Faults:

Lost hubcap.

Gas cap door fell off.

Passenger's side seat belt tends to lock.

General Comments:

This is my first vehicle. I use it primarily in town, but have done plenty of highway driving in it as well. It's a very satisfactory and reliable commuter car.

While it doesn't have the best pick-up (which I didn't expect with a tiny engine), it's a zippy little car when it gets going. Passes fairly well at high speeds but not great in town.

Acceleration is sluggish, and transmission is hesitant in higher gears.

I really wish it had a D3 gear - this would make taking steep hills a lot easier. Probably it would be better with a manual transmission.

Very comfortable for all on long trips - much roomier than anticipated. I'm a tall woman and have long legs, and I'm completely comfortable in it; granted, I drive it with a short leg.

My heater fan tends to rattle.

A/C and heater work great.

Gas mileage is fantastic, especially on the highway, but every ounce of weight hurts mileage.

Okay, but not fantastic handling in rain, ice or snow, mostly because it sits so high.

Otherwise, it handles great, especially in tight spaces. Visibility all around the car is great, which is an added bonus.

Brakes are a bit mushy but not troublingly so.

Faults:

* At 5,000 km the head gasket blew - repaired under warranty.

* Throttle body replaced at 74,000 for a recall. One week after recall work, a massive coolant leak caused by hose breaking under throttle body. (I suspect from faulty service work.)

* A/C failed at 78,000

* Dashboard clock replaced twice due to random time display changes (e.g. jumping ahead a couple of hours; falling back a few hours, not a problem of resetting itself to 12:00)

* gas tank cover and trunk release levers rusted and seized several times (they are on the floor and rest against the carpet - not good for an area that gets sees snow and salt)

* remote to lock/unlock car works at 8 feet away or closer

* tires seem to wear too fast even with rotation and proper inflation (approximately 20,000 km) - have had 3 sets so far.

General Comments:

Not a quality built car in any way. Very poor workmanship and appears to have many design flaws. So many different components of this car break and fail before a reasonable life span. Problems with this vehicle began within the first month of purchase (I purchased it new from the dealership). If I had been financially able, I would have bought a different car within the first 6 months of ownership.

Faults:

When we got the car, the check engine light was on. My husband is a mechanic and we're certain it just needs the camshaft position variation relearn procedure done, but the shop he works at doesn't have the correct scanner to perform the procedure and the Snap-On Modis won't do it. We haven't bothered to take it to a GM dealer yet. The light actually stays off in the cold weather.

The inner tie rod ends are a LITTLE, TINY bit loose. When looking into what it would cost to replace them, we found you have to replace the whole rack and pinion as they are a part of that. I have NEVER seen this before!

General Comments:

Cute car. Rides fine. No issues with performance. It's a little snappy. Timing belt should be replaced between every 40 and 60K. The previous owner had cruise installed in it and I LOVE that! It is small when it comes to leg room, but good head room and large trunk. Trunk has emergency release and rear seats lay flat. I have the bare minimum base model, so no power locks, doors or windows. I do like that you have to lock the door with the key (I have a habit of locking my key in the car). Mine has Mp3/CD player. There isn't a whole lot of stuff out there if you want to "pimp" it up or do any sort of customization. I love the middle seat belt design in the rear. It has a shoulder belt that has two latches. It latches straight down, then across and it makes it easier if you have an infant car seat to unhook/hook the seatbelt regardless of what side you are on.

The biggest disappointment is the gas mileage. We have a Geo Metro that gets 52 mpg highway. We were told going into it that these cars get around 30 and didn't believe it. After all, we'd had a 2000 Dodge Intrepid that got 30 mpg and it's a 6 cyl and heavier. The Aveo, DOES get 30 mpg, which I wouldn't believe if I hadn't checked it myself regularly. I'm disappointed that I downgraded in size and luxury features and get the SAME mpg! If I was getting better mileage, I wouldn't mind the small size.

Overall, it's not a bad car depending on what your priorities are. Mine is gas mileage, so I wouldn't buy this car again. Otherwise, I would recommend it.