GMC Safari/Chevy Astro

jflynn65 · April 2003

Thanks for the info dadoftay. I found some images on the net of Astro's with brown/neutral interior, and they all had black wheels. Airbag did not deploy. All the bags in the car that hit us deployed, though. I called GM about that and they said bags wouldn't go off unless vehicle determines you are at risk of hitting wheel. Not likely to happen if you aren't moving at time of impact.

rooster99 · April 2003

I got 110,000 miles on me and it runs like a champ. it tows my 2 wave runner like there nothing there. I can get 20mpg out of it witch is fine with me (hey its a box). the only problem I've had was the trans, had to replace it. my fault I got it to hot. I hope that they don't stop making it. SUV are to much money.
Also if you get a hypertech power progamer 3 you change the fuel curve so when running 92 octane you get more power, and change the shift point to run high and shift harder (less heat on trans).

well there is my 2 cents

dusty19 · April 2003

I have owned 2 astros (1986 & 1993) and 2 Safaris
(2000 & 2003). All but the 2003 have been excellent vehicles once I changed the Uniroyals for Michelins. I have logged over 450,000 miles on the first 3 vans. The 2003 has had a vibration thats close to a rumble that becomes so loud at 70mph that you can't have a normal conversation and now at 9000 miles has developed a whine between 40 & 50 mph. All the dealer wants to do is "lets take a ride" and then states that "I can't hear any thing". When delivered the rear axle housing looked liked it came from underwater storage. It was rusty and the paint was cracked and peeling. BTW it's a posi rear end. Is this an example of GMC Professional Grade?

p100 · April 2003

You mention that the axle housing "looked like it came from the underwater storage". I have seen the same thing on a new Silverado extended cab pickup some time ago. The whole rear axle and the springs were rusty, looked as if the truck was in a flood for a week. I test drove the truck and the A/C did not work at all. The salesman was rather embarassed but he lost the sale that day.

My 95 Nissan SE V6 truck rear end came painted black, no rust at all and still looks good after eight years.

socalchev · May 2003

I had the same problem on my 2003 with 14k miles on it, and it turned out to be the front wheel bearing. It didn't occur until we reached 65-70 mph.

reallytalljon · May 2003

I just purchased a '98 Safari SLT AWD with power locks. It did not come with remotes for keyless entry. Does anyone know how to find out how to get a keyless entry system installed? I see that there are aftermarket kits but I would like the factory setup.

max73 · May 2003

I have a 96 Astro with 100,500 miles. Have owned it since it had 30,000 miles. I bet when it is all said and done the Astro/Safari problems will be far far fewer than any Minivan ever made. I have only had to replace the alternator, drivers power door lock motor and drivers power window motor in those 100,000 miles. All occurred from 80 to 99,000 miles. Did all work myself / only paid for parts. All other items were standard maintenance. Brakes, plugs, tires, battery and so on.

apm · May 2003

I have to agree with you I've had an'85,'93, and now a '99 and I've had the same experience. Once or twice a year crawl unerneath and grease all of the zierk fittings (abt. 12 or 13).

mwdream · May 2003

Wife's safari back in the shop today. A/C not blowing through some of the front vents???

Anybody else have this problem?

I am guessing in the past 2 years, we have had $3000 worth of dealer repair bills... lucky that our extended warranty has covered most all of it. Once the warranty is up, this car is gone. I would rather pay $300 a month on a different car, than repairing an old GMC.

By the way it is a 1997 Safari. Right now the back window seal is leaking, but warranty won't cover seals. If GMC is building a car with bad window seals that is not saying to much about GMC. I did consider the Envoy for myself. Glad I know better from owning a Safari.

We are going Toyota or Honda for next purchase.

dadoftay · May 2003

I'm reading the posts with "problems" as mostly dealer problems. Buying a vehicle with "rust" underneath...what the heck?? As the man says "Just walk away". Servicing these vans is by far the easiest in the GM fleet. The ol' box hasn't changed in 20 years. Add a couple of dash changes and some new colors through out the years and badda bing. Every vehicle gets hits with a few problems. Neighbor just bought a new Honda Pilot for the "we don't discount this car" price of 32,000. Uh...can you say no air conditioner and rear speakers don't work after 2 weeks. For 32G, a Suburban tows the boat, all your gear and that Pilot. My 2000 Safari has 96,000 on it and the ONLY problem I've had is my dealer keeps wanting to get me in new van when I go to have the oil changed. Guys, find better service technicians, they make owning a car so much more enjoyable. It's your money, make the people EARN it, not take it. (by the way, not bashing Honda, my brother is a service technician for them- luv ya bro!)

coonhound · May 2003

Standard center break doors. The small pivot lever that is operated by the pull handle came off the shaft. Apparently the lever is held in place by a washer that is held in place by brading the end of the aluminum support.

By removing the two visible bottom screws on the famous plastic, I was able to pop the plastic retainers back from the latch side of the door. Was not fun trying to figure out an access route.

Dealer quoted $41.65 +tax for replacement handle assembly, and was in stock. Option was to buy an $.89/5 #6 sheet metal screw and drill the support shaft, add a couple of washers and wala! works good. The design is poor and must be a lot of failures like this as indicated by the part being in stock. The repair will be permanent.

Another concern. On one start the engine knocked, shook, rattled, and other noises for about 30 seconds. I thought of a leaky intake manifold with coolant going into a cylinder. But, 350 miles later everything appears OK.

bilk · June 2003

I have a '99 Safari that I have been happy with so far. My current problem is with the A/C. It worked fine last summer (northeast) but when I tried it for the first time this year, no cool air. I figured out the compressor was not engaging. I can turn the compressor by hand but the clutch is not engaging. I checked fuses and relays but didn't find anything wrong. Then I checked for power at the compressor, no power. Any ideas where to go next?

woolfort · July 2003

Hello Everyone,
2 months ago we purchased a 2003 GMC Safari. At about 15oo miles the driver's side mirror started to wobble. At times it has gotten so bad that the image has been blurred. The wind, road surface, and speed impact this. We have had the mirror replaced once. We have brought the van to the dealer 4 times for this problem. The tire balance was checked and 3 out of 4 tires were not balanced correctly. They were rebalanced. Also we rotated the tires. The van does not have power windows. Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

topsea · July 2003

I too, had the driver side mirror distortion problem on my 2001 Astro when it was new. I felt behind the mirror glass on the drivers side mirror and it wasn't attached the same as the passenger side. Took it to the dealer and they agreed and replaced the mirror which took care of the problem. As unlikely as it seems, could you have 2 bad ones in a row? And yes it was really bothersome at certain speeds and road conditions. Hope you get yours "unblurred".

coonhound · July 2003

I just found out that you can not reference Post #s as they are different than printed copies I have.

I guess they get deleted post and numbers change or something like that.

stever · July 2003

People can delete their own posts at any time, and likely someone did. You can "right click" "copy shortcut" and then "paste" to like to older posts. Like this:

coonhound Apr 3, 2002 1:04pm

Steve, Host

sammycastagna · July 2003

I hade to have the mirror replaced on my 2001 Safari soon after getting it. The mirror glass itself was falling out. The other side is loose in a different way and I am going to ask the dealer before the warranty goes next July. Also had the grill replaced the paint was coming off, mine is a cargo van. The dealer has been in agreement the parts need replacing. I have not had any serious problems, mine is two years old 20,000 miles. It is all wheel drive limited slip in rear. I did not notice that the manual suggested that the oil in the rear differential be changed at first oil change so I had that done at about 15,000 miles it was expensive oil. Best I remember it was about 150.00

Sammy Castagna

aj1964 · July 2003

I bought a 2001 Astro in November of 2002. Had 18,000 miles on it. Shortly after the brakes started to grind and squeal. Took it in this past June, when I was able to be without it. Dealer said the rotors were warped at 25,000 miles. Said it was due to rotors being hot and hitting cold water. Seems fisht to me. Wouldn't all rotors warp if that was true? Shortly after that, they squealed worse than before, without the grinding. Sounded like a semi coming to a halt. My family knew I was at the end of my street by the sound. Then, the power door lock on the drivers door would fail occasionally. Had 30,000 on it. I was tired of all these little things going wrong. I wasn't use to it after being a Honda owner. So, last Saturday I traded it in on a Honda. No more headaches for me.

