Most common 1997 Chevrolet Astro problems
Share of the 360 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Astro complaints by model year
Best Astro years: 2005, 2004, 2003. Years to avoid: 1995, 1997, 1996, 1998, 2000. Compare all years →
1997 Chevrolet Astro recalls (4)
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.
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…
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.
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…
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat belts on the child seats, and if necessary, replace the child seat.
Seat belts › Rear/other
The outboard safety belt webbing on the right-hand rear bucket seat can separate during a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protector on the rear seat cushion frame.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Chevrolet Astro:
Windshield wiper failure
As a result of this, and the precedinginvestigation, rq99-003, GM has expanded the population of safety recall 98v-150 (replacement of the windshield wiper control module) to include an additional 1.77 million vehicles.included are various 1994-1997 my m/l vans, s/t trucks and suvs, & c/k trucks and suvs.see attached technical report for details.
What 1997 Chevrolet Astro owners say
Brakes all 67 →
Tl contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Astro. The contact stated that the ABS works intermittently while driving approximately 10 MPH. When approaching a stop, the brakes would not apply and she almost rear ended another vehicle. This has been a persistent failure ever since she purchased the vehicle. The dealer repaired the brakes at the cost of $125, but the failure persists. The dealer stated that there was no brake failure. The contact stated that in order for the brakes to work, she has to slam her foot on the brake pedal, but this solution is not always guaranteed. The current mileage was 50,800 and the failure mileage was unknown. Updated 01-10-08. The consumer stated grossman Chevrolet repaired the Chevy van again on nov. 30, 2007 at the cost of $979. The consumer further stated in 2005 she rear ended a vehicle at 5mph because vehicle would not stop while applying the brakes. …
The pedal positions and drivers foot room on my 1997 Chevrolet Astro contributed to an accident. I was turning left into a driveway which I could see was iced over. I was driving less than 5 MPH and braking when I entered the driveway and felt the anti-lock brakes begin to function. The brake pedal immediately dropped down and the van no longer decelerated. In fact the van accelerated the harder I stood on the brake pedal at which point I realized my right foot was pressing the accelerator as well as the brake. As I tried to move my right foot further left my size 12 right shoe got tangled with my size 12 left shoe in the drivers foot well. By the time I correctly positioned my feet and was able to press exclusively on the very small brake pedal the van crashed into the garage, penetrating the door and coming to a stop as it met the resistance of the vehicle parked in the garage. …
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 59 →
Electric window controls on my 1997 Chevrolet Astro van have started working intermittently. Started happening right after I had a dealership repair the windshield wiper controls pursuant to GM recall. Mostly occurs after window is down, and switch will not operate to roll window up. If I wait a minute, the switch will work, but will only roll window up an inch or two at a time before it stops working again.
The consumer's 1987 and 1997 Chevrolet Astro vans had faulty engine's.** answer required***. The power windows failed, the driver's seat came loose, the rear door hatch broke and the transmission failed due to the torque converter slipping and valve body wear (90000 miles).
Transmission & drivetrain all 53 →
I have a 1997 Astro, in the past 8 months the driver side window motor, windshield wiper motor and transmission have all been replaced. The transmission was replaced with 54,202 miles on it, which started giving us problems at about 53,000 miles. The dealership replaced both idler arms at 25,680 miles. Had seat belt chime fixed (recall), driver seat feels loose when stopping dealership claims to have tightened it, still feels loose. The van has always idled rough took it in 3 times for that and can't seem to fix that. Sliding door rattle they tried to fix that also still rattles. The gas pedal sticks when I take off or when I go in reverse which makes it impossible to take off smoothly. I had an Astro and a safari in the past and never had as many problems as I had with this one.
My van is a 1997 Astro and it has some serious transmission problems after going 30-40 miles and stoping at a light it jerks real hard and feels like I was hit in the back I have took it 3 times to get fixed and it still does it the service ingine light comes on when it starts doing it no one seems to know wheat wrong they just keep takeing my money and telling me its fixed when its no if some one could tell me what the problem is I would be very happy the fuel pump went out 900.00$ the driver window motor went out the idler arms have had to be replaced brakes keep wearing down ...please some one contact me.
1997 Chevrolet Astro engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Chevrolet Astro a good car?
Based on 360 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Astro rates avoid: 3.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Astro at the same age. It is one of the Astro years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Chevrolet Astro?
The brakes — 67 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (59) and transmission & drivetrain (53).
How many recalls does the 1997 Chevrolet Astro have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1997 Chevrolet Astro, the most recent from April 28, 2003 (windshield wiper/washer). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Astro?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2004 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995, 1997, 1996, 1998 and 2000. See the full Chevrolet Astro years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Astro problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 92,000 miles; 7% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.