NHTSA Complaint #10549828 — 1997 CHEVROLET ASTRO

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 THERE WAS WEAK SOUND FROM PASSENGER DOOR LOCK SOLENOID. IT WAS AS IF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IT WAS SUFFERING FROM INSUFFICIENT VOLTAGE. CRAWLED OUT OF PASSENGER SEAT AND GOT OUT OF CAR. ' TOOK IGNITION KEY AND INSERTED IT INTO DRIVERS DOOR LOCK. KEY WOULD TURN TO LOCK (FELT THE DETENT OF THE ) AND BACK TO NEUTRAL... KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO UNLOCK POSITION ...WOULD MOVE A LITTLE AND THEN FREEZE. I DID NOT TRY HARDER TO TURN AS I FELT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THE KEY WOULD BREAK AND LEAVE ME STRANDED 40 MILES FROM HOME... NO BACKUP IGNITION KEY. IGNITION KEY WORKS THE DOOR LOCKS IN THIS MODEL. WENT TO NTSTB WEB SITE AND SEARCHED FOR OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME TYPE PROBLEM. NO LUCK. WENT TO GOOGLE AND DID SAME SEARCH CHEVROLET ASTROVAN DOOR WON'T OPEN AND GOT A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAD NOT REACHED NTSTB.. CHEVROLET HAS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS MODEL HAS FLIP UP STEERING WHEEL, THIS WOULD NOT BE THE PROBLEM IT IS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OLDER AND LARGER PROBLEM TO CLIMB OUT OF THE BUCKET SEAT AS THE STEERING WHEEL TRAPS YOUR LEGS WHEREAS A BENCH SEAT YOU SIMPLY SLIDE SIDEWAYS. THIS IS AN ENTRAPMENT ISSUE!!!!!! WILL SEE DEALER IN HOUR. *TR