There are 11 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet Aveoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
California catalytic converter breaking
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THE 81,100 - 81,300 MILES MARK MY VEHICLE HAS RECEIVED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT P2135 CODE, FOR THROTTLE/PEDAL SENSOR/SWITCH A / B VOLTAGE CORRELATION. AT THE TIME OF RECEIVING THE CODE I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING IRREGULAR UNTIL I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM. ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS BEING, REVVING OF THE ENGINE WHEN GAS PEDAL IS NOT PRESSED. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED MY CAR HAD BEEN DOING THAT JUST RECENTLY ON START UP BEFORE RECEIVING THE CODE. FINALLY AFTER ABOUT A MONTH, DRIVING VERY MINIMALLY MAYBE 10 SHORTS TRIPS OR LESS, THE CAR STALLED OUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 0.1 MILES OF BELOW 15MPH DRIVING. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND I DIDNT SEE ANYTHING WRONG SO I BEGAN TO PUSH THE CAR BACK HOME. AFTER I REALIZED IT WOULD TAKE SOME MANEUVERING I DECIDED TO TRY STARTING THE CAR BACKUP AND IT DID SO I QUICKLY TURNED IT AROUND AND DROVE IT BACK HOME. STALLING OF THE ENGINE IS ALSO A SYMPTOM OF THE P2135 CODE. SINCE THAN OUT OF NECESSITY I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR TWICE FOR 13 MILE TRIPS WITHOUT STALLING OUT BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS NOT GONE AWAY. THE ENGINE STILL REVS ON ITS ON START UP UNTIL FINALLY SETTLING INTO CONSISTENCY. AFTER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY NEEDS REPLACING ONLINE, IT APPEARS EVIDENT TO ME THAT A LARGE AMOUNT CHEVY AVEOS NO MATTER THE YEAR OR SPECIFIC MODEL, ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW MANY OWNERS TALKED ABOUT THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND REPORTED IT. THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN IT ONLINE FIXED THE PROBLEM BY CLEANING THE THROTTLE BODY, WHICH ONLY LASTED FOR SO LONG AND COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE OR GETTING A WHOLE NEW THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR ATTACHED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE IGNITION COIL, AND THE OXYGEN SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,500.
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE 805 FREEWAY BETWEEN H ST AND L ST IN SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA MY CAR STARTED TO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE. I DECIDED TO PULL OVER TO LET MY CAR REST. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. WHEN I PULLED OVER AT 10:09 AM THE SMOKE STARTED TO COME IN THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONER. I THEN GOT OUT TO AVOID SMELLING THE SMOKE. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE NOT EVEN A MINUTE LATER THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. I CALLED 911 AND A FIRE TRUCK SHOWED UP AT 10:18AM. THE FLAMES DEVOURED THE WHOLE FRONT OF MY CAR, MY ENGINE, MY INTERIOR, MY VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY TOTALED. *TR
WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE LOCAL MARKET, GOING ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR, WE STARTED LEAVING ONE STORE TO THE NEXT...AS I PULL OUT TO THE LIGHT I START TO HEAR A RATTLE ..THEN A LOUD EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD..SPARKS AND FIRE SHOT OUT AND THE ENGINE DIED AND WE COASTED ABOUT 20 FEET AND PARKED IT.....I GET OUT AND LOOK UNDER THE HOOD..THE ENGINE HAD DROPPED 8 INCHES FROM THE FRAME AND IS MERELY 3 INCHES FROM THE CONCRETE ......THE ENGINE PULLEYS ARE PUSHED UP TO THE SIDE OF THE CAR AND I BELIEVE EVERYTHING ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE IS BENT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND WHEN IT DROPPED IT BUSTED THROUGH THE SUSPENSION!!!! WE HAD IT TOWED TO CLARK'S AUTOMOTIVE IN HUNTINGTON WEST VIRGINIA 25703 (304-522-3876). EVERYONE WE TALKED TO HAD NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE! THANK YOU!! *TR
CAR WAS GOING 60-65 IN CARPOOL LANE OF FREEWAY WHEN MY HUSBAND, DRIVING, SAID HE LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THIS WAS WITHOUT WARNING. WE MANAGED TO CROSS 3 LANES AND EXIT THE FREEWAY AND HE LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER. THE CAR BROKE DOWN AT THE FIRST STOP LIGHT AND BEGAN SMOKING VERY HEAVILY. THE CAR SMOKED FOR 30-40 MINUTES AFTER THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY SHUT OFF. ALL I KEPT THINKING WAS 'THANK GOODNESS WE GOT OFF THE FREEWAY!' APPARENTLY, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHICH WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY BULLETIN NO. 08-06-02-002B THE FAN SHROUD HAD BEEN RUBBING AGAINST THE RADIATOR CAUSING IT TO CRACK AND LEAK FLUID. IT OVERHEATED, MELTING AND DAMAGING MANY PARTS AND CAUSING US TO BREAK DOWN ON THE FREEWAY GOING 60+ MILES AN HOUR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN BUT ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY FOR TEN MINUTES AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED SIX TIMES BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IN 2010 THE SAME DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED UNDER SERVICE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,973.
WAS DRIVING AND MADE A LEFT TURN CAR STARTED SHAKING THEN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 15 MPH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE DRIVER STRUCK A DEER IN THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. HE THEN GAINED VEHICLE CONTROL, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ENGULFED INTO FLAMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WAS MINOR INJURY SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 36,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUMES LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE AND HE NOTICED MOISTURE ON ALL THE WINDOWS. HE ACTIVATED THE DEFROSTER, BUT THE MOISTURE REMAINED. THE DEALER WIPED BLACK SOOT OFF OF THE INTERIOR WINDOWS AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, INSTEAD OF BEING A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED WITH THE DEALER'S ENVIRONMENTAL THEORY. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE BECAUSE THE AIR PRESSURE SENSOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATING. THE TIRES WERE FILLED WITH NITROGEN, BUT THE SENSOR LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO KEEP RESTARTING THE ENGINE SO THAT THE MODULE WOULD RESET ITSELF. WHEN HIS WIFE WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ALSO CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,937 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 550.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026