Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Aveo owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's son owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the passenger's side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
I was rear ended by another vehicle while driving in traffic on the highway in slow and go traffic. I was driving at a slow pace, about 15 MPH.the other vehicle was traveling at about 30 MPH. When he hit me, he forced my vehicle into the one in front of me. My airbag did not go off. My car burst into flames about 5 minutes after the accident. The flames were coming up from the engine. My car is totaled as a result of this. I am 12 weeks pregnant with twins. One of my placenta's has a tear in it and is bleeding as a result of this accident. I will have to be on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I am at risk of miscarrying one or maybe both of my babies.
I was rear ended and it was not a bad accident but needed a bumper and I noticed that after this happened my airbag sensor light came on. When we took the vehicle in for repair I told the technician that I was more concerned about the airbag sensor light then the bumper. They said they would look at it. When we picked up our vehicle they said they looked at the airbag light sensor and reset it. Now 6 months later the light is back on. I took it back and they suggested I check on the internet for any recalls. I did not see any. Can you suggest anything. I feel that they did not really properly check out the sensor light or to make sure the airbag is OK.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving approximately 10 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained ribs injuries, the front seat passenger sustained knee and head injuries, and the rear passenger sustained right hand and neck injuries. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,164.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries, which did not require medical attention. The driver in the other vehicle was uninjured. A police report was filed. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving at an unknown speed, the driver sneezed and, as a result, the driver crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000. The VIN was not available.
I was traveling se on entrance road. A car was stopped on my left on jean chapel road. The driver unexpectedly pulled directly in front of me creating an unavoidable crash situation. I pumped my brakes heavily and attempted to swerve to miss the vehicle but do to wet road conditions and my speed (5mph under the limit), I could not avoid slamming into the passenger side of her vehicle. The passenger in the other car received ambulance recovery. The driver was obviously stunned and received medical attention. My air bags did not deploy, and I subsequently received direct steering wheel and windshield contact. First failure at approximately 25,000 miles, passenger warning airbag malfunction.
Chief deficiency: headliughts have spontaneously stopped illuminating. No high or low beam function of the driver or passenger headlamps. Bulbs were just replaced because lights were dimming. Upon replacement it was noted that the passenger plug in/socket was partially melted. Worked fine for 20 days; now no headlights at all. This occurred while I was driving after dark. I found there is a GM recall campaign 14236, dated 19may2014: recall # 14V261000 for exterior headlights. Additionally, to what is noted above, I have been smelling periodical whiffs of ozone while operating the vehicle these past few days. This vehicle is equipped with daytime running lights (drl).
This 2008 car had 30,985 miles on it when problems started. The airbag light on the main dash would come on while driving and the passenger air bag light would go off when no one was sitting in the seat. On 10/19/16 the GM dealer said that it needed a new battery (checked out OK in late July) and possibly a replacement passenger presence module (the entire seat bottom). They replaced the battery and the lights worked properly until 11/12/16. The sensor/seat had to be prepaid for $1,195 and the work was done by the dealer on 11/15/16 for a total cost of $1,386. I saved the old part. As of 12/9/16 the problem has not returned. Photos are available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag and the check engine warning indicators illuminated. In addition, the hold button to activate the four wheel drive failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired twice. The dealer was unable to diagnose the other failures; however, all the failures recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. Updated 12/20/16 updated 12/21/16.
Airbag complaints in other Aveo years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo, 43% of the model year's 163 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Aveo airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Aveo airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 13 crashes, 1 fire and 14 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.