Your vehicle report
2003 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
- 62
- Received Feb 2003 to Apr 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up9 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines7 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Rear door latch fails to open or close3 complaints · 4.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V328000Certain minivans have an interference condition between the lower ball joint rubber boot and the steering knuckle (both left/right sides), which could result in cutting of the boot that is intended to seal the ball joint. If the lower ball joint boot were cut, contamination from the road (salt, dirt, water, etc.) could enter the ball socket area of the ball joint causing the joint to wear out too quickly.
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: 3 crashes, 3 fires, 4 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 6 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 62 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 15% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 11% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 4.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 4.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 4.8% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 3 | 4.8% | – | NHTSA recall #03V328000 |
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 #03V328000September 12, 200341,477 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
Certain minivans have an interference condition between the lower ball joint rubber boot and the steering knuckle (both left/right sides), which could result in cutting of the boot that is intended to seal the ball joint. If the lower ball joint boot were cut, contamination from the road (salt, dirt, water, etc.) could enter the ball socket area of the ball joint causing the joint to wear out too quickly.
The steering knuckle could separate from the lower control arm, dropping down the affected corner of the vehicle. The coil spring would push the control arm down into contact with the ground, creating a drag that would slow the vehicle. The driver could have difficulty in maintaining the directional control of the vehicle. In addition, the affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle if forces resulting from the wheel's dragging action were sufficient to fracture the tie rod end and upper ball joint connections. Separation of the wheel assembly would also sever that wheel's hydraulic brake hose, resulting in lost braking performance from the front brake system. Vehicle stopping distance would increase, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the steering knuckles. Owner notification is expected to begin on april 8, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
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 2003 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