1999 CHEVROLET ASTRO Complaints

CONSUMER STATES HAS PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, DOOR LATCH DOES NOT WORK/PASSENGER WINDOW DOES NOT OPEN, AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NOT WORKING. DEALER STATES SORRY NOTHING WE CAN DO, YOU DON'T HAVE A WARRANTY. *AK

STEERING WHEEL DIAMETER IS TOO THICK. PH. THE STEERING WHEEL DIAMETER WAS TOO THICK. PH. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A TWISTING , BENDING IN HIS FINGERS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GRABBED, THE CONSUMER HELD THE WHEEL WITH THE TIP OF HIS FINGERS AND PALMS WHICH CAUSED THE ENDS OF THE CONSUMER'S FINGERS TO BEND, FROM TURNING THE TIGHT STEERING WHEEL, THE CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED PAIN IN BOTH SHOULDERS, AND A SORE BACK. *JB

ELECTRICAL WIRING PROBLEMS. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT COMPLETELY DIED, AND HE HAD NO STEERING OR BRAKE POWER. IT ALMOST CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THIS WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ,THAT THEY HAD TO CHANGE A FUSE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK

I PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR A 1999 CHEVROLET ASTRO ON THIS DATE. THE DEALER FIRESTONE TIRE & SERVICE CENTERS, 7950 E SPEEDWAY, TUCSON, AZ 85715 REPRESENTED THE TIRES AS SUITABLE FOR MY VEHICLE. AFTER I GOT HOME I DISCOVERED THE TIRES, FIRESTONE FR380 P215/75R15, WERE RATED FOR 1742 LBS AT 44 PSI BUT THIS SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 1585 LBS WHEN USING THIS TIRE ON A TRUCK OR MULTIPURPOSE VEHICLE WHICH, I ASSUME, WOULD PERTAIN TO A VAN AS WELL. THE TIRE JUST MEETS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE VAN WHICH IS A LOAD CAPACITY OF 1575 LBS. BUT IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENT ONLY WHEN INFLATED TO 44 PSI. CHEVROLET RECOMMENDS A TIRE PRESSURE OF 35 PSI AND WHEN THE FIRESTONE INSTALLED THE TIRES THEY INFLATED THEM TO ONLY 30 PSI. I INCREASED THE PRESSURE TO 44 PSI SINCE ONLY THEN WOULD THE TIRES MEET THE VAN SPECS. I TRIED TO GET THE DEALER TO UPGRADE THE TIRES ABOUT 25 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THEM BUT THEY SAID THEY MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF MY VAN. LATER WHEN I WENT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE THE CHANGE SAID THE TIRES WERE OVER INFLATED AND REDUCED THEM ALL TO 35 PSI. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE BUT CANNOT GET CONSISTENT ADVICE NOR ANY ACTION FROM THE DEALER. DOES THE NHSTA HAVE ANY STANDING IN SUCH A DISPUTE ? *NLM

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS NOW HAS THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT HAS COME UNBUCKLED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. ON ONE OF THE INSTANCES THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN OVER 100 MILES WITH THE BELT BUCKLED WHEN IT SPONTANEOUSLY RETRACTED. VEHICLE USERS ARE NOW NOTING "FALSE POSITIVE" BUCKING, WHERE THEY BUCKLE THE BELT AND THEN FIND THAT TUGGING ON IT INDICATES THAT IT HAD NOT SECURELY LATCHED.

FAMILY AND I WERE ON HWY 441 TRAVELING AT 60 MPH. I BRAKED AND WENT DOWN TO 50 MPH AS I BEGAN TO MAKE AN EXIT OFF OF THIS HWY. I LET OFF BRAKE AND CAR SPED UP TO 60 MPH AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NEVER ON. I WAS ON EXIT RAMP GOING 60. I WAS FORCED TO PUT TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. I COASTED TO A PLACE OFF THE ROADWHILE ENGINE WAS "REVING AT HIGH RPM'S". I SNAPPED THE GAS PEDAL AND ENGINE WENT FASTER. I REACHED DOWN TO PULL ON GAS PEDAL AND THROTTLE CABLE BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GM DEALER THE NEXT MORNING. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS A DIRTY THROTTLE BODY AND STUCK THROTTLE CABLE. NEVER HEARD OF AN EXCESSIVELY DIRTY THROTTLE BODY CAUSING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY TO A 3 YR. OLD VEHICLE WITH 50,000 MILES.

ACDELCO THAT WAS INSTALLED AT DEALER 9/2000 ON 11/1/2002 IT LEAKED BATTERY ACID AND POST WENT THROUGH SIDE OF BATTERY-DEALER STATES IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME-IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS BATTERY MODEL #78-6YR SEIAL #090004 MAY HAVE A DEFECT AND THE VIN # I REPORTED IS WHAT CAME OFF THE PLATE IN THE FRONT OF THE VAN-IT APPEARS TO BE TAMPERED WITH-I AM NOT SURE HOW TO CHECK IF IT IS CORRECT-THAT NUMBER IS ALSO ON ALL MY CAR WARRANTY INFORMATION

BENT AND TWISTED FINGERS. THE TEXTURE (FINISH) WORE OFF THE STEERING. THE STEERING SYSTEM ON THIS ASTRO IS STIFF "HIGH EFFORT" REQUIRED BY THE DRIVER TO HOLD THE WHEEL AND ALSO TURN. WHEN MAKING A TURN THE WHEEL BECOMES HARDER TO HOLD. TOO MUCH CASTER? THE FINISH WORE OFF THE WHEEL AND THUS A REPLACEMENT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEALER AT GETTLES AUTO MALL IN SEBEWAING. I LEARNED AT THAT TIME THAT MANY DRIVERS WERE COMPLAINING THAT THE STEERING WHEELS WERE BECOMING SLIPPERLY, DIFFICULT TO HOLD. AT THE TIME MY RIGHT TENNIS ELBOW SYMPTON WAS VERY PAINFUL, AND LATER MY RIGHT SHOULDER BECAME PAINFUL. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE TIGHT STEERING SYSTEM ON THIS VAN. THIS STIFF STEERING DESIGN DEFECT IS NOT CONSIDERATE OF THE HUMAN TOLERANCE FOR THIS TIGHT STEERING AND AS A RESULT THE JOINTS, MUSCLES, TENDONS BECOME CRIPPLING PAINFUL. FINGERS BECOME TWISTED AND BENT. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 1988 ASTRO AND HIS FINGERS ARE BENT AND TWISTED, AND HE HAS CRONIC LEFT SHOULDER PAIN. MR. GILBERT MATTSON. PLEASE CONTACT ME. 989-665-2311 DT

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AND JERK THEN CLUNK, THE DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIME BUT THE PROBLEM RESURFACES, OTHER FAILURES INCLUDE PCM FAILED CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, THE GAS GAUGE JUMPS FROM FULL TANK TO EMPTY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS, REAR DOOR HANDLE BROKE TWICE, DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOTOR WAS REPLACED AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF. *TS *NLM

THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE WHICH WAS REPAIRED ONCE AT MANUFACTURER'S EXPENSE AND IS NOW OCCURRING INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN BUT WITH MORE FREQUENCY. I AM BEING TOLD BY CHEVROLET THAT IT IS MY PROBLEM NOW AND I MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING ME REPAIR THIS MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION OF THIS AWD VEHICLE.*AK