1998 CHEVROLET Astro Van

Family Hauler

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Bought from a frequent traveler with 98K on it. We now have 271K on it. Nothing unexpected - usual replacements of water pump fuel pump, trans rebuild, and so forth. Still no oil consumption. We use on trips for family of 4, plus it served as the "Mom wagon" for several years, racking up 300 miles a week. We are ready to let it go after a long service life. Everything still works. Needs a radiator, uses too much gas at today's prices. We got our money's worth.

I like it

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I am getting ready to purchase another car as I have had this one for 10 years. I find I am comparing everything I look at to my Astro. The interior and exterior still look almost new. I have replaced the tires 4 times in 10 years, whatever that means. I love how it handles on wet pavement and snow. With the AWD, I can travel the mountain pass without putting on chains. Compared to my last car, 89 Astro, the handling is so much better. There has been some repair work, but standard stuff as a car ages. Check engine light 3 times in 10 years. The lighting on stereo has burned out but stereo still works well.

Comfort and Size

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Original owner for 9.9 years. Have spent a few hundred to fix rear a/c and a few hundred to fix transmission. A rear bearing seal is leaking, the water pump was replaced, and the original battery spit out a terminal. It is easy on tires and brakes and the replacement battery so far. Took on 900 mile trip this month and got over 21 mpg and had room for everything without it being in your way. Interior has held up excellent, except recliner levers. Still solid, quiet, roomy and economical. You don't want to know the resale value unless you are buying a used one.

Pros and Cons of my Astrovan

Performance: 5 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I like to drive my Astrovan but it's ride is too rough. It gets 14 miles per gallon which makes it too expensive to drive at today's inflated gas prices. Also it is almost impossible for me alone to remove the 5 rear passenger seats

Happy With It

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Bought new and its been very good. Count on the fuel pump going out. Mine did and so did every one in my employers fleet. It's big, comfortable and great on long drives. Power window, water pump and alternator replaced. Never overheated in 115 degree desert heat. Great A/C kept things cool inside. Wife likes this more than the Q45. Would buy again if reliability is as good as imports. Domestics just aren't there yet. Extend the warranty and significantly lower parts prices and I will buy another one. Parts for imports used to be expensive, now domestics are no different.

Power, Roomines, 23 mpg on trips

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Owned it 9 years and 102k mi. I didn't expect it to be perfect and it wasn't. It was $18,400 out the door and stickered for $24,800 so I could easily afford the $250 trans repair in year 6 and the $350 rear a/c line repair in year 7. One water pump, one battery, one serp belt. Very reliable. Takes $9 brake pads and $35 tires. Roof rack adds only interior noise.

Long Term Test Drive of 9 yrs, 102k mi

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I got lucky compared to some on here. I haven't yet spent $600 on repairs in 9 yrs. Bought new and has been less reliable than my previous Astro in some ways. Transmission needed a $170 repair and rear A/C line is not properly supported, wore a leak and needed $350 repair. Water pump going at 80k not impressive. Battery was defective and died from terminal rot out disease that was designed into it to save a few cents. The trans trouble was from an alum part in place of cast iron that was tried and failed. Interior and paint have held up great. No rattles, fade, or things getting loose. Engine like new. Van was well built and gets 23 mpg on trips. Road handling is a weak spot.

Costly Van

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1

We have owned an Astro since 1999, bought at 2K miles. We have paid for repair after repair since then. Some of the repairs have been for the same thing over and over. If I were to put together all of the repair reciepts, I think the total might even shock us. Watch out for idler arm problems! Again and again- it's just poorly designed. Also, we've had multiple problems with the electrical system, little motors and switches, etc. In contrast, we also own Toyota products, which haven't needed nearly the amount of expensive and redundant repair. Beware!

Mom's Car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Reliable. AWD better than 4WD. Never a problem on ice, snow, or in rain. Regularly maintained by dealer. On second set of tires. Only major work was windshield wiper motor at 95k. Sorry to see them go.

Could be better

Performance: 1 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 2

Our '98 Astro seems to always need something fixed. Many of the up-keep has been expensive due to the area of parts on the van. At 115,000 miles, we were told its transmision is on its way out. Great. Would I buy this vehicle again? No way.

Great for travel

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

I have owned this same vehicle for the past 6.5 years. I have taken it on many long distance trips and found it quite exceptional. It is very comfortable and roomy for kids moving about, and for extra storing.

A lot of brakes

Performance: 2 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 2 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 2

Not a great track record 4 sets of brakes, idle arm replacements, 4 sets of tires, the water pump and now the catalytic converter plus there is no A/C in the back and the kids roast in the summer. Bad gas mileage and an expensive car to maintain. Door handles have broken and the passenger side no longer locks. No more Astros for this mom.

maryland

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3

braking system is no good

astro left behind

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

A very reliable people/thing hauler. Great power from the 4.3. The old solid rear leaf spring made the older van a better ride than the current set-up. This van has a lot more rattles than my previous astro. My major concern is that the value loss is so high. You can buy one cheap but, plan to keep it.

1998 Chevy Astro Mark III van.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

45000 miles only problem has been battery and wiper blades replaced once, steering alignment once. Still with original Uniroyal tires. 20 mpg highway, good, but would like it better. Two factory recalls for very minor prolems. Have not had typical chevvy things breaking, e.g. window cranks, door knobs, etc, that I have had with chevvies in past years, everything works like it is supposed to.

What a Farse

Performance: 1 Comfort: 1 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 1 Performance Rating: 1 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1

This van has been lousy since the get go. At 16,000 miles, it died on the freeway. The catalytic converter, oxygen sensor and fuel pump needed replacing. It has broken down numerous times. The fuel pump has been replaced twice, rear AC twice and on and on and on. The cabin had an unlocated water leak which caused the carpet and padding to saturate and produce mold. GM Customer relations had to be brought in to mediate. After paying for new padding and having it happen again, we finally just removed it and put it back in place when we traded the ridiculous thing in. It rides like a mattress suspended on beach balls. First and LAST GM experience.

Love my Astro

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

My Astro is probably one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. Besides a set of tires and a battery, I've never had a problem. It holds lots of stuff, people, or both. And then I can add a trailer. I have a smaller car I can use for road trips, but why? The front seats in the Astro are some of the best captains chairs I've ever sat in! The gas milage is great considering it weighs 2 tons. The best I've gotten is 26(!) MPG. It isn't a sports car by any means, but for a big metal brick, it handles quit well.

Never again

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 1 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 1

Maybe the dealership sold us a lemon, but we have had problems from day one. We had to replace our tires the first time at under 10,000 miles because we could not keep the alignment in check. This van is on its fourth set of tires and I have lost count of the alignments we have had done. We take good care of our cars as far as preventive maint., but this van has been nothing but trouble. By the way, it only has 49,000 miles on it. Other problems included air conditioning problems. I have rthe safety reviews of this van and it is listed as "poor". My suggestion is if you want a minivan, get a minivan.

Hurrah for Astro and Safari!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I love these vans.

Astros are iffy

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 2 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 2

Everything went to hell at 60,000 miles... with me in it! It's been in the shop 6 times in the last two months. Every time I make any money it goes to my mechanic. As soon as I get back from SCI's New Years run I get to get the tranny fixed. Anyone want buy an Astro?

GREAT VAN

Performance: 3 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

GREAT VAN! The only thing this van needs is more horsepower and torque!

3 DOOR 1998 ASTRO AWD

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Very happy with vehicle performance. Good acceleration, mileage, and sits up as high as any passenger truck on the road. I only wish I had ordered the rear heating and a/c. AWD is awesome, never go back.

Deluxe Chevy Astrovan

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5

No problems in 4 years. Towed a 19' boat 2400 miles each yr with no problems. Only problem is the small leg area in front seat. That is why we are trading. It rides great. Back seat is comfortable. Grandkids like the tv and vcr.

Ride High

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

I have a 1998 Astro and its in great condition. For any car you buy you must maintain it! Example: NEVER miss a oil change, check tires, brakes, fluid levels regularly, also keep it clean. I have about 70 000km on it, and the engine runs great..90L gas tank...use nothing but high grade! It is true that the air filters get dirty fast....but i put a fine net around the opening and it stays clean long! The body design is great, the paint it good quality. The seats inside could be more comfortable but overall its nice. The 8 speaker 500 watt stock sound system is really nice!! If Chevy had to do one improvement i would say make the performance better.

1998 AWD Astro van

Performance: 5 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

This is the second Astro Van we have owned one right after the other, since 1990, These vans are great in all kinds of weather, and road conditions, the AWD is the only way to go.........I have had only one problem that I consider a engineering problem and it is that the rear air conditioning has a line running from front to back, that has a tendency to wear at the brackets, costing close to 300.00 to fix! Other then that if you take care of this vehicle, it is extremely dependable. Sold the 1990 to a couple, with 125,000 miles on it and it is still in near perfect shape. Even my auto repair shop was impressed with that van!

Astro-nomical costs

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 2

I guess I would say that the Astro is fairly solid IF you get one with a generous extended factory warranty. Reliability "issues": --> replaced front pads at 20K --> had TWO experiences (one inside and one outside of standard factory warranty period) with "bad ignition" wires (>$450 each) --> transmission went to mush around 35K miles (fortunately just barely within warranty period).

1997 Astro Conversion

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

I would not recomend this van to anyone. We have 60,000 miles as of 3/02. So far the air went out twice, the motor was replaced 6 months after purchase, the front tierods and bushings need to be replaced the gas guage does not work the brakes were replaced last year. The serpentine belt has been replaced a year ago and it still makes a loud noise. They say we need another new one. This van has been garaged since we bought it. My wife drives it 40 miles a day to the train station, so most of othe miles are highway. I purchased it new in 1997 for $28,900 It was the top of the line TV VCR ect. If you are looking to purchase an Astro I would say Don't!!!.