My timing belt broke and caused $1,500 worth of damage to my car (04 Aveo). If you had your timing belt break, please let post how many miles you had when it broke. I had 70,000 miles. I know NOW that I was supposed to replace it at 60,000 (my Honda's had to be replaced at 90,000). I wish my dealer would have told me this when I had my car inspected at 66,000 miles two months ago.

EVERY car that uses timing belts has to have them replaced at around 60-80,000 miles import or otherwise, well aveo are imports i guess to some extent

I found out that GM issued two service bulletins on Aveo timing belts in October 2006. It basically says that if you don't replace the belt before 60,000 and it breaks, tough luck! Bulletin # 3936 and 060601021

However, it also says that the dealership service department should advise customers that changing the belt at 60,000 is required maintenance (which my dealer did not, even though I had the car at the dealer last month to do a state inspection.)

This is a well-known issue on the Aveo. I just got mine replaced (before damage was done) with around 45,000 miles. Join us over at aveoclub.net and you'll learn about all sorts of things including this.

If I would have known about the belt,I would have never purchased my Aveo5.My next stop was 1 mile away at a Hyundai dealer.

I replaced mine at 53k, because it broke then. Now it broke again at approx 83k. How do you address that?

I wonder if they explain all of his in the owners manual?....you know that book in the glove compartment that no one reads???

ORIGINAL: tripod

If I would have known about the belt,I would have never purchased my Aveo5.My next stop was 1 mile away at a Hyundai dealer.


they use belts to so no difference there

Well, I thought I was safe for at least another 17k before I planned to change the belt again. In my case the tensioner fell off. This was replaced when my engine had to be rebuilt at 68K for a different common 2004 Aveo problem. Maybe it was the dealer who installed the tensioner who is at fault. Hmm. Good to have a 100k warranty. Oh, the engine is shot now too.

im glad to see things about the timing belt...i was just told that a timing belt needs to be put on at 60,000 miles and i have about 63,000 on the car. i was told not to go more than another 20,000 miles on that timing belt. i also found out the i have to go get it done at a chevy dealer cuz of a tool that they need to use for it. i want to know how much it cost people.

Do not go with the recommendation of not going another 20k miles if you have 63k miles. The belt fell off on my car last month. Your car WILL lose its engine when the timing belt breaks. All 16 valves had to be replaced. The cost was around $2,000 at the dealer.

Second, yes there is a special tool that is required to take off the belt. The dealer will have it.

Replace that belt every 50,000 miles is my recommendation after reading posts from many on these forums....and my personal experience.

it did happend to me today. can i just replce the valve or because the valve did it the piston it did cause problem to both end of the connecting rod?

simon

I made a screen name just for this post. :)

It was hell when my timing belt went out. I knew nothing about this problem until it happened to me. I stayed on top of all my scheduled maintenance and was never told about this problem.

To make a long story short, my 04 Aveo had 98,593 miles on it on 8/26/08. The grand total was $2193.12

Do not go with the recommendation of not going another 20k miles if you have 63k miles. The belt fell off on my car last month. Your car WILL lose its engine when the timing belt breaks. All 16 valves had to be replaced. The cost was around $2,000 at the dealer.

Second, yes there is a special tool that is required to take off the belt. The dealer will have it.

Replace that belt every 50,000 miles is my recommendation after reading posts from many on these forums....and my personal experience.

That just blows me away. They seriously replaced all of your valves? They didn't help you find a good low mileage used Aveo engine? Criminals!

The engine was covered under a 100k warranty. It cost me nothing. Also, because the engine also went out at 68k miles due to a problem that Chevy recognizes as an issue, I wouldn't recommend getting a used engine either. I've submitted detailed posts about that issue in another area. It required all the valves being replaced then too.

Consider yourself lucky. We just had 2 cars come in today and both need complete engines. One is a $7000 repair the other is $6000. Sounds to me yours only bent the valves which isn't too hateful.

The engine was covered under a 100k warranty. It cost me nothing. Also, because the engine also went out at 68k miles due to a problem that Chevy recognizes as an issue, I wouldn't recommend getting a used engine either. I've submitted detailed posts about that issue in another area. It required all the valves being replaced then too.
I only sell '05 Aveo engines for customers who call me needing engines for '04's. I never have any problems with the 05's.

Also, with a used engine out, it's easy to swap the timing belt before putting the engine in the car.

It turns a 7,000 repair into a $2,000 repair. I sell these things like popcorn.

I disagree with you saying a used engine isn't a good option. It's a great option.

I should have been more specific. Chevy came out with an announcement for the 2004 Aveo around mid 2008 about a problem with the engines. All the valves had to be replaced. I would not recommend a 2004 engine from an Aveo being used to replace any Aveo engine. My cost for the valve replacement was only around $2,000. Not a big deal, and didn't need a new engine.

My mom owns one of these, it is yellow and i call it her little Mellon. It is a 2004, is has had 3 transmissions (all from the dealer), and then at 103K miles, the timing belt broke and cost her right around 3500$. Bent 10 and broke off 6. I fought with Chevrolet for a month to get parts, they wouldnt budge. Needless to say, she has sworn off Cheves. SHe still drives it to this day tho, 217K miles on a 2004.

LE

Our situation was slightly different- the idler pulley broke in half on the highway at 70 mph- causing the belt to slip, and major engine damage. We had 60,455 miles on the car- and, to add insult to injury, an appointment to have the 60,000 mile maintenance done the week of the breakage. GM refuses to be held responsible for repairs, or a potentially deadly defect.

if the people at the gm dealer knew what every vehicle needed they would not be human they would be machines. these cars are made in korea (mistake number one)(although the new ones are getting good reviews). sometimes people have to be accountable for their own neglect as well they do put the owners manuals in these things for a reason.

I have a 2008 Aveo5 I bought yesterday. It has 45,000 miles. I heard about the timing belt issue today and looked carefully in the owner's manual for information about this - found nothing. Do I need to get this examined by the dealer right away? I paid 7,000 and would hate to have a $2000 repair bill before the car gets dirty.:(
Dakota Shopper