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U.S. public vehicle records

Chevrolet CHEVY VAN problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

82 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

79,888 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1984 to 2003 model years. Data snapshot: . 38 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 82 complaints (8.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior1822.0%
Steering behavior56.1%
Electrical and battery issues44.9%
Fuel system concerns44.9%
Transmission and shifting33.7%
Engine operation22.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags
7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
6
Engine And Engine Cooling
4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
4
Seat Belts:Rear/Other
4
Seats
4
Engine
3
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
3
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Air Bags7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip6
Engine And Engine Cooling4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine4
Seat Belts:Rear/Other4
Seats4
Engine3
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump3

Air Bags: 7; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 4; Seat Belts:Rear/Other: 4; Seats: 4; Engine: 3; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 3

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
6
25,000 to 49,999
2
50,000 to 74,999
8
75,000 to 99,999
10
100,000 to 149,999
8
150,000 and above
4
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0006
25,000 to 49,9992
50,000 to 74,9998
75,000 to 99,99910
100,000 to 149,9998
150,000 and above4

Under 25,000: 6; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 8; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 4

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 44 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
1
1996
2
2000
7
2001
9
2002
2
2003
3
2004
9
2005
14
2006
10
2007
3
2008
1
2009
3
2010
1
2011
1
2012
1
2013
3
2014
4
2015
2
2017
2
2018
4
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19951
19962
20007
20019
20022
20033
20049
200514
200610
20073
20081
20093
20101
20111
20121
20133
20144
20152
20172
20184

1995: 1; 1996: 2; 2000: 7; 2001: 9; 2002: 2; 2003: 3; 2004: 9; 2005: 14; 2006: 10; 2007: 3; 2008: 1; 2009: 3; 2010: 1; 2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 3; 2014: 4; 2015: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 4

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 18 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 551369 · 2000-03-15 (March 15, 2000)

THE EBCM FAILED CAUSING ABS LIGHT TO REMAIN AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE, CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 551369 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10091123 · 2004-09-16 (September 16, 2004)

ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKES) COMPUTER & SENSORS STOPPED WORKING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10091123 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 719626 · 2000-03-03 (March 3, 2000)

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH IN A FOUR LANE ROAD. A CAR WAS COMING NORTH AND TURNED INTO ME TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. MY DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WAS HIT, THE WHEEL WENT FLAT. UPON SEEING HIM COME INTO ME, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SOMETHING SNAPPED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT UP INTO THE STEERING COLUMN . I COULD NOT KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT. I WENT INTO TWO LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE HITTING A FENCE WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. I HAD NO BRAKES. MY ANKLE IS BROKE AND I'M IN A CAST BECAUSE OF THE PEDAL SNAPPING UPWARD. UPON INPACT, THE THIRD BENCH IN THE …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 719626 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10502739 · 2013-03-14 (March 14, 2013)

I AM A FATHER OF 7 KIDS BOUGHT 2 CHEVY VENTURE VANS . ONE IS 2003 ON 06/12 AND 1999 ON 10/13 THE 2003 VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ME AND MY 7 KIDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREE WAY AND OUT OF NO WHERE THE VAN START SLOWING THE SPEED FROM 60 MPH TO 30 MPH SUDDENLY OUT OF NO WHERE THE ENGINE START SMOKING AND THE HOLE TRANSMISSION FALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FWY MY KIDS START SCREAMING AFRAID THEY WE ALL GOING TO DIE. I AM STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HILL IS GOING OWN I CALLED THE POLICE AND THE TOWING TRUCK AND TOW MY C…

Owner-reported narrative. 95,645 miles reported. Look up ODI 10502739 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10116530 · 2005-04-07 (April 7, 2005)

ELECTRIC WINDOW NOT WORKING, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS,BRAKE LIGHTS SHORTS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10116530 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10157700 · 2006-05-17 (May 17, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE SERVICE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE COMPUTER IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE REAR WHEELS AND WAS PRODUCING FALSE FAILURES CAUSING THE ILLUMINATION OF THOSE WARNING LIGHTS. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WHEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES COULD FAIL. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WERE REPLACED, BUT NO CORRECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE COMPUTER.

