2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

VAN WILL NOT PASS SMOG. THE VERY LAST TIME I DROVE IT, I WAS DRIVING IT ON A CITY STREET AND IT JUST DIED OUT. I'VE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE IT FIXED AND ITSTILL ISN'T FIXED TO PASS SMOG. A SHOP SAID MY FUEL INJECTION SPIDER SYSTEM IS BAD.

I AM A LICENSED CAR DEALER. I AM VERY CONCERNED AT WHAT I AM SEEING WITH MY CUSTOMERS, WITH CARS I SEE AT THE AUCTIONS, AND WITH BLOG SITES ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING CHEVY'S EBCM COMPUTER MODULE. AT THE AUCTIONS I AM SEEING AT LEAST 25% OF CHEVROLETS AND ABOUT 10% OF FORDS COMING THROUGH WITH BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ON. MY MAIN CONCERN IS WITH THE CHEVY'S EBCM. THESE VERY EXPENSIVE UNITS FAIL AT THE RELAY POINT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS DUE TO BAD SOLDER JOINTS FROM THE FACTORY. WHEN THEY FAIL, THE DRIVER GETS A BRAKE LIGHT AND AN ABS INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH. THE BRAKES STILL WORK ON THE CAR, BUT THEY DON'T WORK AS DESIGNED. IN FACT THE DRIVER GETS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY BECAUSE HIS CAR IS STOPPING, BUT IN A SLIPPERY SITUATION IT WILL NOT STOP AS DESIGNED. WHEN I WENT TO THE INTERNET FOR IDEAS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I AM FINDING A LOT OF POSTINGS SAYING JUST TAKE THE BULB OUT OF THE DASH! I AM ALSO SEEING ADS ON E BAY WHERE YOU CAN SEND YOUR EBCM TO A REPAIR STATION, THEY TAKE IT APART, AND RE SOLDER THE JOINTS FOR $49. I CALLED THE CHEVY DEALER AND THEY WANT OVER $1000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM! I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE SELLING THEIR VEHICLE AS IS AND TELLING THE BUYER THAT IT'S OK. THE BRAKES WORK. I CAN'T GET THE LIGHT TO SHUT OFF! THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT WILL BECOME MORE DANGEROUS AS MORE AND MORE CARS ARE DRIVING WITH INOPERATIVE EBCM COMPUTERS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEFECT COMES FROM HAVING THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAMES NEAR THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY ARE TAKING ALL THE SHOCK AND VIBRATION IN THAT AREA. I AM ASKING THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE FOR DEFECTIVE EBCM COMPUTERS. I ALSO FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS FAR WORSE THAN THE DODGE CLOCK SPRING RECALL, AND THAT EFFECTED ALL DODGE VEHICLES. THIS BRAKING PROBLEM WE ARE SEEING IS BAD ENOUGH THAT IT MAY CAUSE A LARGE LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

I AM A LICENSED CAR DEALER. I AM VERY CONCERNED AT WHAT I AM SEEING WITH MY CUSTOMERS, WITH CARS I SEE AT THE AUCTIONS, AND WITH BLOG SITES ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING CHEVY'S EBCM COMPUTER MODULE. AT THE AUCTIONS I AM SEEING AT LEAST 25% OF CHEVROLETS AND ABOUT 10% OF FORDS COMING THROUGH WITH BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ON. MY MAIN CONCERN IS WITH THE CHEVY'S EBCM. THESE VERY EXPENSIVE UNITS FAIL AT THE RELAY POINT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS DUE TO BAD SOLDER JOINTS FROM THE FACTORY. WHEN THEY FAIL, THE DRIVER GETS A BRAKE LIGHT AND AN ABS INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH. THE BRAKES STILL WORK ON THE CAR, BUT THEY DON'T WORK AS DESIGNED. IN FACT THE DRIVER GETS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY BECAUSE HIS CAR IS STOPPING, BUT IN A SLIPPERY SITUATION IT WILL NOT STOP AS DESIGNED. WHEN I WENT TO THE INTERNET FOR IDEAS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I AM FINDING A LOT OF POSTINGS SAYING JUST TAKE THE BULB OUT OF THE DASH! I AM ALSO SEEING ADS ON E BAY WHERE YOU CAN SEND YOUR EBCM TO A REPAIR STATION, THEY TAKE IT APART, AND RE SOLDER THE JOINTS FOR $49. I CALLED THE CHEVY DEALER AND THEY WANT OVER $1000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM! I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE SELLING THEIR VEHICLE AS IS AND TELLING THE BUYER THAT IT'S OK. THE BRAKES WORK. I CAN'T GET THE LIGHT TO SHUT OFF! THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT WILL BECOME MORE DANGEROUS AS MORE AND MORE CARS ARE DRIVING WITH INOPERATIVE EBCM COMPUTERS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEFECT COMES FROM HAVING THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAMES NEAR THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY ARE TAKING ALL THE SHOCK AND VIBRATION IN THAT AREA. I AM ASKING THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE FOR DEFECTIVE EBCM COMPUTERS. I ALSO FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS FAR WORSE THAN THE DODGE CLOCK SPRING RECALL, AND THAT EFFECTED ALL DODGE VEHICLES. THIS BRAKING PROBLEM WE ARE SEEING IS BAD ENOUGH THAT IT MAY CAUSE A LARGE LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

TL* THE OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SAFETY BELTS WOULD UNLATCH INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,732.

BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, I HAD THE CODE PULLED AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE, IT IS THE ELECTRONIC ABS CONTROL MODULE AND UPON GOOGLING "CHEVROLET BRAKE ABS LIGHTS" IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THEIR APPEARS TO BE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES WITH FAULTY ABS ELECTRONIC MODULES WHICH PREVENTS THE ABS FUNCTION FROM WORKING. *TR