1994 Chevrolet Astro

TORSION BAR FAILURE TOOK PLACE IN THE AREA OF THE BUSHING IN THE TORSION BAR ARM LOCATED IN THE FRAME CROSSMEMBER. THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT BY CHEVROLET WHO STATED THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM THRU THE 1998 MODEL YEAR. THE NEW REPALCEMENT PARTS ARE OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN. THE EVENT OCCURED THE MORING AFTER I RETURNED FROM A TRIP THAT WAS PREDONINATELY INTERSTATE DRIVING AND THE COMPONENT FAILED AS I WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME. HOWEVER HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I'M SURE I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD THE REPAIRS DONE IF THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE THEY STATED THEY HAD AND "IT WASN'T A PRETTY PICTURE".*AK

DRIVERS SIDE TORSION BAR BROKE WHILE VAN WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. MY WIFE HAD JUST DRIVEN 50 MILES ON THE NYS THRUWAY AT 65 MPH IN MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITH HER BOSS IN THE VAN GOING TO A NURSING CONFERENCE. THEY PARKED THE VAN IN A PARKING LOT AND WHEN THEY RETURNED 2 HOURS LATER THEY FOUND THE VAN DRIVERS SIDE DOWN ON THE FRONT TIRE. I WOULD HATE TO IMAGIN WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WOULD IT HAVE EVEN BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT? I HAVE JUST FINISHED READING THE 22 OTHER REPORTED INCIDENTS AND AGREE WITH ALL THE REST THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT IN EITHER THE BAR OR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN. WHEN THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BROKEN UNIT HE SAID IT WAS SUGGESTED BY GM TO REPLACE BOTH BARS, THE F-SUPPORT "A" AND ARM. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SUPPORT WAS REQUIRED DUE TO A DESIGN CHANGE, AT A COST TO US OF $859.00 . IT IS VERY APPEARENT TO ME THAT GM HAS RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM, CHANGED THE DESIGN TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AND PAST THE COST AND THE VERY POSSIBLE INJURY ON TO THE PUBLIC. THAT I UNDESTAND , WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY THIS ORGANIZATION, NHTSA, HAS NOT PURSUED GM FOR A RECALL ON THIS ITEM, I AM VERY SUPRISED. THANKS FOR THE SPACE RJLOGAN@CITLINK.NET. *AK

LEFT FRONT TORSION BAR BROKE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AT A HIGHER SPEED. DRIVERS SIDE FRONT OF VEHICLE COLLAPSED TO NEARLY TOUCH THE TIRE. HAD THE RIGHT SIDE TORSION BAR REPLACED AS WELL, AT THE RECOMENDATION OF THE SERVICE STATION BECAUSE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTS. WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED BY CHEVROLET? THIS SEEMS TO BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION.*AK

ON THE MORNING OF 5/14/99 MY DAUGHTER WENT OUT TO THE GARAGE TO START THE VAN AND SAW THAT THE FRONT OF VAN WAS HANGING OVER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND RUBBING ON THE TIRE. SHE CALLED ME OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THE LEFT FRONT TORSION BAR SNAPPED AND BROKE CAUSING THE BODY TO FALL OVER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL, ALSO MY DAUGHTER AT TIME WAS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT, AND VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHE HAD BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE TORSION BAR BROKE,CAUSING THE BODY TO FALL OVER THE TIRE,AND SHE WOULDN,T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER THE VAN OUT OF DANGER. I CALLED THE CHEV. GARAGE TO COME PICK UP THE VAN BECAUSE YOU COULDN,T STEER IT. AFTER THEY CONFIRMED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS,WE ASKED IF THIS WAS SAFETY PROBLEM THEY SAID NO. WE ASKED HOW MANY TORSION BAR HAVE THEY FOUND LIKE THIS, THE SAID NONE, THAN WOULDN,T YOU THINK THAT THEY WOULD LOOK IN TO TORSION BAR AS BEING DEFECTIVE,BUT THEY SAID NEED MORE THAN ONE PROBLEM LIKE THIS TO INVESTIGATE. I CALLED CHEV MOTOR COMPANY AND THE SAID ALMOST THE SAME THING. WELL WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED, BUT NO ONE AS CALLED OR SENT ANY INFOMATION, MY DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND HAD TO PAID FO REPAIRS, ALSO WE FOUND OUT THAT NUMBER FOR THE TORSION BAR HAS BEEN CHANGED AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE BOTH BARS WITH NEW DESIGN BRACKETS,WE FOUND THIS TO BE KIND OF SUSPICIOUS. I HOPE THAT THERE WAS NO ONE DRIVING THE SAME TYPE VAN. AND HAD A TORSION BAR BREAK CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR DEATH. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GET RID OF SOME MY CONCERNS. THANK YOU AGAIN, ED LANGENBERG 610 RAVENSWOOD DR. GREEN BAY, WI 54302, 920-468-8709, EMAIL ELANGENBERG@NEW.RR.COM. *AK