1997 Chevrolet Astro

ADDITONAL FAILURE DATES / MI: 8-11-99 @20544 MI., 12-2-99 @ 21932 MI., 6-30-00 @24992MI, 10-13-00 @26737 MI., AS YOU CAN SEE THE PROBLEM REPETES AT ABOUT EVERY 2000 - 2500 MILES. CHEVY SAYS ITS A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS BLENDS IN CA & NY ONLY? IF THIS IS TRUE THEN WHY ARE THEY NOT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ALL OF THERE ENGINES? THE INJECTION PORTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX REPALCE THEM. INSTEAD THEY BRING THE VAN IN FOR A "INJECTOR CLEANING" PER CHEVY BULLETIN. THE ENGINE RUNS SO ROUGH IT SHAKES THE WHOLE VAN! THE FUEL INJECTOR DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED/RECALLED!

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND THEN THE POWER BRAKES DID NOT WORK. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER REPORTED POWER STEERING PUMP WENT AND OFFERED 50% ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS SEVERELY OUT AND WOULD ALSO NEED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES. WHEN DEALER WENT TO DO ALIGNMENT, HE NOW INFORMS US THAT THE STEERING COMPONENTS ARE BAD: PITMAN ARM, 2 INNER TIE RODS, AND 2 IDLER ARMS. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE, I.E. GREASING. THIS IS THE SECOND ALIGNMENT WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE DONE ON THIS VAN (4/98 FIRST ALIGNMENT AND REPLACED FOUR TIRES AT THAT TIME ALSO. HAD THE VAN FOR 11 MONTHS??) WE FEEL THAT STEERING COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE FROM THE BEGINNING THUS REQUIRING TWO ALIGNMENTS AND TWO NEW SETS OF TIRES IN 40 MONTHS. I CALLED GM CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-222-1020 AND THEY REPORT NO RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I WILL CALL ABOUT STEERING COMPONENTS. *AK

VERY FAST IDLE, INTRMITTENT, WILL ACCELLERATE VEHICLE BEYOND 60 MPH WITH NO GAS PEDAL. CARRIED VEHICLE DATA RECORDER FOR 3 WEEKS, RECORDED 4 EVENTS. DEALER CLAIMS NORMAL FAST IDLE DURING DECELERATION AS EMISSION FEATURE. MY QUESTION, ACCEL BEYOND 60MPH WITH NO PEDAL IS NOT EMISSION CONTROL, IT IS UN-SAFE. IT REQUIRES BRAKES TO MAINTAIN 50MPH ON FLAT GROUND WHEN THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM KICKS IN. I HAVE HAD 3 YEARS OF DEALER EXCUSES, AS THEY DO NOT WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY TO FIX EVEN UNDER EXTENDED 100.000 MILE WARANTY. THEY CLAIM TO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AS THERE IS NO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT OR STORED CODES. THIS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL DRIVING CONCERN INCIDENTS AND 2 VERY CLOSE CALLS WHEN IT DECIDES TO KICK IN.*AK

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER BECAUSE CHEVROLET AND GENERAL MOTORS ARE PRODUCING VEHICLES THAT HAVE MECHANICAL DEFECTS THAT ARE LIFE THREATENING AND ARE COVERING UP THE PROBLEM. THE BASIC PROBLEM IS WITH THE BRAKES OF THE CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VAN I NOTICED THE VAN BEGAN PULLING OR STEERING OFF TO THE LEFT UPON BRAKING. IT WAS VERY SLIGHT AT FIRST BUT AS TIME WENT ON THE PROBLEM BECAME MORE ACUTE. I TOOK THE VAN INTO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE PULLING WHEN BREAKING PROBLEM. (LITTLE DID I KNOW THEN THAT THIS WOULD BE A LONG SUCCESSION OF VISITS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.) WHEN I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM WITH THE VAN PULLING WHEN BREAKING, ONE OF THE WRITERS BEHIND THE DESK STATED THAT THOSE VANS HAVE A HISTORY OF PULLING AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THEY COULD DO TO ELEVATE THE PROBLEM. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE VAN IN AT LEAST 7 TIMES (CONFIRMED DEALER RECEIPTS) FOR THE PULLING PROBLEM. THE REASON I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE IS BECAUSE THE DEALER DID NOT ALWAYS INCLUDE THE PULLING PROBLEM AS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THEY WORKED ON. THE DEALER KEPT REASSURING ME THAT THERE WERE ADDITIONAL TECH NOTICES THEY COULD EMPLOY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE VAN IN FOR THE PROBLEM THEY TOLD ME THE DID ALL THEY COULD DO. I THEN CALLED THE GM CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THE PERSON IN TURN THEN CALLED THE DEALER TO VERIFY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER DID VERIFY THE PROBLEM BUT THEN TOLD THE PERSON ON THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE THAT IT WAS THE CUSTOMERS BAD DRIVING HABITS THAT WERE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. NOW I AM 54 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE I WAS 16 AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS TYPE OF A PROBLEM. THE LAST VAN I HAD JUST BEFORE FOR THIS ONE WAS A FORD AEROSTAR WHICH IS A VERY SIMILAR TYPE VAN AND I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF A PROBLEM. THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE THEN TOLD ME THAT AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED IT WAS MY FAULT THAT THE VAN WAS PULLING WHEN I WAS BREAKING. THEY ALSO STATED THAT

HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING MORE THAN A NUISIANCE SO FAR, BUT WE BELIEVE IT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. THE GAS PEDAL STICKS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. STARTING OFF IN A CONTROLLABLE MANNER IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. RELIABLE CHEVROLET IN TULSA REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES, AND NOW THE PROBLEM IS STARTING AGAIN. AS THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE, IT STARTS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN, I.E. EVEN AFTER THE VAN HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE INSTEAD OF JUST AFTER STARTING. THE GAS PEDAL JUST STICKS WHEN THE THROTTLE IS CLOSED. IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF PRESSURE TO UNSTICK IT, AND WHEN IT FINALLY MOVES, IT OPENS THE THROTTLE MORE THAN INTENDED, AND THE VAN STARTS OFF IN LEAPS AND SPURTS INSTEAD OF GRADUALLY AND GRACEFULLY.