Comments: 1-15, 16-21
While the vehicle was still under warranty the fuel gauge went out and had to be replaced.
The rear air broke and had to be fixed.
The paint has been peeling off the bumpers since I first got the vehicle.
Once the warranty ran out, the rear end went out at 38,000 miles, at 60,000 the transmission went out, at 64,000 the air conditioning went out twice (once it was the compression lines and a week later it was an electrical problem).
Recently the wipers stopped working and a computer board had to be replaced.
These are only some of the things that have gone wrong since I have had the vehicle.
I will never buy a Chevy again and would be happy to trade this one in for a Ford, but for what I've been offered for it that isn't financially do-able right now.
Transmissions on a vehicle do fail sometimes even on the best car on the market. Don't get upset just because the transmission failed on you. The second one should work for years. Astro are very powerful and are a good van so keep it.
How often did you service the transmission (change fluid and filter)? If not done, trans could fail. I own a 97
Astro Van and it has been a great, very reliable vehicle. It
has 93,000 miles and only minor things have gone wrong.
I have owned the same Chevy Astro since 1989 it has been the lowest maintenance vehicle I've ever owned other than hardware such as door handles and inside panels I've been really lucky with mine. This is in comparison to the Dodge Grand Caravan Le I recently got rid of due to 3 transmissions in 3 years and 4 gas leaks in 2 years 3 were recalls and lets not forget brakes on the front every 4 months and the dealer couldn't figure out why. So don't give up on the Astro yet.
If your Astro gave you that much trouble, than you probably got a lemon, sometimes business people will tow heavier than needed stuff on highways causing stress on the engine then sell it as is letting the next owner worry about it, other than that the Astro has a great reputation for longevity.
Don't write that van off yet. I have 3 97s with mileage all in the over 200k range, & they're all sturdy, reliable vehicles.
I agree completely with the first comment, We also have a 1997 Astro that we bought in 1998 used. The day we drove it off the lot it broke down the dealer "fixed it" supposedly it was a sensor. It continued to break down every week for 4 months every time they said it is fixed and the same thing wrong with it. Finally they got it right. Then one day me and my kids almost went off the side of a mountain road because the van lost all steering and brakes on the way to take them to school luckily it had 10 miles left on the warranty. The dealer refused to take the car back or give us a replacement any of these times. And believe me I complained as far up the ladder at GMC as I was able to. During the first year we also had the catalytic converter go out three times. Replaced the drivers side window motor four times since 1998. Last year the gas gage went out and the ac/heat only blows out the defrost vents. My children freeze in the winter and swelter in the summer time. The Back door handle has broken and been replaced a total of six times. The power door locks do not work. We will never buy a Chevy car again. Chevrolet refused to work with us and unfortunately the lemon law in our state didn't cover the problems so once we had the van we were stuck with it and being a one income family of 6 we couldn't afford to fight them in court. So what are we to do? We still have 12 payments then we will buy a Ford again.
I have 97 Astro and I had the problem with the ac blowing just from the defrost vents. I figured it was a vacuum hose. I found broken vacuum line from the evap. core housing area to the intake manifold. It was hard to get to so I fixed it by sleeving it together with a 2 inch piece of larger vacuum hose. Has been working fine for about 2 months now. I lucked out on this one.
I also have a 1997 Chevy Astro Van, Although I am very happy with the power it has, I too have had the ac vacuum line crack which I fixed with a larger vacuum hose, My door handle for the driver's side is wobbling loose, The side door I have to manually unlock from the bottom to close it, And at this point I am having trouble with something in the rear end, What happens is I slow down and it sounds like the tires are making a lot of noise, I just had all my brakes done to see if this eliminated the problem, but it didn't. Now I am thinking its either the rear wheel bearings or the rear end. I'll let ya know. Also my Service engine light is always coming on.
I am the third owner of a 1992 chevy astro van. It still gets great mileage. When the previous owner, my friend (and still is) let another person drive the van. She tried to 'beat the light' and hit a truck, denting the bumper.
Since then we have had to fix the front end, and the van does not stay in park unless we 'jiggle' the gear stick. Then for safety purposes, we set the parking brake. But the van is still running OK. I happened to drive the van before the accident, and it was in great shape. I still love my van. It may cost a few bucks to fix the transmission, but it is worth it.
