Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Astro owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Dt: while turning a corner and pressing the accelerator it became stuck causing the vehicle accelerate faster. The consumer pumped the gas pedal which made the vehicle go faster. The consumer then placed her other foot on the brake pedal which made the rear tires spin. The consumer had to place the transmission in neutral and remove the key from the ignition before the vehicle stopped. Triple a was afraid to tow the vehicle due to acceleration issue but finally decided to tow it to dealer. Dealer was willing to repair under an extended warranty. GMC would offered no assistance.
While driving accelerator cable shredded. The second time the guides broke and the vehicle accelerated up to 90 MPH. The brakes were smoking. The consumer applied pressure to slow the vehicle down. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and reported incident to Chevrolet.
Was on my way to work just dropped my 2 small children offf not even 5 min ago - was driving down rt 97 towards annapolis going about 60 - 65 MPH when traffic started to get a little heavy I needed to apply my brake and it didnt work I then noticed the van was speeding up all by itself I checked the cruise controll and it wasnt on the van kept speeding up I was in heavy traffic - I turned my flashers on and did everything I could I finally managed to get this van to the shoulder I had my foot pressing down as hard as I could ( at this point my body was lifted from the seat I was pressing the break so hard I was still going 45-50 MPH ) luckilly after 10 ? …
Driver's side rear window will not stay open, clips that should hold it up are blocked by material, window slams shut when going over a bump. Transmission went out at 45000 miles. Oil leak, dealer ordered axle output shaft seal and crankshaft sensor. Electric fuel pump replaced due to vehicle cutting and would crank, but would not star. Oil pressure gauge erratic, dealer replaced oil pressure sender. Front brakes and pads were replaced, rotors were resurfaced. Consumer states there is play in the steering, dealer replaced both idler arms and reset toe in. Power door locks inoperable, dealer replaced power door lock switch. Power window inoperable, dealer replaced power window switch. Shifter was hard to move, dealer replaced shift cable. Gas pedal binds at times, dealer ordered throttle cable and replaced accelerator cable. …
My wife and daughter were in the vehicle. My wife was driving. Suddenly, the accelerator stuck in an open position. Close to home and uncertain what to do, my wife was able to get in our driveway at home. The new rear brakes installed a week before were ruined. I had mechanic replace them and a rear brake cylinder also. The stress apparently caused the cylinder to start leaking. My mechanic also investigated the throttle problem. A factory wiring harness strap had broken and flipped around into the throttle linkage. Fortunately, no one was injured. We live in a rural area and traffic was not very heavy. My engine on the other hand is not so fortunate. It seems that it ran at too high an RPM for too long. It has developed a severe engine knock. GM does not seem very interested in hearing about my safety concerns and appeal for repair compensation.
Hasn't been anything more than a nuisiance so far, but we believe it could be a safety issue. The gas pedal sticks, especially right after starting the engine. Starting off in a controllable manner is almost impossible. Reliable Chevrolet in tulsa replaced the throttle body assembly once under warranty at about 40,000 miles, and now the problem is starting again. As the problem gets worse, it starts to happen more often, I.e. Even after the van has been running for a while instead of just after starting. The gas pedal just sticks when the throttle is closed. It takes quite a bit of pressure to unstick it, and when it finally moves, it opens the throttle more than intended, and the van starts off in leaps and spurts instead of gradually and gracefully.
Very fast idle, intrmittent, will accellerate vehicle beyond 60 MPH with no gas pedal. Carried vehicle data recorder for 3 weeks, recorded 4 events. Dealer claims normal fast idle during deceleration as emission feature. My question, accel beyond 60mph with no pedal is not emission control, it is un-safe. It requires brakes to maintain 50mph on flat ground when the intermittent problem kicks in. I have had 3 years of dealer excuses, as they do not want to spend the money to fix even under extended 100.000 mile waranty. They claim to not know what to do as there is no engine check light or stored codes. This has caused several driving concern incidents and 2 very close calls when it decides to kick in.
The vehicle has a problem with developing a condition where the throttle pedal sticks. High pedal effort is required to over come this condition but this practice is unsafe because the result is a rapid acceleration or lurch when the pedal becomes unstuck . Problem is chronic as it has to be addressed at least annually by cleaning the internals of throttle body. The cleaning is successful in removing the problem initially, but the condition always recurs after about a year (10,000 miles) of driving. Although cleaning the throttle body on a regular basis is a recommended maintenance item.
The van went from 60 MPH to 85mph all by itself as if cruise was on but it wasnt the throttle just broke no warning no nothing the engine idled so high the brakes wouldnt work it took 10 min to get this thing to stop my brake was pushed to the floor and I was still going 45 MPH it was lucky I was not in a residential area with traffic signals it was also lucky my 2 small children were not in the vehicle please look into this complain immediately.
Acceleration complaints in other Astro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Astro?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Chevrolet Astro, 8% of the model year's 360 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Astro acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Astro, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Astro acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.