Sadface: Aveo bombs in Consumer Reports 2011 owner satisfaction survey

[Thymeclock]

I've said from the start that whether you love or hate the Aveo depends upon what your expectations are.

Our 2009 is my wife's daily commuter car for 95% of it's use. City gas mileage with the A/T sucks, thanks to Chevy's programming of it. The acceleration in the lowest gears is actually pretty good - it seems to become bogged down in 3rd & 4th gear and it finally goes into converter lockup at about 45 MPH. At speeds under 45 it's a gas thirsty slushbox. When I drain the A/T fluid at six moth intervals, it's usually more brown than red. No malfunction present, but that's not a healthy sign for a car that is still relatively new.

We are at about 22K on the original Kumho tires, and they are not fully worn out yet. They are bottom of the line Kumhos, and mediocre, as most tires are that come with a new car package. I have higher quality Kumhos on my other cars and are happy with them. We really can't blame Chevy or Kumho for that - it's easy to buy better tires when they are worn out.

Interior cargo room is great - but glove box space and storage compartments are pathetically inadequate. The suspension is about as crude and inadequate a design as it could possibly be. I expect that might become a problem as the car ages.

My wife loves the car. It's her daily commuter car in about 95% of its use. I must admit I also enjoy driving it, FWIW. Everything works as it should, except the crappy digital clock which goes blank often. If that's the only thing that ever goes wrong with this car we'll be happy. We really can't complain, as it is about what we expected it to be when we bought it.

[petrified.rabbit]

I loved my car, I babied her, I kept her shiny and everything. However, the exhaust system sucks and even after following the recommended maintenance including the belts, the b*t*h slipped her timing. Of course, she took the valves with her. So I'm looking at a dead car that needs about $2000 worth of work to rebuild her engine.

It angers me because apparently this is a KNOWN issue and there are literally thousands of reports out there about the shoddy workmanship and the way the engine is designed. Friggin' Interference engine!

If you had the belt replaced, and then it slipped time, it is probably more of the fault of the mechanic who replaced the belt that the design of the car. I am not saying I agree that the aveo is odd in a 60k mile interval in the service in this day and age. BUT if someone was in there working on it once already, i imagine there was something at fault with their repair more so than the original design.

I am also sure the "known issue" is because most people neglect the service and then complain when the belt fails. I can't speak for every aveo owner throughout the us, but 95% or more of the owners who come here complaining about belts breaking were well past the service interval by the time the belt broke. the whole Interference engine complaint is still funny to me. You could buy a corvette, audi, mercedes, etc and it will have an interference engine. Its not like the aveo is the only car with it, its more the norm than a non-interference engine now.

[Murrielle]

I bought my Aveo during the recession (2007), trying to support North American automakers. Ever since it hit 100,000 kms, it has become a money pit. I have driven GMs all my life (over 30 years), but the Aveo has me vowing never to buy another GM.

When I called the dealership today because the immobilization device had rendered the car inoperable, the tech laughed and said that the Aveo was a "throw-away" car and that getting the vehicle running again would begin with a tow and end in the thousands of dollars...

I'm horribly disappointed. No more GMs for me.

[MetroMPG]

Bummer, Murrielle!

And regardless of the immobilizer issue, that's a great example of *crappy* customer relations. I bet the owner of the dealership wouldn't be happy to learn about that response from the tech.

[Thymeclock]

I bought my Aveo during the recession (2007), trying to support North American automakers. Ever since it hit 100,000 kms, it has become a money pit. I have driven GMs all my life (over 30 years), but the Aveo has me vowing never to buy another GM.

When I called the dealership today because the immobilization device had rendered the car inoperable, the tech laughed and said that the Aveo was a "throw-away" car and that getting the vehicle running again would begin with a tow and end in the thousands of dollars...

I'm horribly disappointed. No more GMs for me.

The tech was probably being honest, although it may cost him his job for being candid. He's just telling you how the pecking order of government and corporate America now works. You are even lower on the social and economic pecking order than he is. He understands the game because he is not the consumer. You may be fooled, but he isn't.