I recently bought a 1997 Safari. While I think it will be a good van, I have had some of the smae problems that others have mentioned. For example, the sliding door rattles, the air conditioning only blows from the defrost and floor vents, the rear wheel bearings needed replacing and the shocks are shot. Lucky for me, I can do most of the work myself and bought the van for a great price. It has low kilometers so I hope it will last for a few miles.
I recently bought a 1997 Safari. While I think it will be a good van, I have had some of the same problems that others have mentioned. For example, the sliding door rattles, the air conditioning only blows from the defrost and floor vents, the rear wheel bearings needed replacing and the shocks are shot. Lucky for me, I can do most of the work myself and bought the van for a great price. It has low kilometers so I hope it will last for a few miles.
I bought my '97 Chevy Astro LT used in 2000, and love it. Yes, it has had it's share of quirky problems, but all have been repaired relatively easily (most were painless - while under the extended warranty!). Things like a forward O2 sensor that blew when we were 1,500 miles from home, the local Chevy dealer went above and beyond the call of duty to get it fixed and get us on our way ASAP (love Louisiana hospitality!). Lower blower settings that wouldn't operate on any setting (heat, air, vent) was a burned out resistor. The fuel gauge stopped working and was replaced. I recently replaced the idler arms, shocks, and outer tie rods. Yes, it has a squeak in the passenger door, and the rear blower motor is getting a bit noisy. It has recently developed a problem with no high blower, and no air blowing from the vents (after reading the previous comments, I know where we'll start checking for *that* problem!). The biggest drawback to this van for repairs is the design of the engine compartment, fitting the engine and all necessary extras into such a small area and centering it over the wheels. Very hard on the front end. This van has over 74,000 very well-maintained miles on it, and I expect it to last a lot longer - we have a '95 Safari in the family that is closing in on 200,000 miles. Most of the problems appearing on both vans seem to be just normal wear & tear that you would expect from any vehicle, but good maintenance is a must! Would I get another Astro van? You bet!
I'm studying problems, regarding the Ford Windstar, and the Astro/Safari. My comments are aimed at the two gentlemen that said they would buy Fords next.
I'd like to suggest that each of you do some research, regarding Ford Vehicles. especially the Expedition, Windstar, and Taurus. I think you'll find in a simple Google search, there are without a doubt many, many more complaints regarding Ford Vehicles.
BTW it's my opinion that Transmissions that shift firmly
last longer than ones that don't.
I'd also like to add, that of the last 3 GM vehicles that I have owned a 1993 S10 4.3 1995 "G" van full size conversion, and a 1997 Chevy Tahoe had no problems with the fuel injection system. all had Transmissions at 65K miles or less.
I firmly believe that anyone who tells you your Fuel injection system needs to be replaced at 50,000 miles is yanking your chain Big Time.
When facing a potentially large repair bill always have a diagnostic inspection done, have the repairs estimated and OK'd befor work begins.
When you feel you're being taken advantage of, you probally are. Sometimes the best advice is to have your car towed and repaired elsewhere. that is why communication along with diagnostic service is important. Diagnose, estimate, approve, if it sounds like a Con it is RUN.
I purchased my 1999 Chevy Astro at the end of year 2000. When I first got it I had problems with it starting. I took it to the dealer and they tested the electrical system, but could not find anything wrong. But since I am a mechanic I had my wife bring it home and I tested the alternator and it was bad. To make a long story short, I have had a multitude of troubles. With in the first year of having the van, the clutch fan, transmission, rear end, water pump went out on this van. This is my first American vehicle and it gave me a bad taste. I will never say I will not bad another American vehicle, but it sure won't be a Chevy. I have had more problems with this vehicle than all my vehicle put together.
We just found out that our 1997 Astro Van needs a new clutch for its automatic transmission - $1800.00 and only 72,000 miles- mostly highway because we only use it on trips, not for in town driving. We also have two friends that have had to replace their transmissions at less than 100,000 miles. My husband and I have owned more than 20 vehicles between the two of us and our 3 teenage boys and we have never had to do transmission work on an automatic. This seems a little like job security for someone... We will replace it and sell it, if the transmission goes out at 75,000 I can only assume everything else is close behind it.