1994 Chevrolet Lumina minivan review from North America
"Underrated, reliable, cheap to fix"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
It is bad on timing belts. The Air compressor failed so we removed it and closed the gap with a smaller belt. For some reason that works better.
Crack in the gas tank at 120,000, was fixed with epoxy, but is still scary.
Gas gauge does not work, failed at 90,000.
Fuel pump replaced twice, normal for a vehicle this age.
Radio needs replacement, but that's due to age too.
Alternator, Starter, and Battery replaced.
None of the doors, save for the back hatch, open from the outside. This was fixed temporarily after the installation of a $2 part on the doors, only for them to break again a few days later.
The power windows have died at 110,000.
Other than that, no major expensive problems besides the door latches. This is a problem for this model (and Astros) I hear.
General comments?
This car was bought in 1999 at five years old. It is easily the most comfortable ride ever, and is awesome in terms of cargo space.
The seats are removable and rearrangeable in the last two rows, which is nice, and a plus since the seats weight about 30 lbs.
The seats had cupholders when folded down, which is cool too.
When the stereo system did work, it was supposed to be high-end at the time so it was superb.
Power windows and doors! This is a great convenience, but it broke!
The engine is decent, but it tends to be not very responsive. 3.1 liters is not enough to propel a 3700lb minivan. But then again, this is not a race car, and generally it gets okay gas mileage.
In the winter, this van starts up not problem... I've only had one problem where it didn't start up. Most of the time though, I couldn't get it going because the doors were frozen shut.
The heater is awesome.
It is kind of awkward to drive, because the dustbuster design on the front gives it two blind spots and it's hard until you get used to it.
Otherwise, it's a great vehicle, reliable, and although it's a sweatlodge in the summer (we save our Saturn for the summer because it has ventilation) it is great for trips and carrying things around.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1994 |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 liter Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 60000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 130000 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile Achieva |
| Date of Entry | 2nd December, 2006 |