NHTSA Complaint #10393028 — 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY AVEO THAT ONLY HAS 65K MILES ON IT AND GETS REGULAR OIL CHANGES. I WENT IN AND HAD MY TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED AND WAS TOLD THE CAR LOOKED GREAT. DROVE A FEW OTHER PLACES, AND WAS ON A STEEP HILL, TURNING AROUND (AS I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE), AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF MY ENGINE. I PARKED IMMEDIATELY. MY THERMOSTAT HOUSING PIECE (PLASTIC) HAD CRACKED IN HALF AND WAS SPEWING ANTIFREEZE. IN THE TWO SECONDS THE CAR WAS ON, I LOST HALF MY ANTI-FREEZE AND MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS COVERED IN ANTI-FREEZE. FURTHER, THE PART IS HARD TO FIND AND WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS FOR A REPLACEMENT. THIS PART BROKE OUT OF THE BLUE, IN THE MIDDLE OF ROUTINE DRIVING. THERE'S NO WAY TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED - THE CAR WILL HAVE TO BE TOWED. I HEAR THAT THE PART IS NOW BEING MADE IN ALUMINUM AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR (EVERY 50-70K THIS PIECE JUST INEXPLICABLY CRACKS). I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE PART OF A STANDARD RECALL. HAD THIS PIECE BROKE AT ANY OTHER TIME (SUCH AS FIVE MINUTES PRIOR, WHEN I WAS ON THE FREEWAY) THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRE CONSEQUENCES. FURTHER, HAD I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER, I COULD HAVE HAD AN ENGINE FIRE OR SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THREE DAYS OF TIME AND ENERGY TO GET THIS REPAIRED (HOPEFULLY TO BE COMPLETED TOMORROW). THIS PLASTIC PIECE IS NOTHING BUT A SAFETY HAZARD AND I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO HAVE ESCAPED IN ONE PIECE. I'M YET TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE THE ANTI-FREEZE WILL DO TO MY CAR IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET THE CAR INTO THE SHOP TO BE FIXED UP. *TR