1999 Chevrolet Lumina

MY LUMINA SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOOSE REFRIGERANT CAUSING THE CAR TO OVERHEAT. TOOK THE CAR TO SEVERAL SHOPS INCLUDING A DEALERSHIP AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A LOWER MANIFOLD GASKET. EACH AND EVERY REPAIR FACILITY SAID THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THE LUMINA. WITH 56000 MILES I AM NOW FACED WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR.IF THIS IS SO COMMON WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS.? I HAVE HAD AN AIR CONDITIONER REPLACED AS WELL AS MANY OTHER EXPENSIVE ITEMS. I AM PAYING TWICE FOR THIS VEHICLE IN REPAIRS. THE POSITION OF THE BATTERY MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO REPLACE THEMSELVES. THE LUMINA IS TURNING INTO A MONEY PIT. *TR

1999 CHEVY LUMINA IS LEAKING OIL FROM THE VALVE COVER GASKET AS CONFIRMED BY TWO SEPARATE MECHANICS. GM HAS ISSUED A RECALL DUE TO FIRE HAZARD FOR THIS ISSUE BUT ONLY AUTHORIZES DEALERS TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG CHANNEL TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FIRE. OIL CAN STILL LEAK INTO THE MANIFOLD, WHICH DUE TO TEMPERATURE, YET POSING A FIRE HAZARD. ALSO, THE OIL BEGINS LEAKING EXTERNALLY POSING THE INITIAL FIRE HAZARD BUT AS THE PROBLEM PROGRESSES, THE LEAKAGE BECOMES INTERNAL AND SEEPAGE INTO THE COOLANT NULLIFIES COOLANT FUNCTION CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THIS POSES AN ADDITIONAL FIRE HAZARD AND EVEN IF NO FIRE OCCURS THE ENGINE WILL STILL SEIZE DUE TO OVERHEATING CAUSING ACCIDENT RISK. WHEN CONTACTING GM, CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE TECHNICAL ANSWERS BUT WOULD CONTACT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND PLACED A CONFERENCE CALL. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT A LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKET WAS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND COULD STILL POSE A THREAT BUT THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT WOULD BE 'HAPPY TO CHECK IT OUT AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT OUR EXPENSE' EVEN THOUGH IT'S A DEFECTIVE PART. THEY COULD NOT CONFIRM WHY THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS NOT BEING CORRECTED, ONLY THE CHANNEL COVER IN A TOKEN EFFORT TO APPEASE CONSUMERS BUT NOT TRULY CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND REFERRED ME BACK TO GM CUSTOMER SERVICE. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN OFFER NO REASONING OTHER THAN THEY DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, JUST MINIMIZE POSSIBLE RISK OF FIRE SPREADING. I AM PERSONALLY AWARE OF FOUR OTHER INDIVIDUALS UNDER THIS SAFETY RECALL, #09047, THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM TO THE DEGREE THE ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED AND WILL NEED REPLACEMENT BUT STILL GM REFUSES TO CORRECT THE ACTUAL SAFETY ISSUE. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STRANDED, NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT, AND EVEN HAD TO PUT A SMALL FIRE OUT THEM SELF. MINIMIZING A SIGNIFICANT FIRE THREAT IS NOT NEARLY SUFFICIENT WHEN IT CAN BE PREVENTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING FAILURES SIMILAR TO THOSE LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V116000. A MECHANIC NOTICED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WOULD COST MONEY TO REPAIR. CHEVROLET STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVY LUMINA PURCHASE NEW IN 1999. THE INTAKE GASKET HAS BEN SERVICED ON 3/14/03 AT $216, ON 12/15/03 CAR SMOKING AND FLUID LEAKING AGAIN AND THIS WAS $737. NOW I HAVE BEEN FACED WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS I WAS ADDING COOLANT ON A WEEKLY BASIS UNTIL IT STARTED TO BE EVERY 2-3 DAYS. THEN THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND I PANIC AND TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST SHOP ON MY WAY TO WORK. THE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A INTAKE GASKET MANIFOLD PROBLEM. WHEN THEY WERE DONE IT HAD COST ME $763 DOLLARS. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES IN THEIR SHOP WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, AFTER LEAVING THAT SAME DAY, THE CAR BEGUN HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATING AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT GETTING ANY GAS. THAT MADE NO SINCE BECAUSE I HAD 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS. WHY ARE THESE PROBLEMS HAPPENING AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I HAVE CONSISTENTLY SERVICED THIS VEHICLE ON A REGULAR BASIS SINCE PURCHASING IN 1999. I AM TOLD THAT THERE ARE RECALLS ON THESE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS. PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE I VALUE AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY CARS, BUT I FEEL THAT EVERYTHING IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH HAVING TO HAVE BRAKE JOBS EVERY 6 MOS. ON THIS SAME VEHICLE. WHAT IS THE PROBLEMS. WILL YOU HELP. *TR

VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT. TOOK IT TO MIDAS, MIDAS WHO SAID IT WAS A INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC CAP AND NEEDED TO REPLACE IT FOR TOTAL OF 700.00. MIDAS SAID THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WITH SAME PROBLEM DUE TO ANTIFREEZE STRENGTH THE DEALERSHIP WAS REQUIRED TO PUT INTO VEHICLE. ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE STALLING, AND WHEN FILLING VEHICLE UP WITH GAS, WHICH SEEMS TO RUN OUT OR MAYBE LEAK OUT FAST. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT INTERMITTENTLY FILLS WITH FUMES AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 30 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE FUMES WERE NEVER PRESENT AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. DURING THE LAST INSPECTION THE DEALER DETERMINED A PLASTIC GROCERY BAG WAS TRAPPED OVER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE BAG WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED FROM THE HEAT OF THE CONVERTER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THIS COULD BE A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FUMES AND THE BAG WAS REMOVED. APPARENTLY THIS WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AS THE FUMES RETURNED AGAIN YESTERDAY, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHILE THE FUMES WERE PRESENT.

I HAVE A 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO MY CAR STARTED TO OVER HEAT. IT BECAME INCREASINGLY WORST. THE CAR WAS LEAKING COOLANT SEVERELY. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFEST GASKET. I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH THIS WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL I STARTED TO RESEARCH THIS. IT WILL COST BE ABOUT 350.00 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT FIXED. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY WATER PUMP. *NM

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND I NOTICE ANTI FREEZE LEAKING. I HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD IT IS THE INTAKE VAVLE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I AM GOING TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AND YES THE REPLACED PART IS AVAILABLE. MY VEHICLE IS A 1999 CHEVY LUMINA AND I ONLY HAVE 60,000 MILE ON IT. I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 2 FUEL ENJECTORS. I REPLACED THE ALTENATOR AT 41,900. I AM VERY GOOD AT KEEPING MY CAR MAINTAINED AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN ROUGH. I AM THE ONLY OWNER AND THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. *AK