1995 Chevrolet Lumina APV Minivan from North America - Comments

Oil Coolant went bad in the radiator which caused containments to enter the transmission.

Drivers side automatic window goes down, but will not go back up on most occasions.

Read door won't open most times.

Automatic locks work only half the time and when they do it takes several times trying before it will finally lock.

Passenger door will not open from outside.

CD player does not work properly, CD goes in and pops right back out. Trying to turn the power off on the system only kept the CD locked in the player. A brand new CD by the way.

Drivers side seatbelt will not retract which causes it to get stuck in the door every time you get out of vehicle.

Only half of the rear defogger lines work.

I have owned this vehicle for less than 6 weeks and already I have replaced the transmission (Cost $1,540.27), the radiator (Cost $500.85), the wiper blades (Cost $23.89), the drivers side mirror (Cost $43.48), and I have an appointment in 3 days to have the passenger side door fixed, the drivers side mirror replaced and the drivers side window repaired.

Seats are worn badly and the steering wheel has chunks missing from it.

By the way, I purchased an extended warranty from Penn Warranty Corporation for an additional $180.00 (7500 miles or 6 months) from the dealership and even though I have several letters from several transmission shops, the owner of the dealership and even their (Penn Warranty Corporation) own inspector said the transmission was bad and would be covered, it was not.

I did expect a "few" repairs would have to be taken care of, especially since it is a 1995 vehicle, but what I have spent in this short time I could have purchased perhaps something with not as many problems. I have read up now on these vehicles and learned what a lemon this particular Minivan is!

I own a 1995 Lumina APV Van and let me tell you! Okay, I do realize it's old and it does have 225,000 kms on it, BUT, you would NOT believe how much $$ I have spent on that vehicle in the last 2 years; I could almost make a booklet out of the receipts, I have so many: I have had the heater/airconditioning unit replaced, the fan powering same replaced a year later (because apparently the two are not related?!), I have had two complete brake jobs, including drums, in the last 2 years (the first dealer either didn't do the job as claimed, or did a horrible job obviously ~ but try to prove either!...), I had to purchase a new battery and 4 new tires in the same year, the fan belt was replaced and consequently fell off, with some large metal gear with it; (towed back to mechanic and fixed free that time), apparently it has "electrical problems" and would hic-up when I took it up to 100/kmh or more, but that was fixed, was apparently "just a wire" for another $100! Now I was told for another $841 I could have the right front wheel gear replaced and the control module replaced, both of which "need to be done" in order for the engine light and the ABS light to stop coming on. Well, the ABS light has been on non-stop since the first brake job and when I questioned them on it, they said for another $350.00 they'd fix it, as it was a "sensor problem - not related". Now the replaced the control panel, but advised me it didn't help the problem, being that the van runs very sluggishly and the engine whines and the engine light stays on non-stop. They removed the new control module, installed the old one, and I told them to forget about the front gear, so $37.50 later and a suggestion from them to "take it to the dealership", I was on my way. Now, almost $4,000 Cdn. later, I have a van which still runs like it's going to die any minute, and the mechanics don't know how to fix it! I will never ever buy a van again! I leased a Saturn SC1 now and gave the van to my daughter; unfortunately her repair bill is $1,800 and she is still paying it off... on a vehicle that has serious problems which nobody can figure out! Yes, I agree, DEFINITELY a lemon!

Lise H. in Canada.

I am the owner of a 93 Chevy Lumina APV. Bought it used in 1995 have put over 175 mks on it and have only had the usual repairs like Front Rotors replaced only once in this time. Rear brakes replaced only once in this time. Dealer put on a new radiator and front struts after my purchase. Radiator and labour was free as was labour on the struts I paid for one strut (50/50 warranty) Most pleased with the performance of this van and especially the seat arrangements possible. Currently still using it and it has just turned 325000 kms. Body Still in excellent shape also.

I purchased a 1994 (face lift) Lumina APV a year ago and agree they frustrating and troublesome especially at high mileage. Generally I like the van, it performs well, drives nice, good seating etc, but has had many silly problems. Sensor lights, auto adjustment problems, over heating, brake wear high and so on. It does however have a great body construction and is a nice type of vehicle for family and work use. I guess it's the old story your get what you pay for and when you buy and older high mileage vehicle you take the risk of having to do repairs on it. Also that is why many people are getting rid of their vehicles because they know this will happen.

Generally I would give 8 out of 10 for the Chevy Lumina APV.

Paul Mitchell

Montreal Canada.

I purchased a Lumina APV Van new with a 3.8 liter engine.

It s the finest vehicle I ever owned and I have owned quite a few in the last 5o years.

We drive it on long trips only. (from California to North Dakota). It has power, speed, and mileage.

I would not hesitate to buy it again if it were available.

Just remember. Any car you buy, should be new so that you can take proper care of it from the onset!

Let me start by saying we purchased our Lumina APV brand new in 1995 and we have loved it. We have had our share of minor problems. I replaced the front brakes twice, replaced the wiper motor the alternator, the water pump twice, the fan belt once, the tires once. There was a problem with it starting. After taking to a mechanic and spending over 300.00 dollars to have it fixed he still could not find the problem. I found that I had the wrong anti freeze in the radiator that interfered with one of the sensors somewhere on the motor. I replaced the anti freeze with Prestone and behold no more problems. The van runs and rides like new still. Just a small oil leak that comes from the intake manifold it is not too bad; just make a small mess in my driveway. I think that I will drive the van until it drops. I wish they still made these.

