1997 Chevrolet Astro Transmission Problems

MY VAN IS A 1997 ASTRO AND IT HAS SOME SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AFTER GOING 30-40 MILES AND STOPING AT A LIGHT IT JERKS REAL HARD AND FEELS LIKE I WAS HIT IN THE BACK I HAVE TOOK IT 3 TIMES TO GET FIXED AND IT STILL DOES IT THE SERVICE INGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN IT STARTS DOING IT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHEAT WRONG THEY JUST KEEP TAKEING MY MONEY AND TELLING ME ITS FIXED WHEN ITS NO IF SOME ONE COULD TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY THE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT 900.00$ THE DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR WENT OUT THE IDLER ARMS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED BRAKES KEEP WEARING DOWN ...PLEASE SOME ONE CONTACT ME.*AK

NHTSA ID

10067931

Incident

Jan 8, 1999

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, DUE TO A DEFECT WITH THE GEAR BEARING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10019581

Incident

May 9, 2003

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

AFTER DRIVING FOR 20-40 MINUTES, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT VERY HARD FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. WE HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND AM TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST $1800.00 + TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE HAD 3 TRANSMISSION SHOPS LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM AND RUN DIAGNOSTICS AND TUNE UP ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS AGGRAVATING SITUATION THE LAST TWO YEARS, SPOKEN WITH MANY PEOPLE IN THE REPAIR BUSINESS AND NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO PINPOINT THE EXACT PROBLEM. THEY ONLY WANT TO "LOOK" AT THE PROBLEM AND COLLECT MORE MONEY, WHICH WE HAVE DONE ON 3 SEPERATE OCCASIONS. ALL TO NO AVAIL. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

765815

Incident

Jun 10, 2000

CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND THERE IS HARSH SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. DEALER FOUND TORQUE CONVERTER AND VALVE BODY NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TT

NHTSA ID

564840

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

AFTER LEAVING A 4-LANE INTERSTATE SECTION OF HIGHWAY 19 IN WEST VIRGINIA, AND ARRIVING ONTO A SECTION WITH STOPLIGHTS, THE DRIVER NOTICED A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND. THIS OCCURRED AT MULTIPLE LIGHTS. DURING THE OCCURENCE, THE VAN WOULD ALSO LURCH DURING THE SHIFT. WE STOPPED AT A REST AREA, AND AFTER ALLOWING THE VAN TO SIT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, WE RESTARTED. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT APPARENT WHEN WE LEFT THE REST AREA, BUT ABOUT 2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. WE DROVE TO THE NEAREST MAJOR CITY TO FIND A DEALER TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. ONCE WE FOUND AN OPEN DEALER WHO COULD DOWNLOAD THE DIAGNOSTICS, HE INFORMED US THAT THE CODE INDICATED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. HE RESET THE CODE, AND THE VAN SHIFTED FINE. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DESTINATION WITHOUT PROBLEMS, AND TOOK THE VAN TO A DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY STUDIED THE VAN, AND DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE BODY HAD FAILED, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY, OF COURSE. WE SPENT $1100+ TO HAVE THE VALVE BODY REPAIRED.

NHTSA ID

758173

Incident

May 4, 2001

THE REVERSE SHELL IN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE, DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER WAS SHOCKED THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THIS FAILURE AND FEELS THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD PAY FOR 50 PERCENT OF THE COST SINCE THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LOW MILEAGE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

562640

Incident

Jul 27, 2001

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR WHEN I GET OFF OF THE HIGHWAY,FEELS LIKE SOMEONE REARENDED ME. GAS GUAGE ALWAYS REGISTERS FULL.GRINDING NOISE FROM RIGHT REAR TIRE,SOUNDS LIKE THE REAR AXLE,HAD BRAKES CHECKED BY DEALER THEY ARE FINE.MAYBE I SHOULD OF BOUGHT A FORD. *AK

NHTSA ID

749283

Incident

Jul 12, 2001

TRANSMISSION SLAMMED INTO GEAR AFTER ACCELERATING AND SHIFTED INTO NEXT GEAR. AFTER, SLAMMING INTO NEXT GEAR , VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. DEALER STATED VEHICLE WAS BUILT WITH A INADEQUATE TRANSMISSION TO HAMDLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER DD NOT PLAN TO SOLVE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

891503

Incident

Jun 20, 2001

AFTER DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT VIOLENTLY THROUGH LOWER GEARS. DEALERSHIP CONTINUED TO INFORM CONSUMER THAT A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) WOULD BE RELEASED FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

891017

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

AFTER DRIVING ON INTERSTATE FOR AWHILE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED VERY HARSHLY WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A TOLL BOOTH SENDING MY WIFE'S AND CHILDREN'S HEADS BACK SHARPLY AGAINST THEIR SEATS. THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL NEED TO BE REBUILT. INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOPS STATE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GMC TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY CEASE TO FUNCTION, POSSIBLY STRANDING THE PEOPLE IN THE VAN. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THIS IN SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS, THE GM GARAGE STILL SAYS THAT GM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST OF APPROX $2000. *AK

NHTSA ID

745763

Incident

May 17, 2001

MY FEELING ON THIS VEHICLE IS AS FOLLOWS: THIS IS A RELITIVELY NEW ASTRO VAN, BEING ONLY 4 YEARS OLD, I WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE TO ABSORB THE COST OF A REBUILT TRASMISSION ALREADY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH OUR TRASMISSIONS SPECIALIST, HE ADVISED WE CONTACT SOMEONE REGARDING THIS VAN. THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRASMISSION WAS CAUSED BY 2 TORQUE BEARINGS THAT EXPLODED WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION, THUS CAUSING THE DAMAGE. HE LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OCCURANCE IN THIS VEHICLE, THERE HAD TO BE A FLAW. TORQUE BEARINGS JUST DO NOT "EXPLODE." THE COST TO REMEDY, WHAT I FEEL IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT, HAS CAUSED A HARDSHIP FOR MY FAMILY. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER.*AK

NHTSA ID

745381

Incident

May 11, 2001

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGH,FEELS LIKE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. IS NOW LEAKING FLUID. *AK

NHTSA ID

744933

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO OPERATE. AFTER LAST REPLACEMENT, DEALERSHIP OVERFILLED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAUSING EXCESSIVE LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

885983

Incident

Sep 1, 1997

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

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST FIRST GEAR THEN FOURTH GEAR WAS LOST. *AK FINALLY THE REVERSE GEAR FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

874227

Incident

Oct 22, 2000

BATTERY WAS REPLACED WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH. *SLC

NHTSA ID

555327

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ROUGHLY SHIFTS BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION AT COST OF $1823.99. *AK

NHTSA ID

732321

Incident

Sep 19, 2000

TRANSMISSION REPLACED 3 TIMES. TRANSMISSION WOULD KEEP VEHICLE FROM GOING INTO REVERSE OR START SLIPPING INTO DIFFERENT GEARS. DEALER HAS REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION EACH TIME. THE PARTS COULD BE DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

871295

Incident

Nov 16, 1998

1ST PROBLEM: WHEN TRANSMISSION GETS HOT- PARTICULARLY AFTER IF DRIVEN IN LOW GEAR .ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION SLAMS FROM 1ST GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR, THEN FROM 2ND GEAR INTO 3RD GEAR. FEELS LIKE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR. PROBLEM STOPS WHEN VEHICLE COOLS DOWN. DEALER SAYS ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. HAS SEEN MANY OTHER ASTROS WITH SAME PROBLEM. 2ND PROBLEM: SINCE FILING ORGINAL COMPLAINT # 516354 HAVE GONE TO BINDING ARBITRATION WITH CHEVROLET. CHEVROLET ADMITTED TO DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK THAT CAUSES IT TO MOVE. ARBITRATOR ORDER CHEVROLET TO FIX. CHEVROLET REFUSED BECAUSE IT WILL REQUIRE REDESIGN OF FUEL TANK. ARBITRATOR HAS NO POWER TO ORDER REDESIGN. *AK

NHTSA ID

731198

I AM TOLD BY THE LOCAL DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE ASTROS ARE BEING REPLACED ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS "POOR ENGINEERING" THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2000 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE HAD ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND AT WHAT POINT IN TIME DO THEY MAKE A RECALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. THE CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE COULD NOT HELP ME AT ALL!!!!!

NHTSA ID

730351

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VAN. THE DEALER NOR CHEVROLET HAVE OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE SAYING THAT AFTER 36,000 MILES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND I CANNOT PAY MY CAR PAYMENT PLUS REPAIRS EVERY MONTH. I CANNOT TRADE IT IN BECAUSE I OWE TOO MUCH ON IT. IF I TURN IT IN, I DO NOT HAVE CREDIT TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. CAN YOU ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY? NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

727828

Incident

Apr 24, 1999

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

725491

Incident

Oct 26, 1999

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID

725059

Incident

Jul 1, 2000