1997 Chevrolet Astro Interior & seats Problems

1997 CHEVROLET ASTROVAN WITH ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCKS. PULLED INTO SHEETZ GAS AND GO AND WENT TO OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR AND IT DID NOT OPEN. TRIED TO PUSH THE MANUAL INSIDE DOOR LOCK BUT IT WAS TOTALLY FROZEN AND WOULD NOT ACTUATE. NEXT TRIED ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCK SWITCH. NO RESPONSE ON DRIVERS DOOR BUT THERE WAS WEAK SOUND FROM PASSENGER DOOR LOCK SOLENOID. IT WAS AS IF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IT WAS SUFFERING FROM INSUFFICIENT VOLTAGE. CRAWLED OUT OF PASSENGER SEAT AND GOT OUT OF CAR. ' TOOK IGNITION KEY AND INSERTED IT INTO DRIVERS DOOR LOCK. KEY WOULD TURN TO LOCK (FELT THE DETENT OF THE ) AND BACK TO NEUTRAL... KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO UNLOCK POSITION ...WOULD MOVE A LITTLE AND THEN FREEZE. I DID NOT TRY HARDER TO TURN AS I FELT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THE KEY WOULD BREAK AND LEAVE ME STRANDED 40 MILES FROM HOME... NO BACKUP IGNITION KEY. IGNITION KEY WORKS THE DOOR LOCKS IN THIS MODEL. WENT TO NTSTB WEB SITE AND SEARCHED FOR OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME TYPE PROBLEM. NO LUCK. WENT TO GOOGLE AND DID SAME SEARCH CHEVROLET ASTROVAN DOOR WON'T OPEN AND GOT A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAD NOT REACHED NTSTB.. CHEVROLET HAS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS MODEL HAS FLIP UP STEERING WHEEL, THIS WOULD NOT BE THE PROBLEM IT IS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OLDER AND LARGER PROBLEM TO CLIMB OUT OF THE BUCKET SEAT AS THE STEERING WHEEL TRAPS YOUR LEGS WHEREAS A BENCH SEAT YOU SIMPLY SLIDE SIDEWAYS. THIS IS AN ENTRAPMENT ISSUE!!!!!! WILL SEE DEALER IN HOUR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10549828

Incident

Oct 26, 2013

Mileage

137,560 mi

AUXILIARY AIR CONDITIONR (A/C) REAR SWITCH FAILED/ MELTED/ SMOKED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN 4 YEARS. WENT TO THE JUNK YARD, AND FOUND THET 5 OF 5 ASTRO VANS WITH THIS TYPE SWITCH ALSO WERE MELTED/BURNED. NO APPEARENT DEFECT WITH REAR BLOWER MOTOR THAT WOULD PULL EXCESSIVE AMPS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10190577

Incident

May 7, 2007

Mileage

213,000 mi

VEHICLE INVOLVED 1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO 1. SEAT RECLINER WAS BEING USED WHEN THE HANDLE BROKE OFF. THE SEAT REMAINED IN THE POSITION ESTABLISHED WHEN THE HANDLE BROKE. STARTED DRIVING THE VAN AND SUDDENLY THE SEAT BACK WENT COMPLETELY FLAT. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO HANG ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE DID WANDER INTO THE LEFT LANE DURING THE INCIDENT. 2. I INVESTIGATED THE FAILURE AND FOUND THE PLASTIC HANDLE WAS INTACT, HOWEVER THE METAL PIVOT PIECE THAT ENGAGES THE SERRATED LOCKING PLATE FAILED. THIS PIVOT PIECE ALSO CONTAINS THE TORSION SPRING THAT LOCKS THE PLATE WHEN THE HANDLE IS NOT BEING ACTUATED. THE DESIGN IS NOT INTRINSICLY SAFE IN THAT THE LOCKING PLATE IS PUSHED UPWARD BY THE SPRING TO SECURE THE SEAT. AS LONG AS THERE IS PRESSURE ON THE SEAT THE MECHANISM WILL STAY ENGAGED. WITHOUT A LOAD ON THE SEAT, THE LOCKING PLATE CAN DROP FREE DUE TO GRAVITY AND THE SEAT WILL RECLINE BACKWARD TO THE FULL FLAT POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE PIVOT PIECE APPEARS TO SHOW A CRACK STARTED WHERE THE SPRING IS SECURED AND THE CRACK PROPOGATED THROUGH THE PIECE DUE TO FATIQUE AND VIBRATION UNTIL FAILURE OCCURRED. 3. THE SEAT WAS LOCKED INTO A PERMANENT POSITION USING HIGH STRENGTH FASTENERS AND EXISTING HOLES IN THE SEAT FRAME. ADDITIONALLY, THE LOCKING PLATE WAS ENGAGED AND ALSO PINNED INTO PLACE TO FURTHER SECURE THE SEAT. THE RECLINING FEATURE OF THE SEAT IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I RETAINED THE BROKEN ADJUSTMENT HANDLE WITH PIVOT PIECE.

NHTSA ID

10127261

Incident

Jun 6, 2005

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE CONSUMER'S 1987 AND 1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO VANS HAD FAULTY ENGINE'S.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED, THE DRIVER'S SEAT CAME LOOSE, THE REAR DOOR HATCH BROKE AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER SLIPPING AND VALVE BODY WEAR (90000 MILES). *NM

NHTSA ID

10117266

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

Mileage

30,000 mi

I HAVE A 1997 ASTRO, IN THE PAST 8 MONTHS THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR, WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH 54,202 MILES ON IT, WHICH STARTED GIVING US PROBLEMS AT ABOUT 53,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH IDLER ARMS AT 25,680 MILES. HAD SEAT BELT CHIME FIXED (RECALL), DRIVER SEAT FEELS LOOSE WHEN STOPPING DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TO HAVE TIGHTENED IT, STILL FEELS LOOSE. THE VAN HAS ALWAYS IDLED ROUGH TOOK IT IN 3 TIMES FOR THAT AND CAN'T SEEM TO FIX THAT. SLIDING DOOR RATTLE THEY TRIED TO FIX THAT ALSO STILL RATTLES. THE GAS PEDAL STICKS WHEN I TAKE OFF OR WHEN I GO IN REVERSE WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE OFF SMOOTHLY. I HAD AN ASTRO AND A SAFARI IN THE PAST AND NEVER HAD AS MANY PROBLEMS AS I HAD WITH THIS ONE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10010394

Incident

Oct 4, 2002

Mileage

53,000 mi

UNABLE TO OPEN THE HATCHBACK FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE DUE TO HATCHBACK NOT HAVING A RELEASE BUTTON. DEALER NOTIFIED. *TS..*AK

NHTSA ID

10004613

Incident

Jan 18, 2003

THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO IT MISSING 1ST AND GOING RIGHT INTO 2ND GEAR.FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHAKES AT 40 MPH. HAD TIRES REPLACED AND ALIGNMENT DONE. INTERIOR LIGHT STAY S ON UNLESS MANUAL OVERRIDE IS TURNED OFF.BRAKES MAKE NOISES WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP OR YOU ARE STOPPING SLOWLY. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME BROUGHT TO MECHANIC EVERY TIME TO GET ANALYZED.

NHTSA ID

759704

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

754285

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WINDOW WILL NOT STAY OPEN, CLIPS THAT SHOULD HOLD IT UP ARE BLOCKED BY MATERIAL, WINDOW SLAMS SHUT WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 45000 MILES. *AK OIL LEAK, DEALER ORDERED AXLE OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE CUTTING AND WOULD CRANK, BUT WOULD NOT STAR. OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ERRATIC, DEALER REPLACED OIL PRESSURE SENDER. FRONT BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED, ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING, DEALER REPLACED BOTH IDLER ARMS AND RESET TOE IN. POWER DOOR LOCKS INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH. POWER WINDOW INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED POWER WINDOW SWITCH. SHIFTER WAS HARD TO MOVE, DEALER REPLACED SHIFT CABLE. GAS PEDAL BINDS AT TIMES, DEALER ORDERED THROTTLE CABLE AND REPLACED ACCELERATOR CABLE. DRIVER SETA SEEMS LOOSE WHEN BRAKING, DEALER ORDERED DRIVER SEAT TRACK ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTER. PCM FUSE KEPT BLOWING OUT, DEALER REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND TRACED WIRE HARNESS, REPAIRED SHORTED HARNESS AT THE REAR OF THE TRANSMISSION. *SLC

NHTSA ID

879935

Incident

Aug 25, 1997

BATTERY WAS REPLACED WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH. *SLC

NHTSA ID

555327

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE AWAY FROM FRAME. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

863026

Incident

Apr 18, 2000

POWER WINDOW. FUEL GAUGE. AUTO DOOR LOCKS.

NHTSA ID

609716

THE MODULE AND HARNESS MELTED. PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE HAD NOT WE BEEN THERE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS OFF AND HAD BEEN FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES. JUST THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOULD CHECK TO BE SURE THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

708677

Incident

Jul 6, 1999

TRIM ON TWO REAR BENCH SEATS FELL OFF WHICH WAS REPLACED. *YC

NHTSA ID

545963

THE REAR MIDDLE SEATBACK SPRING IS OUT OF THE SEAT COVER WHICH MAY INJURE THE OCCUPANT. DEALER PLACED A COVER OVER SPRING, BUT THE SPRING CUTS THROUGH THE PATCH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

826228

Incident

Sep 1, 1996

POWER STEERING PUMP MAIN SHAFT FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL

NHTSA ID

530490

Incident

Oct 6, 1997

SLOWED DOWN FOR TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE; VEHICLE STOPPED; SEMI REARENDED VEHICLE #2 & THAT VEHICLE REARENDED ASTRO, CAUSING DRIVER'S SEAT TO COLLAPSE BACKWARDS; VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED; TOOK TO MECHANIC & NOTICED BOLTS SHEARED OFF & PULLED OUT OF THREADS; HAVE PARTS. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

814464

Incident

Jun 29, 1997