Hi from Argentina.

4 Years ago I purchased my Lumina APV LS 3.8 with only 46000 miles, now after 4 years it has 60000 miles and I have must to replace only brake lines, oil, filters, spark plugs and nothing more, the most important matter is to use the proper fluids in cooling, oil, steering and transmission systems, if someone have must to change the water pump before 300.000 Km then surely the cooling system was filled with plain water, if you keep the proper care of your vehicle then you should have not any problem.

Regards.

To the Reviewer:

Your statement "Oil Coolant went bad in the radiator which caused containments to enter the transmission." does not make sense. What would make sense would be that the transmission fluid was never changed and the degraded fluid destroyed the transmission. Or did the transmission cooler leak, which caused low fluid in the transmission, which in turn destroyed the transmission?

The defogger lines can be fixed cheaply by purchasing conductive paint for a few dollars (which you can buy at Canadian Tire, Napa or Pep Boys) and repair the lines yourself where they've been damaged.

Regarding the locks... have you tried lubricating the lock mechanisms?

Regarding the Sound system... OEM systems are usually garbage. Go to an independent car stereo shop and get a new Sony, Pioneer or Panasonic head unit.

To Lise H:

The fan belt problem tells me that you have to find a good independent mechanic. A belt tensioner often has to be replaced with the belt, or it can fail.

Regarding the electrical problems and would cause a hic-up when you took it up to 100/kmh or more... Did you have the computer read for trouble codes? Any good mechanic should have done this. Has the vehicle had a recent tuneup that included new plug wires? Has the fuel filter been recently replaced (if it's clogged or partly clogged, how's the engine going to run if it can't get fuel?) Was the ignition coil tested?

This hiccup and the sluggishness is likely linked to your 'engine light' (probably check engine). And the main purpose of the 'check engine' light is for emissions problems. Did you check your gas cap? Did you replace your oxygen sensor?

Why change things like the control module (was it the ignition module or a different module?) before checking cheaper things like the plugs, wires, gas cap, fuel filters, air filters (yes they can get clogged too) and the oxygen sensor? Were the fuel injectors cleaned?

And replacing the "front wheel gear" won't solve anything. Why? Because your vehicle doesn't have a "front wheel gear". But it does have a wheel bearing at each wheel (which just gets noisy as it wears out) and it does have one or two CV joints on each side in the front (that's what transmits power from the transmission to the front wheels). So is it the CV joint or wheel bearing? Either one one won't do anything for your Check Engine light.

The ABS light only means that your ABS isn't working... probably because of a damaged sensor (which you've been correctly told). No need to fix this if you don't care about having ABS. You'll still have your regular brakes and it's no worse than driving a vehicle that has no ABS.

To both the reviewer and Lise:

Replacing batteries, wiper blades and tires every few years is not unusual. But the fact that you had to buy these items as well as things like new mirrors suggests to me that you both don't put much effort into inspecting and testing your vehicles before buying. It is essential to do this on ANY vehicle you buy, *before* spend a single penny (even new cars - you wouldn't want a new car that fell off the truck, would you?) If you did, you certainly would have noticed the worn seats and the missing chunks out of the steering wheel.

You both also need to take a bit of time and research your vehicles and educate yourselves. Finding a good independent mechanic is the first step.

Don't go to the dealer, don't go to Canadian Tire, don't go to Active Green and Ross, don't go to Walmart. Get one good mechanic so you are always seeing the same person or couple of people, and that person in turn will get to know your vehicle and what has been done to it. The CAA or AAA would be a good place to start for referrals.

Going to the dealer just guarantees that you'll have high labour costs combined with the guarantee that they'll use the same cheap (in quality) oem parts.

Buying a used GM product like this van is either a good move or a bad move depending on whether you're the type of person who is willing to research your vehicle's shortcomings and take the necessary steps to avoid problems. GM brakes are the classic example. GM has a long history of having crappy brakes in many of their vehicles. So why would you want to go to a GM dealer and replace your worn out crappy parts with new crappy GM parts? Why not replace them with upgraded high performance aftermarket parts that will last longer and give better performance?

And if you learn to do things yourself, you reduce the risk of spending a ton of money on a vehicle without getting results.

To the person whom left the long comment directed to the reviewer and Lise. Thank You! It's nice to see other realistic driver's on the road who take care of their cars as well as their pockets. I have never had any luck with GM, Ford, or any new car dealership service to any of the vehicles I've owned. And I've owned everything from Geo Metro's to 78 Town Cars to a brand new Navigator and almost everything in between, I could make list if you wanted. I always do my research and throughly inspect my vehicles before I purchase them. I have my mechanic which I've known since I was 18 (He was only 25 so it's easy to get along with him too) ; Mind you I'm a little older now. I have owned a 95 Lumina APV; with all the bells and whistles (even the short lived power sliding door option) and I honestly only change wear and tear items. I bought the van as a 1 yr old demo model and drove it 285,000 KMS which was when I gave it to my son to tinker with and do whatever. They are also the safest minivan I've owned; only vehicle I've had that's been in an accident as well. My son was rear ended by an 18-wheeler doing 110kmh (approx 65mph) and although the van was totalled my son came out with only minor scratches and bruises. I highly recommend these vans to anyone looking for a good family van get one, just make sure its been taken care of.