Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 990730016A | 10/01/2002 | 990730016B | 10007838 | Diagnostic information for intermittent transmission downshift, slip, busy/cycling tcc or noisy cooling fan. *tt | 07/12/2004 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 030730056 | 11/01/2003 | 10005566 | 4l60-e automatic transmission oil pump first and second design identification. *tt | 03/04/2004 | |
| 010730021 | 05/01/2001 | 619742 | This technical service bulletin states that technicians may experience difficulty in removing the connectors from the park / neutral position switch, usually when trying to remove the switch during transmission service. *tt | 06/26/2001 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||||
| 020730024A | 08/01/2005 | 020730024B | 634999 | Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case. *tt 2006 and prior cars and light duty trucks. *tt | 10/11/2002 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 30000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 02/01/1998 | |||
| Fuel gauge stopped working. air conditioner and transmission broke. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 01/08/1999 | 60000 | 4 | 01/03/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 05/09/2003 | 1 | ||
| The transmission failed, due to a defect with the gear bearing. *jb | |||
| 10/04/2002 | 53000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/10/2000 | 50 | 12/01/2097 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/27/2001 | 1 | 03/01/2001 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 05/04/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| 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. | |||
| 07/27/2001 | 1 | 03/01/2001 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/12/2001 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 06/20/2001 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 05/17/2001 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| 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 | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| 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 | |||
| 11/01/1999 | |||
| Transmission shifts very rough,feels like being hit from behind. is now leaking fluid. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1997 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 08/25/1997 | 1 | 08/22/1997 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/22/2000 | 1 | 04/23/1997 | |
| While traveling and without any indication vehicle lost first gear then fourth gear was lost. *ak finally the reverse gear failed. *yh | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 1 | 11/02/1998 | |
| Transmission had to be replaced. *slc | |||
| 09/19/2000 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Automatic transmission roughly shifts between 1st and 2nd gear. dealer replaced transmission at cost of $1823.99. *ak | |||
| 11/16/1998 | 2 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 04/24/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/26/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| Transmission failed. *ak | |||
| 10/29/1997 | 2 | 07/01/1997 | |
| In oct. 1997 when starting to drive transmission slips, feels like van has been hit from behind. dealer replaced valve body,due to a known product problem.van once again had same troble in may 2000, dealer changed valve body, also statede becaused of a known product concern. but tjis time i had to pay $672.06. their customer service was of no help. even though their mechanic stated that gm had said to reploace the valve body the second time with a new design, since the first replacement was defective. *ak | |||
| 04/15/2000 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| After driving at highway speed and coming to a stop there is a loud bang and the vehicle jerks at the upshift from first to second gear. it feels as if the vehicle has been hit from behind. check out by transmission shop indicates no problem. *ak | |||
| 05/08/2000 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| After coming to a complete stop then accelerating, transmission shifts abruptly from 1st to 2nd gear. tsb's posted by gm on the transmission model 4l60-e. this transmission is used in several model trucks/vans/suv's. your site and other web sites post complaints on this unit from various truck owners, with the same problem. gm refuses to participate in repairing these transmissions. owners must pay for repairs/transmission replacements. if transmission were to suddenly go out while acclerating, vehicle would lose all power and could not avoid being struck by another vehicle, potentially causing injury and/or death of van occupants.*ak | |||
| 11/25/1999 | 03/01/1997 | ||
| When van has been driven more than 15 miles, autoshifting from 'second' to 'third' gear is so rough it feels like the van has been hit from the back by another vehicle. when shifting from 'third' to 'fourth' gear there is also a rough shifting but not as violent as the prior shifting.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | |||
| Gas pedal stuck, causing vehicle to surge forward. dealer has been contacted. transmission also went out. *ml | |||
| 02/21/2000 | 10 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Usaully after a long drive, and coming to a stop, when van shifts form ist to secondgear, there is a banging nose,feels like a have been hit form the back. also, feels like i am being pushed forward..will happen on all additional 1-2 shift changes ,untill shut down. *ak | |||
| 12/12/1999 | 3 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Have continually had trouble with this vehicle. also know others with exact same van who have the same problems. no safetty defect (s) listed within summary. *ak | |||
| 06/29/1998 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| I have owned this vehicle for a year and have had problems with throttle since then. transmission was overhauled due to faulty coolant hos a month after purchase and now trns. fliud pump is shot. window motors are not working properly and niether are power locks. friend owns 97' safari and has same exact problems. is costing me more than van is worth | |||
| 08/09/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1997 | |
| After driving on the hwy for 30 min or longer, when coming to stop and proceeding, vehicle lurches forward giving the impression of being hit from behind. | |||
| Transmission got stuck ,causing brakes to be inoperative while driving down a hill. *ak | |||
| 01/05/1999 | |||
| While driving down the expressway for about 10 minutes at 65mph, exiting off and coming to a complete stop, and when taking off again vehicle automatically shifts from first to second gear .consumer contacted dealer. *ak | |||
| 07/14/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Engine check light coming on coincidently with very rough shifting. dealer states transmission needs replacement, even though an independent transmission shop could find no problem with the transmission. the independent mechanic maintains the problem is in the computer, which is shutting down and causing a full line pressure in the transmission, causing the rough shift. the independent shop dropped the transmission pan, inspected the fluid and visually inspected the transmission. also kept and drove the vehicle for 2 days. dealership insists the computer code they are receiving (p1870) indicates a transmission slip, to be remedied by a complete transmission replacement or at least an overhaul. no visual inspection of the transmission was conducted by the dealer -- only relying on a computer code to diagnose the problem. dealer also stated they have had to replace many transmissions on this model vehicle --- more than we care to admit. still, an independent shop can find no internal problem and maintains it is a problem in the pcm. dealer does not want to change pcm and will diagnose only as far as pulling codes from the pcm. they cannot adequately explain why the problem is intermittent and only presents intelf under certain weather conditions. when rough shifting occurs, the problem immediately goes away when the engine is shut off and re-started.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle vibrates continually, unable to rectify. | |||
| 10/07/1996 | |||
| The transmission constantly slips, and it feels like someone is running into the back of the vehicle, causing it the lurch forward. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||
| 05/03/1999 | |||
| Gear indicator gets stuck when shifting from park to drive, it makes a loud thumbing noise. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 08/25/1997 | 1 | 08/22/1997 | |
| 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 | |||
| 05/01/1997 | 1 | ||
| Differential in transfer case locked up while driving, vehicle skidded to holt, could have caused an accident. according to dealer, apparently, fluid leaked out of transfer case. reported by tom nitz, company employee, he will include vin. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 03/16/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1997 | |
| Mechanic made comment that gm chas had problems with their electronic transmissions. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/12/2001 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 04/02/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1997 | |
| The rear axle seals failed, saturating the rear brake shoes in axle grease. the rear brakes had to be replaced along with the axle seals. warranty refused to cover cost of brake repair. has there been a problem with chevy axle seals? | |||
| 09/29/1997 | 08/09/1997 | ||
| Axle assembly overheated and failed axle seals/bearings. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||
| 03/28/2000 | |||
| Consumer took vehicle in for front brake repairs & found out that the rear axle seals failed. rear brakes had to be replaced due to this problem. service advisor told consumer this was not common for this vehicle. *ak *ml | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 18796 | 5 | |
| Brake problems on 1997 chevrolet astro van. *mr the consumer stated that more brake work was needed. the brakes had rusted and needed to be turned, the a/c was not blowing cold and there was a heating concern. *sc the rear axle seals and differential gaskets were leaking.. *jb | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| Chevrolet doesn't care about using cheap parts- after warranty they say trade it in .numerous things wrong with van and have talked to chevrolet many times. can't use back door of van, run out of gas, knobs fall of interior devices, asked chevy to help since 37,000 and problems still happening as i go, can't afford to fix and can't afford to trade. another nice shove it job by chevrolet they don't stand by their prduct and their product is not safe please respond. *ak | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Windshield wipers ice up with just a tiny bit of snow or sleet. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Differential is noisy. | |||
| 1 | 10/05/1997 | ||
| Vehicles differential seal leaking. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 11/01/1997 | 25 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle has a stop bump or drive line clunk which is corrected by lubricating driveline slip yok and driveshaft every 2000 miles. this occurs when stopping and feels as if the car has been bumped from behind, causing it to lurch slightly forward. i've been told that it is not normal operation but can not be fixed. also the alignment needs to be corrected every two months as it continually pulls to the right (an independent shop said the idler arms are bad). there are many squeaks, bumps and clunks coming from under the vehicle. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 10/01/1999 | |||
| 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!!!!! | |||