1995 CHEVROLET LUMINA Complaints

LETTER FROM SENATOR NELSON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 1995 CHEVY LUMINA AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND SUFFERED INJURIES. *JB

I DROVE A LUMINA THAT HAD A PROBLEM THAT SOUNDS LIKE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE SHUTOFF PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY. IT HAPPENED MOST OFTEN WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. AS I DECELERATED ON EXIT RAMPS, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUTOFF. THIS BECAME A FAIRLY REGULAR OCCURRENCE WITH THIS CAR. SEVERAL MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. (I BELIEVE IT WAS A 1994 OR 1995 LUMINA THAT I OWNED. I COULD NOT FIND A RECORD OF IT.) *TR

VEHICLE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS LEAKING. THIS IS DUE TO THE MANIFOLD BEING MADE OF PLASTIC WHICH BREAKS AND CAUSES IT TO LEAK. GM IS AWARE OF THIS FLAW BUT I DID NOT SEE RECALLS SO I AM REPORTING THIS MATTER IN HOPES THERE CAN BE A RECALL FOR THE FAULTY PART. *TR

ON OR ABOUT 10-6-10 I ASSISTED MY GRANDSON IN PURCHASING A VEHICLE FROM A CAR LOT IN CLEVELAND OHIO. THE CAR WAS A 1995 CHEVY LUMINA. WE WERE TOLD THE CAR HAD BEEN PURCHASED AT AN AUCTION IN PA. AND DRIVEN TO CLEVELAND WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I PAID $635 FOR THE DOWNPAYMENT WITH ADDITIONAL $300 TO BE PAID BY 11-5-10 FOR A TITLE TRANSFER. THEN $200 A MONTH THEREAFTER FOR 12 MONTHS. WE LEFT WITH AN ELATED YOUNG MAN WHO NOW HAD A WAY TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK FOR HIS TWO JOBS. THE NEXT DAY HE TAKES IT FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND IS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAS NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, LEAKING GASKETS, BAD STRUTS, RUSTED FLOOR, AND LEAK IN GAS TANK AND TRANSMISSION. THE NEXT DAY, IT STOPPED RUNNING. CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO TOWED IT AND CLAIMED TO REPAIR LEAKING TRANS. THREE DAYS LATER IT STOPS AGAIN, THEY TOW IT FROM I-480 HIGHWAY AND EACH TOW WE HAVE TO PAY THEM $45. THEY ARE GIVEN A LIST OF REPAIRS NEEDED, EVEN THOUGH PURCHASED WITH NO WARRANTY THE CAR BARELY LEAVES THE LOT BEFORE IT BREAKS DOWN. ON PAYDAY, HE GETS CAR BACK THIS TIME AND FILLS TANK UP ONLY FOR HIS JOB PARKING LOT TO BE COVERED WITH LEAKING GAS AND THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPT. ARE CALLED AND TELL HIM NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS THE LEAK IS A DEATH TRAP. AGAIN I PAY FOR A TOW FROM AAA $64. THEY ARE INFORMED AND STATE THEY PUT A GAS TANK ON AND THAT WE CANNOT CONTACT THEM REGARDING ANYMORE PROBLEMS. TWO DAYS AGO THE CAR STOPS AGAIN, BATTERY DEAD. I PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY AND TODAY, THE STABILIZER BAR FALLS AND THE STRUTS ARE HANGING LEAVING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE REGARDING UNSCRUPULOUS DEALERS THAT SELL THESE HARD WORKING PEOPLE UNRELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET LUMINA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, SHE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS FRACTURED, WHICH CAUSED IT TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO HER PLACE OF RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000.

THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND THEN WHEN IT SHIFTED THROUGH THE GEARS WHEN IT WENT TO CHANGE INTO OVERDRIVE IT WAS LIKE IT JUST WENT INTO NEUTRAL. I PULLED OVER AND TRIED ALL THE GEARS AGAIN AND THERE WAS A LIGHT GRINGING SOUND AND ALL IT WOULD WORK IN WAS 1ST GEAR SO I GOT TO DRIVE HOME AT A LIGHTNING SPEED OF BOUT 10 TO 15 MPH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V017000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING). THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE WASHER WIPER SWITCH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,718 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

95 LUMINAS AND MONTE CARLOS AS WELL AS OTHER GM W-BODY VEHICLES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH GOING BAD AND CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO OVERHEAT AND MUST CONSTANTLY APPLY ANTIFREEZE. THE VEHICLE HAS NO VISIBLE LEAKS AND WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT ANTIFREEZE LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 86,558.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION BY THE CONTACT, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FAILURE WAS POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.