 8 other people since 2007 who has had the same problems. i was unsuccessful with the dealer and customer service complaint line. something must be done
  • carnut32carnut32 Member Posts: 4
    My Chevy Aveo thermostat housing also broke apart. Composite plastic which is the material is made off might be strong enough, but since the housing is made in two parts, so part maker can install the thermostat and gasket, this parts break apart, because they are put together not even with glue, but by heat.
    When the engine moves, or the radiator moves because it is attached to the body, the housing will break. If an engine mount is in bad shape,the problem will occur more often.
    The solution is to get a metallic housing that has been available for a long time. In fact GM decided to use the plastic one, because it is cheaper, but leaves the driver exposed to a failure that can go undetected since the temperature sender will not send a proper reading, showing a lower temperature, since the sender requires coolant to properly read, so the only hint to this problem could be steam coming off the engine or a spill, but sometimes this is hard to see. If this happens, blowing the gasket or seizing the engine is a possible scenario.
    Anyway. I got tired of this problem after a second housing broke on me. Now, with the metal housing I think I solved the problem. It was more expensive, in fact dealerships wanted 90 dollars for it, but I found it on Ebay for 70, so it wasn't that bad.
    Another thing that I wanted to talk about is the timing belt and the water pump. The engine on the Aveo was designed for high compression, but because of space and engine size designer was force to reduce the size of the compression chamber and to install 4 valves per piston, which is fine, excepting for the use of a timing belt instead of a timing chain, which is acceptable, excepting that sometimes the belt breaks and then the pistons, that are very close to the valves, end up hitting them and getting bend, and this actually means a very expensive repair.
    The type of engine is widely known as an interference engine, and it is commonly used in the car industry, but some car makers install good quality components that will last 100 K or even more.
    Some people will say that is way you have a preventive maintenance schedule, which is true, but there are a lot of things that could drive the timing belt to fail prematurely, such as oil, dirt, water and poor quality rubber on the belt itself. On top of that, preventive replacement of timing belt is not precisely cheap, since belt is more or less hard to replace.
    To make things worst, the engine design makes the timing belt to drive the coolant or water pump, so if the water pump seizes, then the belt will get destroyed, hence the engine will as well.
    To top that, tensioner and idler pulley are made also in plastic and bearings are short lasting, so they could also seize, and then engine will also get destroyed.
  • carnut32carnut32 Member Posts: 4
    You could do it, but you have to lawyer up. If you probe you were not able to read the temperature, since the temperature sender works properly only when there is coolant, water or other fluid, then you were not able to asses the engine was overheating, so you could not be deemed negligent since you were not able to determine the magitude of the problem.

