Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Aveo owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In August 2014, I purchased a used 2009 Chevrolet Aveo for my daughter. The vehicle had low mileage (16K) and, according to carfax, two previous owners with no reported maintenance problems. I had the car inspected by my local Chevrolet dealership before finalizing the purchase from a Nissan dealership and there were no problems detected. On the date in of the incident, my daughter was traveling on the highway coming home for spring break. She was driving approximately 68 MPH when the car began to decelerate - the speed dropped from 68 to 58, then from 58 to 48, then, when the speed dropped to 38 MPH and the car repeatedly failed to respond when she pressed the accelerator to regain speed, she was forced to pull over to the side of the road. She called me and described the problem. She waited about 5 minutes and then cranked the car again. …
Engine light came on while driving and car started to slow down. It can't be throttled beyond 10-15 MPH, so pulled over. Took it to closest auto parts shop and the code reader came up with p2101/p2135 indicating there is a potential problem with 'throttle' functionality. This problem was reported by GM eng. Team and there is a technical service bulletin with the same model but GM is not considering to fix the issue with my car as it is out of warranty. This is a serious safety concern and expect GM to help fixing it. It is same as NHTSA 10034366.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed most of the time or the vehicle accelerated before the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000. The VIN was not provided. Updated 11/19/18
Car idles rough and shudders in park and while stopped at traffic signals. Car has died at stops numerous times but usually starts again with no problem. When driving at all speeds and depressing the gas the car has no response or loses power and will not accelerate, then the rpms shoot up and the car lunges forward. This is dangerous! Replaced the maf sensor thinking this could be the issue. This did not correct the problem and car is still acting up. Intermittent failure. No trouble codes and no check engine light.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving 20, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the speed control sensor and accelerator pedal failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred numerous times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.s the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo. While driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle would accelerate without warning. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the spark plug and the air filter were replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
You can't drive it anywhere it runs right then for no reason it loose power and won't accalrate while driving it will drop below 10 MPH in traffic or lose all power while crossing road or turning I'm afeead I'll b hit in side or ran over in traffic.
I bought my 2009 Chevy Aveo a year and a half ago. When my car was at 6,000 miles, I drove my car to school and parked it in a parking garage. When I returned to my car at the end of the day it would not start. My car was towed to a dealership and a faulty fuel pump was replaced. When my car reached 16,000 miles I began experiencing shaking at stop lights and stop signs, and very slow delayed acceleration when starting to drive after stopping. The shaking and delayed acceleration would occur randomly yet was very likely when my air conditioning was on. I brought my car to the dealership yet they said the problem could not be replicated. My car is currently around 22,000 miles. Over the last week my car has begun decelerating and then suddenly lunging forward while I am driving. …
On the first incident, when driving at 40 MPH started shaking like it wanted to stall and stopped accelerating. The next day when stopped at a light it started shaking and the RPM gauge was going up and down. It didn't happen again until about a month later, which is when I took it in, but the dealership couldn't replicate the problem. It kept happening -- the car would start shaking while driving like it wanted to stall and would slow down. Once while driving it dropped the acceleration to about 20 MPH and would not go any faster, then just lost power to the engine. I took it again for one week but they couldn't replicate the problem. I got the car back and it was fine for about two weeks but now is happening regularly. Sometimes it just shakes quickly but something the acceleration completely drops and the car will just stop while I am driving, which is scary. …
I was driving up hwy 31 in columbus and my car was like it wasn't getting gas. The engine continued to run. I pushed the accelerator to the floor and it made a connection again in approximately 1 minute. This happened twice and I took it to poynter Chevrolet in seymour. Nothing showed up on the computer and they kept my car 3 days and could not get it to duplicate the problem. My car was only doing this once a week, now it is doing it most of the time. You have no warning that it is going to slow up, only moving from the momentum of the previous speed. I looked on the computer at "problems with Chevy aveos" and there are several people on the internet with the same problem. I called Chevrolet and they said they only do recalls from calls from mechanics who have fixed the same problem several times. How can I get this fixed if they don't know what is causing the problem? …
Acceleration complaints in other Aveo years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo, 13% of the model year's 169 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Aveo acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2009 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 2009 Chevrolet Aveo acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
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.