Faults:

The A/C compressor was replaced.

Power steering pressure line broke from metal fatigue.

Metal line assy. that goes to heater core rusted out and started leaking antifreeze.

Bracket on back of power steering pump has broken twice. I decided to leave it alone, it hasn't caused any trouble.

Replaced starter.

General Comments:

This has been a great van. My father bought it new in 88. I got it at 146,000 miles.

It was well maintained from day one, that is a major factor for it being so dependable for me at its current high mileage.

Plenty of power, room for the kids, and all my junk I seem to always have to take with me everywhere I go. Tools etc...

The entire drivetrain is original and has never had any (or needed any) work done to it with the exception of rear axle seals being replaced several years ago.

If you have an Astrovan and intend to keep it ya might as well go ahead and start buying door handles now! I'm not complaining though, the originals lasted for many years.

Faults:

Seat bolt in driver's seat broke - fixed for free under recall. This could have been a serious issue if the vehicle had been moving, hence the recall.

Bad wear in both front seats - not a big issue except cosmetically. Benches in excellent condition.

Starter is going out, and sometimes fails to engage the engine in cold weather.

Performs poorly in low-fuel situations (below 1/4 tank). Bucks and loses power. Adding fuel fixes that.

General Comments:

This has been a great first car for me. As can be expected with a high-mileage vehicle, the front seats were worn and there's some parts going out, most notably the starter. What's not expected for a car this old is a working A/C and, until recently, the factory stereo which worked, sometimes.

This thing has tons of power and excellent traction. The brakes, while occasionally noisy, are excellent and can bring the van to a stop very quickly if needed. The 4.3L V6 can get it moving again just as fast.

This car was previously owned by someone who took very good care of it. I'm surprised he let it go for $600, it's worth at least $1000.

Faults:

The rear passenger shocks were shot at 315,000 km.

A couple holes in the seats.

The first engine (2.8L) was burned out, because the previous owners ran it dry, without oil.

Got a new front grille.

The rear brakes were done a couple of months ago.

General Comments:

The mini van has performed well, for our needs. The second engine is stronger, and more powerful than the 2.8L, but the cost of gas has gone up.

There is lots of room for 7 people. Good sound from the stock speakers.

I would buy another Chevy car, or truck. You can really depend on Chevy. So far it has no rust, and the body has 320,000.

Faults:

I bought the van very cheap, with a bad transmission. A new transmission was $650, and $289 for the shop to install it, and have not had any more transmission problems (the first failure was perhaps due to abuse)

Other than that, a few parts that always fail in high-mileage vehicle like starter, alternator, water pump, etc.

Freon leaked out of Air conditioner, and needed repairing.

Interior is starting to look rough, and some of the hardware is breaking.

The paint is a little dull, but no rust though.

General Comments:

One gutsy little van! The 4.3 has lots of power for hauling big loads.

Although it rides rough, it handles good with loads.

It goes anywhere, and does anything.

Including the purchase price of $3000, it has not broken the $10,000 mark in maintaince and repairs... not bad for getting close to 170,000 good miles out of a vehicle, and more to come!!!

Repair parts for this van are very inexpensive, and high-performance goodies are also readily avaliable, along with all sorts of other neat customizing stuff.

Faults:

The original automatic transmission was a lemon. I had to have it rebuilt at 70k miles. It went out again about 14 months later. Both time reverse quit working. The engine crank shaft came apart at 85k miles. I replaced the original transmission with one from a 93 Chevy car, and I replaced the engine with a 4.3 from a 92 Chevy S10 truck. Both have performed flawlessly for over 100k miles. Can't keep the Air Conditioner going - eats compressors regularly.

General Comments:

Lots of power - good springs and shocks - toes and pulls heavy loads easily. The van gets reasonably good gas mileage, 20 to 24 depending on how it's driven. Since replacing the original engine and transmission, it has been a very dependable vehicle. It's very roomy. I can remove the two back bench seats and haul 4 x 8 sheets of plywood easily. I'll probably keep this vehicle indefinitely.