2004 Chevrolet Express

VEHICLE HAS CONTINUED TO EVIDENCE PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO WHAT'S DESCRIBED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 04V452000. POWER STEERING PUMP AND BELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND GM DEALER PERFORMED HYDRO BOOST INSPECTION TEST AND IT PASSED; SAID NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED. BUS HAS AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO CAUSE A DANGEROUS CONDITION. DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT A VEHICLE THAT RECALL APPLIES TO. *JS

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP GRADE WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, A SEVERE SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND WHEELS OCCURRED. IT WAS SO SEVERE THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK OUT OF MY HANDS. ONCE BACK ON LEVEL GRADE FOR A MILE OR SO, APPLYING THE BRAKES DIDN'T RESULT IN THE SEVERE SHAKING. FROM THAT POINT ON WHILE DRIVING ON ANY STEEP HILL OR MOUNTAIN, THE SAME THING OCCURS. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED LAST YEAR, BUT THAT HAS NOT FIXED THE ISSUE.

ON JUNE 20TH, 2008 WE BROUGHT OUR VAN IN FOR A ROUTINE BRAKE INSPECTION AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT 36,117 MILES. WE ALSO NOTICED A NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE BACKING PLATES ON BOTH SIDES WERE RUSTED, AND THE LEFT REAR BACKING PLATE WAS ROTTED TO THE POINT THAT IT HAD HOLES IN IT. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE INEXPENSIVE, BUT THE LABOR WAS INTENSIVE AND WOULD PROBABLY COST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $600. WE HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE BACKING PLATES YET BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE HAS OTHER QUALITY ISSUES AND WE ARE CONSIDERING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. *TR

MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE AT LOW SPEEDS. WE FIRST NOTICED IT AROUND 37,000 MILES, BUT NOW IT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME WE APPLY THE BRAKES AT LOW SPEED AT 39,000 MILES. WE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH TWO CHEVY GARAGES - BOTH ADMITTED THAT IT WAS A COMMON, KNOWN CORROSION PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES EITHER CLEANING THE BRAKE SENSORS FOR APPROXIMATELY $200 OR REPLACING THEM AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $460. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR US. THE VAN DRIFTS FORWARD TOO FAR WHEN WE STOP AND WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WE WILL EITHER HIT ANOTHER CAR OR POSSIBLY A PEDESTRIAN. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AS WE ARE LOCATED IN NEW YORK STATE AND SALT IS A COMMON WINTER CORROSIVE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DID NOT RELEASE THE SEAT BELT PROPERLY. INTERMITTENTLY, THE SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK IN THE BUCKLE. THE NOTICE FOR NHTSA RECALL #05V558000, PERTAINING TO THE SEAT BELTS, WAS RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER DENIED A FREE REMEDY DUE TO THE PROBLEM ONLY BEING INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, WHO STATED THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WOULD ONLY BE REPLACED IF THE PROBLEM COULD BE REPLICATED AT THE DEALERSHIP.

OUR 2004 CHEVY EXPRESS VAN STALLED SERVERAL(12) TIMES WITHIN A 14 MILE DISTANCE ON THE INTERSTATE IN DENVER, CO. THE WIFE WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME, AND WE CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER (STEVENSON CHEVY, GOLDEN CO.) THE SERVICE ADVISOR ADVISED US THAT CHEVY IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH FUEL PUMPS OVERHEATING AND IS WORKING THE PROBLEM. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM FROM CHEVY. YES, THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACE AT SEVENSON CHEVY IN GOLDEN, CO ON 21 JULY. THIS IS OUR SECOND OCCURANCE OF A FUEL PUMP FAILURE IN A NEW CHEVY VEHICLE. OUR FIRST OCCURANCE WAS IN OUR NEW 2001 TAHOE, WHERE IT STRANDED US IN THE MIDDLE OF KANSAS, WHEN THE FUEL PUMP FAILED.

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 2500 VAN. ON 7-11-05 THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING INTERMITTENT KNOCKING NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ABLE TO GO AT THIS POINT. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE PROBLEM HAD BECAME WORSE, SO THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MIDAS. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE FLY WHEEL HAD FAILED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR . *JB

THREE TIMES OUR VEHICLE ENGINE HAS ABRUPTLY STOPPED RUNNING IN CROWDED INTERSTATE TRAFFIC, ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF US AND OCCUPANTS OF ADJACENT VEHICLES. THE FIRST WAS AUGUST 7, 2004 ON INTERSTATE 40 NEAR KINGMAN AZ. OUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT WE RAN OUT OF GAS, BUT THE GAUGE REGISTERED !/4 FULL AND WHEN WE ADDED GAS IT TOOK ONLY 22.8 GALLONS (31 GALLON TANK). THE SECOND WAS MAY 23, 2005 ON INTERSTATE 25 PASSING THROUGH COLORADO SPRINGS CO. THE GAS TANK WAS 3/4 FULL. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO COAST INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND OFF TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE TOWED TO TEAM CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT (719-380-6020) IN COLORADO SPRINGS WHO FOUND "LEAN CODE", SUSPECTED FUEL PUMP PROBLEM, BUT VEHICLE SEEMED OK IN 2 ROAD TEST DRIVES. ON RETURN HOME TO ALBUQUERQUE, GALLES CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT (505-766-6800) FOUND CODES P0174, P0171 AND P0300. THEY REPLACED FUEL PUMP MODULE (PART NUMBER 89060662, *MODULE 3.107) AT MILEAGE 8,826 (JUNE 9-16, 2005). THE THIRD TIME WAS ON JULY 1, 2005 ON INTERSTATE 40 APPROACHING WILLIAMS AZ IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRUCK TRAFFIC TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE SPEED LIMIT (75 MPH). WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE ADJACENT TO GUARDRAIL WITH NO LEFT HIGHWAY SHOULDER AND WE NARROWLY ESCAPED CAUSING A MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH. THIS TIME WE WERE TOWED TO TYRRELL-MARXEN CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT (928-774-5268) IN FLAGSTAFF AZ. THEY FOUND "CODES P0171 AND P0174 TRACED TO FAULTY FUEL MODULE". THEY REPLACED FUEL MODULE (PART NUMBER 88965421 MODULE KI 3.107) AT MILEAGE 10875 (JULY 2, 2005). WE LIKE OUR ROADTREK 170 POPULAR (CLASS B CONVERSION VAN), BUT AFTER THESE THREE (3) SERIOUS AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM FAILURES (PLUS WIPER MOTOR FAILURE) WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY OF US & OTHERS WHEN THESE THINGS OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY IN HEAVY, HIGH-SPEED INTERSTATE TRAFFIC.