If You Have an Aveo, Get The Timing Belt Checked

To my limited knowledge, most cars can keep rolling up to 60,000 (96560.64 km) miles before the vehicle’s timing belt mechanism fails. However, this is not so for 2004 Chevrolet Aveos.

Until 2004, we bought only used cars. However, that year we had the means to buy a new car. After considering gas mileage and other factors, we decided upon a Chevrolet Aveo. 

I imagine no new car is perfect and at some point we had to have the rear passenger wheel bearing replaced while under warranty. To my knowledge, there were a couple of other things too, but for the most part, we were satisfied with our 2004 Aveo.

We have taken pretty good care of the vehicle, referring to the handbook that came with it. Earlier in 2010 I read in the handbook that the timing belt would have to be replaced after 60,000 miles. Our car would reach that point some time in 2011. So I told Dorcas, my wife, we had better save up some money to get it replaced.

Premature Failure

Never mind 2011, or 60,000 miles. On June 6 I was heading to the local post office when the car lost power and, after some distance, died on U.S. 50. At least I was in the left-hand lane to pull off on to a city street.

The symptoms I observed, like the RPM dropping despite attempts at acceleration, placed one thought in my mind: the timing belt.

That was a Friday evening, and you very well know the mechanic got to look at it Monday morning. Sometime Monday, the mechanic confirmed my diagnosis.

I asked for an estimate. Now, I learned from another vehicle in our past that, for some cars, if the timing belt goes while the motor is doing more than just idling it will cause damage to the motor, usually the valves. 

The mechanic confirmed our motor’s valves were damaged. Cost of repairs would be from $2,300 to $2,500. Had we simply had the timing belt and its pulleys changed it would have only been around $550.

However, we trusted in the handbook, and in the fact that, as far as I know, most cars can last to 60,000 miles before the timing belt is replaced.

We’re Not Alone

And, we are not the only ones this has happened to. If you run a search on “2004 Aveo” with “timing belt” you will discover a number of other failures below 60,000 miles. One was at 56,125 miles. Ours failed at 53,347 miles.

But another thing you must be aware about–if you get the timing belt replaced make sure you get its pulleys replaced. This is what actually went in our vehicle, a pulley splitting into three parts, and the handbook says nothing about the pulleys. 

Aboutautomobile.com lists a complaint from one person that states they had the belt replaced after premature failure at 59,826 miles, and 20,000 miles later the idler pulley failed. As you read down the list you will see other failures below 50,000 miles.

Aveos and similar cars that have what I found out were “interference engines” will suffer severe engine damage if the timing belt or its mechanism fail, causing valve and piston damage. In some cases, the timing belt might drive the water pump, so have the water pump changed when when changing the belt or its parts. I have been told if the pump fails, it can affect the timing belt which, in turn, can damage your engine upon failure.

Adding to the pain of the high cost of repairs was the problem of getting parts and specifications. We were without our car for almost a whole month, getting it back June 30.

Image by author

Pictured above is our Aveo after being repaired. I was picking Dorcas up at work. I had not told her it was repaired and I was trying to surprise her.

Though repaired, headaches continue. The engine has trouble starting sometimes when the car sits overnight. The mechanic tweaked something last week. Then we saw its original battery was about dead, so we had that replaced. However, we still have trouble starting the vehicle at times, so its back to the mechanic after I send this article to the online publisher.

If you own a 2004 Aveo and you never have had the timing belt replaced, get it done soon, making sure the pulleys and water pump are replaced too. Hopefully you will not have to shell out over $2,000 like we and others have done. If you have an Aveo made in a different year it might be wise to get the timing belt an its pulleys inspected.

By the way, I am asking Chevrolet General Motors to pay for this. I am currently giving them time to respond with a check. However, if not, I will be making a trip to small claims court. Check some of the links provided with this article and you will see timing belts should last at least 60,000 miles.