2001 Chevrolet Astro

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER IN 2005 FOR NHTSA RECALL # 05V099000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH). THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE SWITCH AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE STOPPED OPERATING. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REPLACE THE SWITCH BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

2001 CHEVY ASTRO -- DOES NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. JUST KEEPS "SLIDING". ONLY WAY TO FIX IS TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THE ABS BRAKES. IF FUSE IS IN, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE SHUTTERS AND GROWLS AND JUST CONTINUES TO SLIDE AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEEDS SUCH AS COMING TO A STOP OR PULLING INTO PARKING SPACES. ---VERY DANGEROUS--THANK GOD HUSBAND IS A MECHANIC AND REALIZED THAT TAKING THE FUSE OUT WOULD STOP THIS PROBLEM, BUT CAUSES IT SO THAT THERE IS NO ABS. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO STOP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000 MILES. THE FIRST FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH INTO A FENCE. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS A OF COUPLE MONTHS LATER, THE DRIVER DROVE THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES AND FAILING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VAN AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VAN IN REVERSE ,AND NOTICED THAT THE PEDAL'S PLACEMENT WAS IN AN AWKWARD POSITION, IT SEEMED HIGHER THAN USUAL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN A STORM AND EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR INCIDENT WITH THE BRAKES. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED DECEMBER 28, 2006 WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VAN DIDN'T STOP. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED HE SCHEMATICS AND NOTED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM COULD BE AFFECTED BY A FUNCTION IN THE STEERING SYSTEM AND IT COULD LOCK. THE CONTACT USED A HYDRAULIC JACK, AND WHEN HE STARTED THE CAR THE WHEELS SPUN; HOWEVER WHEN HE PUT THE VAN BACK ON THE GROUND AND APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS NO INCIDENT OR FAILURE IN THE BRAKES AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THE GENERAL MOTORS MANUAL , VOLUME 1 OF 2 GM-401 FOR THE ASTRO AND MINI VAN, PAGE 5-4 UNDER HYDRAULICS LIST DETAILED INFORMATION THAT COULD BE RELATED. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 ASTRO AWD THAT WAS TAKEN TO MEINEKE BRAKE CARE CENTER WHERE THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS ANALYZED. THE FRONT DRIVER (ABS) WHEEL SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED. NOTE PRIOR TO HAVING THIS DONE THE (ABS) LIGHT CAME ON THEREFORE I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE AT A VERY SLOW STOP THE BRAKE WOULD RELEASE ITSELF AND WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE. AFTER MEINEKE ANALYZED THE PROBLEM I HAD THE BRAKE SENSOR REPLACED, AND THE (ABS) LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE WORKING NORMAL AGAIN. HOWEVER JUST ONE WEEK AGO I WAS DRIVING AND CAME TO A VERY SLOW STOP, MIND YOU THE LIGHT (ABS) IS OFF AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND THE BRAKES RELEASED ALL THE WAY CAUSING ME TO RUN INTO A FENCE. HOWEVER, LUCKILY NO ON WAS HURT OR PROPERTY DAMAGED CAUSED BUT WITHOUT WARNING THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS TRAVELING BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE OR LARGE TRUCK. THE BRAKES HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN ANALYZED FOR PROBLEMS AND THE SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED SHOWS NO ISSUES. CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT NO ONE HAS REPORTED? PLEASE ADVISE WITH ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER, IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. *JB

I OWN A 2001 CHEVY ASTRO VAN. TODAY I HAD TO PAY ANOTHER $300 TO HAVE THE WINDOW MOTOR FIXED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME ON THIS VEHICLE! WE HAVE FRIENDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A TREND WITH ASTRO VANS AND WINDOW MOTORS. ALTHOUGH MOSTLY A CONVENIENCE ISSUE, I SUPPOSE ONE COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO ROLL A WINDOW UP AND DOWN MIGHT BE A SAFETY ISSUE. (BY THE WAY, THE WINDOW GOES DOWN, BUT NOT UP!). *NM

ABS NOT STOPPING THE VEHICLE AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED. VEHICLE IS STILL MOVING BUT THE ABS SENSOR THINKS THE WHEELS HAVE STOPPED THEIR FOR NOT STOPPING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE CHEVY SILVERADO'S WERE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT CHEVY HAS NOT RECALLED THIS VAN WHICH HAS THE SAME BRAKING SYSTEM AS THE SILVERADO. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS WITH OUR VAN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, AT A VARIETY OF LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE SPEED SENSORS AND THE HYDRO BOOSTER. THE SPEED SENSORS WERE WORN AND THE BOOSTER WAS LEAKING FLUID. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY AND THE VEHICLE HAS OPERATED NORMALLY SINCE THAT TIME. UPDATED 7/3/2006 - *NM