NHTSA Complaint #10460333 — 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO

MY STEPDAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND WERE TRAVELING CROSS-COUNTRY FROM CALIFORNIA TO ILLINOIS. CAR HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED BY A MECHANIC PRIOR TO TRIP AND SAID WAS OK. ON I-40, ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE NM, SHE REALIZED THE CAR WAS GETTING WARM, THEN THEY SAW STEAM FROM HOOD, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ME, IN ILLINOIS. THEN SHE CALLED AAA FOR TOWING, AND WAS TOWED TO GALLES CHEVROLET IN ALBUQUERQUE. THE NEXT DAY THEY DIAGNOSED TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OVERHEATING; CAUSE OF FAILURE LIKELY A BROKEN THERMOSTAT HOUSING. I SEARCHED FOR THIS ISSUE AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN EDMUNDS FORUM; THIS CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. IN THE END THE GIRLS WERE SAFE, THANK GOD. NOT ONLY WAS THIS A VERY EXPENSIVE INCIDENT (~$5000), BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, LEAVING TWO YOUNG COLLEGE GIRLS STRANDED IN A REMOTE DESERT LOCATION ON A HOT DAY, VERY VULNERABLE. THE NEXT PERSON THIS HAPPENS TO MIGHT NOT BE SO FORTUNATE. I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO REQUIRE GM TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR