IllustrationI'VE GONE THRU 4 SETS OF BRAKES - FRONT & REAR. THEY ARE ONLY LASTING 6-8 MONTHS- TOLD REAR ARE EXPIERCING HIGH HEAT & CRACKING.
1997 Chevrolet Astro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Astro years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Astro are substantially higher than the model-year median of 69.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Astro years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 46 of 360 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports7 fire reports16 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
64 reportsBRAKES DIDN'T "FAIL" AS MUCH AS THEY WORE OUT, WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE "PREMATURELY". VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 26000 MILES WHEN CHATTER STARTED, INDICATING REPLACEMENT NEEDED. VEHICLE DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON FREEWAY IN MOSTLY RURAL AREA (BLYTHE, CA.) DEALER STATED I RECEIVED ALMOST TWICE THE NORMAL MILEAGE AS MOST ASTROVAN OWN…
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BRAKES DIDN'T "FAIL" AS MUCH AS THEY WORE OUT, WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE "PREMATURELY". VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 26000 MILES WHEN CHATTER STARTED, INDICATING REPLACEMENT NEEDED. VEHICLE DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON FREEWAY IN MOSTLY RURAL AREA (BLYTHE, CA.) DEALER STATED I RECEIVED ALMOST TWICE THE NORMAL MILEAGE AS MOST ASTROVAN OWNERS, ABOUT 18,000 MILES. FRONT DISC PADS ON MY 1990 JEEP CHEROKEE LAST OVER 60,000 MILES PER SET, IE CURRENT MILEAGE- 189,000 ON ORIGINALS AND TWO SETS OF REPLACEMENTS. NEAR IDENTICAL DRIVING.
WAS TRAVELING 40MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT IN FRONT & HAD NO TAIL LIGHTS. APPLIED BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING VEHICLE. HAD PUMPED BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE HAD SLID & REARENDED THE OTHER VEHICLE DUE TO LACK OF BRAKES. UPON IMPACT WITH OTHER VEHICLE, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
GAS PEDAL STICKS TO THE FLOOR. * ET
WHILE BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AT 10 MPH CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL. CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES UNTIL VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. *ML
HAD FRONT BRAKES REPAIRED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR. 1 PAIR OF BRAKES SHOES OUT OF 4 IS WEARING OUT EACH TIME. AT 17000MILES, BRAKES SHOES ARE WEARING OUT AGAIN & NEED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPAIR AGAIN DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. IS HAPPENING TO LEFT FRONT BRAKES ONLY. *AK
TRANSMISSION GOT STUCK ,CAUSING BRAKES TO BE INOPERATIVE WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL. *AK
WHEN APPLYING TH EGAS PEDAL AFTER A STOP, BRAKES LOCKED UP ON THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH APPLIED BRAKES, NO BRAKES, FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRED AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CONDITION OF VEHICLE NOT DETERMINED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
SUDDEN AND SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. DEALER NOTED BROKEN SHAFT IN POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK
Official recalls
403V159000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
Apr 28, 2003
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
01V123000 · Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices
Apr 10, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW ALARM MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
99V009000 · Child Seat
Jan 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THESE CONDITIONS COULD INCREASE THE OCCUPANT'S RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS ON THE CHILD SEATS, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CHILD SEAT.
97V057000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Apr 8, 1997
THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR BUCKET SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND PERSONAL INJURY COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTOR ON THE REAR SEAT CUSHION FRAME.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA02006 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened May 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.