IllustrationWHENEVER WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE IN USE, THEY CAN BE USED ONLY IN HIGH POSITION. AFTER VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP, WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY IN THE RAIN. THE MORE MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THE WORSE THE WIPERS WORK OR STOP COMPLETELY. WHEN PARKED IN GARAGE & HEATER DRYS OUT WIPERS,THEY WORK FINE ON HIGH, BUT NOT ON LOW. *AK
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 →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: 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
What owners actually said
263 reportsWHENEVER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-65MPH VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY. WOULD HAVE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER ON NUMEROUS TIMES & HAD DIFFERENT PARTS REPLACED EACH TIME. THE VIBRATION PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT VIBRATION. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK 80% OF THE TIME. THE WIPERS COME ON AND THEN STOP. SOMETIMES THEY GO FASTER THAN THEY SHOULD. SOMETIMES THE WATER DOES NOT COME OUT. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
HEATER AND A/C CONTROL SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED THE WIRING HARNESS, CAUSING INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ACCLERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION DUE TO THE FRAYED THROTTLE CABLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, AND BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD NOT SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE, BUT DID NOT KNOW THE REASON WHY IT FELL APART. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMA…
Read full complaint
ACCLERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION DUE TO THE FRAYED THROTTLE CABLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, AND BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD NOT SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE, BUT DID NOT KNOW THE REASON WHY IT FELL APART. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
I AM ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY WIPER MOTOR IT DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME. SIGNAL LIGHT SWITCH ALSO WORKS SOMETIMES. *AK
IDLER ARMS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION AND PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TIRES.
SEAT BELT ON PASSENGERS SIDE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT FAILED TO RETRACT PROPERLY. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REIMBURSE CONSUMER FOR REPLACMENT/REPAIRS. *AK *SLC
DIFFERENTIAL UNIT FAILED WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER INTERMITTENTLY WOULD HEAR A CLONKING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF VEHICLE; VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. DIFFERENTIAL IS INOPERATIVE, AND DEALER REPAIRED PROBLEM, PAID PART OF THE COST. *AK *ML
Official recalls
403V159000 · 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
1EA02006 · 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.