2004 Chevrolet Astro

IT STARTED WITH MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON. THEN I STARTED TO ENCOUNTER ANTI LOCK PULSATIONS WHEN I SLOWED DOWN AND COMING TO A STOP, SOME TIMES I COULDN'T EVEN STOP WHEN & WHERE I WANTED. BRAKING DISTANCE STARTED BEING LONGER. THEN SOME TIME LATER I FELT AS THOUGH SOMEONE STUCK A BRICK UNDER MY BRAKE PEDAL BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESS, I GUARANTEE YOU, I COULDN'T STOP. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME AS I CRUISED ON THOUGH THE STOP LIGHT! I WAS TOLD THAT MY ABS SENSORS WERE SLOWLY MALFUNCTIONING MOST LIKELY DUE TO CORROSION, A PROVEN DESIGN DEFECT. THEN MY ABS MODULE WILL GET SHORTED, AND THERE IS NO FAIL/SAFE WHEN IT GOES. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE MODULE FAILS, HANG ON BECAUSE I WILL CRASH. THIS SCARES ME TO DEATH AND I WONT LET ANYBODY DRIVE MY VAN IN CASE THIS HAPPENS WHEN THEY ARE DRIVING. ALSO WHEN WE WANT TO TAKE A TRIP I DON'T WANT TO TAKE MY VAN BECAUSE I'M AFRAID 6 TO 8 PEOPLE COULD GET HURT AND IT WOULD BE ON ME. EVERY REASON I BOUGHT THIS AWD VAN IS COMPLETELY OUT THE WINDOW. I CANT SELL IT BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE PROBLEM. I'M STUCK WITH A VAN THAT I CANT USE. I'M WRITING THIS BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO GET THE ABS SERVICED I FIND OUT THAT I COULD WRITE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PROBLEM ( I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT ) BECAUSE SOMETHING ABOUT A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM TO THE ABS MODULE SINCE 1999. AND THAT THEY RECALLED THE CHEVY TRUCKS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM YEARS AGO. I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD FIX THE VANS BEFORE THE TRUCKS, BECAUSE TRUCKS DON'T CARRY A LOT OF PEOPLE! THEY CARRY WOOD. WHEN EVER I DRIVE THIS VAN NOW, I CONSIDER IT A RUSSIAN ROULETTE. I CANT AFFORD THE 2200.THAT WAS ESTIMATED TO FIX IT. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN CHEVY, BUT I CANT BELIEVE THAT I DRIVE AFRAID EVERY DAY. I CANT BELIEVE THAT CHEVY KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN MY WIFE RETURNED TO OUR 2004 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN, THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE A DEAD BATTERY. THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER OR FIRE THE IGNITION. AFTER HAVING THE BATTERY AND STARTER CHECKED, WE WERE TOLD THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. THE STARTER CHECKED GOOD. THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE A "DEAD SHORT" WHEN TRYING TO START AND/OR BOOST. AFTER REPLACING ALL COMPONENTS, THE VAN STARTED, HOWEVER, WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES, THERE WAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL. IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE LOSING BRAKE FLUID UNDER THE VEHICLE FROM A RUPTURED LINE. WE TOWED THE CAR HOME TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND ELECTRICAL ARCING WHERE THE BRAKE LINE HAD GROUNDED ON THE VEHICLE FRAME CAUSING A HOLE TO RUPTURE IN THE BRAKE LINE JUST REAR OF THE ELECTRICAL UNIT. WHAT WE DETERMINED CAUSED THE PROBLEM WAS A HOT WIRE THAT RAN BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND STARTER WAS RUBBING ON THE SUSPENSION LINKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IT RUBBED THROUGH THE ELECTRICAL SHEATH AND CAUSED CONTACT BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYSTEM IF THE VEHICLE. AFTER CONTACTING GM/CHEVROLET SUPPORT, THEY WERE "SORRY" ABOUT THE ISSUE AND FELT THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO A WIRE CLAMP THAT "MUST BE MISSING." WE HAVE TEMPORARILY REPAIRED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO FACTORY WIRE CLAMPS THAT WERE MISSING. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW FROM CHEVROLET ON THIS VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET IN VARIOUS PLACES. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING 55MPH, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD NO BRAKES DUE TO THE ISSUE. CHEVROLET SIMPLY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS A 2004 AND THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ACTION ON A VEHICLE "THAT OLD". SEVERAL OF THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM SUCH AS DOOR LOCKS, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, ETC... WE WANT THE PUBLIC WARNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE SO NO LIVES ARE LOST. WE HAVE TEMPORARILY REPAIRED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THE ORIGINAL CABLE AND TIES ARE STILL IN PLACE. *TR