RoadVitals

1994 Chevrolet Astro Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Oct 22, 2008
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 328 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Chevrolet Astro submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Oct 22, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 50 MPH, THE ALTERNATOR BRACKET FAILED. WITHIN A THREE MONTH PERIOD, THE BRACKET HAS FAILED TWICE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT COMPONENT AT A JUNKYARD AND WAS INFORMED BY THE JUNKYARD DEALER THAT HE RECEIVED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR THAT PARTICULAR COMPONENT DUE TO FREQUENT FAILURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS OVER 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

NHTSA ID
10246372
Incident
Oct 15, 2008
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 26, 2005

FAILURE OF LINEAR EGR VALVE ON MY 1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO MINI VAN. *AK

NHTSA ID
10107943
Incident
Jan 23, 2005
Mileage
102,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 18, 2004

FOR ALL OF YOU 1994 CHEVROLET ASTRO OWNERS AND ANY OTHERS THAT HAVE THE OLDER 4.3L VORTEC ENGINE. I HAVE THE SOLUTION TO YOUR LEGR VALVE CARBON CLOGING PROBLEM. MY 1994 EXT VAN HAS 150,000 MILES AND I HAD BEEN GETTING THE ROUGH IDLE AND STALLING WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT PROBLEM. IT HAS DONE THIS BEFORE TO ME EVERY 6MONTHS OR SO AND I JUST PULLED OFF MY EGR VALVE, KNOCK OUT THE CARBON CHUNK THAT IS STUCK IN IT AND 20 MIN LATER IM ON MY WAY. WELL IT HAS COME BACK BAD AND IT IS CLOGING EVERY 20 MILES WITH LOTS OF CARBON CHUNKS. CHEVY TELLS ME THAT THE LOWER INTAKE NEEDS TO BE EMOVED AND BEAD BLASTED TO REMOVE THE CARBON BUILD UP. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THERE WAS A EGR RECALL THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CLEANING IF IT HAPPENED THE 1ST 7 YEARS OR 75,000 MILES OF THE VAN. WELL THEY WONT DO IT FOR ME AND THE DEALER WANTS $500-$1000 TO DO THIS. I FANALY FOUND THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM THAT EVERY CHEVY OWNER THAT HAS THE 4.3L VORTEC ENINGE. THIS IS CALLED THE KLEAN SCREEN. IT IS A REPLACEMENT EGR GASKET THAT HAS A HIGH TEMP SCREEN AT THE EGR INPUT OPENING THAT WILL STOP LARGE CHUNKS OF CARBON FROM ENTERING THE EGR VALVE AND WHEN IT GETS WARMED UP THE SCREEN WILL BREAK THE CHUNKS UP INTO SMALL PEICES THAT WILL PASS THE EGR POPPET. THEY COST ABOUT 13.50 EACH AT AUTO ZONE AND THE COMPANY IS NAMED TOMCO INC. WWW.TOMCO-INC.COM. IT HAS BEEN 1 WEEK SINCE I HAVE INSTALLED THE GASKET ON THE ORIGINAL EGR VALVE THAT CAME WITH THE VAN NEW 150,000 MILES AGO AND IT RUNS GREAT SO FAR. TH GM PART NUMBER FOR THIS GASKET IS 2-1357. I BOUGHT MINE AT THE LOCAL AUTOZONE BY MY HOUSE IN VIRGINIA. YOU CAN ALSO BUY RIGHT FROM THE COMPANY AT 10.50 EACH WITH A 5 ORDER MIN. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE WAYNE JORDAN. *AK

NHTSA ID
10062518
Incident
Mar 18, 2004
Mileage
150,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 20, 2002

WHEN DRIVING ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AND ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO CUT OFF. ALSO, EGR VALVE GETS CLOGGED WITH CARBON ON A REGULAR BASIS. DEALER HAS REPLACED EGR VALVE 3 TIMES, AND CLEANED IT 4 TIMES.*AK

