1999 Chevrolet Astro

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ASSIST STEERING & POWER ASSIST BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER, HOWEVER, AFTER SOME RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED, CAUSING LACK OF PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE SHAFT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP SNAPPED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE AND A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE. THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE PUMP HIMSELF AND DISCOVERED THE SHAFT WAS BROKEN IN THE PUMP. WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, IT CAUSED THE POWER BRAKES TO FAIL AS WELL. UPDATED 10/04/06. *JB

PULLING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE EVENING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. AS I TRIED TO STOP OUR VAN I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE ALSO GONE CAUSING US TO ROLL INTO THE CORNER OF OUR HOME (BRICK) AT APPROXIMATELY 3 - 4 MPH WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2500 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VAN. NO ONE WAS INJURED. IT COST $300 TO GET THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AND ANOTHER $75 JUST TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR FAN AND SHROUD SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE MADE DRIVABLE AGAIN. AFTER CONTACTING SEVERAL SERVICE AGENCIES I FIND THAT THE BRAKE BOOST SYSTEM HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HENCE, IF YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING, YOU LOSE YOUR BRAKES! I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE (CASE #1-383499552) AND THEIR ANSWER WAS, "YOU SHOULD STILL HAVE SOME BRAKES IF YOU PUSH HARD ENOUGH." I'M 5'10" TALL AND WEIGH 200 LBS. I HAD BOTH FEET PUSHING ON THE PEDAL TRYING TO STOP. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR IF THEY WERE COMING OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR TRYING TO STOP THEIR VEHICLE. GM NEEDS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING. NOTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT IT. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE GM TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES TO OUR VEHICLE CAUSED BY US NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING A LITER AND A HALF OF OIL PER WEEK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURE IN THE SYSTEM WHICH WAS DUE TO THE MATERIAL THAT WAS USED DURING ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ,AND THEY EXPLAINED THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THAT SPECIFIC PART. *AK

WE HAVE A 1999 CHEVY ASTRO VAN. WE HAD A FACTORY RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS SUPPLIED BY GUARANTY CHEVROLET ON 8-30-02, INSTALLED. THE VAN HAD 67,532 MILES. WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND NEVER TOWED ANYTHING. WE ALSO PAID TO HAVE A SEPARATE NEW COOLING SYSTEM INSTALLED FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO HAD THE DRIVESHAFT REBUILT AND BALANCED. NOW, OUR 2ND TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AT 44,547 MORE MILES SINCE INSTALLED IN 2002. WE HAVE SPENT $5,700.00. OUR TRANSMISSION PLACE WROTE GM. MARK DOWLER OF CHEVY CALLED ME AND SAID SORRY, WE WON'T HELP YOU. WE ARE GOING TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT IF NEED BE. THANK YOU. *JB

COMMENTS: WHY DID EVERYONE MISS THE 1999 CHEVY ASTRO VAN WITH AWD? I ALREADY HAD THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED (AT MY COST) EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM!!! PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, BUT LOCAL FIRESTONE GARAGE PERFORMED THE MAINTENANCE, AND HAS THE RECORDS OF THE SERVICE. NEAR-MISS TOO MANY TIMES AT LOW SPEED STOPPING PROBLEMS. SOME ONE NEEDS TO INCLUDE THE CHEVY & GMC MINI-VANS!!! *JB

DT: ON FRIDAY THE BATTERY WENT DEAD AND THE OWNER COULDN'T OPEN THE BACK DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THE OWNER COULD NOT OPEN THE BACK DOORS TO GET TO HIS TOOLS. THE OWNER WAS CONCERNED THAT IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED NO ONE COULD GET OUT OF THE BACK DOORS. THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT. THE OWNER FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE OWNER WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE BATTERY GOING DEAD, JUST ABOUT THE BACK DOOR NOT OPENING.*AK

DT: THE VEHICLES FUEL LINE FELL APART. THERE WAS A SMELL OF GASOLINE INSIDE THE HOUSE SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THE LINES CAME APART WHILE DRIVING, THE FUEL LINE BUSTED AND GASOLINE SPEWED. THE MECHANIC INSTRUCTED THE OWNER THAT THE FUEL LINE CAN BE SNAPPED BACK TOGETHER. SO THE OWNER SNAPPED IT BACK TOGETHER. OWNER HAS SPOKEN WITH A DEALERSHIP THAT INSTRUCTED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE.*AK *JB