1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY HUSBAND'S 1999 LUMINA. I STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION TO WAIT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE LIGHT CHANGED I PROCEEDED INTO THE INTERSECTION, I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, HOWEVER THE CAR PROCEEDED STRAIGHT. THE TIRES WOULD NOT TURN, HOWEVER THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED FREELY BUT THE TIRES WOULD NOT TURN. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC. AFTER HE EXAMINED THE CAR IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WELDS THAT HOLD THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE TO THE FRAME HAD FAILED. I HAD TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL WELDS REDONE COSTING ME $ 400.00 THEN ANOTHER $ 300.00 TO HAVE THE ENGINE RE-ALIGNED. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY THAT WE OFTEN TRAVEL WE WOULD HAVE DIED AS THAT ROAD HAS SHARP CURVES AND NO SHOULDERS ONLY DEEP CANYONS TO FALL INTO. *TR

GM SAFETY RECALL COMPLAINT: I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY DROVE ABOUT HALF A BLOCK AND SMELLED SMOKE; RETURNED HOME, PARKED AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RAISED HOOD AND FOUND ENGINE OWN FIRE IN SMALL FLAMES. I PROCEEDED TO POUR A SMALL BUCKET OF WATER ON THE FIRE AND IT WENT OUT. COINCIDENTALLY, I HAD JUST RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 09047 FROM GM THE SAME DAY, STATING THAT THE CAR COULD CATCH FIRE STARTING WITH THE SPARK PLUG WIRES CHANNEL AND BEYOND. I CONTACTED THE CLOSEST DEALER ROBBINS CHEVROLET AND WHO TOLD ME TO CALL GM BECAUSE THE CAR HAD ALREADY CAUGHT ON FIRE. I PROCEEDED TO CONTACT GM WHERE I RECEIVED CLAIM NUMBER 71-100-902-8310 AND WAS THEN TOLD IT WOULD TAKE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD GET BACK TO ME AND LET ME KNOW IF THEY WOULD EVEN PAY FOR SERVING OR EVEN AUTHORIZE A DEALER TO CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR CAUSE. THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE LACK OF CONCERN FOR ME AS A CUSTOMER OR WHY GETTING THE VEHICLE CHECKED BASED ON THE RECALL WOULD BE IN QUESTION. MY COMPLAINT IS THE LACK OF CONCERN AND EXTREMELY LONG TIME FRAME INVOLVED IN GETTING AUTHORIZATION TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED BASED ON THE SAFETY RECALL. THE RECALL LETTER STATES "IF YOU NOTICE A BURNING ODOR, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR GM DEALER INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY."I FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE ONLY TO BE TOLD POLICY DICTATES THEY HAVE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE LETTING ME KNOW IF THEY ARE EVEN WILLING TO HAVE THE DEALER CHECK THE VEHICLE. AND WHILE THIS MAY BE POLICY, 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS IS A LONG TIME WHEN YOU HAVE GO TO WORK AND THIS IS YOUR ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN GM'S HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION AND I FEEL THE INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION ARE BEING HANDLED POORLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING WATER FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. A GAS-LIKE FUME WAS COMING FROM THE VENTS AND WOULD SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000. UPDATED 07/08/11 *BF THE LOWER AND UPPER INTAKE GASKETS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 09/19/11

TL*THE CONTACTS OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIFT FROM THIRD TO FOURTH GEAR THE GEARS WOULD STICK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 163,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVY LUMINA - THE INTAKE GASKET, STARTED LEAKING, GRADUALLY, NOW IT HAS A BAD LEAK. I READ GM HAS OR HAD A RECALL ON INTAKE GASKETS. *TR

FUMES OF EVAPORATED COOLANT FROM FAULTY GASKET WERE SUCKED INTO VEHICLES VENTILATION SYSTEM. GM NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

WE OWN A 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA LTZ WITH THE NATURALLY ASPIRATED L36 3.8L V6. THE VEHICLE HAS THE PROBLEM THAT IT LEAKS BOTH OIL AND ENGINE COOLANT INTERNALLY. IT HAS BEEN CHECKED OUT BY PROFESSIONALS AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TRUE. THE PROFESSIONAL DISCOVERED THE ENGINE IS LEAKING ALONG ABOUT THREE SEALS, TWO ON THE FRONT AND ONE ON THE REAR OF THE MOTOR. WE MUST POUR COOLANT INTO THE RESERVOIR ONCE EVERY COUPLE WEEKS OR EVEN SOONER. THE OIL IS BURNED OFF AND USUALLY NEEDS FILLED BY THE TIME IT NEEDS AN OIL CHANGE (ABOUT ONCE EVERY 3000 MILES). ALL SYSTEMS ARE WORKING PROPERLY IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER DRIVING, ONE CAN SMELL THE FUMES FROM BURNING OIL AND COOLANT. GENERAL MOTORS DID RECALL THIS ENGINE RECENTLY FOR ENGINE FIRES TO ONLY PREVENT THE SPREAD BY REMOVING A SPARK PLUG CHANNEL AND REPLACING TWO SPARK PLUGS. GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS WHAT'S CAUSING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. GENERAL MOTORS CORP. HAS ALSO PLACED A RECALL FOR THE L67, WHICH IS THE "SUPERCHARGED" VERSION OF THE L36, FOR SIMILAR ISSUES SUCH AS ENGINE SEALS LEAKING. THIS MAKES FOR A VERY AGGRAVATING SITUATION. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT REPAIR OF THIS ISSUE COULD COST AT LEAST $1600. FROM LISTENING TO OTHERS WITH THE SAME MOTOR, THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, SO IT'S NOT JUST OUR VEHICLE. GM MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION TO HELP OWNERS OR COMPLETELY PAY TO REPLACE THEIR MOTOR SEALS. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVY LUMINA, THAT IN 2007 BOTH THE REAR DOOR LATCHES BROKE A FEW MONTHS APART I CONTACTED THE DEALER BOTH TIMEAS AND HAD THE LATCH REPLACED AT A COST OF 2 APPROX. 200.00 EACH I HAD ASKED IF THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE PART ONCE THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE OTHER REAR DOOR THEY REPLIED NO. I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE SINCE I ONLY USE THE VEH TO GO TO WORK AND RARELY USE THE BACK DOORS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED MY AUNT WAS IN THE REAR SEAT WHEN I WENT SLOWLY AROUND A BEND AND THE DOOR FLEW OPENED AND WOULD NO LATCH TO CLOSE. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE LATCH LETTING LOOSE WITHOUT WARNING, AND THE A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING LUCKILY NO ONE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. AFTER HAVING BOTH DOOR HINGES REPLACED WITH NEW PARTS AT A COST OF OVER 400.00 I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE PROBLEM. TODAY WHILE COMING HOME FROM WORK THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR FLEW OPEN, I HAVE CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY IF SOMEONE WOULD BE IN THE VEH, GM DOES NOT SEEM TO SHARE MY CONCERNS AND SEEM NOT INTERESTED IN TRYING TO RESOLVE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

COOLANT LEAK OFF OF BOTTOM SIDE OF MOTOR. I OWN A 3.1 LITER V6 AND THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS OUTRAGEOUS CONSIDERING THAT I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE SEVERAL POSTS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE A 1999 CHEVY LUMINA, MY COOLANT LEAK STARTED OVER 2 YEARS AGO. I HAVE NOT FIXED IT CAUSE I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR THAT MUCH, MY CAR ONLY HAS 90000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. THE LEAK OF COOLANT IS DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING OF MANIFOLD GASKET SEAL. PLEASE REFER TO THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE COMPLAINTS: HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/1999/CHEVROLET/LUMINA

I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR OVERHEATING. I CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT AND ALL THE RADIATOR HOSES IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THINKING THAT THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE MY MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND A LEAK I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I HAD TO START USING THE HEATER IN OCT 09 WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED. I THEN USED RADIATOR FLUSH AND CLEANER AND STILL MY MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE LEAK. I WAS HAVING TO PUT ANTIFREEZE IN THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER TO MAKE IT TO WORK (USUALLY A 15 MIN DRIVE). ONE COLD MORNING I NOTICED THE CAR WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC SHOP. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT HE SHOWED ME THE LEAK AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. HE WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THE FIX IS ONLY TEMPORARY. IT COST ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO FIX THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (650.00). THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL THE OTHER WORK AND REPAIRS THAT WERE MADE PRIOR TO REPLACING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. I CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT TWICE AND ALL THE RADIATOR HOSES BEFORE FINDING THE LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GETTING IT FIXED. I WOULD ALSO GO THROUGH A GALLON OF DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE EVERY OTHER DAY; AT A COST OF $14.00 PLUS TAX. THE OLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. MY MECHANIC SHOWED IT TO ME AND IT WAS EATEN UP. HE TOLD ME HE HAS FIXED HUNDREDS OF CARS WITH THIS SAME ENGINE AND PROBLEM... *TR