1995 Chevrolet Astro

PULLED INTO SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT ( 35MPH SLIGHT RIGHT TURN) STARTED TO TURN LEFT TO PARKING SPACE AND ENGINE CUT-OUT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. INCIDENT WAS RECORDED BY MY DASH CAM: HTTP://S247.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/USER/HCHICKPEA/MEDIA/VANPOWERCUTOUT_ZPSB0E071E6.MP4.HTML YOU CAN SEE THE FLASH OF A POLICE CAR GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT ALMOST THE EXACT TIME OF THE ENGINE STOPPING. NO APPARENT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS, NO ENGINE CHUGGING OR SOUNDS, LIGHTWEIGHT KEYCHAIN. *TR

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON ROUTE 41 IN PRINCETON, INDIANA, AT APPROXIMATELY 55 - 60 M.P.H. UNEXPECTEDLY, AND WITHOUT HER COMMAND, THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED ITSELF AND FORCED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. PLEASE NOTE THAT SHE WAS NOT UTILIZING THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION AT THE TIME. APPLYING THE BRAKES DID NOT HAVE THE EFFECT OF DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL. DRIVER WAS FIGHTING THE FORCE OF THE DRIVE TRAIN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WITH FULL BRAKE FORCE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME TO A SAFE STOP. FINALLY, MY WIFE HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO DISENGAGE POWER TO THE REAR DRIVE WHEELS. SHE ACTIVATED THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE PRIMARY BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ONCE FULLY STOPPED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHE CALLED ME AT WORK FOR ASSISTANCE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WERE INFORMED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE ON THE ENGINE FIREWALL HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE TECHNICIAN UNPLUGGED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO THE MODULE TO PERMANENTLY DISABLE IT. *NM

THE ALTERNATOR BRACKET, SERPENTINE BELT AND TENSIONER BROKE. *PH CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE MAIN ROAD; HOWEVER, DUE TO LOSS OF BRAKES, THE CONSUMER WASN'T ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED TO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE ALTERNATOR, SERPENTINE BELT AND TENSIONER. INCIDENT WAS REPORTED ALSO AT GENERAL MOTORS (GM), CHEVROLET MOTOR DIVISION (FILE NUMBER: 1-185249227). *LA *TC

GENERAL MOTORS CASE NO. S1-2161972. DEALER OFFERED TO PARTIALLY WAIVE COST OF REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THAT REPAIR CONSISTED OF RE-ROUTING WIRE TO PREVENT BREAK FROM HAPPENING AGAIN WITHOUT INPUT FROM GM ON A SAFETY ISSUE. I SEEK TO HAVE THE REPAIR REVIEWED BY GM ENGINEERING AND OBTAIN CONFIRMATION FROM GM OF A POSSIBLE SAFETY PROBLEM WITH A WIRE BREAKING AT THE FUEL TANK AREA DUE TO RUBBING AGAINST THE BODY OR THE CHASSIS.*AK

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE, RIGHT REAR BLINKER AND PARKING BRAKE BULB FAILED. BACK HATCH WOULD NOT OPEN, DOOR WAS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT OPEN, DEALER FOUND LATCH ROD RETAINERS WORN OUT. ALTERNATOR FAILED. SERPENTINE BELT FAILED. AIR CONDITIONER QUIT BLOWING. REAR END WAS ROARING, DEALER REPLACED REAR DIFFERENTIAL. OIL PRESSURE WOULD GO TO ZERO, DEALER REPLACED INDICATOR. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED MISSING, DEALER REPLACED SPARK PLUB AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP, WHEN THE ENGINE COVER WAS REMOVED, DEALER FOUND THE PLUG WIRES SHORTING TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, DEALER REPLACED ALL PLUG WIRES. VEHICLE WOULD TURN, BUT WOULD NOT START, DEALER FOUND FUEL PUMP SHORTED OUT, DEALER REPLACED FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. OIL LEAKING AT PINION AREA, DEALER REPLACED FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND PINION SEAL. REAR AXLE WAS REPLACED DUE TO REAR AXLE SEAL LEAKING. WHILE DRIVING, LIGHTS ON DASH STARTED BLINKING, ALL INDICATOR NEEDLES AND GAUGES WERE JUMPING BACK AND FORTH, SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE VENTS, CONSUMER TRIED TO STOP VEHICLE, BUT BRAKES AND STEERING FAILED, VEHICLE FINALLY ROLLED TO A STOP, SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, FINALLY DRIVER AND DAUGHTER GOT OUT THROUGH FRONT DOORS, FIRE AND SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER HAS EXPERIENCED CHEST PAINS DUE TO THIS, CONSUMER HAS TO PAY FOR THE REST OF THE LOAN EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. CONSUMER FEELS THIS FIRE OCCURRED DUE TO THE MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED, SHE IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT, DEALER WOULD NOT HELP HER.

THE SPEED OMETER WORKS INTERMITTENLY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALSO WORK INTERMITTENLY. SOMETIMES THE CAR STALLS, OR WILL NOT START AND WHEN TAKEN TO A DEALER THEY CAME NOTHING IS WRONG. IT ALSO WILL SOMETIMES RUN ROUGH AND WILL HAVE A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COME ON. I DID RECEIVE A LETTER FROM CHEVROLET REGARDING SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS, BUT I WAS TOLD MY CAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR A RECALL REPAIR BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG.