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2005 Chevrolet AveoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 235 owner complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 14V-261 the manufacturer reports only 29% of affected cars repaired.

2005 Chevrolet Aveo
43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the Aveo median · #1 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints23551 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage80kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 9, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo has problems

235 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system6713
Engine and engine cooling622
Exterior lighting487
Power train183
Engine170
Air bags1613
Vehicle speed control163
Latches/locks/linkages130
Suspension92
13 other systems5213

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2005 Chevrolet Aveo recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

29%repaired · 2016 Q2

Exterior lighting: headlights

Recall 14V-261 · May 19, 2014 · 218,000 vehicles · 62,387 repaired

Risk. If the DRL module melts due to the heat generation, it could cause a vehicle fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

80kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 53 electrical system complaints. 66% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
3under 30k miles35under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

11 owners mentioned a cost

$400median

Middle half: $97 – $800

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Aveo year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Aveo median. How we score

'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2005 Chevrolet Aveo safety ratings

2005 Chevrolet Aveo 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2005 Chevrolet Aveo frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2005 Chevrolet Aveo side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo, and the recalls they led to.

  1. STUCK THROTTLE VALVEEA08005 · closed Oct 14, 2008
    No recall
  2. STUCK THROTTLE VALVEPE07051 · closed Feb 14, 2008
    No recall
In owners' words

What Aveo owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TACADA RECALL I BOUGHT MY CAR HAD 121000 MILES ALL A SUDDEN I HAVE NO RIGHT TAIL LIGHT NO DASH LIGHTS AN NO PASSENGERS FRONT ORANGE LIGHT THER IS NO POWER GOING TO FUSE BOX UNDER HOOD I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED MY VIN HAD BEEN FIXED FOR THAT RECAL AND IT HAS NOT
Complaint 11229828 · Jul 6, 2019 · 121,000 miles
GM MUST NOT KNOW THIS THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE ELECTRICAL WIRE HARNESS INSIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK FOR THE LIGHTS. FOR SOME REASON THE POWER IS OVER WRITING THE FUSES AND NOT BLOWING AND CAUSING SMALL ENGINE FIRES THAT COULD GET OUT OF CONTROL. I CAUGHT MINE IN ENOUGH TIME AND PUT IT OUT. A GUY HAS…
Complaint 11152861 · Nov 20, 2018 · 178,000 miles
INTERIOR DASH AND CONSOLE LIGHTS IN-OPERATIVE AS WELL AS THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT. JESUS CHRIST, AFTER SEEING ALL OF THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS OUR BELOVED NO GOOD FOR NOTHING GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES SHOULD MAKE GM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR FOR THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURERS OR ENGINEERING…
Complaint 10928035 · Nov 26, 2016 · 112,000 miles

Own a 2005 Aveo?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.