1992 Chevrolet Astro Brakes Problems

WAS DRIVING AND A TRUCK PULLED OUT OF DRIVE WAY IN FRONT OF ME. HIT THE BRAKES AND THEY WORKED FOR A SPLIT SECOND BUT THEN WENT OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SINCE THAT THEY BRAKE TIGHT AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND CONTINUES TO STAY ON AT ALL TIMES NOW. I DO HAVE BRAKES JUST NOT ANTI-LOCK. HAVE CHECKED THE WHOLE SYSTEM TO FIX AND FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE ABS MODULE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE SO CAN NOT REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. I LIVE IN A STATE THAT HAS SAFETY AND EMISSIONS TESTS THAT IT WILL NOT PASS. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE TO TRY TO GET FIXED AND PARTS FOR HOURS TO NO REVEAL. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO THE DANGER OF FAILURE AND NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. ALSO MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT REPORT THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE BRAKES STILL WORK JUST NOT THE ANTI-LOCK PART OF IUT AFTER ALL MY BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT SPONGY OR LOW IN ANYWAY ACTUALLY THEY ARE GOOD. I CANNOT EVEN FIND A GOOD ONE IN THE JUNK YARDS AS I HAVE BOUGHT 2 UNITS AND BOTH WERE BAD SO HAD TO RETURN THEM. WHAT A WASTE OF 8 HOURS TOTAL TO FIND THAT THEY HAD SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE 192354 MILES ON IT NOW AND STILL RUNS STRONG. I FEEL THAT EACH TIME I DRIVE IT I AM TAKING A RISK OF HURTING OTHER PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS VEHICLE SO IT IS LIKE PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WHEN DRIVING. GM NEEDS TO FIX THESE VEHICLES BEFORE ANY ONE DIES AND THEY GET SUED (IF THIS HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED). LIKE I SAID IT HAS BEEN A GREAT RELIABLE VEHICLE OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM. SO EVERYONE THAT DOES HAVE THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO REPORT IT SO GM IS FORCED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10469227

Incident

Sep 7, 2005

Mileage

122,740 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 10 - 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED WHILE MAKING A TURN; HOWEVER, IT FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO LEAKING FLUID BEHIND THE VEHICLE AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND HAVE IT TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THERE WERE NO DEATHS, INJURIES OR POLICE REPORT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36000. UPDATED 09/25/08 *BF THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE LEAKING DUE TO RUST. UPDATED 10/01/08.*JB

NHTSA ID

10232194

Incident

Jun 22, 2008

Mileage

36,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 CHEVROLET ASTRO. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ABS WOULD NOT WORK AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BRAKING AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD EXTEND TO THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP A FEW TIMES, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. WHEN THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, IT ALWAYS PERFORMED PERFECTLY. THE REPAIR SHOP DISCONNECTED THE ABS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000. *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED *JB

NHTSA ID

10205862

Incident

Nov 1, 2005

Mileage

100,000 mi

LEAKING ROOF, BRAKES,HEATER AND A C DEFECTIVE,PAINT, TIRE AND WIRING DEFECTIVE. NLM

NHTSA ID

767185

HAD TAKEN VEHICLE FOR SERVICE WHEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED. WOULD HAVE BRAKING ABILITY. MECHANIC INDICATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM OR RECALLS ON BRAKES.*AK THE BRAKE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. ENGINE OIL WAS LEAKING, DEALER REPLACED THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER O RINGS AND GASKETS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

898501

Incident

Oct 8, 2001

THE BRAKES GRAB TO THE RIGHT WHEN APPLIED FAST. IT PULLS THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ID

725643

WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED THE BRAKES ARE ACTIVATED. WHEN PARKING, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. THE FARTHER YOU TURN THE WHEEL THE HARDER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. AT HIGWAY SPEEDS, AROUND MODERATE CURVES, THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE CRUISE CONTROLE IS DEACTIVATED. WE ARE NOT SURE HOW THIS PART FUNCTIONS ( POWER ASSIST, STEERING), BUT WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE BRAKES ARE ACTIVATED WITH A SLIGHT TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ON WET ROADS OR IN "AVOIDENCE SITUATIONS" IF THE STEERING MECHANISM ACTIVATES THE BRAKES, LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE MAY OCCUR. *AK

