1996 Chevrolet Astro Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Astro years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 263 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Chevrolet Astro. That ranks 3rd out of 11 Astro model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (60 complaints, 23%), typically at around 81,611 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 1 fire, 12 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 263owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Chevrolet Astro problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 60 | 23% | 81,611 | “torsion bar” (58%) | $1,650 |
| Visibility problems | 60 | 23% | 39,000 | “windshield wipers” (52%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 33 | 13% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 19 | 7% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 7% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 7% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 6% | 132,530 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 6% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 6% | 124,452 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 13 | 5% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 9 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 177,643 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Chevrolet Astro recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
Risk: If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans. Some of these vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the "fasten safety-belt" audible warning occasionally may not come on or may terminate in less than four seconds as required by the standard.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Dealers will install a new alarm module. Owner notification began june 27, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Child seat
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated dual child seats. Some of these vehicles may be missing a seat belt retractor clutch spring and/or pawl spring in the child seat. If the clutch spring was missing, the seat belt would lock in the retracted position and could not be used. If the pawl spring was missing, the seat belt restraint would continually play out and would not lock.
Risk: These conditions could increase the occupant's risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the seat belts on the child seats, and if necessary, replace the child seat.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: The outboard safety belt webbing on the right-hand rear bucket seat can separate during a vehicle crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the vehicle occupant would not be properly restrained and personal injury could result.
Fix: Dealers will install a protector on the rear seat cushion frame.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Windshield wiper failure (EA02006) — opened May 31, 2002, closed Jul 23, 2003, led to recall 03V159000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Pin holes in steel brake lines causing complete brake failure. Fortunately vehicle was sitting when brake petal was applied for starting. When pressing brake to start vehicle, petal went completely to floor. When checking under vehicle to analyze problem, pin holes leaks were observed in various…
I just got home & was backing around to where i park when the brake pedal started vibrating. I did manage to park. The next day the vibrating stopped when a grating noise was made. Suddenly the brake pedal came way up. It does have some brakes but they are hard to depress. Suddenly my power…
1996 chevy astro lf torsion bar broke. Luckily it happened after my wife went on an 800 mile trip. Dealer replaced with newly designed shorter bar. Front now a lot lower than original. Dealer did not require or insist the other one be fixed at this time. They adjusted the camber of the wheel to…
1996 chevrolet astro with transmission failure. Consumer believes that the part that failed was the sunshell. He heard that if this part fails, the reverse and some forward gears will be lost. *kb
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet astro. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact found a recall notice inside the vehicle from when it was purchased. The recall letter pertains to the ignition coil wire. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure…
Other Chevrolet Astro years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Astro | 9 | 0 |
| 2004 Astro | 14 | 0 |
| 2003 Astro | 62 | 1 |
| 2002 Astro | 70 | 1 |
| 2001 Astro | 91 | 1 |
| 2000 Astro | 175 | 0 |
| 1999 Astro | 133 | 1 |
| 1998 Astro | 241 | 3 |
| 1997 Astro | 360 | 4 |
| 1996 | 263 | 4 |
| 1995 Astro | 446 | 3 |
See all Chevrolet Astro problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Chevrolet Astro?
Owners most often report suspension, visibility, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 60 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chevrolet Astro?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Chevrolet Astro a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Astro model years, the 1996 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.