IllustrationHAD FRONT BRAKES REPAIRED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR. 1 PAIR OF BRAKES SHOES OUT OF 4 IS WEARING OUT EACH TIME. AT 17000MILES, BRAKES SHOES ARE WEARING OUT AGAIN & NEED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPAIR AGAIN DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. IS HAPPENING TO LEFT FRONT BRAKES ONLY. *AK
1997 Chevrolet Astro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Astro years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 46 of 360 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports7 fire reports16 injury reports
What owners actually said
360 reportsTRANSMISSION GOT STUCK ,CAUSING BRAKES TO BE INOPERATIVE WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL. *AK
WAS DRIVING AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISS,AND WOULD NOT PULL IT'S SELF DOWN THE HWY. THEN ENGINE STALLED, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ITS WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER,WHICH IS 350 MILES FROM MY HOUSE. WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTAM WAS CONTAMINATED WITH FUEL. THE MECHANIC POURED RAW GAS FROM ECM. APPARE…
Read full complaint
WAS DRIVING AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISS,AND WOULD NOT PULL IT'S SELF DOWN THE HWY. THEN ENGINE STALLED, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ITS WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER,WHICH IS 350 MILES FROM MY HOUSE. WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTAM WAS CONTAMINATED WITH FUEL. THE MECHANIC POURED RAW GAS FROM ECM. APPARENTLY FUEL IS BEING PUMPED THROUGH THE WIRES THAT FIRE THE INJECTOR TO THE ECM. THE DEALER DON JOHNSON MOTORS OF RICE LAKE WS, HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER SHEPPARD CHEVROLET OF LAKE BLUFF IL HAS HAD ANOTHER 4.3 IN A TRUCK DO THE SAME THING. GM WARRENTED THAT. BUT I'M OVER MY STANDARD WARRENTY AND THE BEST THEY SAY THEY CAN DO IS 50/50 ON THE COST,WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. THEY SHOULD COVER THIS, AS FAR AS IM CONCERED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ONE SPARK WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DON JOHNSON MOTORS HAD CONTACTED GM TECHNOCIAL ASSIST. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED AND ASKED FOR HELP. GM SAYS THEY HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM BEFORE BUT WOULDNT GIVE SPECIFICS. IN REVIEWING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEB PAGE, OTHERS HAVE HAD INJECTOR PROBLEMS WITH THESE VANS, BUT THEIR DESCRIPTIONS ARE INCOMPLETE.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AT 65MPH, EXITING OFF AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND WHEN TAKING OFF AGAIN VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR .CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
THE WIPERS HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. YOU WILL TURN THEM ON WITH NO RESULTS. TURNING IT ON A COUPLE MORE TIMES IN QUICK SESSION WILL PROVE USELESS. TURN THEM ON AT A LATER TIME AND THEY WILL WORK. THIS SOUNDS SIMULAR TO ANOTHER RECENT GM RECALL . PLEASE CHECK OUT .
WHEN APPLYING TH EGAS PEDAL AFTER A STOP, BRAKES LOCKED UP ON THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DIRIVNG 25 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT, AND DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH APPLIED BRAKES, NO BRAKES, FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRED AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CONDITION OF VEHICLE NOT DETERMINED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
YOU DO NOT REALIZE GAUGE DOES NOT WORK BECAUSE IT ACTS AS IF IT DOES. IF YOU RUN OUT OF GAS YOU WILL HAVE NO POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. *AK
SUDDEN AND SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. DEALER NOTED BROKEN SHAFT IN POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK
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.