NHTSA ID

720377

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP VEHICLE SLID AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID THAT THE ABS COMPUTER HAD MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

856823

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING 20MPH AND BRAKING QUICKLY, THE ABS FAILED COMPLETELY, REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

855811

Incident

Aug 22, 1998

ABS LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ABS BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. DEALER RESET ABS BRAKES ONE TIME, AND THEY DID NOT WORK. RESET THEM AGAIN, AND THIRD TIME THEY COULD NOT RESET THEM. THE SYSTEM HAD GONE TO BAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

853641

Incident

Dec 6, 1997

ONGOING ERRATIC OPERATING OF ABS SYSTEM; VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP AND BRAKES STILL APPEAR NOT TO BE WORKING PROPERLY, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. CONTACTING DEALER FOR APPOINTMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

849478

Incident

Dec 17, 1998

WHENEVER ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE FAILS TO STOP, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. SOMETIMES WOULD LOCK UP UNEXPECTEDLY. HAD BEEN TO DEALER & HAD ABS BRAKES REPAIRED. THE BRAKING PROBLEM HAS REAPPEARED. *AK

NHTSA ID

846147

Incident

Jul 23, 1993

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, BRAKE PEDAL WENT HALF WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO REAR END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. *AK

NHTSA ID

845617

WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH OR MORE AND APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL IS HARD AND WON'T GO DOWN. CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT UNTIL THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN BELOW 60 MPH AND APPLY THE BRAKES, AND THEN VEHICLE WILL COME TO A STOP. *AK

NHTSA ID

845576

Incident

Jan 1, 1996

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. ALSO THERE IS A HONKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

845563

ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM EXPERIENCE LOCK-UP. VEHICLE HAS TO BE COOLED OFF, THEN THE BRAKES WOULD RELEASE BY THEMSELVES. DEALER NOTIFED, INFORMING CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNLESS CONSUMER PICKS UP THE EXPENSES FOR REPAIRS. SEEKING HELP OR FURTHER INFORMATION FROM NHTSA. *AK *YC

NHTSA ID

844581

Incident

Jul 5, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

709345

Incident

Feb 15, 1997

WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS STOPPING THE VAN. WHEN YOU USE THE BRAKES YOU MUST BE VERY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEM AND NOT HIT THEM HARD, THEY MUST BE APPLIED VERY GENTLY OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. IT WILL JUST KEEP ON GOING THEY LOCK UP OR SOMETHING, I AM NOT A MECHANIC AND THE WORD LOCK UP MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DO NOT STOP THE VAN IF YOU DO NOT APPLY JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE. IN AN EMERGENCY THEY WOULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WE ALWAYS JUST LIVED WITH IT AND ADAPTED, BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT I THINK. *AK

NHTSA ID

708874

THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WE CHANGED THE ABS MODULATOR BOX, THE LIGHTS WERE OFF TILL THE BRAKES WERE PUT ON THEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON . TOOK IT TO DEALER AND SAY THE ABS MODULATOR WAS BAD HOW CAN 2 ABS MODULATORS BE BAD ?

NHTSA ID

707722

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK.

NHTSA ID

545011

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH CONSUMER EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE AND RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

836524

NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER

NHTSA ID

701693

Incident

Jan 1, 1996

TRAVELING 30MPH WHEN ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. HAPPENS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED HARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & INFORMED NEEDED A PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

832211

Incident

Oct 19, 1998

ABS FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

539578

Incident

Jun 1, 1996

AFTER A QUICK STOP TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, WHICH THE QUICK STOP HAD TO TURN RIGHT TO AVOID THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE ABS FAILED OR SO THE IDICATOR LIGITS SAYS. HAD SYSTEM CHECKED AND ABS VALVE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACED. COST $1400.00 I KNOW NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING THE GM ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS, THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY NEWS AS TO POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT BY GM FOR FAULTY ABS SYSTEMS. PROPER USE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DONE. (I.E. FULL BRAKE WITHOUT PUMPING).

NHTSA ID

540194

Incident

Aug 1, 1998