CHEVROLET AVEO · model year

2011 CHEVROLET AVEO

112 NHTSA complaints, 13 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011CHEVROLETAVEO carries 112 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 13 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 2 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 AVEO is engine with 22 filings, followed by electrical system (13) and vehicle speed control (11). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2011 AVEO, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

112
Complaints
13
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
2
Deaths

Total Complaints

112 filings

Crashes Reported

13 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11
POWER TRAIN10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8
SERVICE BRAKES7
AIR BAGS7
STEERING6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
WHEELS4
STRUCTURE:BODY3
SUSPENSION2
SEAT BELTS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH2

Recent Complaints

20210320WHEELS

PRIME WALL TIRES 185/60/R14, PIMEWALL TIRES PS830 185/60/R14 ARE SEPARATING FROM THE SEAM

20200213AIR BAGS

THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE PASSENGER AIR BAG TO TURN OFF MAKING IT DANGEROUS FOR A PASSENGER IN CASE OF ACCIDENT

20200102ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE BEEN TO THE SHOP SO MANY TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THE FIRST TIME OUT OF NOWHERE IT STARTED SMOKING WHITE SMOKE AND OVERHEATED THE ENGINE AND COME TO FIND OUT THE TUBING IN THE CAR HAD EXPLODED. THEN GOT EVERYTHING FIXED AND NOW STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING AND WHITE SMOKE BUT NOW A BURNING SMELL. IT'S SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME. I FOUND THIS RESPONSE O. YOUR WEBSITE WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS THIS CAR AND THIS HAPPENED TO MINE AS WELL: ' HOSES TO MY COOLING SYSTEM ALL BUSTED ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITH IN 5 DAY WE COULD SEE THE WEEK SPOT IN THE HOSE AFTER THY BUSTED,HAD THE THERMOSTAT CHANGED , IT ALSO BLOW MY HEAD GASKET' THIS IS ALSO HAPPENED AND I BARELY DRIVE IT. IT'S 5 MILES DOWN THE STREET WHERE I WORK WITH A 45MPH MAX SPEED LIMIT. I HAVE PICTURES AND VIDEOS AS WELL BUT CAN'T ATTACH IT

Mileage: 76,000

20200102ENGINE

I HAVE BEEN TO THE SHOP SO MANY TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THE FIRST TIME OUT OF NOWHERE IT STARTED SMOKING WHITE SMOKE AND OVERHEATED THE ENGINE AND COME TO FIND OUT THE TUBING IN THE CAR HAD EXPLODED. THEN GOT EVERYTHING FIXED AND NOW STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING AND WHITE SMOKE BUT NOW A BURNING SMELL. IT'S SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME. I FOUND THIS RESPONSE O. YOUR WEBSITE WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS THIS CAR AND THIS HAPPENED TO MINE AS WELL: ' HOSES TO MY COOLING SYSTEM ALL BUSTED ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITH IN 5 DAY WE COULD SEE THE WEEK SPOT IN THE HOSE AFTER THY BUSTED,HAD THE THERMOSTAT CHANGED , IT ALSO BLOW MY HEAD GASKET' THIS IS ALSO HAPPENED AND I BARELY DRIVE IT. IT'S 5 MILES DOWN THE STREET WHERE I WORK WITH A 45MPH MAX SPEED LIMIT. I HAVE PICTURES AND VIDEOS AS WELL BUT CAN'T ATTACH IT

Mileage: 76,000

20190526UNKNOWN OR OTHER

KEY GETS LOCKED IN IGNITION. IT WONT TURN OR IF IT TURNS IT DOES NOT COME OUT.

20190508ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ARRIVED AT HOME PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND UNABLE TO SHUT MY CAR OFF. HAD TO PULL FUSE TO THE COMPUTER AND DISCONNECT NEGATIVE SIDE OF BATTERY. TOOK IT TO A SHOP THEY ADVISED NO COMMUNICATION WITH SHIFTER. SHOP DRILLED OUT MY OLD IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACED WITH A NEW KEY LOCK CYLINDER. SEEMS TO BE WORKING AS OF NOW AFTER A $518.74 BILL.

Mileage: 131,996

20190508UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ARRIVED AT HOME PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND UNABLE TO SHUT MY CAR OFF. HAD TO PULL FUSE TO THE COMPUTER AND DISCONNECT NEGATIVE SIDE OF BATTERY. TOOK IT TO A SHOP THEY ADVISED NO COMMUNICATION WITH SHIFTER. SHOP DRILLED OUT MY OLD IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND REPLACED WITH A NEW KEY LOCK CYLINDER. SEEMS TO BE WORKING AS OF NOW AFTER A $518.74 BILL.

Mileage: 131,996

20190319CrashAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS STILL DRIVEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY A PARENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,512.

Mileage: 76,512

20190312SERVICE BRAKES

RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE BLEW OUT LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKE WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. UNABLE TO STOP HAD NO BRAKES HAD TO SWERVE IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MECHANIC SAID IN HIS 35 YEARS AS A MECHANIC NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN AND TO MAKE A REPORT AS THIS COULD KILL SOMEONE.