    My Chevy Aveo thermostat housing also broke apart. Composite plastic which is the material is made off might be strong enough, but since the housing is made in two parts, so part maker can install the thermostat and gasket, this parts break apart, because they are put together not even with glue, but by heat.
    When the engine moves, or the radiator moves because it is attached to the body, the housing will break. If an engine mount is in bad shape,the problem will occur more often.
    The solution is to get a metallic housing that has been available for a long time. In fact GM decided to use the plastic one, because it is cheaper, but leaves the driver exposed to a failure that can go undetected since the temperature sender will not send a proper reading, showing a lower temperature, since the sender requires coolant to properly read, so the only hint to this problem could be steam coming off the engine or a spill, but sometimes this is hard to see. If this happens, blowing the gasket or seizing the engine is a possible scenario.
    Anyway. I got tired of this problem after a second housing broke on me. Now, with the metal housing I think I solved the problem. It was more expensive, in fact dealerships wanted 90 dollars for it, but I found it on Ebay for 70, so it wasn't that bad.
    Another thing that I wanted to talk about is the timing belt and the water pump. The engine on the Aveo was designed for high compression, but because of space and engine size designer was force to reduce the size of the compression chamber and to install 4 valves per piston, which is fine, excepting for the use of a timing belt instead of a timing chain, which is acceptable, excepting that sometimes the belt breaks and then the pistons, that are very close to the valves, end up hitting them and getting bend, and this actually means a very expensive repair.
    The type of engine is widely known as an interference engine, and it is commonly used in the car industry, but some car makers install good quality components that will last 100 K or even more.
    Some people will say that is way you have a preventive maintenance schedule, which is true, but there are a lot of things that could drive the timing belt to fail prematurely, such as oil, dirt, water and poor quality rubber on the belt itself. On top of that, preventive replacement of timing belt is not precisely cheap, since belt is more or less hard to replace.
    To make things worst, the engine design makes the timing belt to drive the coolant or water pump, so if the water pump seizes, then the belt will get destroyed, hence the engine will as well.
    To top that, tensioner and idler pulley are made also in plastic and bearings are short lasting, so they could also seize, and then engine will also get destroyed.
  • invisiblemassinvisiblemass Member Posts: 3
    About two weeks ago my girlfriend called me and said she pulled over because her 05' Chevy Aveo was smoking.. I told her to look at her thermostat and she said it as normal.. When I came to her rescue. We found that the thermostat housing snapped on the seam and the coolant was spitting out.. We towed it home..I called around for the housing and it is a dealer part only! Found out this part has been updated and it is no longer a plastic part and it retails for $95.00!
    We replaced the part.. A quick and easy fix! then a week later.
    my girlfriend was on her way home from work.. Her car just stopped accelerating.. it felt like it wasn't getting enough fuel.. So again pulled over on the side of the freeway we tow it to the shop... my mechanic does a full diagnostics and finds water on the spark plugs.. He called and asked me does you car drive hot.. I told him never..I told him that about a week earlier the thermostat housing snapped and the coolant came out we replaced the part and no problems since.. Well he put it all together.. When the housing broke, almost immidietly it caused my heads to get hot and wrap and then water to get into my oil. Now with wrapped heads he started the car but its only a matter of time before it blows.. So do i wait.. No because it will cause more serious damage to the engine.. we need to get the head fixed .. now i am looking at closer to a 1000.00 bucks for something that could have been prevented .. by a simple letter from Chevy stating that thermostat housing is faulty, made of plastic and has been updated to a aluminum part.. well what do we do now! i see allot of posts about the same issue! lets act now! :lemon:
  • carnightmarecarnightmare Member Posts: 1
    this just happened to me today and when i did an internet search to find a new thermostat this was the first thing that popped up. this really irritates the heck out of me. this is about the 4th repair ive made on the car and its only a 2004. im having a new thermostat overnighted to me. Ive never seen a thermostat like this, what were they thinking when this piece was designed. I wish i new this was a daewoo when i bought it, i was under the impression that it was a chevy design this forum was the first i heard of it being a daewoo untill i called the dealership today and the service guy told me the same thing. this really makes my blood boil. first i had a seat belt issue then a water pump and brakes that wore out in record time only to find out that the rotors cost a fortune.
  • marlanmarlan Member Posts: 1
    Yesterday morning I noticed a strange smell while I was driving to work but thought it could be another car on the freeway... But when I drove home last night, just as I was parking, white smoke (steam?) started pouring out from under the hood. I immediately turned off my car, freaking out, and didn't think to check the gauges... But I noticed some liquid under the hood, passenger side, spilling onto the headlight as someone else mentioned here. Couldn't see where it was coming from and honestly I was so distraught I didn't really look for the problem; I just wanted to get in my house and forget about it for the night. Now that I have done some research and talked to mechanically-inclined friends, I'm almost positive it must be the thermostat housing. I will look under the hood again later today to find out.

    I rarely use my AC but did notice it wasn't working a month or 2 ago... The fan was obviously running but there was no cool air coming out, just a weird smell-- similar to the awful odor that came out when it started smoking yesterday. Does this make sense? Could it be a different problem?

    It's a 2004 Aveo with just over 59000 miles on it. I'm still under the GM Major Guard Protection Plan (but not for long!) but I don't know if this would be covered under that... Anyone know about that?

