Two problems related to check engine light on have been reported for the 2004 Chevrolet Aveo. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Chevrolet Aveo based on all problems reported for the 2004 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.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Aveo. The engine warning light would intermittently illuminate on the instrument control panel. Also the vehicle would shimmy while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a tune-up was performed. After the repair the failure resurfaced so the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. She purchased a fuel cap. The repair did not remedy the failure because the vehicle exhibited a no-start condition. A mechanic stated that the timing chain fractured. No repairs were made. The current mileage was approximately 63,000. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.