Four problems related to door have been reported for the 1998 Chevrolet Astro. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Side sliding door mechanism can not support weight of door , resulting in an unexpected release of sliding door when in the open position and parked facing down hill the door has unexpectedly slam shut , several times and on two occasions causing minor bruises plus swollen fingers.
Vehicle in for service. Mechanic left vehicle running & shut doors. Vehicle caught on fire in door area & locked it. Broke window to enter & put flames out. No work being done on door at time of flames. Mechanic will check for cause of fire.
Sliding door failed. Nlm.
Sliding door on side of vehicle in 1997 and 1998 models does not have a mechanism to ensure the door stays open until needed to be shut. If the vehicle is parked on a slope or if someone uses the door as leverage to climb into the vehicle, the door shuts on them, causing loss of balance and/or being crushed by the door. The 1996 model had a latch that engaged when the door was fully opened, and was disengaged by the door handle. Dealer stated the 1997 and 1998 were designed without the latch. I had a 1996 which I traded in because of numerous problems. I transport 4 and 6 year old children in the van daily. When they are boarding, I am at the side door to ensure it does not slam on them. When I took possession of the vehicle from the dealer, the service person thought the latch was defective, and indicated he could fix it at the 3000 mile check. When I brought it in for service, he realized the model modifications. These cause a safety problem which can potentially cause boarding passenger to loose their balance when the door starts closing, or be slammed into the body of the vehicle when the door shuts on them.
| Door problems | |
| Structure problems |