    Anyway, I just wanted to add to this discussion and let everyone know that this is an issue with MANY Aveo owners and it seems to be occurring more and more as of late (probably because the folks who bought the 04 and 05 models are starting to reach 50-60k miles). If everyone who has this same situation speaks up, hopefully GM will issue a recall...
  • stillabeelievestillabeelieve Member Posts: 5
    I had the exact same thing happen to me, driving up hill, no warning whatsoever. Just a burning smell & smoke from under the hood. As soon as I opened it you couldn't miss the cracked housing, it was perfectly in half at the seam. My dad installed it for me, car was great for about 3 days, then it didn't want to start. It was taking forever, as long as 15 minutes, took it to the dealer, they refer to it as a "slow start". My car had a little under 45k miles, they claimed it needed spark plugs & wires. The maintenance schedule says wires s/b replaced @ 65K miles. It took them 2 days to figure it out, charged me $400. 3 days after I got it back from the dealer, same exact start problem!!! It's as if it's not getting fuel, it struggles to start, then the HOLD light stays on as the car is shaking, like it wants to die. I immediately turn it off & back on and then it's fine. Of course it's not doing it on every start so they can't attempt to solve the problem unless it actually occuring. Then today out of the blue, after another "slow start", the A/C starts blowing hot air after being on for less than 10 min. I turned it off for a couple of minutes and then turned it back on and it was blowing cool air again. It happened twice today. Does anyone have any suggestions before I take the car back to the dealer? :lemon:
  • invisiblemassinvisiblemass Member Posts: 3
    its a warped head! if you keep driving it you will cause more damage to your engine like a cracked head... i just got mine back from the shop ... 1000 in parts and labor...
    when ur thermostat housing broke it cause your heads to warp immediately! i know it sounds crazy but these aluminum heads cant handle it. it took my mechanic a couple day to figure it out also. but once i told him my thermostat housing broke a few days b4 it all came together! there is water getting on your spark plugs and water mixxing with oil. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • stillabeelievestillabeelieve Member Posts: 5
    Well, it's not good news, but at least you've given me some direction. Before they did the plugs and wires all they could tell me was the battery was fine, they didn't know what was wrong. I had to repeatedly tell them it was like it wasn't getting fuel.

    The gear shift was also stuck, they had to replace a stop lamp switch & filter for it.

    The only warranty left is the Power Train Warranty, does anyone have any idea how I find out what that covers? :sick:

    I encourage everyone who has had this problem to file a complaint so we can try & get a recall. report a vehicle safety issue to NHTSA online at vehicle safety Web site: www.safercar.gov
  • macarpiomacarpio Member Posts: 6
    This is an update to a posting I did back in August when my thermostat housing broke, last night I drove to the store and when I go back into my car the car started to shake and vibrate then the HOLD LIGHT was flashing. I turned it off and then on and then its fine, lucky the store was only 4 blocks away. What the hell is going on with this car, I hope CHEVY RECALLS these pieces of junk they call cars, I have had nothing but problems since I got it, and now its starting to smell like burn oil. Anyone has had the same problem?
  • tomh4tomh4 Member Posts: 7
    When I got this car BRAND NEW it had a bad CV, it was clicking as I left the lot :(
    So they fixed that then my thermostat housing busted just like the rest of you guys :(
    I fixed that because I didnt want to tow it to the stealer and leave it their for a $20 part that took me 5 minutes to replace :(
    Then the key lock in the drivers door fell into the door, so now I cant lock the drivers door :( The stealers told me it wasnt covered because it was a trim piece (Same thing happened to my buddies Aveo)
    Then my brake lights stopped working, again the stealers wouldnt cover it so again I had to fix my brand new car thats still under warranty myself :(
    This car is a disposable POS I wish I never bought it.
    It will be paid off this Feb :(
  • stillabeelievestillabeelieve Member Posts: 5
    I hate to tell you this, but that sounds exactly like what my car was doing. My daughter called it the roller coaster because it shook so much.

    Unfortunately, my car is @ the dealer, suspected cracked Head Gasket. Today they called and said they took out the Cylinder Head and sent it to see if it could be repaired or had to be replaced. They also believe it will be covered by the Power Train Warranty because there's no signs of neglect/misuse.

