1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA Complaints

TRUNK SPRING WEAK, LID FALLS. SPRING CAN BE ADJUSTED, BUT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALY DANGEROUS IF SPRING SLIPS WHILE TIGHTNING IT. *AK

WHILE PUTTING VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD, AT THIS TIME THE STEERING AND BRAKES DO NOT WORK, ALSO THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE CONSUMER WILL PUT THE VEHICLE IN OVERDRIVE OR DRIVE. *SLC

VERY HARD TO INVOKE SOUND FROM THE HORN. MY FAMILY ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE HORN FAILED TO PRODUCE SOUND. *AK

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR BRAKES ON MY 1998 LUMINA. THEY WOULD DRAG AND MAKE A METAL TO METAL NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR INTO FRONTIER CHEVROLET 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. AS I SAID, THE BRAKES MADE A METAL TO METAL NOISE, THE BRAKES WOULD DRAG, SOMETIMES EVEN SKIDDING THE TIRES ON DRY PAVEMENT. THIS HAPPENED WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE BRAKE PRESSURE ON THE PETAL. THE LAST TIME I WAS INTO FRONTIER CHEVROLET, THE SHOP FORMAN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO FIX IT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG. I CONTACTED GM AT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE ON AT LEAST TWO OR POSSIBLY THREE OCCASIONS. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T REACH THE SHOP FORMAN AND THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. THEY NEVER DID. I LIVE IN MONTANA WHERE ICY ROADS ARE A PROBLEM IN THE WINTER. WITH WINTER WETHER SETTING IN I GAVE UP ON THE DEALER AND TOOK THE CAR INTO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE THE BRAKES FIXED. I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANCE THE BRAKES LOCKING UP ON ICY ROADS AND SENDING ME OUT OF CONTROL. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SOON DISCOVERED METAL SHAVINGE ON THE DRUMS AND OTHER BRAKE PARTS. HE SAID THE SHOES WERE RUBBING ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRUMS WHEN THE PETAL WAS DEPRESSED. THIS CAUSED THE SHOES TO BIND INSIDE OF THE DRUMS, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO DRAG AND POSSIBLY LOCK UP. HE MEASURED THE ORIGINAL SHOES AND THE REPLACEMENT SHOES AND FOUND THAT EVEN WITH 31,000 MILES OF RUBBING ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRUMS, THE ORIGINAL SHOES WERE .007 WIDER THAN THE REPLACEMENTS. MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME OF A PONTIAC GRAND AM THAT SHE OWNED THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SHE ALSO TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER, WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ( IN ANOTHER CITY), TOLD HER THAT GM HAD INSTALLED THE WRONG SHOES ON HER CAR. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM FOR GM. WHILE THIS DIDNOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, IT VERY EASILY COULD HAVE IF I HADN'T HAD THE CAR FIXED AT MY OWN EXPENSE, EVEN THOUGH THE PARTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS PRO

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR WILL CUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT WILL SKIP/PULL BACK AND KEEP MOVING WHILE DRIVING 55/70 MPH. IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP FOUR (4) TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL I DRIVE IT HOME AND THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. HAS ANYONE ELSE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM?*AK

I LOSE POWER WHEN GOING UP SLIGHT INCLINES AND THE ENGINE SEEMS TO HESITATE WHEN DRIVING UP THE INCLINE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE THE SPARK PLUGS WERE BAD BUT HAD THEM CHECKED AND ARE FINE. I BELIEVE THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING BECAUSE THE CAR ALSO ROLLS BACKWARD WHEN STOPPED OR ON AN INCLINE.

POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ABOUT A HALF DOZEN TIMES. IF I WAS NOT A PRETTY STRONG MAN, CAR WOULD BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. POWER STEERING HAS FAILED WHEN MAKING TURNS AFTER RUNNING THROUGH MUDPUDDLES OR STANDING WATER. TAKES TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO TURN. POSSIBILITY OF SOMEONE GETTING SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. JUST SENT MESSAGE TO CHEVROLET VIA THEIR WEBSITE. JUST HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT.

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THEY DID NOT GRAB AS QUICKLY. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE LEFT BRAKE ROTOR WAS CRACKED WITH HOT SPOTS. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT THE HOT SPOT ON THE ROTORS WERE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NOTICED THAT BACK ROTORS HAD DEEP GROOVES IN THEM AT APX 16,000 MI. REPORTED TO DEALER, SAID IT WAS NORMAL..I'VE HAD CARS WITH MORE THAT NEVER EVEN HAD ROTORS TURNED DOWN, ANYWAY, THEY REPLACED 4 BRAKE PADS,SAID THEY WERE GONE & TURNED ROTORS DOWN, COST ME 334.00 I FEEL IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO A FRIENDS CAR SAID IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, HE TOLD ME TO CHECK MY ROTORS, THATS WHEN I NOTICED THE DEEP GROOVES. HE HAS SAME STYLE CAR (MONTECARLO,APX SAME MILEAGE)THE DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T THINK SO. GOT NO WHERE WITH GM THEY'LL SAY & BELIEVE WHAT DIAMOND CHEV TELLS THEM.. LIKE I SAID, MY FRIENDS DEALER, KNIGHT CHEVY IN SOUTHBRIDGE MA , SAID IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY! *AK