1992 Chevrolet Lumina APV minivan from North America - Comments

Here's the list of problems I've had with my 92 Lumina APV van, follwed by advice for current owners:

The rear door lock failed, alternator failed, heater core leaked onto passenger side floor, Distributor gasket leaked oil badly, washer fluid hose came off fitting that is under black plastic exterior grille that is very hard to remove. passenger window won't go down more than half way, headlight switch failed, passenger door lock works only sometimes, Paint peeled off front part of roof, headrest doesn't stay up, driver's door hangs lower thatn it should and doesn't seal well creating a lot of wind noise, noise from the interior trim and dashboard, windshield wipers intermittantly don't work (very dangerous), passenger seatbelt won't retract, small marker light bulbs burnt out quickly, air vent louvers on the dash broke, front blower motor relay failed twice and melted its socket, block temperature sensor failed, factory struts and shocks were worn out by 40,000mi (replacements improve handling a LOT), tie rod ends failed twice, the water pump failed, rubber brake hoses cracked at both front wheels, twice rear break wheel cylinders have leaked,rear drums repeatedly warp which causes the rear brakes to lock (I had to pull the fuse on the ABS because it removed almost all braking power due to this rear drum warping problem causing premature lock up, (which the shop said was common on Luminas from the early 90's). All these problems occured within the first 95,000 miles (I bought the car when it was nearly new for $16,000, which just sickens me). Also, the design of the van creates terrible blind spots due to thickness of the B and C pillars and the dashboard doesn't let you see whats right in front of you. This is a huge safety concern and I feel would be reason enough for a buyer to avoid this vehicle. As if that's not enough, it's easy to hit your head on the corner of the front doors (which even carry a warning about this hazard).

On the plus side, the 3.1L drive train has been mostly fine, and while it doesn't have much power, it is torquey and can get 25 mpg on the highway if driven gently. If you make the upgrades that I describe below, it will handle quite well.

Present owners: Buy a GM *factory* service manual online (cost almost $150 new, less than $50 used on the Internet) ; do not waste money on Haynes, or any other publisher's manual, because the service manual published by the factory is the only complete and accurate source of repair information that you can get (this is true for any vehicle). Buy one even if you don't do your own work, that way if you have to take it to a shop that isn't a dealer, they can look at the book (especially if you travel a lot and run the risk of breaking down in a place where you have no option, but to take it to "Joe's garage", Joe can use your manual.) Do this for every car you drive out of town or plan to repair yourself; the manual will pay for itself quickly.

I highly suggest using 65 series (instead of 70 series) H-rated sport tires to improve handling and lower the gearing a little. Lower profile tires and all new suspension will make the car handle MUCH better! This car is plagued by electrical gremlins, partly because the factory electrical ground is weak, redo it at the battery, and reground the engine, wiper motor and blower motor circuits. Electrical circuits need adequate voltage to work right, so basically redo every ground you can find, ensuring a solid connection to bare metal.

I just read on this site that the wiper motor has a circuit board that the power connector goes into, and the solder joints crack, which causes the intermittent operation (this is great news, and was exactly what I was web searching for a solution to). This circuit board should be repairable. Upgrading the ground will reduce battery and alternator failures and will keep lights from dimming when you turn on wipers and blower, and will reduce the interference on the radio from the wipers.

When your alternator fails, don't buy a rebuilt one, spend the extra money and buy a brand new one (Bosch makes excellent alternators) ; this is cheaper in the long run. I suffered a whiplash injury when rear-ended because the headrest wouldn't stay up. Shove foam or something under headrest to hold it up. Check the rubber brake hoses at both front wheels for cracks; they are easy to replace and can kill you if they fail. Remove ABS fuse from fuseblock and drive on a wet or gravel road and see if rear brakes lock up sooner than they should. If they do (or if there are sounds coming from the rear end) Have rear brakes serviced; failures can kill you. Be aware of the blind spots caused by the thick front windshield A and B pillars; a pedestrian or motorcyclist can easily be missed if they are in the blind spot created by these pillars. Always double check before pulling out in this car! Twice I very nearly pulled right in front of a cyclist. Pull out slowly and double check. Warn anyone you lend this car to about the blind spots, since you are liable for any accident they are involved in. Add a little convex rectangular mirror (K-Mart sells a nice one) to the lower right corner of drivers side mirror because the C pillar means you can't look over your shoulder to check the blind spot behind the driver's door. If I had the money to replace it, I'd get rid of this car just based on the safety hazard it poses.

This is one of the most comprehensive and informative reviews of any vehicle I have read on carsurvey.org. I've always recommended friends to view this site before making purchases because the reviews give a better insight into a particular make and model of vehicle, than any review you read in the press. It amazes me that after a 100 years of automobile production, the motor vehicle industry cannot produce a simple and reliable car?

I have owned the 1992 Chevy Lumina APV (and still have it). I have only replaced the following since it was new.

Alternator.

Battery.

Rear brake drums & shoes.

Emergency brake cable.

Tires.

Heater blower motor.

Front brake pads.

Rear shocks.

I still have this van! 236000 miles and it runs great!

One of the best vehicles I have owned for reliability!