2006 Chevrolet Aveo Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around two themes: airbag warning lights that owners say dealers struggled to diagnose or fix, and electrical faults that owners often connect to the daytime running light (DRL) module in the instrument panel, including melted parts and dash smoke or fire. Many electrical and lighting complaints are filed on vehicles with six-figure mileage, while airbag complaints come in earlier, from a few thousand to around 70,000 miles. A smaller set of complaints describes throttle-body and idle-control faults producing surging or stalling, sometimes at low mileage.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light stays on

   • 59 complaints (31%)
   • median 38,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2020

   Owners describe the airbag readiness light or the 'passenger airbag off' light staying illuminated whether or not someone is in the seat, or coming on intermittently after startup. Several report repeated dealer visits: sensors, seat connectors or the seat bottom were replaced, and the light came back, in some cases with the dealer saying the system could not be duplicated or was acting normally. A few say the light appeared after a separate repair and that the cost of the passenger seat occupancy sensor was quoted in four figures. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 130,000 miles, with many under 65,000 miles and no clear seasonal pattern.

   What to check: Turn the key to run and confirm the airbag light goes out after its self-check, and test the passenger seat with different occupants. Ask whether the seat connectors, occupancy sensor or airbag module have been replaced, and request records of any diagnosis.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Passenger side airbag off light periodically comes one while passenger is in the seat. Since I bought my car on dec 2005. Has happened more than 50 times. Took to dealer, who said they could not duplicate the problem, and everything was working normally. And you don't take care of this, be cause the airbags still working they never replace nothing. Possible safety issue or dead.”

   NHTSA complaint #10178841, filed 2007-01, 1 miles

   “I fell asleep at the wheel went through the median while driving down the interstate where the speed limit is 80 outside douglas wyoming. As I woke when the car was in the middle of the median my car impacted a concrete culvert and went through the guard rail onto the other side of the interstate where it finally can to a stop across the other two lanes of on coming traffic all with no air bag deployment.”

   NHTSA complaint #10664813, filed 2014-12, 100,205 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   DRL module and dash wiring faults, melted parts

   • 50 complaints (26%)
   • median 76,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (39 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2025

   Complaints describe daytime running lights that fail, flicker or never come on, along with dash and instrument cluster lighting, gear-shift illumination and tail lights going out together. Owners report a burning smell in the cabin, a hot center console, melted light sockets and wiring, and in several cases smoke or flames from the dashboard. Dealers often could not find a cause, and owners of vehicles covered by the DRL recall report waiting on parts that were unavailable for a long period. Mostly reported between about 19,000 and 132,000 miles, with several fires noted at 73,000 to 200,000 miles; the recall notice was tied to certain model years with DRL.

   Recall 14V2610004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the DRL module and center-console area inspected and check whether the 14V261000 recall was completed; look for heat damage, discolored or melted connectors and wiring in the panel. Ask the seller for any warranty or recall paperwork.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I drove from work to lunch approx 2 miles. Parked the car, turned it off, got out to go inside to get lunch, when I came back and opened the car door there was smoke coming from the dashboard. I waited a minute to see if it would stop. It did not so called 911 to have the fire department come out. While waiting for the fire department, I saw flames and the whole dashboard area of the car caught on car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10595650, filed 2014-06, 73,000 miles

   “My daytime running lights have pretty much never worked, I have always had to manually engage my lights otherwise the dtr lights would go for a few minutes then burn flicker and short out, only working when I turn the lights on the manual way. My back turn signal shorted out around early 2012. Not only did it stop working but it melted the light socket housing, making it so I had to replace the whole light socket. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10593812, filed 2014-05, 70,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Throttle body or idle control faults: surging and stalling

   • 33 complaints (17%)
   • median 50,172 mi at 6.1 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2024

   Owners describe the engine revving on its own while idling or slowing for a light or parking space, and in some cases the car lurching forward. Others report sudden deceleration, hesitation, hard starting and repeated throttle body replacements, and complaints about the cost. Dealers and independent mechanics variously replaced the throttle body, cleaned it, or could not diagnose the fault. Reported from about 12,800 to 90,000 miles, including several under 40,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, idle the car in gear and watch for a rising tachometer or surging, and check for stored codes. Ask whether the throttle body or idle air control has been replaced and whether the latest engine software is loaded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My engine raced as I approached a red traffic light. I was able to stop without much difficulty. I turned off the engine and restarted the car with no further difficulty. This problem has not occurred since. I am reporting this minor incident at this time because I am told the vehicle has an engine manufactured in japan.”

   NHTSA complaint #10303144, filed 2010-01, 53,000 miles

   “My Chevrolet AVEO 2006 automobile has several issues that need to be addressed immediately. My car has issues with shifting and it suddenly speeds up for unknown reasons. My check engine light comes on all of the time. I tighten the gas cap as the manual states and it remains on. Also, there could be possible problems with the gas line as the car is making a loud sounds when I accelerate and smells like gas. I received a safety recall notice last year and was told that I would be contacted by mail when parts were ready. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10681994, filed 2015-02, 11,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Key stuck in ignition; hard to shift out of park

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the key will not turn past the lock position and the shifter will not come out of park, with one owner disconnecting the battery to shut the car off. Repair quotes ranged from a few hundred dollars upward, with an ignition lock solenoid named as the part in one case. A separate group describes shifter assemblies failing on automatic cars. Reported from roughly 38,000 to 88,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine running, cycle through all shifter positions and confirm the key releases freely from the ignition. Ask whether the ignition lock solenoid or shifter assembly has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Arrived at a hotel five hours away from home, parked my car and could not get my key out of the ignition. Fortunately I had my spare key with me so I was able to lock the door. Took it to a dealership and it cost about $500 to fix. They said the problem was the ignition lock solenoid. I read a lot of similar cases with this model online and it is unfair that we all have to pay to fix this issue. Recall!”

   NHTSA complaint #10592873, filed 2014-05, 88,000 miles

   “My wife has a 2006 chevy AVEO that the shifter went bad, for an automatic transmission. It is going to cost $400.00 to repair. The car has 76,000 miles on it. Shifters should never go bad.”

   NHTSA complaint #10236919, filed 2008-08, 76,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection that focuses on the airbag system, the DRL module and dash wiring, and the cooling system is worthwhile on this model year, and recall paperwork for 14V261000 should be confirmed. Records showing recent throttle body or ignition lock work help indicate what has already been addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.