1995 Chevrolet Astro

THE FRONT LEFT TORSION BAR BROKE AFTER WE CAME HOME. A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER THE RIGHT FRONT TORSION BAR BROKE SO THAT WE COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE BODY OF THE VAN HITTING THE TIRES. WE FEEL EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, AS IT WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE BLOWN THE FRONT TIRES AND WE COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT. AFTER HAVING OUR VAN HAULED ON A FLATBED WRECKER WE WERE ADVISED THAT THESE VANS HAVE A HISTORY WITH THE TORSION BARS BREAKING. BOTH THE AUTO REPAIR PLACE AND THE WRECKER SERVICE SAID THEY WERE REALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE WASN'T A RECALL AS THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE OURSELVES, HAVE NO IDEA THAT THE WHOLE FRONT OF THESE VANS CAN JUST DROP DOWN ON THE TIRES WHILE DRIVING WHEN THESE TORSION BARS BREAK. AGAIN WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT OURS BROKE AFTER WE RETURNED HOME FROM CHURCH SUNDAY AND NOT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY!*AK

THIS PART WAS HAD A DESIGN CHANGE BY THE COMPANY OF CHEVROLET, ALTHOUGH THEY FAILED TO POST THIS ANYWHERE. I HAVE TALKED TO THE COMPANY AND WRITTEN THEM A LETTER AND THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED. THE FRONT OF MY CAR FELL DOWN IN A PARKING LOT THANKFULLY AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. I CAN SUPPLY YOU WITH A COPY OF THE LETTER IF YOU WISH. WE CHECKED AROUND AND FOUND NO WARNING OF FAILURE OF THIS PART. THERE IS A PROBLEM, MY HUSBAND CALLED TWO LOCAL CHEV GARAGES AND THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING DONE AND THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE. THE ORIGINAL PART IS NARROW AT ONE POINT, WHICH IS WHERE IT BROKE AND THE NEW PART IS WIDE ALL THE WAY ACROSS. THEY KNOW , OF COURSE THAT THIS ORIGINAL PART IS INADEQUATE, OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A DESIGN CHANGE. MY HUSBAND IS A MECHANIC ON SEMI TRUCKS AND HE FEELS THAT THIS ORGINAL PART WAS NOT ADEQUATE. PEOPLE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM PRETTY SURE THE COMPANY IS NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. WHEN THE FRONT OF YOUR CAR FALLS DOWN GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I AM AFRAID THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE AS LUCKY AS ME.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 10MPH IN MALL PARKING LOT HEARD A PING AND LEFT FRONT OF VECHICLE DROPED TO WERE THE TIRE HIT THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING, IF HAD HAPPENED ON HI-WAY AT HI-WAY SPEEDS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE ACCID OR DEATH. DEALER SAID WAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT AND REDESIGNED. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TORSION BARS AND BUY AN ADAPTER KIT WITH TOWING AND REPAIRS COST WAS $910.00 OF WHICH I HAD TO PAY. BELEAVE THAT SINCE GM HAD TO REDESIGN THE BAR IT SHOWS A FLAW DOES EXIST, AND THAT GM SHOULD AT LEAST PAY PART OF THE REPAIRS. BUT HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM CONCERNING THAT. WHAT WILL IT TAKE, A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT TO GET GM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS? OR PURHAPS A CONSUMER CLASS ACTION SUIT.*AK