IllustrationSTEERING & BRAKES WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THEY ARE BOTH ASSISTED BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP. *AK
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
What owners actually said
360 reportsDRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW MOTOR FAILED. DRIVER COULD NOT ROLL DOWN OR UP THE WINDOW. *AK *ML
IN OCT. 1997 WHEN STARTING TO DRIVE TRANSMISSION SLIPS, FEELS LIKE VAN HAS BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. DEALER REPLACED VALVE BODY,DUE TO A KNOWN PRODUCT PROBLEM.VAN ONCE AGAIN HAD SAME TROBLE IN MAY 2000, DEALER CHANGED VALVE BODY, ALSO STATEDE BECAUSED OF A KNOWN PRODUCT CONCERN. BUT TJIS TIME I HAD TO PAY $672.06. THEIR CUSTOMER SER…
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IN OCT. 1997 WHEN STARTING TO DRIVE TRANSMISSION SLIPS, FEELS LIKE VAN HAS BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. DEALER REPLACED VALVE BODY,DUE TO A KNOWN PRODUCT PROBLEM.VAN ONCE AGAIN HAD SAME TROBLE IN MAY 2000, DEALER CHANGED VALVE BODY, ALSO STATEDE BECAUSED OF A KNOWN PRODUCT CONCERN. BUT TJIS TIME I HAD TO PAY $672.06. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS OF NO HELP. EVEN THOUGH THEIR MECHANIC STATED THAT GM HAD SAID TO REPLOACE THE VALVE BODY THE SECOND TIME WITH A NEW DESIGN, SINCE THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE AWAY FROM FRAME. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
UPON DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, THERE WAS NO BRAKING OR STEERING ABLILITY. DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VAN AND COULD HARDLY STOP. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION. *AK
AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND COMING TO A STOP THERE IS A LOUD BANG AND THE VEHICLE JERKS AT THE UPSHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT FEELS AS IF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. CHECK OUT BY TRANSMISSION SHOP INDICATES NO PROBLEM. *AK
AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THEN ACCELERATING, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ABRUPTLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. TSB'S POSTED BY GM ON THE TRANSMISSION MODEL 4L60-E. THIS TRANSMISSION IS USED IN SEVERAL MODEL TRUCKS/VANS/SUV'S. YOUR SITE AND OTHER WEB SITES POST COMPLAINTS ON THIS UNIT FROM VARIOUS TRUCK OWNERS, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. GM R…
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AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THEN ACCELERATING, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ABRUPTLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. TSB'S POSTED BY GM ON THE TRANSMISSION MODEL 4L60-E. THIS TRANSMISSION IS USED IN SEVERAL MODEL TRUCKS/VANS/SUV'S. YOUR SITE AND OTHER WEB SITES POST COMPLAINTS ON THIS UNIT FROM VARIOUS TRUCK OWNERS, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. GM REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE IN REPAIRING THESE TRANSMISSIONS. OWNERS MUST PAY FOR REPAIRS/TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. IF TRANSMISSION WERE TO SUDDENLY GO OUT WHILE ACCLERATING, VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ALL POWER AND COULD NOT AVOID BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DEATH OF VAN OCCUPANTS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *ML
WHEN VAN HAS BEEN DRIVEN MORE THAN 15 MILES, AUTOSHIFTING FROM 'SECOND' TO 'THIRD' GEAR IS SO ROUGH IT FEELS LIKE THE VAN HAS BEEN HIT FROM THE BACK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHEN SHIFTING FROM 'THIRD' TO 'FOURTH' GEAR THERE IS ALSO A ROUGH SHIFTING BUT NOT AS VIOLENT AS THE PRIOR SHIFTING.*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.