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

 

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.

 

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.