Should I buy a used Astro van or avoid it?

[rjennings]

1999 Chevrolet Astro van with 143 000 Km on the OD. Intake manifold gasket has gone. Had it replaced at a cost of $650 CND. Drove it for a day and lost power. Van still starts but has a metalic rattle in the engine. The speedometer is going up like a Tachometer would as I increase the engine rpm. Is this a known problem with the Astro van. What do you think has happened with the engine? This van is a real piece of junk. Just did the fuel pump, power steering pump. Run as fast as you can away from this van!!!!!!Forgot to mention I have to have a new engine put in at 143000KM.

[JRT]

I have owned 2 Chevy Astros, a 1985 and my current 1997.

Unless you can't afford anything else and/or don't mind working on your vehicle often, AVOID the Chevy Astro and GMC Safari. These vans have a very long list of typical things that go wrong, even if they are small things it adds up really fast. These vans came out over 20 years ago and GMC never bothered to fix many of the issues that plagued these vehicles since the beginning.

I do 95% of my own maintenance and servicing on my vehicles so that saves me money, but I am also growing tired of dealing with such high maintenance. My time is worth more now, and spending a good chunk of my weekend running diagnostics and replacing yet another part is not my idea of living life. Most jobs like changing the spark plugs and wires is a rather large undertaking on the Astro, especially for someone who has not done it before.

Here are just some of the many common problems that plague these vans:

Intake manifold gaskets corrode, GMC refuses to recall. EXPENSIVE

Dexcool coolant reportedly a cause of many problems.

Cheap plastic vacuum tubing breaks from engine heat, disabling heater/ac vent.

Blower motor resistor/wiring often breaks.

Transmission hard shifting "thunk" is very common.

Cheap/weak idler arms cause problems.

Window motors need replacing often.

Locks, door handles, door hardware malfunction or break easily.

Carbon builds up more often with these vans, clogging throttle bodies, fuel injectors, egr valves, etc... EXPENSIVE

Cheap plastic fuel injector spider breaks easily. EXPENSIVE

Dash needle guages flicker from shorts in the electrical system.

When the in-gas-tank fuel pump dies it will likely leave you stranded. VERY EXPENSIVE

Metal oil filler tube shorts out close spark plug wires - bad design.

Plastic screw tabs on distributor split very easily, so you need to buy a whole new distributor if you screw the cap on with any reasonable force. GMC refuses to redesign the holes to accept the screws without breaking the tabs off. Bad materials, bad design. EXPENSIVE

Engine cover is a pain to remove, can't remove without your toolbox.

Metal fuel line contacts metal engine block. Sloppy assembly, bad fit.

Bad design and bad materials make GMC a LOT of money through their "Parts and Services" departments. The money you save buying a cheap Astro... GMC will likely get the money out of you through parts and servicing. Otherwise they will cost you lots of time and effort and grief if you choose to fix these vans yourself.

And another thing... some things advertised by GMC are misleading. The Astro/Safari does have a higher tow capacity than most minivans, but to get the extra tow capacity you need a special "weight distributing hitch". Otherwise you can only tow what the regular minivans can tow. The "Extended Service Intervals" for the spark plugs and coolant - should be changed earlier to prevent plugs from siezing and coolant from corroding.

Astro's/Safari's always, always, always get bad marks on nearly every category in the car ratings. I agree with them on this.

This 1997 Astro is my last. I could have spent more money up front for a higher quality, lower maintenance van and could have saved a lot of frustrations and time in the long run.

My advice? Buy something else. If you must have a van, buy a regular front wheel drive minivan or a short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive full size V8 if you need towing capacity or cargo space.

[pesime]

Adstrovans with a round air filter are very good excellent!!!, this is medels 1988 to about 1993, and models with one fuel injector per piston, that is with square air filter, about 1995 to 2004, have a lot of motor failures, I have heard.

[recox286]

I have been driving and repairing Astros and Safaris since 1986. I have not had a bad history with any of the "gripes" that are in some of the above posts. Don't get me wrong, any car is a machine, and machines do
have their faults, but I love these trucks, and am so sad to see them out of production. I have yet to have any of my trucks last less than 300,000 mi, and right now, my dailey driver shows 307,000 mi. I would not drive a Caddy if you gave it to me, that is how much I love my truck.

Bob

[charliex]

I've had my 99 Astro since 2002, and it's a given that I have to spend at least 1000 a year to keep it running. I just got a quote of $2300 to redo all the brakes. I think it's going to the scrap yard instead.

[Leeann94astro]

Sounds to me like your mechanic has found his own personal gold mine.

$2300 is too much for brakes on a Lexus, forget on an Astro. Semi-metallic pads are under $30 per set. Calipers are under $30 each. Rotors are under $30 each. Brake shoes - you guessed it, under $30 per set. Wheel cylinders are under $20. Hardware kit is $5 for both sides.

That's $200 in parts if you replace everything. The drums shouldn't need to be replaced - or turned unless something went wrong.

[charliex]

I was wondering about that. I had $800 in brake work done 4 years ago, and I didn't use the van much...in the spring I had to replace all the rotors because they pitted right through. I saw them....less than 5 months old and they were like swiss cheese.

Now this time all the lines have to be replaced and the cylinders and etc etc... basically everything. I know a vehicle sitting outside all winter is bad for it...but jeesh.

[charliex]

I just got a new quote for $1200. He even went through the parts list for me and showed me the prices. This included 2 idler arms too. How the other guy could be twice as much is beyond me.

Here is the first guys description:

Both idler arms are loose. Rear brake lines from abs to flex hose rotten and leaking. Both rear flex lines and wheel cylinders seized. Rear brake shoes machine drums. Recommend front brake service with repack and adjust of front wheel bearings.

[broughy84]

Holy Old Thread, Batman! This thread started in 2004.

[rumblinbumblin]

97 Astro 150k 2WD- replaced both door motors years ago and have had no problems with them since. Replaced AC three years ago. Regular maintenance - oil, tranny fluid, differential fluid. Started overheating yesterday. Mechanic said the last time i had it in there it had some "minor" leak deep down in some gasket?, but he recommended just keeping an eye on the fluids instead of a $1200 repair. Taking it in tomorrow to get the overheating problem looked at. So far so good for the most part - automatic seats up front are still functioning ( do not adjust too often) and rear air and heat still working. Rode in a 2002?? or 2003 rental while on a trip and the suspension was much better (ie more comfortable) - rental had 4 wheel disc brakes too. GL

[charliex]

Oh great....now I have a coolant leak. Rad split down the side.

[charliex]

Oh great....broken sway bar. Time to sell.

[astrovankyle]

I have a 2000 Astro and 94 Safari. I bought the Astro as a Demo in 2000 and I bought the Safari August 2010 with 247,000 miles. I have had a head gasket fixed on the Astro, A tranny rebuild and 2 rearends replaced because I loaded it with 2000 lbs and dragged 2000 lbs to shows and conventions and drove it fast and hard. I just replaced the started and the alternator in the safari. Both these vehicles are great for hauling and driving around. I would buy another when these wear out???? I currently have an issue on another thread with the Astro possibly needing a new fuel pump. I think they are way cheaper to own and fix than front engine mounted vans like a the 98 caravan sitting in my yard now reddy to haul to the junk yard.

[ceevester]

This is an old thread, but people are still posting to it, so I'll add my thoughts.

I like the Safari vans....I've owned three of them.

However, I have never had a more problematic vehicle than the Safari vans.

The design flaws that GM built into them...knew about...and refused to fix are legendary....and occur with a tremendously high percentage of the vehicles.

I've had to put fuel pumps on every single van...one of them three times...

Every van had starting issues, and had to have cracked coils replaced, and this problem will flat out stop you dead in the road...as will the bad fuel pumps...one of them repeatedly, and that is due to a poor GM design.

I've had the heater motor go out on every Safari van I've owned...not to mention the resister that controls them...on each van.

I've had idler arms wear out quickly on two of my Safaris, and have to be replaced.

Radiator problems on two of them...bad design, with plastic pieces on each side of the metal radiator...that are destined to get brittle and crack...

The AWD model I presently have...and from the complaints others have posted....is a very poor design that eventually causes terrible turning and parking problems with it's lurching, bucking, slipping and grabbing, drive problems...that supposedly can only be corrected with the "magic" blue, GM Auto trac fluid...well, that never fixed MY van...I eventually gave up and had the transfer case rebuilt...expensive...the problem returned shortly...so I had the thing disconnected and it is now a two will drive....oh yeah, the AWD is WORTHLESS on any thing but pavement or hard pack dirt...don't think it will get you through any type of snow...it won't....my 2000 AWD Safari is the ONLY vehicle that I have ever been actually stuck in the snow with...and I have been driving in Michigan winters since 1965...the design is junk.

Also, just changing the spark plugs is a MAJOR hassle on these vehicles.

I actually do like the space, the turning radius, the seating position...although there IS very limited leg room and foot space.

Non of my vans have had more than 150,000 miles on the engines, so it can't be laid off on extremely high mileage...basically there are just design flaws that GM knew about, and continued to produce.

If my son didn't occasionally need the carrying space for his business, I would dump my Safari.

So, basically...while I don't know what I would replace it with....I would NOT recommend that anyone buy one of these vehicles, and unless you are very mechanically talented, and don't mind spending lots of your free time fixing on going problems...again and again....I'd say stay away from these vehciles.

It's really too bad...the concept is excellent, but GM's failure to redesign the known flaws and constant trouble spots on these vehicles is simply inexcusable, and the government SHOULD have made them recall all of them and fix the parts that such a high percentage of owners have had to deal with over the life of these models.

Don't buy one.

[charliex]

Great post. These are my thoughts exactly. Terrific vehicle..but they just won't stay together.