1997 Chevrolet Astro Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Astro years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 360 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet Astro. That ranks 2nd out of 11 Astro model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (64 complaints, 18%), typically at around 121,450 miles. Complaints mention 23 crashes, 7 fires, 25 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 360owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 23complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 64 | 18% | 121,450 | “power steering pump” (9%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 62 | 17% | 80,260 | “windshield wipers” (32%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 53 | 15% | 41,500 | “feels like” (15%) | — |
| Steering | 40 | 11% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 37 | 10% | 63,005 | — | — |
| Structure | 32 | 9% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 31 | 9% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 8% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 8% | 137,560 | — | — |
| Suspension | 24 | 7% | 79,444 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 17 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 16 | 4% | 44,398 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 4% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 15 | 4% | 203,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 4% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 12 | 3% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 8 | 2% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 137,560 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 72,400 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 184,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 229,760 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet astro. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact also mentioned that the failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vin was unavailable. The approximate failure…
I bought 4 goodyear wrangler sr-a tires from the sears auto store at 3000 town east mall on 4 november 2013 at approximately 11:50am. The tire description: p2 235\70r15. Three weeks later on about 13 december 2013 the left rear tire completely came a part while driving on lbj freeway westbound at…
On 4 november 2013, i purchased 4 goodyear wrangler sr-a tires from the sears auto store at 3000 town east mall in mesquite, tx. Approximately three weeks later and less than 300 miles on the tires, the left rear tires completely came a part while driving on lbj freeway westbound in dallas, tx. My…
1997 chevrolet astrovan with electrical door locks. Pulled into sheetz gas and go and went to open the drivers door and it did not open. Tried to push the manual inside door lock but it was totally frozen and would not actuate. Next tried electrical door lock switch. No response on drivers door but…
Just before stopping at an intersection the brake pedal lifted slightly. There was a moaning sound from under the hood on the driver's side and the van drifted into the crosswalk ( lost braking ). I threw it into reverse to stop. After replacing the brake master cylinder, hydro booster, power…
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 | 360 | 4 |
| 1996 Astro | 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 1997 Chevrolet Astro?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, visibility, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 64 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Astro?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 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 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.