1995 Chevrolet Astro AWD 4.3L from North America
Summary:
Great to drive, super for a large family, Maintenance nightmare
Faults:
Front steering linkage went bad at 60,000 miles. They replaced idler arms with metal bushings which did the trick.
Fuel injection system went bad 3 times so far. Once under warranty, once they split the cost with me ($1800 for the repair), and once for free because it was last repaired by a "mr good wrench" mechanic and those repairs are warranted for life. Luky me...
Wiper motor went bad at 70,000. There was recently a recall which covered the repair cost.
EGI valve went out twice - there was a reimbursement for the repair costs. Apparently this failure is common.
Spark plug wires have died twice. They are to close to the exhaust manifold and burn up. One mechanic wanted $500 to change the wires, I replaced them myself taking 6 hours and skinned knuckles to do the job.
Front torsion bars broke at 100,000 miles I replaced then with a new type of torsion bar. ($500 of parts & 12 hours of labor).
Alternator went out at 100,000 miles. no big surprise.
If all repairs would have not been covered by Chevy and done by a mechanic - repair costs would be $11,000. As it stands, Chevy's good will and my own labor have kept it down to $2,000.
General Comments:
I really like driving this van. It drives like a Sherman tank in the mud and snow of Minnesota.
It was wise of me to put mud flaps on all 4 wheel wells. That has kept the car rust free for the first 9 years of use.
I have the urge to buy this van again for my next vehicle, but I stop when I think about the number of repairs.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd January, 2004
31st Jul 2003, 06:41
Rear window always being dirty???
Relevance please???