jlflemmons · July 2003

Art, they weren't lying about the rotor thing. All rotors tend to warp when they are hot and you hit cold water. Some worse than others, but that's just the way it is. The classic example is to come off a freeway exit, brake hard all the way down, and then splash through the water at the intersection. Does a real number on the rotors, sometimes to the point that turning them won't true them enough to get rid of the vibration.

stever · July 2003

Never heard that one before, but who knows.

Don't see anything around Town Hall unless this rings any bells:

nuyorkah "Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Oldsmobile Bravada" Mar 5, 2003 8:56pm

Try asking in Stop here! Let's talk about brakes.

Steve, Host

billzadok · July 2003

My 99 Safari whine is due to the fuel pump. Try listening closely when you are stopped & turn off the ignition. If the whine keeps going for a few seconds, then it is the fuel pump. You can also hear it well if you remove the fuel cap & listen. Keep the engine off & have somebody turn the key to the ON position only.

billzadok · July 2003

Has anyone other than myself had to replace their ignition coil? My 99 Safari is on its 3rd or 4th coil.

baker48 · August 2003

I have purchased a1999 Blazer after owning two Chrysler mini vans since 1984 when they first came out. I like the Blazer and the four wheel drive option, BUT it will not carry the long/big items I frequently need at the local home improvement store. My question is this? Is the drive train in an all wheel drive GM van the same as the drive train in a Blazer. Is the mileage in the van comparable or better than the Blazer?

sgmldh13 · August 2003

I am on my third coil wire. The first went out at 37,739, 1700 miles out of warranty. The second was at 55,666. The dealer says there is not a problem with the technology or the design. I never feel safe when I am on a trip, knowing the coil wire has failed in the past and will probably fail again. I posted the information on the NHTSA web site over 6 months ago and have not heard anything. When the coil wire fails then engine cuts off and all power steering and braking is lost. Guess it will not be an issue with the federal government until several hundred people are killed. It has become apparent to me that GM dealerships continue to stay in business because of their repair work. GM continues with the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty while other manufactures have increased to 7/70 or 10/100. This tells me that GM does not have faith in their products to up the warranty and even though I only have 65k on the van that it is time that I start looking for another vehicle.

dadoftay · September 2003

Hey gang, remember with these Safaris (as with any vehicle) your dealer can make or break your ownership experience. My 2000 has 108,000 on it with very little to complain about. My dealer changes my oil every 3,500 for @$24.00 and gives it a quick once over. The only thing happening now is rear brakes are getting a little weak. Hey, drum brake hardware does fail eventually. As far as aj1964 goes, I understand the feeling of not trusting your car, but my neighbor owns a $38,000 Honda Pilot that can't seem to keep oil pressure(read: 6 times in shop in 2 months). Which is worse, your engine shutting off at 55 mph or your engine locking up at 55 mph.....right neither, but it goes to show that anyone can have a bad one come down the assembly line. And getting 2 Astros for the price of one Pilot, I'll take my chances with GM.

vanman57 · September 2003

Just bought 2002 Safari w/4k miles (not a typo). So far so good. However, the oil pressure gauge seems a little busy. It sweeps from over 60 psi during normal driving to below 35 at stops.

I'm curious about what readings are common. Any one know expected nominal readings for idle and 2500 rpm?

dadoftay · September 2003

My 2000 reads right under the "40" on my gauge and right around the 55 mark at speeds. I thought the same thing you did but my old Toyota truck runs from around 40 to almost 80. This is reading through an Autometer gauge I had put in. Granted the Toy is a 4 cyl. but I like to see good pressure getting to my engine.

vanman57 · September 2003

Thanks for the info. I thought a 35psi to 60psi sweep might be a wider than normal range, but based on your readings it sounds nominal.

vanman57 · September 2003

I hate to say it, but I am unsure if my 2002 Safari Cargo (conversion) has the 3.42 or the 3.73 axle. How can I find out for sure? Thanks in advance.

apm · September 2003

Vanman:
I was curious about ratio on Safari. Asked the parts man at the dealer. He entered VIN into computer and seemed confident that I had 3.73.

dadoftay · October 2003

You may be able to tell your ratio by a stamp on the housing of the differential. Also, the 3.42 was sometimes an option, so if your van came "loaded" you may have that ratio in your pumpkin

Halloween- couldn't resist the reference

kidtotingmoma · October 2003

Hi, Can someone help me? I have had this problem since my first tire rotation. I took it to the dealership and they rotated tires, re aligned the front, and balanced the tires. They said the wear was too bad to get another rotation out of them. I have now noticed it is time to buy new tires for the front. I only have 21,448 miles on my van. I had to get the front brakes replaced at 18,000 miles. When I washed it the other day and noticed the bad tire wear I also noticed the really dirty hub on that right front tire. The other hubs looked shiny still. Can this be a symptom or related to my tire wear? I have to get to the bottom of this before I replace those front tires. Thanks!

jlflemmons · October 2003

A few things to know about astro/safari. They have really good brakes, but with premium pads you will still replace them about every 30K. And the idler arm will need to be replaced about 50-65K miles, but it is a simple job that takes about 10 minutes with hand tools.

My 95 Safari has 82K miles on it and has had one very slight alignment change. Rotate the tires every 5-7K miles and they will wear a lot better. These are not mini-vans and that 4.3L cast iron V6 does put cornering loads on the front end.

Jim

kidtotingmoma · October 2003

Hi Jim, Thanks for the advice. Would you get the front end re aligned with the purchase of the new tires if you were me? I won't go to the dealer though, they really do not care that my tires are wearing uneven.
Someone said the ball joint may be bad? I am a very easy driver on the van, I can not see that the joint would be bad? I panicked and decided to trade maybe...???
We went to test drive a CRV yesterday and the Honda place did not want to give me but 10,000. on my trade....
Came back home with my super clean Astro and moved all my stuff back in and decided to keep it. I have got to get this balding problem corrected. Looked at the Xterra's too and I get better gas mileage than they do. Ha! Plus I have a lot more room.

jlflemmons · October 2003

Here in my home town, the NTB store has a guy who really knows what he is doing. He has checked the alignment on the safari twice over the last four years, and has shown me the readings. It is about a half degree off on one side camber, and he wouldn't touch it.

You really need to keep the tires rotated, though.

Jim

dadoftay · October 2003

Tires on your van kidtotingmoma need to rotated every time you change your oil...if you want maximum life. The wear is from the van being top heavy and your dealer setting your tire pressure at 30-32 psi, you need to be at the 35 psi mark. As far as the hub grease it would be from the brake job. The mechanic will repack your bearings and the extra grease around the lip of the hub dust cap can come off. It's usual, don't panick. If you do mostly in-town driving you will go through tires and brakes more frequently because you are harder on those items. As far as ball joints go, your mechanic can tell you that at your next alignment. Also, please pinch yourself for that joke about looking at an Xterra. Try realistic mpg around 12 in the city with less than half of your interior room and more important- a horrible ride.

riccd2001 · October 2003

Also essential to NOT overtorque the tire rims on stock GM M & L vans. If you or your mechanic neglect this, your brake component life will be poor. The correct wheel nut torque is 140 N.m (100 ft.lbs.). Honest.

rockenbach · October 2003

Hi kidtotingmoma -
Have you check the idle arm on that side? I had this problem as well, but at 84K.
Hope this helps.

