240 of the 3,757 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Astro are about the steering — 6% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1997.
240
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
17
Crashes
2
Fires
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WHAT IS THE REAL IS HARD TO TURN IN MY ALTERNATOR WENT OUT
NHTSA complaint #11039948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE CAR DIED. I LOST POWER STEERING, AND I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. COME TO FIND OUT THE FUSE BOX WAS HOT AND THERE WAS A FEW FUSES THAT WERE BLOWN. I REPLACE THE BLOWN FUSES AND DROVE HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME AND TURNED OFF THE VAN, I COULDN'T GET IT START I LOOKED AT THE SAME FUSE AND THEY WERE BLOWN AGAIN. THE VAN NOW SITS IN THE DRIVEWAY TILL I FIGURE THIS OUT. BECAUSE IT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10619259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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HI, I WAS DRIVING THIS VAN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STOPS. I HAD A VERY HARD PROBLEM OF TRYING TO GET OFF THE ROAD WITH NO BRAKES OR STEERING. I HAD IT TOWED INTO SERVICE. THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING FUEL PUMP, SENDING UNIT, FUEL FILTER, PLUGS, PLUG WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR AND RESET THE TIMING. IT NEVER DID SHOW UP A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR SHOWED A CODE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I DROVE IT TWO DAYS LATER AND IT DID THE SAME THING. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND DROVE IT AGAIN FOR A WEEK AND IT HAPPEN AGAIN. I SPENT $1200 TRYING TO GET THIS SAFE TO DRIVE. IT IS AS IF THE KEY WAS SHUT OFF. FINALLY WITH SOME OF MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN I CHECKED THE BATTERY. IT WAS ONLY ONE YEAR OLD. IT SHOWED UP AS BAD UNDER A LOAD. WHEN I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP THEY SAID BATTERY SHOWED GOOD. FINALLY I TOOK THE BATTERY BACK TO AUTO ZONE THEY SHOWED IT AS BAD ALSO AND REPLACED IT. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM AFTER THAT. SO THE PROBLEM YOU ARE HAVING WITH THE KEY SWITCH IN ALL THOSE CARS YOU MAY HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE BATTERY'S. VOLTAGE TO THE MICROPROCESSOR SHOULD STAY WITHIN LIMITS OF APX 8 VOLTS. THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN THE KEY SWITCH. THANKS FOR READING THIS LETTER.
NHTSA complaint #10593059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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MY SPOUSE WAS DRIVING AND WE WERE STOPPED AT A YARD SALE. WE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AND STARTED TO BACK OUT WHEN SHE NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. THEN WHEN SHE WANTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES WERE EXTREME HARD TO OPERATE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH WE LEARNED OF HUNDREDS OF BRAKE MALFUNCTIONS ON SIMILAR VEHICLES AND OTHER CARS THAT USE SIMILAR BRAKE BOOSTER TECHNOLOGY.
NHTSA complaint #10577639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET ASTRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DECELERATE AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IN ORDER TO STOP THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD TO POWER OFF THE ENGINE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE ONCE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT?S RESIDENCE WHERE THE CONTACT INDEPENDENTLY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING LINE. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL PUMP WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. ...UPDATED 11-12-13 *BF THE FUEL PUMP WIRE CONNECTOR ON TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK MELTED AND THE FUSE NEVER BLEW. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE SECOND TIME THE POWER STEERING LINE BROKE, HE ALMOST CRASHED INTO A HOSPITAL.
NHTSA complaint #10548074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I JUST GOT HOME & WAS BACKING AROUND TO WHERE I PARK WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL STARTED VIBRATING. I DID MANAGE TO PARK. THE NEXT DAY THE VIBRATING STOPPED WHEN A GRATING NOISE WAS MADE. SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL CAME WAY UP. IT DOES HAVE SOME BRAKES BUT THEY ARE HARD TO DEPRESS. SUDDENLY MY POWER STEERING IS GONE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF PROBLEMS WITH EITHER BEFOREHAND. THIS VAN JUST PASSED INSPECTION IN MID-AUGUST, AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
NHTSA complaint #10538376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I OWN A 1997 CHEVY ASTRO VAN WITH 151K MILES. SUNDAY, THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. WHEN IT DID SO, THE BRAKES TURNED MUSHY WITH LITTLE BRAKING POWER. WE WERE LUCKY AS WE HAD JUST COME DOWN A STEEP DRIVEWAY. IF THEY HAD FAILED THEN OUR CHOICES WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RUN INTO THE BACK OF A CAR IF WE COULD HAVE TURNED, RUN INTO A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THEN CONTINUED DOWN A STEEP HILL INTO BRUSH AND FOREST WITH LIKELY CASUALTIES. LUCKILY, WE HAD JUST STARTED UP TO LEAVE AND NOTICED THE PROBLEM. WE SHUT DOWN AND THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A PART. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD US THAT TO THIS DAY, MANY CHEVY VANS AND TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP ACTS AS A BOOSTER PUMP FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THAT LACK OF INDEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS IS AN ENGINEERING ERROR AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED.
