1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING CAR ENGINE SHUTS OFF PERIODICALLY. CAR STARTS BACK UP AND A FEW MINUTES LATER IT SHUTS OFF AGAIN. HAD CAR CHECKED OUT BY MECHANIC BUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE FINE. CAN'T FIND REASON WHY CONTINUOUSLY SHUTTING OFF.*AK

I BOUGHT A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA IN 2000, AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS, UNTIL RECENTLY. THE ENGINE BEGAN MISFIRING ON CYLINDER 1 AND I REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES ASSUMING IT WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. DURING THIS TIME, I ALSO DID AN OIL CHANGE AND CHECKED ALL FLUIDS AND FOUND THE ANTIFREEZE TO APPEAR "RUSTED". I CHECKED IN THE OVERFLOW RESEVOIR AND NOTED OIL AND A DIRTY APPEARANCE TO THE ANTIFREEZE. I HAD THE ANTIFREEZE SYSTEM FLUSHED, AND NOW THE PROBLEMS ARE BACK, LESS THAN 5,000 MILES LATER. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND A LOT OF DATA TALKING ABOUT THE DEX-COOL ISSUES AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS BAD, WHICH IS CAUSING THE MISFIRE PROBLEM. THIS IS GOING TO BE A COSTLY REPAIR, ONE OF WHICH I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE A GROWING ISSUE WITH HEAD GASKETS AND THE DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED AS IF IT DIDN'T HAVE POWER ASSIST. RECALL 03V527000 WAS ISSUED FOR STEERING GEAR BEARINGS. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT LOW SPEED VEHICLE LOST STEERING POWER WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING OF PROBLEM OCCURRING. *AK

I HAVE HAD MY CAR (98 CHEVROLET LUMINA) FAIL TWICE IN ONE WEEK DUE TO COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE. ONCE FOR A WATER PUMP AND ANOTHER FOR INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I AM ALARMED BY THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I FIND. BOTH FAILURES HAVE LEFT US STUCK WITH NO TRANSPORTATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE SPINDLE ON THE REAR AXLE BROKE IN HALF. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH WENT ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC INTO A WALL. DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. *AK

AFTER THE STEERING GEAR BEARINGS RECALL 03V527000 WAS PERFORMED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS DIDN'T OCCUR PRIOR TO HAVING THE RECALL PERFORM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

I OWN A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN 1998. I HAD NOTICED A SPORADIC STEERING WHEEL KICK-BACK AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING LEFT IN THIS VEHICLE. I TOLD A FRIEND ABOUT MY SITUATION (HE TOO OWNS SAME YEAR,MAKE,MODEL) AND HE EXPLAINED HE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM CHEVROLET AND HAD THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED ON HIS VEHICLE. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVOLET DEALER AND THE SERVICE ADVISED SCHEDULED ME AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR, BUT THEN CALLED ME BACK AND CANCELLED APPOINTMENT AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I CALLED CHEVROLET ASSISTANCE AND THEY ADVISED ME TO PAY FOR REPAIRS OUT OF MY POCKET BECAUSE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I FEEL THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DISCRIMINATORY. OBVIOUSLY CHEVROLET IS TRYING TO REDUCE THEIR COSTS BY DENYING MY CLAIM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. I HAVE SEEN QUITE A FEW OTHER CHEVROLET OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. WHEN IS THE NHTSA GOING TO STEP IN SHOW THE IMBECILES AT CHEVROLET THAT THIS STEERING PROBLEM HAS A BROADER SCOPE THAN THEY ARE WILLING TO ADMIT TOO.*AK

IN DECEMBER, THE STEERING FROZE UP IN MY 98 LUMINA LTZ AFTER MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS ONLY A BELT PROBLEM BUT THE STEERING CONTINUED TO BE VERY TIGHT. ALSO THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS TAPPING SOUND. AFTER A RECENT BRAKE SERVICE, A DIFFERENT MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT ALTHOUGH THE 98 LUMINAS WERE INCLUDED IN THE LAST RECALL, MY SERIAL NUMBER WAS NOT AMONG THOSE RECALLED; HOWEVER IT IS SUFFERING FROM THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THOSE RECALLED.

WE HAVE A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA THAT EXHIBITS THE SAME PROBLEMS TURNING LEFT AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 03V527000. GM SAYS THAT THIS CAR IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THE VIN# IS [XXX]. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THIS CAR REPAIRED. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)