Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Astro owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On September 9, 2005 my 2003 Chevrolet Astro van exploded and caught fire in a parking lot. The fire dept. Arrived and put out the fire; the firemen disconnected the battery cable. The van was towed to huffines Chevrolet in plano, tx. The cause of the incident according to the Chevrolet mechanics is as follows: 1) every time the steering wheel was turned, the tie rods etc. Would chafe against a bracket on the chassis that held down a battery cable. 2) eventually the bracket failed. 3) the battery cable arced against the brake line. 4) the brake line ruptured spraying hydraulic fluid over the hot engine manifold. 5) the ensuing fire burned through, among other things, the A/C hose carrying freon. 6) when the A/C hosed was severed, the freon gas escaped causing the loud explosion that we heard some distance away. 7) the smoke that we saw in the air was actually the escaping freon gas. …
I was driving approximately 30 miles per hour along slightly snow-covered road towards stopped traffic at red light on a slight downgrade. I stepped on the brakes gentle, as required by the conditions, but the ABS system started to shudder and the vehicle did not brake at all. I hit a stopped vehicle at the intersection and even with a relatively slow speed impact, our vehicle was written off and the other was towed away because it could not be driven. Our van was drivable, but just barely, and was subsequently written off by the insurance company. I was charged with careless driving which was absolutely not the case. We have another vehicle of the same year and similar model and it does the same thing occasionally but so far this has not resulted in any further collisions. We have owned Astro vans since they were first marketed in 1985 and this is the first one to act like this. …
Tl* - the contact has a 2003 Chevrolet Astro van which has been in the dealer service shop since December 19, 2006. When driving and turning the vehicle lost power in both the steering system and the brakes. The dealer ran the vehicle trough diagnostic tests, and could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact found recall information for vehicles with similar failures. On December 29 2006 they received a call from the dealer stating that they were checking to see if the problem was covered under the vehicle's warranty if not the cost of the repair will be $552.10.
Complete brake failure due to rusting brake lines. The previous day this vehicle was pulling a small trailer on a michigan interstate highway. The following day it was parked in my driveway and a wet area was visible on the concrete. It was brake fluid on the ground that had dripped from the rusted brake line and drained the master cylinder reservoir. I discovered this when moving the vehicle to try and determine the cause of the fluid leak. The brake line had completely rusted through! Fortunately this did not happen the previous day as it could easily have been fatal. The vehicle was towed to the GM dealership. There are no replacement parts for the brake lines and none are available in the aftermarket. The dealer wanted over $1700 to replace the lines and said there May be more items to replace - possibly another $700 or more. …
Vehicle: 2003 Chevy Astro van defect summary: factory design directs leaked battery acid to drip down on a steel brake line. Details: the (+) battery terminal spontaneously broke off this vehicle's OEM delco battery. The breakage was due to either: 1) cable connector being over-torqued at the GM factory, or 2) an integral fault within the battery. The design of this year-model of Astro is such that the natural path for acid drip-page is on to a steel brake line located below, and in front, of the battery. I am going to have the brake line replaced by a local certified mechanic because the line is severely corroded due to the acid exposure. Because of the inaccessibility of the brake line and its connections, the repair cost will not be cheap. Please note that the battery and cable have not been exposed to any post-manufacture misuse or disturbance. …
Uneven wear of brake rotors due to frozen calipers. Rotor becomes unevenly worn causing a pulse in brakes and reducing the effectiveness of the brakes. When examined further it is apparent that the caliper is not sliding properly and only the piston side of the brake system is being applied aggravating the problem further. Problem was a primary cause for loss of control in a low traction incident in which the van spun during panic braking when one rear wheel locked and the other didn't. The vehicle has been back to the dealership several times for brake problems and each time the vehicle was returned only to redevelop problems within a month or two. Dealer serviced vehicle one time as warranty but required payment for pads even though the premature wear was caused by this problem. …
I have reported this before due to several other close calls that I had, but the same thing has happened to two others in the same vehicle. When depressing the brake pedal (because it is so small - 2"x2.6") your foot can be on the edge of the pedal and it will slip off as you apply more pressure. This happens when you are nearing a stop or having to make a quick stop. We have had several near miss accidents, the last would have been a right angle collision with a dump truck right in the driver's door. The vehicle is a 2003 Astro van with automatic transmission. Foot space is limited only if it would be a stick shift requiring a clutch. The brake pedal is the smallest in our fleet and not much larger than the emergency brake pedal. The vehicle is now parked pending a safety review.
I am complaining of the safety issues regarding the ABS computer system. I have put my vehicle in the shop to be checked out by a few car repair facilities and all have said the same thing my ABS cpu. My van is hesitating terribly and causing the van to not accelerate properly. I have nearly been in three accidents since the problem has been occurring. I have also done some research on this issue via internet and found that many people are having the same problem across the USA. And GM is blaming it on the weather conditions in the north but the problems are happening to Astro vans(2003) across the entire us. This is a problem that should be addressed as soon as possible..
Dt*: the contact stated while applying brake pressure at 20mph or less, the ABS activated with an increased stopping distance. The vehicle was seen by an independent repair shop. A diagnostic test was performed which indicated a failure in the right front wheel speed sensor. The mechanic determined the wheel speed sensor of the antilock brakes needed to be replaced. There is a NHTSA recall, # 05V379000, regarding the antilock brakes. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Astro van. The contact stated that the brake pedal went all the way to the floor while making a left turn. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to start when the vehicle was parked and the wheels were turned to the left. A mechanic looked under the vehicle and found that the wiring harness that was located near the front passenger side tire had burned out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the contact was unsure of what would be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown but the current mileage was 67,000.
Brake complaints in other Astro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Astro?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Chevrolet Astro, 40% of the model year's 62 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Astro brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Astro, though it has 1 recall 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 2003 Chevrolet Astro brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.