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1999 CHEVROLET ASTRO — STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

crash · 571808 · 2006-02-07

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
ASTRO
Year
1999
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
Miles at failure
73,290
Speed
3 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

PULLING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE EVENING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. AS I TRIED TO STOP OUR VAN I NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE ALSO GONE CAUSING US TO ROLL INTO THE CORNER OF OUR HOME (BRICK) AT APPROXIMATELY 3 - 4 MPH WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2500 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VAN. NO ONE WAS INJURED. IT COST $300 TO GET THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AND ANOTHER $75 JUST TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR FAN AND SHROUD SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE MADE DRIVABLE AGAIN. AFTER CONTACTING SEVERAL SERVICE AGENCIES I FIND THAT THE BRAKE BOOST SYSTEM HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HENCE, IF YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING, YOU LOSE YOUR BRAKES! I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE (CASE #1-383499552) AND THEIR ANSWER WAS, "YOU SHOULD STILL HAVE SOME BRAKES IF YOU PUSH HARD ENOUGH." I'M 5'10" TALL AND WEIGH 200 LBS. I HAD BOTH FEET PUSHING ON THE PEDAL TRYING TO STOP. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR IF THEY WERE COMING OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR TRYING TO STOP THEIR VEHICLE. GM NEEDS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING. NOTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT IT. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE GM TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES TO OUR VEHICLE CAUSED BY US NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. *NM

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10149638
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown