1996 Chevrolet Express Owner Complaints

WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO FLORIDA WHEN WE STARTED SMELLING SOMETHING. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WE OPENED THE HOOD AT THAT TIME NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER NEATH THE DRIVERS SIDE. WE BARELY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT BEFORE IT WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED WITH FLAMES. AT THE TIME WE WERE TOWING AN ENCLOSED TRAILER WITH A 2003 HONDA GOLDWING. NOTHING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENCE GAVE US ANY CLUE THAT THE VAN WAS ON FIRE. WE LOST ALL OUR POSSESSIONS IN THE VAN AND TRAILER. IT WAS ALL 100% DESTROYED. UNKNOWN CAUSE. WE HAD NOTICED THAT WE WERE USING MORE FUEL. AND WHEN WE PULLED THE VAN OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WE NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID ON THE GROUND FROM WHERE WE PULLED OVER UNTIL WE GOT STOPPED.

NHTSA ID

10003069

Incident

Jan 7, 2003

AFTER APPOINTMENT WAS MADE, AND UPON ARRIVAL, DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO DO RECALL OOV110000 REPAIRS.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

8017146

Incident

Aug 22, 2002

THE STEEL CABLE SYSTEM SECURING THE SPARE TIRE RUSTED THROUGHAND SEVERED RELEASING THE SPARE TIRE TO FALL FREELY FROM UNDER THE VAN TO THE ROAD BELOW. AT THE SLOW SPEED I WAS TRAVELING I INCURRED NO LOSS OF CONTROL OR DANGER TO OTHER MOTORISTS, HOWEVER IF I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A 65MPH MISSLE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. CALLS TO THE MANUFACTURER RESULTED IN NO ACTION. I AM IN POSSESSION OF ALL FAILED PARTS. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

752336

Incident

Aug 9, 2001

THE HORN RELAY WAS SMOKING AND MELTED THE RELAY PANEL IT WAS MOUNTED TO. MORA FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THEY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE RELAY AND FUSE HAVE BEEN REMOVED AS A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL A DEALER CAN INSTALL A NEW RELAY PANEL AND FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS GAVE NO WARNING SIGNS. THE VAN HAD BEEN TURNED OFF SINCE 12:20 PM. THE HORN WAS SILENT AT 2:00 PM WHEN MY WIFE BROUGHT SOMETHING IN FROM THE REAR COMPARTMENT OF THE VAN. AT AROUND 3:10 PM MY WIFE NOTICED THE HORN SOUNDING AND WENT TO CHECK IT OUT. SHE NOTICED SMOKE FROM DRIVER'S SIDE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE BATTERY WAS ALSO STARTING TO SMOKE. SHE DIALED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DISPATCHER TO GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SCENE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND STAYED AFTERWARDS TO ENSURE NO HOT EMBERS EXISTED. *AK ----DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS-----751677.

NHTSA ID

10006484

Incident

Sep 2, 2001

Mileage

58,500 mi

WHEN PARKED STEERING WILL NOT TURN. STEERING GEAR BOX & PUMP REPLACED WITH NO EFECT.

NHTSA ID

745571

Incident

Sep 1, 1997

CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 00V110000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 00031 CONCERNING FUEL ODOR/LEAKAGE. DEALER CORRECTED RECALL PROBLEM. CONSUMER BELIEVED RECALL PROBLEM HAS CAUSED ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS IN FUEL SYSTEM. FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONTAMINATED, AND FUEL PUMP/ FILLER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

886067

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HAD STALLED OUT. LOST STEERING AND BRAKING POWER. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ALREADY.*AK THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP WHICH WAS FAILING NUMEROUS TIMES. *YH

NHTSA ID

885463

DIMINISHED BRAKING ABILITY,DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

742594

AFTER MAKING A U TURN, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WAS LOST. THE POWER STEERING PUMP SHAFT HAD BROKEN MAKING THE VEHICLE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. COULD THIS BE THE PROBLEM OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN #: 96V187000?

