IllustrationHAD JUST PULLED OUT ONTO THE STREET WHEN THE IDLER ARM SEPARATED AT THE THREADED PORTION WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FRAME BRACKET, THE SCREW ON JOINT CAME APART. *AK *SLC *JB
1988 Chevrolet Astro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1988 Chevrolet Astro do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 69.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Astro years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 56 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports5 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
56 reportsTHROTTLE BODY WORE OUT, CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STICK. *AK *JB
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE, PURCHASED TRUCK USED . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
STEERING BRACKET BOLT BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING, *AK THE POWERE BRACKET BOLTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES AT A COST OF $100.00 EACH TIME, THE BRACKET HAS BROKE ONCE AND AT PRESENT THE AC LINE HAS A HOLE FROM THE LAST TIME THE BOLT BROKE, THE LOCAL DEALE SAID THEY DO ABOUT 10 OF THESE JOBS A YEAR, HOWEVER DEALER SAID THE…
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STEERING BRACKET BOLT BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING, *AK THE POWERE BRACKET BOLTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES AT A COST OF $100.00 EACH TIME, THE BRACKET HAS BROKE ONCE AND AT PRESENT THE AC LINE HAS A HOLE FROM THE LAST TIME THE BOLT BROKE, THE LOCAL DEALE SAID THEY DO ABOUT 10 OF THESE JOBS A YEAR, HOWEVER DEALER SAID THEY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM BUT SAY THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM WICH WHEN REPAIRED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, WHEN THE BOLTS BREAK THE BELT FLIES OFF THE PULLY THUS LOOSINGSTERING AND SOME BRAKE POWER, THE BELT HAS TO BE REPLACED EACH TIME.*JB
SPOT WELDS ON FRONT DOORS BREAK LOOSE WHEN CLOSING, WINDOW TRACK FALLS DOWN AND IMPAIRS THE LOCK/WINDOW AND DOOR MECHANISM. *AK CONSUMER STATES HIS WIFE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE VEHICLE AND HAD TO EXIT THROUGH SLIDING DOOR, COULD NOT GET DOORS TO OPEN, DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS ADVISED THAT DOOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS IT WAS AN …
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SPOT WELDS ON FRONT DOORS BREAK LOOSE WHEN CLOSING, WINDOW TRACK FALLS DOWN AND IMPAIRS THE LOCK/WINDOW AND DOOR MECHANISM. *AK CONSUMER STATES HIS WIFE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE VEHICLE AND HAD TO EXIT THROUGH SLIDING DOOR, COULD NOT GET DOORS TO OPEN, DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS ADVISED THAT DOOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS IT WAS AN INTEGRAL PART, CONSUMER WENT TO A MECHANIC AN SPOT WELDED BRACKET BACK AND SCREWED BACK DOOR HOUSING, MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A POOR DESIGN.*JB
THE FIRST BENCH SEAT RIGHT SEATBELT RELEASED AND CAUSED THE OCCUPANT TO FALL OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
INSIDE DOOR HANDLES BROKE. *SD
RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS MAKING A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING INSIDE IS LOOSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
THE CONSUMER SAID SHE LOST HER POWER STEERING 4 TIMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
THE ASSEMBLY BRACKET OF THE POWER STEERING CRACKED.PLEASE DECRIBE. TT
Official recalls
293V187000 · Seats
Nov 16, 1993
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL BETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULDALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FOAM AND/OR VINYL FROM BETWEEN THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME "SOFT" JOINT AND REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS.
91V102000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Jun 14, 1991
THE SEAT BELTS FOR THE FRONT AND MID-SHIP SEATS DID NOT REST ON PELVIS AS REQUIRED BY FMVSS 209.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN SEAT OCCUPANT, AND COULDINJURE THE SEAT OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.
Remedy: RELOCATE SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLTS TO ADJUST BELTS FOR SEAT LOCATIONS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
7EA92022 · Seat Back Bolt Breakage
Opened Jun 24, 1992 · Closed Nov 19, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
There is no summary currently available
PE92015 · Driver Seat Back Failure
Opened Feb 4, 1992 · Closed Jun 24, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
There is no summary currently available
EA90023 · Power Steering Failure
Opened Apr 16, 1990 · Closed Apr 30, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available
PE90039 · Spare Tire Carrier Failure
Opened Feb 5, 1990 · Closed Jun 29, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available
PE90028 · Power Steering Failure
Opened Dec 15, 1989 · Closed Apr 16, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available
PE89106 · Rear Axle Seal Failure
Opened Mar 23, 1989 · Closed Sep 19, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
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EA88039 · Rear A/c Unit
Opened Sep 12, 1988 · Closed Oct 31, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
There is no summary currently available