1998 CHEVROLET ASTRO Complaints

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SPORADICALLY QUIT WORKING. THEN THEY QUIT WORKING ENTIRELY. WE JUST GOT BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH A $150 BILL. I HAVE HEARD OF A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS VAN. *AK

AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 7/10 MILES AND THEN PARKING IT SMELLS LIKE BURNING BRAKES. WHEN WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THE PADS WERE LOOSE AND GLAZED. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKES PADS 2 TWICE SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THE TIME FRAME FROM THE 1ST TIME TO THE LAST TIME WAS ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO AND WE ARE TAKING IT BACK TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECK AGAIN FOR THE SAME REASON. *AK

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE, IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY SWERVE TO LEFT OR RIGHT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 15 TIMES, 10 WHEEL ALIGNMENTS DONE, DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. DEALER COULD NOT REMEDY, SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE. *AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING IDLER ARM, PART OF LINKAGE TO STEERING MECHANISM, SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER. THIS CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO DISENGAGE IN NEUTRAL AND REVERSE. INADEQUATE SHIFT LEVER DETENT ACTION RESULTS IN INADVERTANT SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. JULY 4, 2001:WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AT 55 MPH, OPERATOR MISTAKENLY SHIFTS FROM OVERDRIVE INTO NEUTRAL (THINKING HE IS SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO OVERDRIVE). ENGINE BEGINS TO RACE WHEN CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO DISENGAGE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO OVERDRIVE, OPERATOR SHIFTS INTO LOWER GEAR DUE TO INADEQUATE DETENT ACTION IN SHIFT LEVER. ENGINE RACES FASTER (CRUISE CONTROL STILL ENGAGED). OPERATOR SHIFTS INTO REVERSE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE OVERDRIVE DUE TO INADEQUATE DETENT ACTION IN SHIFT LEVER. CRUISE CONTROL REMAINS ENGAGED CAUSING HIGH SPEED REVERSAL OF DRIVE WHEELS RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. VEHICLE SPINS OUT AND ROLLS ON SIDE. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL LOCAL REPORT NUMBER 2001070020 (EL DORADO COUNTY).*AK

THE CHEVROLET ASTRO SHIFTS GEARS VIOLENTLY. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AS I LEFT AN INTERSECTION AND THE VAN VIOLENTLY SHIFTED GEARS THROWING MY FAMILY'S AND MY HEAD BACK WITH EXTREME FORCE. THINKING THAT I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED AND KNOWING THAT OTHER CARS WERE IN FRONT AND ALONGSIDE MY VEHICLE, I QUICKLY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, ALMOST CAUSING A TRUE REAR-END COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN WARRANTY SO I TOOK IT IN FOR INSPECTION BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED AS A SERVICE TECH FOR A CHEVY DEALERSHIP. HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. HE CONTACTED ONE OF HIS FRIENDS WHO STILL WORKED AT THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE HE WAS FORMERLY EMPLOYED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HIS FRIEND STATED THAT THE DEFECT WAS KNOWN BY CHEVROLET BUT THERE WASN'T ANY RECALL AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO ABOUT IT. I PAID A HEFTY PRICE FOR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GREAT VAN ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT CHEVROLET HAS MANUFACTURED A VEHICLE KNOWING THAT IT HAS SEVERE DEFECTS IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT COULD CAUSE COSTLY REPAIRS, INJURY, OR POSSIBLE CRASH-RELATED DEATHS AND REFUSE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE MUST CONTINUE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE BEFORECORRECTIVE ACTION IS TAKEN?*AK

THE SUN SHELL, A PART IN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE LOOSE AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION.

WHILE HAVING HEADLIGHTS ON, RADIO KNOBS GOT HOT TO THE POINT WHERE CONSUMER BURNED HIS FINGER. BUT, THIS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

WHILE MAKING TURNS OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP A LOUD METALLIC NOISE WILL OCCUR, COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE.*AK

COMPUTER MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. IT HAS CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE BEEN DRIVEN. *AK *SLC