NHTSA ID

737214

Incident

Oct 31, 2000

WHEN THE VAN WAS INVOLVED IN A PRETTY SEVERE FRONTAL CRASH, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT. VAN WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. FRONTAL DAMAGE TOTALLED OVER $7,000 DOLLARS. THE VAN IS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

855139

Incident

Jan 12, 2000

ENGINE RUNS RUFF WITH NO POWER. SOUNDS LIKE ENGINE IS DIESELING. BLACK SMOKE COMES OUT OF EXHAUST, SOMTIMES BACKFIRES. ECM NEVER SETS TROUBLE CODE. EVENTUALLY THE ECM SET TROUBLE CODE FOR RIGHT CAT COMMING APART. THE FOURTH (MOST RESENT) BOTH CATS CAME APART. *AK

NHTSA ID

705059

Incident

Mar 20, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

704257

Incident

Dec 30, 1997

VAN TOTALLY DESTROYED ,HAD BEEN SITTING FOR OVER 2 HOURS BEFORE IT DECIDED TO CATCH FIRE HAD TROUBLE WITH KEYLESS REMOTE PRIOR TO CATCHING FIRE REMOTE WOULD NOT UNLOCK DOORS FIRE STARTED UNDER NEATH PASS. SIDE DASHBOARD IN WHAT I WAS TOLD THE AREA WHERE THE COMPUTER IS

NHTSA ID

702181

Incident

Jan 5, 1999

VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK WAS FILLED ON THE MORINING OF 8/6/98 AND DRIVEN 33 MILES. IT WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE NOSE DOWN ON A 30 DEGREE GRADE. ON THE AFTERNOON OF 8/7/98 AS WE WERE LEAVING ON VACATION I SMELLED GASOLINE WHILE GETTING INTO THE VAN. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO FIND FUEL DRAINING FROM OUT UNDERNEATH THE GAS TANK PLASTIC SHIELD ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. IT WAS DETERMINED AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT GAS WAS GOING THROUGH THE VENT PIPE, TO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AND THEN OUT OF THE CANISTER INTO THE PLASTIC SHIELD AROUND THE TANK. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TOP SEALS ON THE TANK WAS ALSO LEAKING. MINE WAS THE 3RD EXPRESS VAN AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. WITH REPEATED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FACTORY REP, I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE SAFETY RELATED DEFECTS AND PARTS OF THE EXACT DESIGN THAT FAILED WERE REINSTALLED. THERE IS AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THIS DESIGN. WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED COOL, AND THE VEHICLE SITS OR IS DRIVEN WITH THE NOSE DOWN AND THE TEMPERATURE INCREASES, GASOLINE IS FORCED THROUGHT THE VENT PIPE, TO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER, THEN OUT ONTO THE GROUND. I WAS JUST LUCKY I NOTICED THIS PRIOR TO STARTING MY VAN. IT COULD HAVE BLOWN UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HEAT AND LEAVING IT SIT TO COOL DOWN SO MY NEWBORN WOULDNT HAVE TO GET INTO THE HOT VEHICLE. I WAS VERY UPSET WITH THIS SITUATION AND HAVE NOT BEEN SATISFIED WITH A RESPONSE, OR LACK THEREOF FROM CHEVROLET. I ALSO SAW A SIMILAR VEHICLE AS MINE SITTING BY THE ROADWAY THE OTHER DAY WITH FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE VAN. PLEASE HELP MYSELF AND OTHERS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.

NHTSA ID

700305

Incident

Aug 7, 1998

BRAKE PEDAL MOVES TO 2-3 INCHES BEFORE IT WILL BEGIN TO BRAKE, AND PEDAL TRAVELS TOO FAR DOWN.THIS DEFECT CAUSES INCREASED REACTION TIME. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CLAIM IT WAS DESIGNED LIKE THAT. *AK

NHTSA ID

820031