2002 Chevrolet Astro

2002 CHEVY ASTRO VAN IDLER ARM PULLED THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE FRONT RIGHT PORTION RESULTING IN PARTIAL STEERING FAILURE ON FEBRUARY 1, 2009. UPON INSPECTION BY HALLEEN CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NOT ONLY HAD THE FRONT RIGHT IDLER ARM BROKEN THROUGH THE FRAME BUT THE FRONT LEFT IDLER ARM WAS ALSO IN DANGER OF BREAKING THROUGH. THIS WOULD RESULT IN COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A COMPLETE FRAME REPLACEMENT. *TR

ON MARCH 26, 2008, I TOOK MY 2002 CHEVY ASTRO VAN TO BE SERVICED. MILEAGE 93,829,I HAD NO BRAKES. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED. ON APRIL 12, 2008, ONCE AGAIN I HAD NO BRAKES, THIS TIME IT RESULTED IN ME GETTING INTO AND ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP. WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THE LIFT THEY SAID THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS MELTED UNTIL THE POINT OF THE HOSE BURSTING. HE SAID HE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN HIS 20 YEARS OF SERVICE. THEY DID NOT WANT TO TOUCH IT STATING IT WAS NOW A LIABILITY TO THEM AND DIRECTED ME TO CHEVY. CHEVY CONCURRED, FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HAVE A CLUE AT WHAT CAUSED THIS. THEY CALLED IN GM, WHO ALSO NEVER HAD SEEN THIS, BUT BOUNCED THE BLAME ON A QUESTIONABLY INSTALLED MASTER CYLINDER. CHEVY SAID THEY CAN REPLACE THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG, BUT SINCE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS OR WHY FUSES DIDN'T BLOW TO PREVENT IT, IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WE HIRED OUR OWN CAR CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THE VAN, HE TOO HAS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THE HEAT AND MELTED BRAKE LINES RAN CLOSER THAN 1/4 INCH AWAY FROM THE GAS TANK. I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THE RISK OF DRIVING AGAIN WITH MY CHILDREN AND LOOSING BRAKES OR POSSIBLY IGNITING THE GAS TANK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS EXTERIOR LIGHTING/BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES WERE INOPERATIVE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V099000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH). THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

OPERATED THE VAN FOR 30 MINUTES. PARKED IT IN A GARAGE AND SHUTOFF ENGINE. TEN MINUTES LATER THE GARAGE SMOKE ALARM SOUNDED. THE VAN HAD FILLED THE GARAGE FULL OF SMOKE. OPENED THE DOOR AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO REMOVE FROM GARAGE. DISPLAY REPORTED AN ASSORTMENT OF WARNINGS AND ENGINE STARTER FAILED TO ACTIVATE. OPENED HOOD TO DISCOVER FLAMES COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE ON THE ENGINE. CALLED FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MADE FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO STOP FLAMES FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. WENT UNDER THE VAN'S DRIVER-SIDE AND COULD NOW SEE THE SOURCE OF FIRE. EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, THEN IT SHORTLY ERUPTED AGAIN. EXTINGUISHED AGAIN. PLACED THE KEY INTO THE STEERING COLUMN TO MOVE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, SO THAT I COULD PUSH THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. SPARKS IMMEDIATELY FLEW FROM THE DRIVER-SIDE UNDERSIDE AND RE-IGNITED THE FIRE. THE TRANSMISSION LEVER WAS NO LONGER ENGAGED TO THE TRANSMISSION (CONTROL WAS LIMP) AND THE KEY SEIZED IN THE COLUMN. WENT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE A THIRD TIME. AFTER THIS I REMOVED THE POSITIVE POWER LEAD FROM THE BATTERY TO STOP ANY FURTHER ELECTRICAL SHORTS. FIRE SUBSIDED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND ORDERED A WRECKER TO DRAG THE VEHICLE FROM THE GARAGE FOR SAFETY OF THE HOUSE. AT THIS TIME IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FIRE HAD ALSO DESTROYED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SEIZED IN THE OFF POSITION. CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP REPAIR ORDER STATES AS FOLLOWS: "APPEARS EBCM SHORTED AND CAUGHT FIRE BURNING A HOLE THROUGH THE BRAKE LINE. PARKING BRAKE CABLE. SHIFTER CABLE AND WIRING HARNESS." THE EBCM FIRE NOT ONLY CAUSED THE LOSS OF NORMAL BRAKING OPERATION, THE POOR LOCATION OF UNIT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE IT STARTED DESTROYED THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM AND SEVERED THE CONTROLS TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS LEAVES A DRIVER WITH A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING FUNCTIONS AND NO MEANS TO SLOW THE VEHICLE THROUGH DOWN SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION. $6000 OF DAMAGE. *JB

VEHICLE HAS REPEATEDLY STARTING RUNNING POORLY AND HAS A LACK OF POWER ALONG WITH A MISFIRE. VEHICLE IS THEN HARD TO ACCELERATE AND SLOWS DOWN FLOW OF TRAFFIC. EACH TIME THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR HAVE BEEN FOUND WITH EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF CORROSION ON THEM AND WHEN THE CAP & ROTOR ARE REPLACED THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY FOR A WHILE. THE CAP & ROTOR WERE CHANGED 3 TIMES EACH BEFORE 50,000 MILES. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK AT ALL. HE STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS EXTEND AROUND HIS BODY, BUT FALL TO FASTEN. DURING SUDDEN STOPS, THE SEAT BELT WOULD EXTEND UNTIL IT RAN OUT OF SLACK, BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESTRAINT. GENERAL MOTORS ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE COST FOR THE REPAIR WOULD BE $200. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,300. UPDATED 01/07/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/12/07

I HAVE OWNED 3 ASTRO VANS, ?89 AND 92 (MADE IN USA) PREVIOUSLY AND LIKED THEM SO WELL I BOUT ANOTHER ONE 2002 (MADE IN MEXICO). WITHIN 60,000 MILES REAR SEAT FABRIC STARTED TO COME APART, DRIVER DOOR POWER WINDOWS AND LOCKS STOPPED WORKING, WINDSHIELD WASHER HOSES ROTTED, INTERIOR FAN BLOWER SWITCH FAILED (TWICE), DRIVER ARM REST VINYL SPLITTING IN MANY AREAS, STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH CAUSED BREAK AND SIGNAL LIGHTS TO BLOW FUSES (THIS WAS FIXED AS RECALL), REAR CARGO DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF, FUEL TANK GAS LEVEL INDICATOR FLUCTUATES REGARDLESS OF FUEL LEVEL, ANTILOCK BREAKS ENGAGE UNNECESSARILY AT LOW SPEED SOFT BRAKING, WINDSHIELD LEAKAGE, SIDE DOOR DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND SOMETIMES CAN NOT BE CLOSED. ALMOST ALL ITEM APPEARED AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT AGAIN. *AK