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1996 Chevrolet Astro

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Astro years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Astro are substantially higher than the model-year median of 69.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 22 of 263 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.

  • Suspension. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

2 reports
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120,227 miles · Dec 26, 2015
Service Brakes

PIN HOLES IN STEEL BRAKE LINES CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY VEHICLE WAS SITTING WHEN BRAKE PETAL WAS APPLIED FOR STARTING. WHEN PRESSING BRAKE TO START VEHICLE, PETAL WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR. WHEN CHECKING UNDER VEHICLE TO ANALYZE PROBLEM, PIN HOLES LEAKS WERE OBSERVED IN VARIOUS PLACES FROM FRONT TO REAR IN STEE…

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PIN HOLES IN STEEL BRAKE LINES CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY VEHICLE WAS SITTING WHEN BRAKE PETAL WAS APPLIED FOR STARTING. WHEN PRESSING BRAKE TO START VEHICLE, PETAL WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR. WHEN CHECKING UNDER VEHICLE TO ANALYZE PROBLEM, PIN HOLES LEAKS WERE OBSERVED IN VARIOUS PLACES FROM FRONT TO REAR IN STEEL LINES. I FEAR WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN IN MOTION, AROUND PEDESTRIANS, AND/OR, ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #10816261

235,059 miles · Sep 2, 2013
Service BrakesSteering

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 INDICAT…

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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. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10538376

Official recalls

4

03V159000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer

Apr 28, 2003

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

01V123000 · Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices

Apr 10, 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW ALARM MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.

99V009000 · Child Seat

Jan 20, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THESE CONDITIONS COULD INCREASE THE OCCUPANT'S RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS ON THE CHILD SEATS, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CHILD SEAT.

97V057000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Apr 8, 1997

THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR BUCKET SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND PERSONAL INJURY COULD RESULT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTOR ON THE REAR SEAT CUSHION FRAME.

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

1

EA02006 · Windshield Wiper Failure

Opened May 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 23, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.