Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Right rear roaring sound. Tire wear on inside tread. Tire rotation and 4 wheel alignment required. Evidently caused by driving through pothole in street and knocking rear torsion bars out of alignment on right side. Very cheaply built.
Vehicle was running hot. Took it to midas, midas who said it was a intake manifold problem with the plastic cap and needed to replace it for total of 700.00. Midas said they have had a lot of customers with same problem due to antifreeze strength the dealership was required to put into vehicle. Also having problems with vehicle stalling, and when filling vehicle up with gas, which seems to run out or maybe leak out fast.
Front end floating all over the road .pulling to the right .had 4 wheel aligments and the dealer put 4 used tires on the car the last time and now it shimmies. The owner bruce weed said that as good as it gets . I think its a problem because I put my family in the unsafe car please help
Whenever driving on uneven pavement or on highway there is a knocking sound coming from vehicle. Consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they said that ball joints were severely damaged. Please provide any further information.
My wife was driving our 1997 Chevrolet Lumina sedan (which we have owned since new with no prior damage to vehicle) on her way to work on a local expressway going approximately 65 MPH, when without warning the driver's side rear wheel separated from the vehicle. When the shock tower dragged the ground, this caused the vehicle to be thrust left into a concrete center median divider after crossing 2 lanes of traffic, causing major damage to the front and driver's side of the vehicle. Although this was during the morning rush hour, no other vehicle was involved. Upon investigation of the separated wheel, the spindle had failed. The wheel bearings were still nicely greased and free. The brake drum was still attached to the hub with all of the lug nuts completely tightened. My wife lost her job and was off work for over 4 mos. From injuries sustained from this incident. …
NHTSA recall 03V527000, while driving front lower ball joint failed. Consumer lost steering control temporarily. Dealership repaired the recall once, but consumer was still having problems in this area. Team Chevrolet, [phone].
In August 2008 I purchased a clean white 1996 Chevy Lumina with less than 100,000 miles on the dash. It seemed to be running pretty well at first but I noticed the car had a little skip every now and then in deep curves. Then on November 1, 2008 the front left axle broke a loose from the main port as I was leaving my yard which was strange and uncommon. On November 8, 2008 a licensed mechanic was hired and fixed the broken axle on the front driver side tire. After the repair the car was test driven and seemed to be running as good as new. Later on that night while my son was going through a curve the car loss control and started fishtailing in the middle of the curve. As he was straightening the car back out into his lane something malfunctioned in the rear and sent the car spinning sideways and out of control. …
A loud knocking noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle while driving, driver's side and passenger's side locks locked and unlocked on their own. Consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for inspection, but mechanic was unable to duplicate the door problem. However, mechanic replaced the shocks on both driver 's side and passenger's side. Consumer informed the mechanic that the problem recurred, and had not been resolved.
Related recalls (1)
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
A right-hand lower control arm tapered ball joint mounting hole was incorrectly machined. Movement within this attachment can allow the ball joint stud to fatigue and fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the right-hand lower control arm and ball joint stud on all involved vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Lumina years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (30), 1997 (10) and 1998 (8) model years. Suspension complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Lumina suspension problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 94V-230 (lower ball joint, Nov 21, 1994). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Lumina suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles; 0% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (18 mentions), followed by the front › control arm › lower ball joint (14).
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.