sgmldh13 · October 2003

Had my 99 Safari at the dealership for repairs about 8 months ago. When I got home and tried to open the back hatch I could hear the motor engageing but the right side would not release. I took it back to the dealer and they fixed it without charge because they said the tech failed to check it before replacing the cover. Had the same problem last weekend so I removed the 4 screws and 2 bolts and found the plastic clip was missing that holds the arm in the release. Both sides have a plastic retainer clip which will fail over time. Replaced with a metal E ring and it works fine. Probable dealer repair cost $50. actual cost of E ring .46 and 45 minutes of my time of which 20 minutes was spent going to the auto parts store.

jmarquette · October 2003

The 'Service AWD' Warning Light went on in my '99 Chevy Asto van. I checked and added amost 1/2 quart of lubricant to the front axle and some to the rear axle. I disconnected the positive battery terminal. Then re-connected the battery, the 'Service AWD' light is still lit. I can also hear 4 clicks with I first turn the ignition key. Can anyone tell me how to shut the light off or help diagnose my problem?
Thanks,
JOEL

dadoftay · October 2003

Your service light can be "reset" by removing the negative battery cable for 5-10 minutes. If that doesn't work, take the van to your local Auto Zone and have them scan the OBD for the code and hopefully the solution.

coonhound · October 2003

I don't own a 4WD so am no expert. However, you may reset the codes and drive awhile to see if they return. If the trouble code returns then auto Zone may be a good first choice. But, go to Auto Zone with the code/codes intact. The dealer diagnosis is much more complete than AZ, but outrageously expensive. Sort of like a cat scan or magnetic resonance imaging.

slorenzen · November 2003

some time ago I thought I read about the fuel pumps failing around 80-85K, and one person here who ran a fleet of Astros said he replaced them as a matter of preventative maintenance? This last summer, I was experiencing a hard start condition when the engine was cold, had the pressure tested, and all was OK, so they didn't replace the pump. I had the filter replaced, and since then, it's happened a couple of times, but if I turn on the key and wait 'til the pressure is up(the punp goes quiet), it starts fine.

Should I replace this before I get stuck?

jrc346 · November 2003

It is your call. I used to drive a 96 Safari AWD and while it went 180K+, it had 3 fuel pumps in that time.

jpc47 · November 2003

my light went on and it turned out to be a motor that controled the distribution of the front and rear wheels.
I've been experiencing random stalling on my 2001 Astro. The mechanic can't think of what it might be. Anyone else have this problem?

Kirstie_H · November 2003

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zippot · December 2003

I would like to trade my sonoma97 for a safari 04
I have read on this site ,that the safari and astro are the lest appreciate in that category!
what you thing about that?
Is this a good truck?

herberts · December 2003

I have a 1997 Safari and just replaced the fuel pump for the second time. I have averaged around 60,000 miles per pump. The problem begins with a howling sound in the gas tank that is relieved when I replace the fuel filter, which I have to do now every 3,000 miles. I replaced my transmission at 80,000 miles, and now at 120,000 it appears I need another! GMC refuses to accept these problems as defects. Has there been any changes in the new models?

burned13 · December 2003

I had a 2001 safari and had nothing but problems with it.I've owned several vehicles in the last 27 years and had few problems with the rotors warping...but they were all GM products,an 85 cutlass supreme and 82 grand prix.
The safari had everything from the brakes,muffler baffles,catalytic converter,electric door lock failure,peeling paint on the bumpers excessive sidewall radial runout on the tires,unbalanced from the factory,water leaks around the door seals and a few more.Took it to NY State arbitration,GMC sent an attorney and a regional representative to contest the problems.It worked,the GMC mechanics were afraid to speak out and tell them what they previously told me at the dealership.
Suffice to say I bought my first import in 27 years.A Nissan.Sorry Union brothers,I work hard for my money too and $15,000 trade allowance on a 2 year old 14,000 mile,$29,000+ (new) vehicle doesn't make sense to me.

sammycastagna · December 2003

Zippot,
I bought a 2001 awd Safari cargo. I have had only minor problems. Paint chipping off grill put on a new one, had to replace mirror. It has 25000 miles. I bought it because I needed a cargo van. If I were buying a passenger van I would go with Honda Toyota or Nissan. The quality is just not good enough for the money in my opinion.

Sammy Castagna

GMC Safari/Chevy Astro

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