    Everyone need to file a complaint with the NHTSA so they can investigate & get a recall, if no one complains to them nothing will be done.

    www.safercar.gov
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Because its not a safety issue the NHTSA won't do anything about it.
  • aveo36aveo36 Member Posts: 1
    Just today my green tick tack (aveo) thermostat broke and i didnt notice untill I looked my gages and it was on the red. But again like many others there was no indicatore lights letting me know something had happen. I cant believe that the thermostat housing is made of plastic. Thats CRAZY anyways I plan to replace the housing but hope nothing bad has come of this incident.<img src="
  • invisiblemassinvisiblemass Member Posts: 3
    good luck
  • macarpiomacarpio Member Posts: 6
    I fixed it and the dealer gave me another plastic housing. Chevy should recall these cars, well after that the HOLD light started to flash and the car shook. I called Chevy and they said "well you have to take it in" sorry. Like if they did not care. oh well good luck to you
  • shamie214shamie214 Member Posts: 1
    what is with this car first i have a seat belt belt break then the drivers door lock falls into the door so i can't lock the door any more now my thermostat houseing cracks in half i bought the car new in 05 and have 42,000 miles on it whats next :mad: :sick: :mad: :sick: :mad:
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    It looks like my problem is common in source, but perhaps not as much in severity. I was driving about 10 minutes from my home when check engine light came on. I did not notice any significant issues with performance. Drove home, turned off car. Tried to start it 3 days later and it would not start. Engine will crank, but car will not start. Borrowed an ODB II diagnostic from AutoZone and got the following codes:

    P0128
    P0128 PENDING

    These codes on an '04 Aveo, apparently, usually mean the thermostat housing is busted. But, I never saw any smoke or noticed any performance problems. Is it possible that the thermostat busted and resulted in damage to engine, like a warped gasket or something, that would cause it not to start? The car is at 42K miles, past bumbper to bumper warranty but still in powertrain warranty which covers engine parts and towing for powertrain problems. Any advice? :sick:
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I can't say why your car won't start but that wouldn't happen from warped heads.

    I assume that you have lights and all. Have you played around with the shifter to see if it is not hung up in a position other than park.
  • stillabeelievestillabeelieve Member Posts: 5
    Mine having a "delayed start" as the dealer called it, was a direct result of the warped heads.

    It made the sounds like it wanted to start but wouldn't turn over for several minutes sometimes up to 15 minutes.

    I had it towed to the dealer, signed the estimate for the diagnostic, they found water in the the oil (1 week after they changed the oil). They couldn't tell me if it was a cracked or warped head or if it would be covered by the warranty until it was taken apart but they were 80% sure it would be, so I had to agree to an $800 revised estimate just for labor.

    It took almost two weeks but it was covered and it was not machine repairable, they had to put in a whole bunch of new parts.
    I suggest you take it in for them to diagnose it, you can't get better than warranty coverage.
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    I've messed around with the shifter and there's definitely no problem there. Also, the coolant level seems OK.

    The crank sound has a ryhthm to it that does not quite sound normal, kind of like a major crank, followed by a double quick, and that pattern continues to repeat. Usually the crank sounds like a perfect interval ryhthm if nothing is wrong.

    I have not tried cranking it for longer than about 15 seconds, because I don't want to kill the battery or damage the engine. Did you say that you'd turn the key and hold it cranking for 15 minutes?
  • stillabeelievestillabeelieve Member Posts: 5
    Yes, I would hold it. it almost sounded as if it was getting gas. In the beginning I was pumping the gas too, but this would cause white smoke out of the exhaust and a loud backfire, so i stopped that and would just continually hold the key down.
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    Problem Resolved. Towed it to a dealer, and it turns out my timing belt slipped off, and everything got bent up. The good news is it is totally covered by my GM Powertrain warrany.
  • tomh4tomh4 Member Posts: 7
    Well mine continues to be a pos, my gear shifter broke!
    All I know is I was shifting gears and it wouldnt go in, the gear shifter started floppin around like it wasnt connected.
    So I get it to the dealer(of coarse my problem) just off my factory warranty, hoping my extended warranty will cover it or the factory power train warranty(why wouldnt they)
    So I pay out of pocket for them to diagnose it ($65), they tell me theirs no broken parts just missing parts and the warranty company wont cover it :( WTF :(
    I dont understand how a part magically dissapears and im pissed because once again they found some BS excuse to not fix my car under warrranty :(
    I would love to drive this POS right threw the front of the dealership, Ive yet to find somthin my warranty WILL cover
    So the busted part is a $4.65 part (Labor $160.) BUT they cant get one till late next week and I have to pay out of pocket for a rent a car because the repairs werent covered by my warranty :(
    And I still got another year of payments on this car :( I hate this car!!!
    My rent a car is a Ford Focus it is 1000 x nicer than the POS chevy
  • gmowner3gmowner3 Member Posts: 1
    I have just experienced what everyone else is talking about here. I will be going to the dealership tomorrow and hope they have the metal replacement part. I have also filed a complaint NHTSA at www.safercar.gov I know some say nothing will happen but if enough complain maybe something will. After reading all the posts I'll be paying out of pocket to get the engine checked to make sure nothing else happened. :mad: :sick:

