Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
28–30 mpgcombined; city 25–27, highway 34; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,830–$11,600U.S. average; Ohio $9,680–$10,370 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2009 Aveo. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Aveo. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
50
3
1
1
Engine
36
0
1
0
Engine and engine cooling
29
0
0
0
Suspension
22
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
22
0
0
0
Air bags
16
10
2
11
Power train
14
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
12
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
10
0
0
0
Unknown or other
10
2
2
0
Steering
9
2
0
1
Tires
8
0
0
0
12 more parts
Wheels
7
1
1
1
Fuel/propulsion system
6
0
1
0
Service brakes
6
2
0
2
Structure
6
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
0
0
0
Interior lighting
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
1
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
1
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Aveo over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Aveo and 2009 Pontiac G3 vehicles. The vehicles may contain brake fluid which does not protect against corrosion of the valves inside the anti-lock brake system (ABS) module, affecting the closing motion of the valves.
Risk: If the ABS valve corrodes it may result in longer brake pedal travel or reduced performance, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS module, free of charge, in any vehicle that did not have its module replaced under a previous customer satisfaction campaign. The recall began in late September 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac). GM's number for this recall is 14505.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 917 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Aveo, the latest on Sep 9, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (446), electrical system (185), engine and engine cooling (94), equipment adaptive/mobility (67), power train (57).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Aveo.
EPA class: subcompact cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Aveo Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
27 / 34 / 30
Aveo Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Aveo 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
27 / 34 / 30
Aveo 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 34 / 28
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data