Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND DOEST SHUT OFF TO TAKE THE KEY OUT. I HAD TO TAKE THE BATTERY CABLE OFF SO IT WOULDNT DIE. I LOOKED UP ON THE WEB WHY IT WOULD DO THIS AND ALOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINED THAT IT HAPPENS IN 2009 AND 10 AVEO CARS. IF THATS THE CASE WHY HASNT CHEVY DONE A RECALL ON IT.
DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, STOPPED AT A STORE IN A PARKING LOT, CAR IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OFF, COULD NOT GET CAR KEYS OUT OF IGNITION. DROVE TO A DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS SHIFTING. SAID IT WOULD COST 4 TO 5 HUNDRED DOLLARS, DID NOT HAVE IT FIXED. BUT SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO GET THE CAR TO TURN ON, OR IF TURNED OFF, HARD TO GET KEYS OUT. A VALET COULD NOT GET IT TO TURN OFF AND WHEN HE FINALLY DID, COULD NOT GET THE KEYS OUT,SO HE LEFT THEM IN MY CAR. I THINK THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GM FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES.
1ST INCIDENT: WAS ON INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR IN ST. PAUL, MN W/ 2 TODDLERS IN THE BACK SEAT. THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED BUCKING AND THEN SHUT OFF. I WAS IN THE 2ND LEFT LANE ON 4 LANE SO I HAD TO COAST TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER W/ NO POWER STEERING AND NO ACCELERATION ALMOST GETTING HIT BY MULTIPLE VEHICLES. TOOK FOUR HOURS FOR TOW TRUCK. . 3 WEEKS FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO BE MANUFACTURED AND SHIPPED AS THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW W/ LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON IT AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE SPARE PARTS FOR IT. ALSO, DISCOVERED THAT THE ONSTAR WASN'T CONNECTED EVEN THOUGH I WAS SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE A FREE YEAR. IT WOULDN'T EVEN COME ON. THEY FIXED THAT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE FUEL PUMP BUT THEN WHEN I GOT IT BACK I NOTICED MY CLOCK WOULDN'T KEEP TIME AND THE ONSTAR WASN'T SHOWING THE FREE YEAR WHICH NEVER GOT RESOLVED. THE DEALER SAID THEY WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CLOCK BUT THE REPLACED SOME FUSES, ETC. TO THIS DAY IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. 2ND INCIDENT WHICH IS STILL ONGOING: DASH AND RADIO FUSES RANDOMLY BLOW, CAR EATS COIL PACKS AND SPARK PLUGS EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. AT RED LIGHTS/EXTENDED STOPS IT WILL START IDLING ROUGHLY AND USUALLY WILL SHUT OFF. CAR WILL SOMETIMES NOT ACCELERATE AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL SHOOT OFF LIKE A ROCKET W/ A MILD PRESS OF GAS PEDAL. GAS MILEAGE IS A JOKE, I'M LUCKY TO GET 20/MPG. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR TO 3 CHEVY DEALER MECHANICS AND 2 INDEPENDENTS AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG OTHER THAN 'ELECTRICAL' SAYING I COULD REPLACE THE COMPUTER AND WIRING HARNESS BUT THAT IS NOT A GUARANTEED FIX AND AT ALMOST $2500 NOT WORTH IT AT THIS POINT. I WILL JUST BE SO GLAD TO HAVE THIS THING PAID OFF IN A FEW MONTHS (BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW W/ 43 MILES ON IT) SO I CAN SELL OR TRADE IT IN THOUGH EVERY DEALER I'VE APPROACHED ABOUT TRADING IT IN TELLS ME THEY DO NOT ACCEPT THEM B/C OF 'KNOWN' PROBLEMS IN THE AUTO COMMUNITY. 2 WRECKS, AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED, FRONT & REAR. *TR
AS A FATHER I AM WRITING THIS ON BEHALF OF MY 18YR OLD DAUGHTER. THIS VEHICLE HAS LOST STEERING, BRAKES AND ACCELERATION 3 TIMES OVER 2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. EACH TIME HAS BEEN AT LOW SPEEDS (2MPH - 10MPH) WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC, THE AVEO WILL LOOSE THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE, NO MATTER HOW FAR THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN. THE BRAKES ONLY WORK SLIGHTLY, AND THE PEDAL IS HARD PUSH DOWN. THE STEERING IS VERY UNRESPONSIVE, SIMILAR TO THE BRAKE ISSUE IT'S HARD TO STEER. WHILE THE ABOVE 3 ISSUES HAPPEN AT ONCE, THE ENGINE IS AT IDLE. TO FIX, SHE HAS TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND WENT INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THREE OF THE TIRES BECAME DETACHED FROM THE WHEELS AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, FOREHEAD, AND BACK AND THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AN AMBULANCE. THE POLICE WAS AT THE SCENE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 UPDATED 9/11/14*CN UPDATED 1/20/2015 *JS
DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NO BRAKES AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GET IT SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REQUIRED A $100 FEE TO EVEN LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT IS A YEAR NEWER THAN THE ONES ON RECALL. *TR
DURING ANNUAL INSPECTION, MECHANIC NOTICED SLIGHT LOOSENESS IN THE TIE ROD CONNECTION; PASSED INSPECTION AND ASKED ME TO HAVE HIM CHECK DURING NEXT OIL CHANGE. WE DISCUSSED REPLACING THE TIE ROD IN ANY CASE WITH A BRAND WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY IN TWO MONTHS WHEN I WAS OFF FROM WORK. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAD TO HAVE RECALL WORK DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE ALL SPARK PLUG BOOTS AND PLUGS. (CHEVROLET 5-DOOR AVEO). ASKED THE DEALER FOR AN OPINION ON THE TIE ROD. DEALER MECHANICS LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT WAS OF NO CONCERN. WENT BACK TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC AND ARRANGED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LEFT INNER TIE ROD ANYWAY. DURING THE WORK, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE THREADS ON THE OUTER TIE ROD WERE COMPLETELY STRIPPED DOWN TO SHINY METAL. THE NUT SLID OFF WHEN PULLED GENTLY WITH HIS FINGERS. REPLACED BOTH PARTS AND THEN HAD TO HAVE A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. OTHER THAN THE LOOSENESS NOTED DURING ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. THE VEHICLE WAS USED FOR COMMUTING IN WELL-MAINTAINED STATE AND US HIGHWAYS ONLY. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN MARCH 2011. I TRIED TO REPORT TO GM USING THEIR WEBSITE, BUT THERE IS NO PART DEDICATED TO THE REPORTING OF SAFETY ISSUES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A MAILBOX AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE POLICE APPEARED ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
ON MY 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO5: THE FRAME IS NOT PROPERLY MADE (STRAIGHT). A PRIVATE REPAIR FACILITY AND LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAVE CONCLUDED THE SAME, AND THAT IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE. A CERTAIN PART OF THE FRAME NEAR THE FRONT END WAS IMPROPERLY PRODUCED, CAUSING THE FRONT END SUSPENSION TO BE UNABLE TO PERFORM WITH REASONABLE FUNCTION, AND FRONT TIRES TO BE UNABLE TO BE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE PROPERLY FOR SUITABLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSES EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, AND AN UNREASONABLY LOW LEVEL OF HANDLING CONTROL. BEGINNING MILEAGE 000 BECAUSE IT WAS MADE THIS WAY, AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 21500. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE ALIGNED INTO ANY PUBLISHED SPECIFICATIONS. THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE FRONT-END ALIGNMENT, WHICH INDICATES THIS PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY THE MANUFACTURER SINCE PRODUCTION. THE INADEQUATE LEVEL OF CONTROL AND EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF UNEVEN TIRE WEAR PRESENT SAFETY PROBLEMS IN HANDLING, TIRE FAILURE AND POSSIBLE ROLLOVER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL OF THE CAR AS A WHOLE, AND CLOSER INVESTIGATION WILL PROBABLY REVEAL A LARGE NUMBER OF CRASHES, INJURIES, AND FATALITIES SOURCED DIRECTLY TO IMPROPERLY PLACED FRAME COMPONENTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE LACK OF CONTROL IN COMBINATION WITH TIRE INSTABILITY. MY 2009 CHEVY AVEO IS CURRENTLY IN MY POSSESSION. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND DEEMED NOT REPAIRABLE BY BOTH THE PRIVATE REPAIR FACILITY AND DEALERSHIP. BOTH HAVE ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ALIGN THE CAR WITHIN ANY PUBLISHED SPECIFICATIONS. A CASE IS CURRENTLY OPEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER ON MY CAR, AND SO FAR, APPEARS TO BE PROGRESSING PROPERLY TOWARDS RESOLUTION. HOWEVER, I STRONGLY URGE INVESTIGATION TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CRASHES, INJURIES, AND FATALITIES. INCIDENT DATE IS DATE PROBLEM FIRST IDENTIFIED, BUT AGAIN, THE CAR WAS MADE THIS WAY, AND VARIOUS SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN PRESENT FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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