Owner-reported narrative. 159,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157700 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 567944 · 2002-10-23 (October 23, 2002)

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN AND/OR FIT OF THE TANK, WHICH CAUSES CONTINUAL CRACKING AT THE CONNECTION AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK NECK TO THE FUEL TANK ITSELF. WHICH CAUSE A CONTNUAL LEAK OF FUEL AND A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FIRE AND EXPLOSION. THE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AT 54147K MILES AND NOW AT 123484K MILES ON THE NECK AREA IS CRACKED ON THE SAME PLACE AS THE FIRST ONE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *SCC

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 567944 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10159019 · 2006-06-05 (June 5, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL PUMP FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES. DURING THE FIRST FAILURE THERE WAS NO WARNING WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 AT 113,500 MILES. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN RESTARTED. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP A SECOND TIME AT 146,000 MILES. DURING THE INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE FUEL PUMP CONNECTOR WAS CAUSING THE FUEL PUMPS TO FAIL. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V…

Owner-reported narrative. 146,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10159019 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10131434 · 2005-08-03 (August 3, 2005)

MY 1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN DEVELOPED A SHIFTING PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES EXTREMELY ROUGH SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, AND ONLY PRODUCES THE RAGGED SHIFTS AFTER THE VAN HAS THOROUGHLY WARMED UP, AS WHEN ON A 2 HOUR TRIP. IT ALSO TURNS ON THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT, WITH A P1870 ERROR CODE STORED. MY CHEVROLET DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS NEEDING A NEW "VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY" IN THE TRANSMISSION. COSTS 1,000 WITH LABOR. AROUND TOWN AND SHORT TRIPS, ALL SHIFTS ARE NORMAL AND GOOD. …

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131434 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10170464 · 2006-10-10 (October 10, 2006)

VEHICLE SKIPS TIME OR MISFIRES FIRST TOLD WAS DUE TO SPARK PLUGS WIRES , THEN DISTRIBUTOR GEARS BROKE AND EMBEDDED IN CAM SHAFT 4000 MILES LATER SAME PROBLEM NOW SAYING CAM SHAFT BENT 2800.00 TO REPLACE ALREADY SPENT CLOSE TO 2000.00 ALSO TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD BETWEEN 1 & 2ND WAS TOLD TO HAVE REBUILT. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 95,349 miles reported. Look up ODI 10170464 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10569027 · 2014-03-13 (March 13, 2014)

MY HUSBAND WROTE A LENGTHY LETTER DETAILING THE PROBLEM AND EVENTS AROUND THE TIME WE WERE FORCED TO TRADE OUR VAN FOR A TAHOE IN JULY/AUGUST 2001. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 40 NEAR CROSSVILLE, TN, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT LEAVING ME WITH LITTLE CONTROL AND BARELY ABLE TO MOVE IT SAFELY TO THE ROADSIDE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE CHEVY DEALER IN CROSSVILLE, WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER MULTIPLE EVENTS LATER THE SAME TYPE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A CROWDED TALLAHASSEE, FL, ROAD WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION. THEIR C…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10569027 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1988
0
1989
0
1990
0
1993
0
1994
0
1995
0
1996
0
1997
0
1998
0
1999
0
2000
0
2001
0
2003
0
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
19880
19890
19900
19930
19940
19950
19960
19970
19980
19990
20000
20010
20030

1988: 0; 1989: 0; 1990: 0; 1993: 0; 1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1998: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2003: 0

Year-by-year records

Chevrolet CHEVY VAN model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
198410Not available
198810Not available
1989100
1990300
199340Not available
1994500
1995400
1996200
19971000
19981000
19991100
2000700
20011300
2003100Not available