1988 Chevrolet Astro: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 1988 Chevrolet Astro. The newest campaign is 93V187000. NHTSA received the report on 16 Nov 1993. The NHTSA record gives the component Seats. NHTSA has 56 complaints on file for this model year. 7 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 93V187000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will remove the foam and/or vinyl from between the recliner mechanism and the seat frame "soft" joint and replace the recliner bolts.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

2 campaigns, newest first. 604,392 units in total.

93V187000Received 16 Nov 1993. 604,207 units.
Seats
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The recliner mechanism and the seat frame may have foam and/or vinyl between them, creating a "soft" joint. This "soft" joint results in lower than specified bolt torque which leads to joint looseness, causing bolt fatigue and eventual bolt failure.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If bolt failure occurs to the driver's seat, it wouldallow the seat back to suddenly recline, and could result in loss of vehiclecontrol and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will remove the foam and/or vinyl from between the recliner mechanism and the seat frame "soft" joint and replace the recliner bolts.
Report filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 20 Jan 1994.
91V102000Received 14 Jun 1991. 185 units.
Seat Belts / Front / Anchorage
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The seat belts for the front and mid-ship seats did not rest on pelvis as required by FMVSS 209.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Seat belts may not restrain seat occupant, and couldinjure the seat occupant in the event of a sudden stop or accident.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Relocate seat belt anchor bolts to adjust belts for seat locations.
Report filed by ASC COLAMCO. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 13 Sep 1991.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

56 complaints, 69 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1988 Chevrolet Astro
All 1988 vehicles

1988 Chevrolet Astro: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1988 Astro	All 1988 vehicles	Astro, all years	Mentions
Steering	217.4	58.9	63.9	15
Engine and Engine Cooling	202.9	118.1	58.6	14
Power Train	130.4	64.7	74	9
Seat Belts	101.4	117.9	39.7	7
Structure	58	51.8	43.7	4
Tires	58	32.1	29.8	4
Seats	43.5	22.3	17.8	3
Fuel System, Gasoline	29	67.1	42.6	2
Visibility	29	32.4	112.9	2
Vehicle Speed Control	29	46.2	36.5	2

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 15.

Complaints that report a crash: 0
Complaints that report a fire: 5
Injuries in the complaints: 0
Deaths in the complaints: 2
Date of the newest complaint: 31 May 2005

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1988 Chevrolet Astro, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1995, with 16 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1988 Chevrolet Astro
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA92022	Engineering analysis	SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGE	Seats	24 Jun 1992	19 Nov 1993	93V187000
PE92015	Preliminary evaluation	DRIVER SEAT BACK FAILURE	Seats	4 Feb 1992	24 Jun 1992
EA90023	Engineering analysis	POWER STEERING FAILURE	Steering	16 Apr 1990	30 Apr 1991
PE90039	Preliminary evaluation	SPARE TIRE CARRIER FAILURE	Suspension	5 Feb 1990	29 Jun 1990
PE90028	Preliminary evaluation	POWER STEERING FAILURE	Steering	15 Dec 1989	16 Apr 1990
PE89106	Preliminary evaluation	REAR AXLE SEAL FAILURE	Suspension	23 Mar 1989	19 Sep 1989
EA88039	Engineering analysis	REAR A/C UNIT	Visibility / Defroster/Defogger/HVAC System	12 Sep 1988	31 Oct 1989

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1988 Chevrolet AstroThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1988 Chevrolet Astro: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/chevrolet/astro/1988/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1988 Chevrolet Astro?: 604,392 units in 2 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Chevrolet Astro have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns for the Chevrolet Astro, model years 1983 to 2005. 2 of them name the 1988 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1988 Chevrolet Astro name most often?: Steering: 15 of 69 component mentions, or 217.4 per 1,000. For all 1988 vehicles the figure is 58.9 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1988 Chevrolet Astro open?: No. Each of the 7 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.