NHTSA complaint #10410205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. WHILE TRAVELING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE AND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 160,000.
NHTSA complaint #10361105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN RESERVE AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKES AND THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #10315519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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2002 CHEVY ASTRO VAN IDLER ARM PULLED THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE FRONT RIGHT PORTION RESULTING IN PARTIAL STEERING FAILURE ON FEBRUARY 1, 2009. UPON INSPECTION BY HALLEEN CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NOT ONLY HAD THE FRONT RIGHT IDLER ARM BROKEN THROUGH THE FRAME BUT THE FRONT LEFT IDLER ARM WAS ALSO IN DANGER OF BREAKING THROUGH. THIS WOULD RESULT IN COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A COMPLETE FRAME REPLACEMENT.
NHTSA complaint #10258210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET ASTRO. THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. HE THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HIS HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS FAILURE WITHIN THE POWERTRAIN. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE CONNECTED TO THE SAME UNIT, CAUSING BOTH TO FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY. HE CALLED GM AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE WORKED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #10206772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHILE COMPLETING A RIGHT TURN AT 5 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND DISCOVERED THE IDLER ARM WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED , AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 63000.
NHTSA complaint #10186171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER SERVICE SHOP SINCE DECEMBER 19, 2006. WHEN DRIVING AND TURNING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER IN BOTH THE STEERING SYSTEM AND THE BRAKES. THE DEALER RAN THE VEHICLE TROUGH DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, AND COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT FOUND RECALL INFORMATION FOR VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR FAILURES. ON DECEMBER 29 2006 THEY RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER STATING THAT THEY WERE CHECKING TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS COVERED UNDER THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY IF NOT THE COST OF THE REPAIR WILL BE $552.10.
NHTSA complaint #10177708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ASSIST STEERING & POWER ASSIST BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER, HOWEVER, AFTER SOME RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED, CAUSING LACK OF PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE SHAFT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP SNAPPED.
NHTSA complaint #10169412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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BRACKETS SURROUNDING THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILING IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE SERPENTINE BELT TO POP WHILE DRIVING LEAVING A POWER FAILURE AND ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. I NEARLY CRASHED MY VEHICLE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEER TO GET OFF THE ROAD. DOING RESEARCH OVER LAST FEW DATES TALKING TO MECHANICS THIS HAS BEEN SEEN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE PART TO FIX THE BRACKET IS HARD TO FIND.
NHTSA complaint #10168505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE AND A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE. THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE PUMP HIMSELF AND DISCOVERED THE SHAFT WAS BROKEN IN THE PUMP. WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, IT CAUSED THE POWER BRAKES TO FAIL AS WELL. UPDATED 10/04/06.
NHTSA complaint #10166699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 50 - 55 MPH DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION THE FRONT TWO WHEELS BEGAN TURNING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO STEERING INPUT. THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED HOWEVER THERE WAS DIFFICULTING IN STOPPING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE ENDING UP IN A SIX FOOT DITCH WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE AFTER INSPECTION, THE DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. BOTH AAA AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE SENDING OUT INSPECTORS TO VIEW THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INCURRED MULTIPLE INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS PROCESSED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10166301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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2000 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN LOST ALL STEERING CAPABILITIES, WHEELS TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. *KB THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE DRS STEERING UNIT RIPPED OUT OF THE FRAME.
NHTSA complaint #10164739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY INCIDENTS WERE JUST NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND AT A VERY MINIMAL LOW SPEED, IN WHICH I WAS JUST DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH TO NO I HAD KNOW CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN. MY CONSEQUENCES WERE NONE OTHER THAN THE SCARE OF MY LIFE AND THE REALIZATION THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL HAD I BEEN GOING FASTER OR ON A HIGHWAY OR ANY OTHER ROAD THAN A SUBDIVISION ROAD. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP,WHICH HAS A HYDRAULIC VACUUM BOOSTER FOR THE BRAKES AND ALL WORKS TOGETHER . AFTER SPEAKING TO A SERVICE CLERK AT THE CAR DEALER AND STATING THIS WAS SOMETHING I THOUGHT WAS A SAFETY CONCERN TO BE JUST DRIVING ALONG AND LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR STEERING AND BRAKES, HE AGREED. THE PROBLEMS WAS FIXED BY INSTALLING A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP AND FLUID AND CLEANING CHEMISTRY ETC. TOTALING A TOTAL OF $636.32.
NHTSA complaint #10161172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ALONG WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM WENT COMPLETELY OUT. WE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VAN ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I HAD THE VAN LOOKED AT BY JAMES MARTIN CHEVROLET IN DETROIT MICHIGAN. THE REPAIRS CAME UP TO $1400.00. THE VAN ONLY HAD ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON IT.
NHTSA complaint #10161003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.