You might want to voice your complaint directly to the Chevy Customer Service reps that reside on this list. They will tell you soothing, sympathetic words and tell you to take your car to the nearest Chevy dealer.

What more could you ask? Isn't that enough?

Now that GM = Government Motors, you will find that GM doesn't much care about you and your car or its dealerships. BTW, no manufacturer of any product wants you to maintain and keep the product for very long. They want you to throw it away and buy a NEW one - the sooner the better. That's how the game is played.

Every product in our current consumer based economy is considered a throw away product. Welcome to our throw-away, progressive society. This is the consequence of an economy based primarily upon consumption that is imposed upon us. The middle class must constantly be persuaded to buy and consume relentlessly, so that those above us in social and economic rank can progress through profit, and the lower classes can benefit through taxation and redistribution. You are persuaded to buy and to pay, so that others benefit. Unfortunately this scheme no longer works very well when people no longer have the assets to continue buying and discarding their possessions, or if they have lost confidence in the product they bought due to its quality having been lessened.

[2010AveoLT]

I bought my Aveo during the recession (2007), trying to support North American automakers. Ever since it hit 100,000 kms, it has become a money pit. I have driven GMs all my life (over 30 years), but the Aveo has me vowing never to buy another GM.

When I called the dealership today because the immobilization device had rendered the car inoperable, the tech laughed and said that the Aveo was a "throw-away" car and that getting the vehicle running again would begin with a tow and end in the thousands of dollars...

I'm horribly disappointed. No more GMs for me.

if it were my Aveo, I would go to another Dealership and get a Second Opinion; because according to GM Parts Direct; the Ignition Cylinder on a 2008 Aveo (and that's With Keyless Entry and the Immobilizer) is $181.50 CAD at the Local Dealer (its $169.43 in USD). Something Tells me that the Tech you Talked to was told by their Sales Departments that if a Repair is over a Certain Dollar amount and the car is a certain age, they are to scare the Customers to trade in their old car for a Brand New (or a Certified Pre Owned) car IMO.

[cpg]

I really like my Aveo...when it runs. Sadly, when it gets cold out which it does here a lot in Michigan, I trust my Dodge Neon with almost 170,000 miles more than my Aveo with 80,000. It does have good power with the stick and gets great mileage. I agree if you expect it to ride/handle like a Cadillac you will be sadly disappointed though I think it does very well for what it is, I just hate that I have now found another factory flaw from GM that they will not back me on and that I have to pay for or figure out how to fix their mistake for myself. I agree it is a good car for what it is, but mine has not been trouble free and I wouldn't say its well built. Sadly I fall in the majority; I do love it most of the time, but now knowing the flaws I wouldn't buy another.

[gone.r2]

I recently bought my 2011 Aveo5 LT automatic. I love the car. Im glad it has the Ecotec LXV engine and not the old E-tech. My first GM Korea vehicle, so im excited to see how we go foward in our life journey together. One thing i dont like is the apparent fuel economy. Im getting 25 mpg per gallon. My old Prizm used to get 30. The Aveo i can only go up to 280 miles per tank while on the Prizm i got up to 330 per tank. I did a full tune up to the Aveo, filters, oils, spark plugs NGK, still seems to be thirsty for gas. Otherwise has been solid. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[2010AveoLT]

I really like my Aveo...when it runs. Sadly, when it gets cold out which it does here a lot in Michigan, I trust my Dodge Neon with almost 170,000 miles more than my Aveo with 80,000. It does have good power with the stick and gets great mileage. I agree if you expect it to ride/handle like a Cadillac you will be sadly disappointed though I think it does very well for what it is, I just hate that I have now found another factory flaw from GM that they will not back me on and that I have to pay for or figure out how to fix their mistake for myself. I agree it is a good car for what it is, but mine has not been trouble free and I wouldn't say its well built. Sadly I fall in the majority; I do love it most of the time, but now knowing the flaws I wouldn't buy another.

Really? What Year is your Spare Engine Holder? (I own the Plymouth Version of the Neon's Bigger Brother the Stratus.)

[ziyaa]

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