    It only takes a couple minutes to file the complaint so far they only have about four,
    let our voices be heard. I'm tired of consumers being screwed by these companies.
  • LuckyLandoLuckyLando Member Posts: 1
    I have about 48,000 thousand miles on my 2005 chevy aveo hatchback. The thermostat housing unit on this vehicle is made out of plastic. Over time it will wear down, and eventually crack. As a result, the engine coolant will leak out and your engine will overheat. If you see steam coming out of your car, this means your thermostat housing unit might be busted. Recommended course of action. Take it immediately to your local GM/Chevrolet dealer for servicing (The part is only sold at the dealerships). If you have a service warranty the part and labor is covered under warranty. If you don't your looking to pay a total of 160 dollars for a metal thermostat housing unit, coolant, and labor. For peace of mind, take it directly to the dealer and pay the 160 bucks. :)
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    Well, it turns out it was NOT a timing belt issue. The car started just fine at the dealer after they opened it up, found nothing wrong, then closed it and tried to start it. Seems like they unplugged the battery, which reset the computer, and removed a glitch that was sending a P0128 code and preventing it from starting. This glitch was likely the result of some bad weather, which was really wet then really cold, causing condensation to freeze on a rie and cause a very random problem.

    If your Aveo won't start and you are getting a check engine light, try resetting, either with and ODB II diagnostic or just by removing the negative lead from the battery for 5 seconds. Good luck everyone! Anybody want to buy an '04 Aveo with 42K? lol.
  • melchayworthmelchayworth Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2008 Aveo sedan that has horrible paint loss and chipping in the entire area at the bottom of both passenger doors. GM service center is telling me this is normal wear and tear and not covered under warrenty. My 2006 Aveo had nothing like this. I also purchased the ResistAll paint protection which appearantly is not even a paint protection, another GM dealer told me it was simply a good wax job. Anyone else having this problem?
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    Oh my goodness, what a ride this has been.

    As I write this it is 2/9/09. My '04 Aveo's first failure was 12/18/08. On that day, I was driving home, and my check engine light came on. 2 days later the car would not start. I got an OBD II sensor from AutoZone and retrieved the codes P0128 and P0128p (pending). These both indicate an ECT or thermostat failure. Had to have it towed to a GM dealer. They told me the timing belt had slipped before even looking at it. Later, they saw the timing belt was fine. The car started for them right away. I was told it was likely a CPU freeze caused by bad weather here in MA. Towing and service were both covered under GM Powertrain Warranty (I am at 5 years 42K).

    About 3 weeks later, I was driving and my check oil pressure light came on. I immediately pulled over and checked the oil level, which was fine. I decided to have an oil change to see if that would resolve the issue. Sure enough, after the oil change, the light went off. I drove about another 20 minutes, and stopped at the toll booth. As I was handing off my ticket, I heard 3 or 4 loud revolutions, and then the car died. I was unable to start it again. Had it towed once again to the GM service center.

