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.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ASSIST STEERING & POWER ASSIST BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER, HOWEVER, AFTER SOME RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED, CAUSING LACK OF PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE SHAFT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP SNAPPED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE AND A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE. THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE PUMP HIMSELF AND DISCOVERED THE SHAFT WAS BROKEN IN THE PUMP. WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, IT CAUSED THE POWER BRAKES TO FAIL AS WELL. UPDATED 10/04/06. *JB

PULLING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE EVENING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. AS I TRIED TO STOP OUR VAN I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE ALSO GONE CAUSING US TO ROLL INTO THE CORNER OF OUR HOME (BRICK) AT APPROXIMATELY 3 - 4 MPH WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2500 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VAN. NO ONE WAS INJURED. IT COST $300 TO GET THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AND ANOTHER $75 JUST TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR FAN AND SHROUD SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE MADE DRIVABLE AGAIN. AFTER CONTACTING SEVERAL SERVICE AGENCIES I FIND THAT THE BRAKE BOOST SYSTEM HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HENCE, IF YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING, YOU LOSE YOUR BRAKES! I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE (CASE #1-383499552) AND THEIR ANSWER WAS, "YOU SHOULD STILL HAVE SOME BRAKES IF YOU PUSH HARD ENOUGH." I'M 5'10" TALL AND WEIGH 200 LBS. I HAD BOTH FEET PUSHING ON THE PEDAL TRYING TO STOP. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR IF THEY WERE COMING OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR TRYING TO STOP THEIR VEHICLE. GM NEEDS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING. NOTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT IT. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE GM TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES TO OUR VEHICLE CAUSED BY US NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. *NM

STEERING WHEEL DIAMETER IS TOO THICK. PH. THE STEERING WHEEL DIAMETER WAS TOO THICK. PH. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A TWISTING , BENDING IN HIS FINGERS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GRABBED, THE CONSUMER HELD THE WHEEL WITH THE TIP OF HIS FINGERS AND PALMS WHICH CAUSED THE ENDS OF THE CONSUMER'S FINGERS TO BEND, FROM TURNING THE TIGHT STEERING WHEEL, THE CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED PAIN IN BOTH SHOULDERS, AND A SORE BACK. *JB

BENT AND TWISTED FINGERS. THE TEXTURE (FINISH) WORE OFF THE STEERING. THE STEERING SYSTEM ON THIS ASTRO IS STIFF "HIGH EFFORT" REQUIRED BY THE DRIVER TO HOLD THE WHEEL AND ALSO TURN. WHEN MAKING A TURN THE WHEEL BECOMES HARDER TO HOLD. TOO MUCH CASTER? THE FINISH WORE OFF THE WHEEL AND THUS A REPLACEMENT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DEALER AT GETTLES AUTO MALL IN SEBEWAING. I LEARNED AT THAT TIME THAT MANY DRIVERS WERE COMPLAINING THAT THE STEERING WHEELS WERE BECOMING SLIPPERLY, DIFFICULT TO HOLD. AT THE TIME MY RIGHT TENNIS ELBOW SYMPTON WAS VERY PAINFUL, AND LATER MY RIGHT SHOULDER BECAME PAINFUL. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE TIGHT STEERING SYSTEM ON THIS VAN. THIS STIFF STEERING DESIGN DEFECT IS NOT CONSIDERATE OF THE HUMAN TOLERANCE FOR THIS TIGHT STEERING AND AS A RESULT THE JOINTS, MUSCLES, TENDONS BECOME CRIPPLING PAINFUL. FINGERS BECOME TWISTED AND BENT. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 1988 ASTRO AND HIS FINGERS ARE BENT AND TWISTED, AND HE HAS CRONIC LEFT SHOULDER PAIN. MR. GILBERT MATTSON. PLEASE CONTACT ME. 989-665-2311 DT

ON THE WAY HOME FROM A CONFERENCE I NOTICED MY LEFT TIRE MAKING NOISE, I INSPECTED IT VISUALLY AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS, I PROCEEDED HOME AND HAD A BLOW OUT OF THE TIRE WHICH I FOUND OUT LATER TO BE RELATED TO A DEFECTIVE IDLER ARM. THIS IN TURN CAUSED ME TO HAVEA ACCIDENT WITH DAMAGE TO MY VAN AND ANOTHER CAR. AT 57000 (APPROXIAMATE) MILES THE IDLER ARM SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORN THAT SEVERELY TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMEONE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND SEE IF OTHER ASTRO VANS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THANK YOU. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THE CONSUMER CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE CORRECTLY AND THE CONSUMER HAS HAD THE STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED THREE TIMES ALREADY BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. NLM. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY OIL LINE CONFIGURATION AND THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY MAKING A NEW DESIGN. *YH