NHTSA ID
8004280
Incident
Jun 1, 1999
Engine
Filed Nov 15, 2000

ON FEB.1997 I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL A LETTER FROM CHEVROLTE STATING THAT THEY WERER HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE LINEAR EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION (LEGR). IF MY VEHICLE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT TO PLEASE BRING IT INTO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND THEY WILL FIX IT , NO CHARGE. THEY PROVIDED ME WITHA SPECIAL WARRANTY COVERAGE WHICH STATED:SEVEN YEARS OR 75,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, THE CONDTION WILL BE REPAIRED FOR ME AT NO CHARGE. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THAT ATH THAT TIME BUT SINCE THEN I HAVE, IN TOTAL, TO THIS DATE (11/15/00)HAVE HAD THREE(3) DIFFERENT LEGR VALVES REPLACED IN MY VAN. THE FIRST ON, SEPT. 12, 1997, THE SECOND ONE, JAN.26, 1999 AND THE THIRD ONE, NOV.15, 2000.EVERY 2 YEARS THEIS LEGR VALVE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY VAN AS OF TODAY HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT AND IS 6 YEARS OLD. IN ANOTHER 2 YEARS IF MY VAN NEEDS A LEGR VALVE, I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF MY POCLET TO HAVE IT FIXED. I DON'T FEEL THAT CHEVROLET HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE IF THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. I FEEL THAT IF CHEVROLTE HAS HAD 3 TIMES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, AND IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OUT OF MY POCKET BECAUSE CHEVROLET HAS NOT FULTILLED THEIR OBBLIGATION TO TIX THIS PROBLEM. COULD YOU TELL ME OR GIVE ME GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT CAND BE DONE ABOUT THIS? THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID
736372
Incident
Jan 26, 1999
BrakesEngineVisibility
Filed Sep 16, 2000

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
Engine
Filed Jun 21, 2000

MY VAN HAS BEEN IN THE MECHANICS SHOP FOR A TOTAL OF 12 WEEKS NOW. PARTS CANNOT BE FOUND FOR THIS VAN AND IT HAS CAUSED A TREMONDOUS INCONVENIENCE FOR OUR FAMILY. THERE ARE PARTS IN THE ENGINE THAT MUST BE REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ID
724358
Incident
Mar 1, 2000
ElectricalEngine
Filed May 26, 2000

WHEN CONSUMER INSERTED KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE. ALSO, ENGINE HESITATED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO BOTH DEALER AND INDEPENDENT REPAIRS SHOPS, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
862634
Incident
Sep 2, 1998
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed May 21, 2000

LOW IDLE, IDLE FLUCTUATES, ENGINE DIES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS TIMES OF DAY, FALSE COMPUTER CODES, NO CODES DURING STALL, BRAKES/STEERING DIE, VERY DANGEROUS/CONTROL LOSS, AGENCY CAN'T FIND OR FIX PROBLEM, AGENCY SAID THEY REPLACED IAC & CPI, OLD PARTS NOT RETURNED TO ME, AGENCY SAYS GAS QUALITY IS PROBLEM, HAVE TRIED ALL DIFFERENT BRANDS & OCTANES WITH NO CHANGE IN SYMPTOMS

NHTSA ID
722992
Engine
Filed Mar 23, 2000
Fire reported

APPROX. 30 MILES AN HOUR WHEN HEARD AN EXPLOSION, ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND IGNITED UNDER THE HOOD, RESULTING IN COMPLETELY BURNED.

NHTSA ID
9000489
Incident
Mar 1, 2000
Engine
Filed Oct 7, 1999

WHILE DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SMELLED GASOLINE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. NO OIL LEAKS. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
850251
Incident
Aug 28, 1999
Engine
Filed Sep 27, 1999

PROBLEM BECAME EVIDENT WITH ERRATIC OIL PRESSURE READING, CRAKSHAFT AND ALL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC CANNOT FIND ANY REASON FOR FAILURE. COST OF REPAIR IS $2,529.62

NHTSA ID
712280
Incident
Sep 9, 1999
EngineVisibility
Filed Feb 28, 1999

THE LEGR FIRST WENT OUT 11/27/93 TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALER NO PROPLEM WAS FOUND, FINALLY LEGR VALVE WENT OUT COMPLETLY 9/04/98 TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALER LEGR VALVE WAS REPLACED...WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH FIRST WENT OUT ESTIMATE 10/98 AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET FIXED AT DEALER FINALLY REPAIRED 11/19/98, WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH OUT AGAIN NOT REPLACED YET OUT OF WARRENTY AND DEALER AND CHEVERLOT DOES NOT WANT TO REPLACE AT NO CHARGE

NHTSA ID
703857
Incident
Sep 4, 1998
Engine
Filed Apr 22, 1998

CRANKSHAFT FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
534518
Incident
Apr 5, 1998
Engine
Filed May 12, 1997

OWNER STATES THAT HIS ENGINE MOUNTS SHEARED OFF.OWNER ALSO NOTES THAT HE DISCOVERED PROBLEM WHEN HE HEARD A NOISE. *AK

NHTSA ID
812188
Engine
Filed Mar 11, 1997

ENGINE STOPS WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID
515580
Incident
May 20, 1996

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .