1997 CHEVROLET CHEVY VAN — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY HUSBAND WROTE A LENGTHY LETTER DETAILING THE PROBLEM AND EVENTS AROUND THE TIME WE WERE FORCED TO TRADE OUR VAN FOR A TAHOE IN JULY/AUGUST 2001. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 40 NEAR CROSSVILLE, TN, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT LEAVING ME WITH LITTLE CONTROL AND BARELY ABLE TO MOVE IT SAFELY TO THE ROADSIDE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE CHEVY DEALER IN CROSSVILLE, WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER MULTIPLE EVENTS LATER THE SAME TYPE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A CROWDED TALLAHASSEE, FL, ROAD WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION. THEIR CHEVY DEALER TRIED TO FIND THE PROBLEM BUT COULDN'T EITHER. WE DROVE IT HOME ON BACK HIGHWAYS TO OUR TOWN OF TULLAHOMA,TN, VERY CAREFULLY, BUT IT STALLED OUT AGAIN 50 MILES FROM HOME. THE CHEVY DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND IT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT QUITE 3 YEARS OLD, AND INSISTED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. WE WERE FORCED TO TRADE OUR VAN, AND THE DEALERSHIP SOLD IT TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THAT DANGEROUS CONDITION. THAT'S WHY MY HUSBAND REPORTED IT TO YOU AT THAT TIME; WE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO BE HURT OR DIE FROM THE PROBLEM. THE IGNITION SHUTTING OFF, LIKE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY OTHER GM CARS, IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO OUR VAN. NOW I BELIEVE GM HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONGER TIME. I JUST HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT IT HAS BEEN TRACED BACK TO 2001; IT MUST BE EVEN OLDER THAN THAT. I CAN PROVIDE THE VIN # WHEN WE GET BACK TO TN AS MY HUSBAND IS WORKING A JOB IN FL RIGHT NOW. ALSO, WE DROVE ANOTHER GM VAN THE DAY BEFORE WE PURCHASED THE CHEVY VAN AND IT DID THE SAME THING ON THE WAY HOME FROM A TRIP TO FRANKLIN, TN, THEREFORE WE RETURNED IT, AS THE GM DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. YES, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME AND I AM THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE! *TR

MY VAN STARTED MAKING A STRANGE CRUNCHING SOUND. I WAS TOLD BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS CRACKED INSIDE. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR IN MY CHEVY VENTURE 97 I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN RECOVER MY COST. I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT FILED A YEAR AGO REGARDING THIS. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE SERVICE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE COMPUTER IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE REAR WHEELS AND WAS PRODUCING FALSE FAILURES CAUSING THE ILLUMINATION OF THOSE WARNING LIGHTS. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WHEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES COULD FAIL. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WERE REPLACED, BUT NO CORRECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE COMPUTER.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE SERVICE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE COMPUTER IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE REAR WHEELS AND WAS PRODUCING FALSE FAILURES CAUSING THE ILLUMINATION OF THOSE WARNING LIGHTS. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WHEN THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES COULD FAIL. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WERE REPLACED, BUT NO CORRECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE COMPUTER.