1995 Chevrolet Astro

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN FAILING IN THE SUMMER OF 1997 AND FINELY PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WOULD NEVER COME ON. I LOVE MY ASTRO AND IT HAS BEEN THE MOST RELIABLE VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED, BUT I WOULD HAVE SOLD IT IF I LIVED IN SEATTLE, WA. MY ONLY SAVING GRACE IS THAT I LIVE WHERE IT SELDOM RAINS HARD. 1995 TRUCKS AND/OR SUBURBANS HAD RECALLS FOR INTERMITENT WIPERS DUE TO DEFECTIVE OR INPROPER SOLDER CONNECTIONS, WHICH WOULD CAUSE CONNECTOR FAILURE TO THE MOTOR. SINCE, ASTROS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS, DEALERS (I.E. MORE THAN ONE) TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD ONLY DO THE REPAIRS AT MY EXPENSE. I KNOW MY PROBLEM IS A POOR SOLDER CONNECTION BECAUSE I CAN PUSH IN ON THE WIRES AT THE "PIN" CONNECTOR, LEADING TO THE MOTOR, AND THE WIPER MOTOR WILL BEGIN RUNNING. THE BIGGEST HAZARD IS THAT THE CONNECTION FAILS DURING OPERATION. POOR CONNECTIONS LIKE THESE ARE ALSO FIRE HAZARDS, (P. S. I'M A FIREFIGHTER AND MOST NON-ACCIDENT RELATED VEHICLE FIRES I HAVE BEEN ON ARE DUE TO ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION). ALSO, 65 MPH IN TRAFFIC, IN THE RAIN, IS NOT THE TIME TO JUMP OUT AND START PUSHING ON CONNECTORS TO MAKE MY WIPERS WORK. WITH ALL OF THE FAMILIES RIDING IN ASTROS, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY RECALL FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. I UNDERSTAND THAT NOONE HAS BEEN KILLED YET, BUT JUST BECAUSE ASTROS ARE NOT THE CHOICE OF VEHICLES OF ATTORNEYS AND THE WELL OFF, DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD BE IGNORED. PROACTION IN THIS MATTER SHOULD AND MUST BE TAKEN. THERE ARE 40 COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS WEB SITE. IT IS A SAFE STATISTICAL BET TO MULITPLY THAT (40) BY A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER OF 100 AND YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT 4000+ ASTROS DRIVING WITHOUT RELIABLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I BELIEVE THAT IN QUITE A FEW STATES FUNCTIONING WIPERS ARE REQUIRED TO PASS ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS. (WHO PAID FOR THOSE REPAIRS?) WAITING FOR ANOTHER "FIRESTONE" IS WRONG AND NEGLIGENT.*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