    This time, I was told there was a leak in my water pump, and the spark plugs were completely fouled (I saw them, they were pitch black). With diagnostic charges parts and labor I was looking at $1200 (including an elective timing belt procedure). I filed a complaint with Chevy and negotiated lower rates down to about $200 for spark plug replacement, water pump replacement, and timing belt replacement. This took about another week or so. At 2:30 they told me it was running fine and to come pick it up. At 3:30 I went and paid, got in the car, and it would not start. They pushed it back in the garage.

    Today, I am told the problem is a blown head gasket, and will be 100% covered. The blown gasket was causing coolant to leat into the motor. They are going to do a pressure test and a replacement, and it will take approx. 1-2 weeks before my car is ready. I am really hoping this solves the problem for good (it seems like the most on point diagnosis thus far).

    2 months 2 tows and $200 later I am still waiting for my Aveo to be fixed and in good driving condition. :lemon: :lemon:

    DO NOT BUY this Daewoo piece of metal. They are not worth the hassle. Buy a Honda or Toyota that is made in America, since this is the only viable option anymore to support American Autos.
  • mrudgemrudge Member Posts: 1
    I lost practically all of the paint off of my front bumper over the course of the first two years of owning it. I basically divorced myself from the dealership over this car (let the buyer beware, right?!), so I had a local body shop do it. Sad that these issues happen with a car that's so new. Mine has less than 40k on it. My 3 year old could have put finger paint on this that would have lasted longer!
  • CaChevyDlrCaChevyDlr Member Posts: 2
    I work at a chevy dealer in CA and I can tell you that the paint has a 5yr 100,000 mile warranty. If the chipping is due to defect and not road hazard damage (ie stones or solvents on the road) it would be covered. In addition to the factory warranty the resisall paint protection you purchased may cover the damage if caused by road hazards. Review your documents on the paint protection and contact them directly. I am not personally familer with the brand resistall, but most of those products are backed by a insurance policy to cover the repair.

    In answer to your question "anyone else having this problem", we have sold over 50 of the Aveos and have not had any paint issues.

    Hope this helps.

    Winston
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    A Toyota or Honda that supports American, are you kidding me. They support themselves in taking their money back to Japan to invest. Toyota has only about a 50% domestic content and Honda not much better. Chevrolet is 70% currently. The Aveo brings the average down with its % at 5% if I recall.

    Toyota takes away jobs from American companies like Ford, Chevrolet. They use part-time employees to profit and avoid paying benefits. They build facilities in non-union states. So really there is no trade off and this is bad for the trade deficit and America. American auto companies were forced to outsource parts to stay competitive and in business. In doing so hundreds of small American companies, most in Michigan closed up losing thousands of employees.

    Please get your facts straight when you post.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    A neighbor of mine and their Nissan Sentra were not to happy when they lost their engine beyond repair at 115,000 miles. I could name more problems with Japanese cars than I can with American. When is the last time you saw a 20-year old Japanese car still on the road? Chevy's are known to last for ever and mine is 17-years old and very reliable.
  • jhejdukjhejduk Member Posts: 6
    I'm not looking to argue the benefits or downfalls of buying american made vs. american owned vehicles. That's a debate for another day. All I can tell you is my family and I have had several cars through the past couple decades, and the 2 most reliable by far have been the 2 Japanese models, Corolla and CR-V. The Ford Escort, Chevy Aveo and Ford Taurus that we had all died within 11 years or 120,000. We have a Corolla right now at 115,000 and has a Bluebook value $4000 higher than my Aveo at 42,000.

    I didn't cite any facts, so don't accuse me of not having facts straight. The above info is a fact, though. This is just my opinion. If this board has not convinced you that the Aveo is a clunker P.O.S. then heaven help you.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    They same can be said about the Corolla though I wouldn't call it junk. People come to the forums generally to vent their frustration and problems. Go over to the Toyota forum and you will also find those people over there. No different.

