Your vehicle report
1997 Chevrolet Astro
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 360
- Received Dec 1996 to Jun 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail28 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power window regulator fails and window drops21 complaints · 5.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering cuts out while driving20 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V159000On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
- Recall #01V123000Vehicle description: mini vans. Some of these vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the "fasten safety-belt" audible warning occasionally may not come on or may terminate in less than four seconds as required by the standard.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 23 crashes, 7 fires, 25 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 19 |
| 1998 | 40 |
| 1999 | 77 |
| 2000 | 69 |
| 2001 | 54 |
| 2002 | 33 |
| 2003 | 27 |
| 2004 | 13 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 360 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 28 | 7.8% | – | NHTSA recall #03V159000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 21 | 5.8% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 20 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 17 | 4.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 16 | 4.4% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 16 | 4.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 14 | 3.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 12 | 3.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 12 | 3.3% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 12 | 3.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 3.1% | – | NHTSA recall #97V057000, #99V009000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 11 | 3.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 11 | 3.1% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 10 | 2.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 9 | 2.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 8 | 2.2% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 8 | 2.2% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V159000April 28, 20031,755,876 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
NHTSA recall #01V123000April 10, 2001461,851 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: warning light/devices
Vehicle description: mini vans. Some of these vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the "fasten safety-belt" audible warning occasionally may not come on or may terminate in less than four seconds as required by the standard.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new alarm module. Owner notification began june 27, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
NHTSA recall #99V009000January 20, 19992,090 vehicles affected
child seat
Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated dual child seats. Some of these vehicles may be missing a seat belt retractor clutch spring and/or pawl spring in the child seat. If the clutch spring was missing, the seat belt would lock in the retracted position and could not be used. If the pawl spring was missing, the seat belt restraint would continually play out and would not lock.
These conditions could increase the occupant's risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the seat belts on the child seats, and if necessary, replace the child seat.
NHTSA recall #97V057000April 8, 199718,972 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
The outboard safety belt webbing on the right-hand rear bucket seat Can separate during a vehicle crash.
In the event of a crash, the vehicle occupant would not be properly restrained and personal injury could result.
Remedy
Dealers will install a protector on the rear seat cushion frame.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Chevrolet Astro.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN