2002 Chevrolet Van Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Chevrolet Van, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels325.0%
- Body & structure216.7%
- Heating & air conditioning18.3%
- Fuel system18.3%
- Interior & seats18.3%
- Seat belts18.3%
- Suspension18.3%
- Visibility18.3%
- Brakes18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING CHEVROLET E3500 VAN WHEN LEFT REAR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S SEPARATED AND DAMAGED VAN. BODY DAMAGE TO VAN. RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS CRACK AROUND TREAD LIKE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS. *NLM
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM WHEEL. FIRESTONE, P215/70R DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK FIRESTONE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPENED ALL THE WAY PASS THE GAS TANK OPENING. *YH
THE PASSENGER WAS SITTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, IN THE SECOND ROW, SHE WENT TO OPEN THE SIDE DOOR AND HER HAND WAS ON THE HANDLE, THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENED, LODGING HER ELBOW INTO THE BACK OF THE OPENING OF THE DOOR, SHE BROKE HER WRIST IN THREE PLACES. DEALER FOUND A MALFUNCTION. *YD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET VENTURE AWD. RECENTLY, I NOTICED AN OILY SUBSTANCE COMING FROM THE RIGHT, PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VAN. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL WAS COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER (A/C ) CONDENSER, DETERMINING THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL THIS TIME. I CALLED REPAIR SHOPS, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE REPLACEMENT A/C CONDENSER WAS DESIGNED A LITTLE DIFFERENT, AND/OR THE WAY OF MOUNTING IT HAS BEEN UPGRADED. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS COMMON ON THE PONTIAC MONTANA VANS. THE COST TO FIX IT WAS ANYWHERE FROM $975.00 TO $1175.00. NOW, IF THIS WAS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN, AND IT' WAS ILLEGAL TO VENT R-134A FREON INTO THE AIR, WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN ADDRESSED?*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 I FILLED MY GAS TANK UP FOR THE NEXT WEEK. ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17,2005 I WENT TO GO TO THE STORE AND SMELLED GAS. MY HUSBAND LOOKED UNDER THE VAN AND STATED THAT GAS WAS LEAKING. I CALLED OUR MECHANIC MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19,2005 TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON. DROPPED THE VAN OFF TO THE MECHANIC TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20,2005. UPON INSPECTION THEY NOTICED THAT THE FILL A NECK HOSE TO THE TANK AND ATTACHING HOSE IN CRACKED 80% AROUND. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THEY HAVE TO DROP MY ALMOST FULL TANK OF GAS AND REPLACE THE TANK AND ATTACHING PIECES. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE PASSENGER WAS SITTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, IN THE SECOND ROW, SHE WENT TO OPEN THE SIDE DOOR AND HER HAND WAS ON THE HANDLE, THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENED, LODGING HER ELBOW INTO THE BACK OF THE OPENING OF THE DOOR, SHE BROKE HER WRIST IN THREE PLACES. DEALER FOUND A MALFUNCTION. *YD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE WERE INVOLVED IN A CRASH, A DRUNK DRIVER HIT OUR 2002 CHEVY ASTRO VAN IN THE FRONT LEFT SIDE BY A DODGE DAKOTA. WE WERE TRAVELING 35 MPH, OTHER VEHICLE SPEED UNKNOWN. THERE WERE 5 RESTRAINED PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE, THE 2ND ROW RIGHT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN HER DURING THE ENTIRE CRASH. SHE HAD BRUSES ON HER LEFT HIP, RIGHT BREAST, RIGHT SHOULDER AND RIGHT ARM. (THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY). SHE WOULD UP ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE BUCKET SEATS WITH HER LEGS UNDERNEATH HER. THE SEAT BELTS ARE BEING REPLACED (4 ARE COMPLETE, 1 THE CHEVY DEALER IS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE RIGHT PART). I HAVE THE OLD PARTS IN MY POSSESSION. WE WERE UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE CRASH SITE, THE DAMAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY $8,000
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
CORROSION IN FRONT HUB BEARINGS LEADING TO PREMATURE AND ERRATIC ABS SENSOR PROBLEMS AND PULLING OF VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. THIS OCCURS AT SLOW SPEED. GM HAS RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM AND HAS SELCTIVELY RECALLED CERTAIN MAKES OF AUTOMOBILES IN CERTAIN STATES. MY CHEVY ASTRO WAS NOT RECALLED. THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE PROBLEM (COST $1081) SAID THERE IS NO QUESTION IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE RECALLED VEHICLES HAVE (INCLUDING HIS!). GM IS STONEWALLING IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SHOWING UP FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND WAS GETTING WORSE. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW THE STATUS OF A VEHICLE OWNER'S QUESTIONNAIRE. *DT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE MIRRORS.*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
2002 ASTRO VAN BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STOP . FEELS LIKE THE HYDRAULIC BOOSTER FAILS TO ENGAGE, NECESSITATING EXTREME PRESSURE TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDDLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS SITUATION TOOK PLACE FAIRLY OFTEN. AFTER REMOVING THE ABS FUSE THE BRAKES ARE WORKING FINE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .