1999 Chevrolet Astro

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET ASTRO. THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. HE THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HIS HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS FAILURE WITHIN THE POWERTRAIN. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE CONNECTED TO THE SAME UNIT, CAUSING BOTH TO FAIL SIMULTANEOUSLY. HE CALLED GM AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE WORKED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

COMMENTS: WHY DID EVERYONE MISS THE 1999 CHEVY ASTRO VAN WITH AWD? I ALREADY HAD THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED (AT MY COST) EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM!!! PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, BUT LOCAL FIRESTONE GARAGE PERFORMED THE MAINTENANCE, AND HAS THE RECORDS OF THE SERVICE. NEAR-MISS TOO MANY TIMES AT LOW SPEED STOPPING PROBLEMS. SOME ONE NEEDS TO INCLUDE THE CHEVY & GMC MINI-VANS!!! *JB

AT 29,000 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, BEARINGS AND PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I COMPLAINED THAT THIS WAS LOW MILES FOR BRAKES TO FAIL, THE MANAGER SAID THE BRAKES GO OUT EARLY ON THIS MODEL BECAUSE THE BACK BRAKES WERE NOT SO GOOD SINCE THE SELF ADJUSTING WAS NOT RELIABLE. I WROTE TWICE TO GM ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER;S BOSS WHO SAID I WOULD REPLACE BRAKES EVERY 30,000 MILES BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE LIGHT FOR THE VAN WEIGHT. NOW AT ABOUT 43,000 I AM AGAIN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. SEEMS WRONG TO ME. ITEM 2 -AT 35,425 MILES I REPORTED WHEN THE VAN WAS IN FOR SERVICE THAT I PUSH THE GAS PEDAL DOWN AND THE VAN JUST DID NOT WANT TO GO. THEN IF YOU HELD THE PEDAL DOWN AFTER A BIT, THE VAN WOULD JUMP FORWARD BECAUSE IT SUDDENLY GOT GAS. THIS WAS BAD WHEN ANYTHING WAS AROUND CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE SHOP SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE A PART UNDER WARRANTY. I THINK IT WAS CALLED A THROTTLE BODY, BUT I AM NOT SURE. THEY REPALCED NOTHING. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLEBODY PLATE. THE PROBLEM IS NOW MORE NOTICABLE. FROM DISCUSSION WITH OTHER PEOPLE, IT SEEMS THIS LACK OF GOING AS YOU PUT THE PEDAL DOWN, AND THEN THE SURGING AHEAD IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE. THIS COMES FROM AN INTERNET CAR PROBLEM CHAT SITE. *AK

BRAKES HAVE BEEN SEVERLY WORN OUT*AK CONSUMER STATED THE SEATBELTS, ARM RESTS, CONSOLE THE TRIM ON THE SEAT CUSHION HAS TORN, THERE IS WIND NOISE FROM HIGH TOP ROOF, WINDOW IS LOOSE, RADIO IS INOPERATIVE, POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING, STEERING COOLUMN IS MAKING A NOISE, WEATHERSTRIP COMING OFF OF BACK DOOR, TIRES SHAKE, THERE IS A HARD THUMP WHE GOING OVER BUMPS, CIGARETTE LIGHTER IS INOPERATIVE,TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD, PRESSURE GUAGE GETS STUCK, WINDOW GETS STUCK, THERE ARE NO LOW BEAM LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE INOPERATIVE, DOOR LOCK DO NOT COME ALL THE WAY UP, THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE DIPS, AND THE SHOCKS FEEL WEAK, THE LIFGATE DOES NOT STAY OPEN, INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON TO LONG, VEHICLE REMOTE IS INOPERATIVE, SLIDING DOOR IS HARD TO OPEN AT TIMES, OIL PRESSURE GUAGE READS HIGH, REFRIGERATOR NOT OPERATING FROM REAR SOCKET, HEATING SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE, BATTERY GOES DEAD.*SLC