NHTSA Complaint #10505451 — 2004 CHEVROLET AVEO

AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I FELT THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PICKING UP, I COULD ONLY GET TO AROUND 40-45MPH ON A HIGHWAY THAT IS 65MPH. I NEARLY GOT REAR-ENDED BY CARS FLYING UP ON ME AND I QUICKLY PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER JUST IN TIME AS THE POWER STEERING ALSO WENT OUT AND THE CAR APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED RUNNING. I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO START AGAIN. THE DIAGNOSTICS CAME BACK THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD GONE AND IT COULD BE FIXED FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN $800 TO NEEDING A BRAND NEW MOTOR. THIS FLOORED ME AS I ALWAYS HAD THE OIL AND FLUIDS REPLACED AND THE CAR ONLY HAD 84K MILES ON IT. I BEGAN TO RESEARCH THE AVEO AND BAM, THERE IT WAS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON-LINE. OWNERS ALL COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR AVEO. THE TIMING BELT ON THE AVEO, ESPECIALLY THE 04-07 MODELS GO AND WILL REQUIRE ANYWHERE FROM A MAJOR FIX TO A BRAND NEW ENGINE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM ON A LITTLE CAR. I WENT ON CRAIGSLIST TO LOOK FOR A NEW ENGINE, BUT INSTEAD FOUND 10 AVEOS IN ONE HOUR... THAT WERE BEING SOLD FOR PARTS BECAUSE THEIR TIMING BELT WENT! PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE AVEO DESERVING OF A RECALL, AND OWNERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND THE PERSISTENT NEED TO HAVE THEIR TIMING BELT REPLACED OR FACE A TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN REAR-ENDED OR WORSE BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER AND POWER STEERING. THANK YOU. *TR