1997 Chevrolet Astro

CHEVROLET DOESN'T CARE ABOUT USING CHEAP PARTS- AFTER WARRANTY THEY SAY TRADE IT IN .NUMEROUS THINGS WRONG WITH VAN AND HAVE TALKED TO CHEVROLET MANY TIMES. CAN'T USE BACK DOOR OF VAN, RUN OUT OF GAS, KNOBS FALL OF INTERIOR DEVICES, ASKED CHEVY TO HELP SINCE 37,000 AND PROBLEMS STILL HAPPENING AS I GO, CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX AND CAN'T AFFORD TO TRADE. ANOTHER NICE SHOVE IT JOB BY CHEVROLET THEY DON'T STAND BY THEIR PRDUCT AND THEIR PRODUCT IS NOT SAFE PLEASE RESPOND. *AK

1ST PROBLEM: WHEN TRANSMISSION GETS HOT- PARTICULARLY AFTER IF DRIVEN IN LOW GEAR .ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION SLAMS FROM 1ST GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR, THEN FROM 2ND GEAR INTO 3RD GEAR. FEELS LIKE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR. PROBLEM STOPS WHEN VEHICLE COOLS DOWN. DEALER SAYS ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. HAS SEEN MANY OTHER ASTROS WITH SAME PROBLEM. 2ND PROBLEM: SINCE FILING ORGINAL COMPLAINT # 516354 HAVE GONE TO BINDING ARBITRATION WITH CHEVROLET. CHEVROLET ADMITTED TO DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK THAT CAUSES IT TO MOVE. ARBITRATOR ORDER CHEVROLET TO FIX. CHEVROLET REFUSED BECAUSE IT WILL REQUIRE REDESIGN OF FUEL TANK. ARBITRATOR HAS NO POWER TO ORDER REDESIGN. *AK

I AM TOLD BY THE LOCAL DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE ASTROS ARE BEING REPLACED ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS "POOR ENGINEERING" THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2000 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE HAD ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND AT WHAT POINT IN TIME DO THEY MAKE A RECALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. THE CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE COULD NOT HELP ME AT ALL!!!!!

UPON MA STATE INSPECTION THE 2 FRONT IDLER ARMS WERE FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY GONE "TYPICAL OF BLAZERS AND ASTROS" THEY SAID. INDEPENDANT GARAGE FOUND THAT THE ARMS WERE EXTREMELY WORN FOR THIS MILAGE. ALSO THE FRONT DISK ROTORS ARE WORN PAST THE POINT OF SAFTY, AND A DETERATION OF THE COOLING AND SUPPORT FINS IS NOTED, THIS SEEMS ODD AS THE ROTOR PADS SHOW TYPICAL AND EVEN WEAR FOR THE MILAGE. THE ROTORS ARE EVENLY WORN, BUT EXCESSIVLY DEEP CUT. AT 15000 MILES THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AT A STOP SIGN, OK ON SECOND PUMP, NEVER OCCURED AGAIN. I HAVE HEARD OF THIS AND I AM ALWAYS CAUTIOUS. BREAKS SOMETIMES ACT ODDLY BUT WORK OK. I STILL FEEL GREAT ABOUT CHEV VANS THOUGH MY ARM REST FELL OFF ?

OCCURANCE 1) ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE APPROCAHING AN INTERSECTION. THE RESULTING LOSS OF POWER CAUSED A SEVERE CONTROL PROBLEM WITH THE VAN. THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE WAS THE FUEL GUAGE READ 3/4 AND THE VAN RAN OUT OF FUEL. OCCURANCE 2) THE FUEL GUAGE HAS TOTALLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING, AFTER TOPPING OFF AND PROCEEDING ONTO HIGHWAY I DROVE FOR 1/2 HOUR AT 65, A SUDDEN SLAM OCCURED 2 OR THREE TIMES, APPEARED TO BE THE ENGINE CUTTING IN AND OUT, SLOWED TO 55 AND CONTINUED FOR 150 MILES WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. OCCURANCE 3) VEHICLE HAS NO FUEL GUAGE, I AM TOLD IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY, EVEN IF FULL THE VEHICLE SEEM TO LOOSE CONTROL MOMENTARALLY, AS IF TO LOOSE POWER.

FAST ENGINE IDLE, INTERMITTANT, HIGH AMBIENT TEMP. NO "CHK ENG" OR "STORED CODES" VAN WILL INTERMITTANTLY ACCELLERATE TO 45 TO 62 MPH WITH NO PEDAL. SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS. FREQUENTLY MUST USE BRAKES OR LOW GEAR TO HOLD 45-55 MPH DEALERS MAKE EXCUSE OVER WARRANTY WHILE ADMITING IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT NO REAL INTEREST FROM SEVERAL LEVELS OF MGMT. 3 YR PROBLEM, DEALER SERV HAS ONLY SEEN MALFUNCTION ONCE WITH COMPUTER TOOL PLUGED IN BUT SAID "NO PROBLEM INDICATED" WHILE SEEING THE FAST IDLE. CAN I GET AN INCIDENT NUMBER TO TAKE TO THE DEALER?

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VAN. THE DEALER NOR CHEVROLET HAVE OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE SAYING THAT AFTER 36,000 MILES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND I CANNOT PAY MY CAR PAYMENT PLUS REPAIRS EVERY MONTH. I CANNOT TRADE IT IN BECAUSE I OWE TOO MUCH ON IT. IF I TURN IT IN, I DO NOT HAVE CREDIT TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. CAN YOU ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY? NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK