1994 Chevrolet Astro Brakes Problems

ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY ASTRO VAN ON A STRAIGHT ROAD. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME APPLIED THEIR BRAKES. I ALSO APPLIED MY BRAKES, BUT MY FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. I ATTEMPTED 4 TIMES IN A PANICKED STATE TO TRY AND RE-APPLY MY BRAKES WITH NO SUCCESS. I STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER CONSIDERING WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT DAY AND LOOKING AT THE BRAKE PEDAL SIZE IN THE VEHICLE IT IS NO WONDER I COULDN'T READILLY RE-APPLY THE BRAKE. I MEASURED THE BRAKE PEDAL SURFACE AREA. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 4 SQ. INCHES. I HAVE SINCE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER VEHICLES AND THE SIZE OF THEIR BRAKE PEDAL SURFACE AREA. I HAVE YET TO DATE FOUND SUCH A SMALL BRAKE PEDAL IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VAN THOUSANDS OF MILES AND KNOW WITHOUT MUCH CONSIDERATION THE PEDALS LOCATION WITHOUT LOOKING, BUT IN A PANICED STATE I FOUND YOU LOOSE THAT REFERENCE AND IT SIMPLY COMES DOWN TO AN INCREASED OR DECREASED CHANCE OF HITTING THAT PEDAL GIVEN SURFACE AREA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10436820

Incident

Nov 21, 2011

Mileage

162,000 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH THE METAL BRAKE LINE HAD BURST ON THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VAN WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INCIDENT. THE LINE BROKE AS THE BRAKE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. THE CONSUMER AVOIDED A COLLISION AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LINES. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE. SINCE THE REPAIR, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK (11/29/05) *SC

NHTSA ID

10141435

Incident

Oct 15, 2005

Mileage

140,000 mi

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP BY PUMPING THE BRAKES MORE THAN ONCE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10087788

Incident

Aug 12, 2004

WHILE DRIVING OR STARTING UP VEHICLE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10081812

Incident

May 5, 2004

Mileage

11,320 mi

I WAS GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE HEADING TOWARD ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN THE STEERING WOULD NOT CORRECT. I WENT AT NO FAULT OF MINE UP BEHIND A MAILBOX HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARD A HUGE TREE AT WHICH TIME GOD ALMIGHTY HAD A HAND ON ME NO DOUBT, AND VEERED BARELY TO THE LEFT OF TREE, MAILBOX I DAMAGED WITH MIRROR WENT UP AN EMBANKMENT CROSSED LADIES DRIVEWAY, WENT UPON ANOTHER EMBANKMENT AND BACK DOWN INTO DITCH. THE TIE ROD CAME COMPLETELY OFF. *MR

NHTSA ID

10073241

Incident

Jun 14, 2003

Mileage

141,700 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHEN THE ROAD IS WET OR ANY AMOUNT OF SNOW AND BRAKE APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10030047

Incident

Jul 24, 2003

BRAKES LOCKED UP, AND CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP. COULD HADVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8013227

Incident

Jun 16, 2002

BRAKES PULL WHEN APPLIED SOMETIMES PULLS RIGHT,OTHER TIMES PULLS LEFT. BRAKES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REBUILT BY PREVIOUS OWNER. NOW HAVING SAME PROBLEM. IS GM AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND WHAT IS REMEDY? WIFE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN MAJOR ACCIDENT AUGUST OF 2001 IN A 1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM, YET DEALERSHIPS REPORT NO BULLITENS OR RECALLS. I HAVE FOUND ONE ON YOUR SITE AND ANOTHER BULLITEN THROUGH ANOHTER SOURCE. IS THIS ANOTHER "FORD/FIRESTONE" STYLE COVER UP????*AKY

NHTSA ID

759798

Incident

Mar 24, 2002

ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILS TO STOP VEHICLE IN A TIMELY MANNER WHEN APPLIED. MOTOR IS CATCHING AND THEN IT IS RELEASING. HAVE NOT BEEN TO A DEALER TO LET MECHANIC CHECK BRAKES OUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

898226

WAS PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN HEARD A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE PULLED TO RIGHT, COULD NOT PULL TO LEFT. HAD APPLIED BRAKES, VEHICLE HIT A LAMP POST, AND THEN A HOUSE DUE TO A LACK OF BRAKING POWER. ABS BRAKES HAD FAILED. WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

NHTSA ID

880909

Incident

Feb 9, 2001

VAN DOES NOT HAVE POWER BRAKES, VAN WAS PURCHASED WITH POWER BRAKES, VAN HAS BEEN TO TWO DEALERSHIPS, NEITHER DEALERSHIP COULD REPAIR THE POWER BRAKES. CJ

NHTSA ID

559294

EXCESSIVE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS. THREE SETS OF BRAKE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 3 YEARS. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

878043

Incident

Feb 15, 1998

PREMATURE WEAR OF ROTORS. *AK

NHTSA ID

876072

Incident

Nov 2, 1994

WINDSHIELD WIPERS EITHER DO NOT WORK WHEN TURNED ON OR FAIL WHILE DRIVING. ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAIL WHEN USING ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACES.ENGINE MAKES LOUD RAPPING NOISES THEN RUNS VERY BAD / STALLS/ SHAKES.

NHTSA ID

731687

Incident

Sep 15, 2000

VEHICLE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT FAILS MOST OF THE TIME ON UNEVEN SURFACES AND ON NONASPHALT ROADS

NHTSA ID

9001468

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON WET PAVEMENTS PEDAL BECOMES HARD AND BRAKES LOCK UP, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER IS INSPECTING VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

864657

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 33MPH, AND WAS BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, AND PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND VEERED INTO THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

862079

Incident

May 17, 2000

WHILE DRIVING COULD FEEL ABS BRAKES NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THE ABS LIGHT STAYING ON. *AK

NHTSA ID

861574

Incident

May 8, 2000

WHEN DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT OF ANY TYPE,IF BRAKES ARE APPLIED WITH ANY FORCE AT ALL AT ANY SPEED,THEY LOCK UP CAUSING VAN TO SKID.THIS CAUSES UNASSURED SAFE STOPPING DISTANCE FOR THE DRIVER. *AK

NHTSA ID

721799

CONSUMER HIT BRAKES, SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE ON ICE , ONCE THEY LOCKED UP. CONSUMER HAS REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

859206

Incident

Jun 27, 1999

WHILE BRAKEING VEHICLE WOULD STOP IN A EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

NHTSA ID

855345

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES DURING A QUICK STOP THE BRAKES FAIL AND MAKE A NOISE, CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 3 SETS OF PADS ON THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKE STILL DON'T WORK. *ET

NHTSA ID

783694

BRAKES FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

550116

THE ABS BRAKES WOULD RELEASE & THEN WOULD MAKE CLUNKING NOISES AFTER BEING APPLIED. THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAL WHILE DRIVING. THE PEDAL WOULD FEEL WEIRD WHEN APPLIED. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC NO PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THE ABS BRAKES. CAN FIND NO INFORMATION ON APPARENT RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

854190

CONTACTED GMC ABOUT NHSTA RECALL 99I006000 THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT CAMPAIGN. *AK

NHTSA ID

715988

Incident

Nov 15, 1999