Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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. …
Front suspension issues, electrical gauges, replacement of fuel tank pump, door latches failing to open on sliding side door making exiting of vehicle impossible, recall of 02V328000 unable to be confirmed as handled by any dealers.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Astro van. The contact stated when the vehicle was shifted into park she noticed there was smoke and fire behind the steering wheel. There was also a minor explosion. The fire department was notified and stated that an electrical wire started the fire. A report was filed and the failure was not diagnosed nor towed from the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and the current mileage was 170,000. Updated 8/23/12
When raining widshield wipers dont work as directed, they do what they want. They stay on after shutting them off. And door locks lock and unlock repeatedly. Wipers also shut off in the middle of line of sifht intermittently. Never works correctly
After approx. One week of oper. Of my 2001 Chevy Astro a fire occurred that would have resulted in a total loss of the vehicle and contents if I had not been close by. After driving my vehicle for approx. 20 miles and parking it my van caught fire after being shut off for 15 minutes. The vehicles positive and negative battery cables were run from the battery to the engine dangerously close to the steering linkage where it passes the engine support structure. If the vehicle is jacked up to the point where the tire is still touching the ground and the steering wheel is turned half way to the left the passenger side inner tie rod end is rubbing into the positive and negative battery cables which are in a common harness.if the suspension is moving up and down on a bumpy road while the wheel is turned to the left direct contact between the steering linkage and the battery cables will cause …
I own a 2001 Chevy Astro van. Today I had to pay another $300 to have the window motor fixed. This is the third time on this vehicle! We have friends with the same problem, but can't afford to fix it. There seems to be a trend with Astro vans and window motors. Although mostly a convenience issue, I suppose one could make the argument that not being able to roll a window up and down might be a safety issue. (by the way, the window goes down, but not up!).
I recently heard of a recall on the tahoes and GM trucks regarding the gauge panel or cluster panel. I drive a 1990 Chevy Astro van which is on a tahoe frame. I am having the same types of problems with my gauge panel as described in the recall. My ABS/brake light comes on at various times for no reason. My temp and oil gauges change from hot to cold and back again for no reason and the check gauge light will light up. Now the gas had will change even when the car is not on. As a woman I need to be able to depend on my cars gauges to let me know if there is a problem. I took the car to the shop yesterday and they could not find a reason for my car to be doing these things. I called our Chevy dealer here in griffin where the car was purchased and they did not want to help me. I am now asking you for help. Sincerely, dana d. Hortman
Chevy 2000 Astro, cuts out while driving. We even pushed the van into a Chevy dealer and they could not tell us what it was after hooking it up to diagnostics. We figured it was the coil wire. Recently the van has been bogging down when it is under load. Also, when it rains it runs rough. We took it to a shop and they replaced our fuel filter. It ran fine but still cuts out sometimes running up hill. So we changed the spark plugs. If you let the van sit over the weekend with out driving it, the van was really hard to start. Until finally it just wouldn't start at all. In addition the door locks sometimes work and sometimes don't . The driver side window is very sluggish going up you actually have to help it by pulling up on it. We keep blowing fuses when we use our cigarette lighter to charge our cell phone. It really needs help.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Astro years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (28), 1998 (25), 1995 (24), 2000 (23) and 1999 (19) model years. Electrical complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Astro electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Chevrolet Astro model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Astro electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles; 19% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring › interior/under dash (22 mentions), followed by the ignition (17).
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.