    An Escort or Taurus that doesn't go beyond 115,000 miles obviously was not maintained. I bet you don't treat your Japanese cars that way.
  • luckinsluckins Member Posts: 63
    I have a 2004 Aveo and the paint is in near perfect condition except where people have hit the bumper or scratched it in the parking lot, etc.
  • 1john4101john410 Member Posts: 2
    well, I'v read this entire thread and I too have had this problem of the thermostat busting and I'll share my experiance of that. First I have to say after reading all of the storys of this problem I have felt some what fortunate that mine lasted about three and half times longer than anyone elses that I know of. My thermostate housing did not bust till I had 119,000 miles on the car. So to introduce you to my daewoo aveo..... It is an 2004 hatchback version with a manual transmission. I drive the dog out of this car. a typicle day is 95-120 miles. 5 days a week. I have had all the "standard aveo problems" which I'v gotta say....it sounds like quite a few people on here absolutly freak out at ANYTHING going wrong with their car. I'v had the key lock fall in the door just like anyone who has owned one of these for more than 5 min....not a big deal. It took 1 hour to take the door cover off and fix it permenantly. Dont get me wrong I would rather have not done it at all but come on.....its an aveo, not a caddillac or mercedes. A few posters seem to think this low end car is supposed to hold up like 60k+ luxery ride. Also had the "slow start" at about 80,000 miles. fixed it with a new starter. No biggie. Three bolts, an hour of my time and a part that cost less than $100 and I was back on the road. Then I had the timeing belt changed at 76,000. It was a little latter than the manufacture recomended but still in time. most people wait till this breaks and it cost 4x as much to fix. if you do it when they suggest at about 60,000 it will cost you $300 and save you $900 in repairs. anyway. my thermostat housing broke and I did like most and called every part house to find it was a dealer item. I was not willing to pay $95 for a part that normally cost $10 or less for any other car. So I found one on www.partsgeek.com for about $25 that came shipped to my house. changed it out and went back to the road. then my check engine light came on and the code was for "coolant temp below norm". My new thermostat was running about ten degreese cooler than the old one. at about 180, degreese. It ran fine for about three days then I was coming down the interstate and it started getting overheated. so I turned off the a/c and turned on the heat full blast to vent some heat off the engine and started pulling over to check it out. about that time the temp guage suddenly cooled down to normal. I was totaly confused now. so I took it to my trusted shop jsut to have them take a look at it sense these things apparently have aluminum heads I didnt want to risk blowing it. We'll see what the problem was tomarrow when I get the diagnosis.
  • satman73satman73 Member Posts: 1
    The same problem has happened to my wifes car twice. The dealer changed the part the first time for 160 dollars and just replaced it with the same plastic part this was at 38700 miles now at 76459 1459miles past the warranty the exact same thing has happened now they want 89.99 for the replacement part and two hours of labor at 100.00 an hour plus the gasket o-ring and replacement coolant, and by the way they are the only place that sells the part locally. I dont think that this is in any way a good deal and should not be treated as one. If you have had the same problem file a complaint with the Safecar.gov about this problem. Seems this needs to be a recall for this car but more complaints are needed. I did find the part online at oehq.com for 58.22 including shipping made from aluminum. Good luck to any one who purchased this car..
  • tomh4tomh4 Member Posts: 7
    Im just waiting for my T stat housing to break again, Ive had nothing but problems with this car from day 1!
    I took it home (brand new) with a bad CV, the ac stopped working a day after they put it in.
    Last week I had some sort of big expensive vaccume leak and the ac stopped workin again.
    Just for fun I looked up the blue book value, Its under $3000, Im still making payments on this car :(
    As I type this one is advertized just to the right and it says prices starting at $12625, as shown $16025 + tax title license dealer fee and optional equipment extra who in their right mind would pay well over $16k for a Aveo?
  • 1john4101john410 Member Posts: 2
    ok, so I am now coming back with a perfectly running aveo. I found out the mistake I made. When I replaced the plastic T-stat. I orderd the cheapest one I could find online from partsgeek.com. It was jsut a new T-stat that was plastic like the old one so It busted also. I had to go ahead and get the aluminum one from the dealer. Now cruising with 120,000 miles and running strong! I think I'v been fortunate with my aveo because I was not stupid and get a loan for it. These cars are so cheap their disposable. buy one for cash, one or two years old and when its worn out just throw it away and get another one. why in world would you pay payments on car you can buy for cash if you would just save your money for 3-6 months?
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