Mileage: 70,000

20180709ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND THE IGNITION SWITCH SEIZED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A FUSE OR THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

Mileage: 180,000

20180626ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AND WORSENED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (SHELLWORTH CHEVROLET, 631 ORANGE DRIVE, VACAVILLE, CALIFORNIA 95687) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. *TT *TR

Mileage: 82,000

20180221POWER TRAIN

AT 60K MILES THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. VEHICLE RUNS FINE BUT NOT HAVING A SPEEDOMETER IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW TRANSMISSIONS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER IN OPERATED BY A PLASTIC GEAR INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION COST ME 1600 DOLLARS AND THE 9 MONTHS LATER THAT GEAR LET GO ALSO. AGAIN I HAD TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION WITHOUT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKING. THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED.

Mileage: 70,063

20171230ENGINE

TAKATA RECALL AS I WAS HEADING TO WORK ONE MORNING THE LIGHT I WAS WAITING AT TURNED GREEN AS I GOT READY TO GO MY CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, BUT RESTARTED. IFOUND OUT MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL ON MY HEAD GASKETS CAUSING IT TO SHUT OFF. MY SALES REP MANAGED TO TALK HIS MECHANIC TO FIX THAT. NOW MY CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL INJECTORS CAUSING THE TAKE OFF NOT TO BE PROPER & DRAINING MY GAS!!

20171230FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TAKATA RECALL AS I WAS HEADING TO WORK ONE MORNING THE LIGHT I WAS WAITING AT TURNED GREEN AS I GOT READY TO GO MY CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, BUT RESTARTED. IFOUND OUT MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL ON MY HEAD GASKETS CAUSING IT TO SHUT OFF. MY SALES REP MANAGED TO TALK HIS MECHANIC TO FIX THAT. NOW MY CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL INJECTORS CAUSING THE TAKE OFF NOT TO BE PROPER & DRAINING MY GAS!!

20171227ENGINE

MY COOLANT RESERVOIR HAS BEEN EMPTIED SUDDENLY ON 4 OCCASIONS. ONE ONE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYS, MY CAR OVERHEATED, AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO COOLANT. AFTER FILLING IT, LETTING THE CAR COOL, AND DRIVING 10 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD, IT HAD OVERHEATED AND WAS EMPTY AGAIN. THAT TIME, AND ONCE BEFORE, IT WAS THE HOSE. ANOTHER TIME, THE CAP WAS DAMAGED, AND WAS ALLOWING COOLANT TO EVAPORATE. THE MOST RECENT TIME, THERE IS A CRACK IN THE RESERVOIR, ALLOWING THE COOLANT TO LEAK. HOWEVER, MY OVERHEATING WARNING DID NOT COME ON. MY HEAT HAS ALSO NOT BEEN WORKING, EVEN IF I WARM MY CAR UP AHEAD OF TIME IN THE COLD WEATHER.

Mileage: 68,000

20171227ENGINE

THE CAR HAS LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON 3 OCCASIONS SO FAR OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING BETWEEN 25-45 MPH IN A RESIDENTIAL/SUBURBAN AREA. I HAVE HAD TO ROLL TO A STOP AND PULL OVER ON A BUSY ROAD. MY GAS NOR BREAKS WORKED AT ALL WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING. I TURNED MY CAR OFF, THEN ON, AND IT WORKED LIKE NORMAL AGAIN.

Mileage: 55

20170918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2011 CHEVY AVEO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICE OVERHEATING AND BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS OVER HEATED A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES. THE LAST INCIDENT CAUSED THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED LEAKS. UPDATED 09/18/2017*JS

20170728ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT HAS SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 4 TIMES ALREADY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVING IT WHEN IT SHUTS DOWN. SO THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS I AM ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING AND OUT OF NOWHERE MY ENTIRE CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN AND I AM TRYING TO COAST TO SAFETY. IMAGINE THAT NOT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO OWNS THE SAME EXACT CAR AND HE TOLD ME THAT HIS CAR HAS SHUT DOWN JUST LIKE THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. SO IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME AND ANOTHER RANDOM PERSON THAT I AM SPEAKING WITH I AM WONDERING WHY THIS CAR IS NOT BEING RECALLED. I AM AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO DIE IN THAT CAR HOW SAFE CAN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND HAVE YOUR CAR SUDDENTLY SHUT DOWN WITH CARS FLYING PAST YOU AT 70 OR 80 MILES AN HOURS BE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS CA

Mileage: 80,000

20170728UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT HAS SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 4 TIMES ALREADY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVING IT WHEN IT SHUTS DOWN. SO THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS I AM ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING AND OUT OF NOWHERE MY ENTIRE CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN AND I AM TRYING TO COAST TO SAFETY. IMAGINE THAT NOT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO OWNS THE SAME EXACT CAR AND HE TOLD ME THAT HIS CAR HAS SHUT DOWN JUST LIKE THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. SO IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME AND ANOTHER RANDOM PERSON THAT I AM SPEAKING WITH I AM WONDERING WHY THIS CAR IS NOT BEING RECALLED. I AM AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO DIE IN THAT CAR HOW SAFE CAN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND HAVE YOUR CAR SUDDENTLY SHUT DOWN WITH CARS FLYING PAST YOU AT 70 OR 80 MILES AN HOURS BE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS CA

Mileage: 80,000

20170427ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY OTHER WARNING INDICATORS THAT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 66,000. UPDATED 07/11/17*LJ *CN

Mileage: 66,000

Compare 2011CHEVROLETAVEO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO have?
The 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO has 112 NHTSA complaints, 13 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO?
The 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO?
The most-complained component for the 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO is ENGINE with 22 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 CHEVROLET AVEO has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.