1998 Chevrolet Astro problems
Owners have filed 336 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Astro with NHTSA. Visibility accounts for 15.2% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of service brakes, hydraulic at 11.9%.
Complaints336
Crashes25
Fires7
Injuries39
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Visibility 15.2% · 51
Service brakes, hydraulic 11.9% · 40
Engine and engine cooling 8.3% · 28
Fuel system, gasoline 8.0% · 27
Power train 8.0% · 27
Electrical system 7.7% · 26
Suspension 6.8% · 23
Vehicle speed control 5.4% · 18
Severity
Of those complaints, 25 describe a crash, 7 describe a fire and 39 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 11 model years of the Chevrolet Astro in this data, 1998 sits 5th by complaint volume. 1995 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 5 in the last three years against 8 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 87,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Switch on dash board for rear air conditioner fan control was over heating in the high speed position. I tried to turn it off and could not and it was hot to the touch. I knew how to remove the switch while my wife was driving. The switch was over heating and partially melted the connector and destroyed the switch. I believe that if I did not disconnect the switch the possibility of a fire was there. Visibility · reported at 99,950 miles
Windshield wipers failed to operate at times when switched on. When they did operate, the wiper high speed function would not work. This is the identical problem that existed with my 1996 Chevrolet blazer. The blazer was subject to a recall for a faulty wiper control module, which fixed the problem. Both vehicles use the same type of wiper control module, which appears to lose a connection on the module. Visibility · reported at 97,490 miles
While driving at any speed windshield wipers only worked intermittently. When the windshield wipers were turned off, the blades stopped in the middle of the windshield. Also, washer fluid did not eject like intended. There was a problem with the electric windows moving up or down on demand. There were times when the windows got stuck in the up position or in the down positions. Visibility · reported at 50,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…