Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
I COMMUTE AN AVERAGE OF 2.5 DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE I CARPOOL. I DO NOT THINK AN ALTERNATOR SHOULD HAVE WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE JUST WENT DEAD WITH NO WARNING AND THE VOLTS LIGHT CAME ON. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN IN THE TRIPLE DIGETS THIS SUMMER BUY MY CARPOOL PARTNERS VEHICLE IS A 1991 FORD TAURUS AND HER VEHICLE IS RUNNING BETTER THAN MINE. THAT IS SPOOKY.
WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING ON THE POWER DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK UP AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT ANY MANUAL OPERATION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE DEFECTIVE ROTORS ARE OUT OF ROUND AND WARPED, BUT THE BRAKE PADS ARE IN GOOD CONDITION, WHICH MAY CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE WIPERS NOT TO WORK IN THE LOW POSITION. BUT WILL WORK IN THE HIGH POSITION. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. ALSO A SQUEAKY NOISE EVERYTIME THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED. *AK
WINDSHIELD: DASHBOARD ANGLE AND THE ANGLE OF THE WINDSHIELD AFFECT THE DRIVING VISIBILITY. A DESIGN PROBLEM WHICH SEEMS TO BE IN MOST OF THE NEW VEHICLES . IT REALLY AFFECTS THE ABILITY TO SEE. *AK
ALIGNMENT MALFUNCTION MAKES VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. PROBLEM INTENSIFIES WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ABOVE 60 MPH.
LOOSE TIE ROD.
VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL RESULTING IN ACCIDENTIAL ACTIVATION OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL DURING BRAKING.
DEALER CLAIMS THERE IS A DEFECTIVE BATCH OF INJECTORS IN 1997 LUMINAS. GM WILL NOT REPLACE ALL INJECTORS OR HONOR DEFECTS AFTER NORMAL WARRANTY EXPIRES. NOR WILL THEY RECALL DEFECTIVE INJECTORS STILL AVAILABLE.
BRAKES FAIL COMPLETELY WHEN WET. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM, CLAIMING NOTHING CAN BE FOUND WRONG.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON MAJOR HIGHWAY IT WAS ALMOST REARENDED. WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE IT WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) 6771641. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT IS NOT HONORING IT AS A RECALL. IN ADDITION, WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED 3 TIMES. *AK
TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, ALMOST RESULTING IN VEHICLE BEING REAR ENDED.
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION.
TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF DRIVE AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65-70 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, REFERENCE FROM CHEVROLET SERVICE BULLETIN, NO. 677164, NO INJURIES INCURRED IN INCIDENT. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN THERE WAS A NOISE LIKE METAL ON METAL. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALER, PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED TO BE A WEAK SPRING IN THE STARTER. THE STARTER HAS BEEN REPLACED. NO PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING INNER TIE ROD CONTROL ARM BROKE AT THE JOINT. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
POOR DESIGN OF BRAKE LINE (NOT PROTECTED UNDER VEHICLE) CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKES WHEN CONSUMER HIT DEBRIS IN ROAD, CAUSING DAMAGE TO BRAKE LINES.
CARPET DAMAGED TWICE, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM UNDER VEHICLE.
DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM.
SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, CAUSING GRINDING/RATTLING NOISES, REPAIRS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT LESS THAN 5 MPH, TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, ANOTHER ONCOMING VEHICLE DRIVEN ABOUT 40 MPH, ACCORDING TO CONSUMER, HIT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE THAT WAS DRIVEN BY HIS WIFE AT THE TIME; HAVING A SIDE IMPACT AND BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES TO HEAD/BACK, ETC. THE DRIVER WAS NOT TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. THE CONSUMER SAID, "HE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER WHERE HE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED. *AK *SLC
STOP LAMP SWITCH WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. MJS
DESIGN OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (HEADLIGHTS) DO NOT ALLOW FOR EMERGENCY WARNING, APPLICATION OF THE HIGH BEAMS QUICKLY.
WINDSHIELD HAS POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO SHADE FROM THE DASH BOARD, WINDSHIELD LOOKS FOGGY AT ALL TIMES.
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, LOSS OF ALL STEERING CONTROL, SHUT OFF ENGINE, RESTARTED ENGINE, SEEMED TO OPERATE OK, DRIVER WARNED ONCOMING TRAFFIC OF STOPPED VEHICLE BY BLOWING HORN. DEALER HAS NOT DETERMINED PROBLEM. HOWEVER, INSTALLED NEW COMPUTER. *AK
WHEN TURNING VEHICLE OFF CONSUMER NOTICED A FUEL ODOR AND LEAKAGE UNDER CAR. MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE IS A LEAKAGE AROUND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR IS BEING REPLACED. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, WHEN APPROACHING STOP AT ABOUT 30MPH AND APPLYING BRAKES THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, PUSHED PEDAL COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP, RAN INTO A GUARDRAIL, DEALER RAN TEST AND SAYS THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER PARTY THAT VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES.*JB
VEHICLE JUST CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING, AND THEN HAVE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO WORK PROPERLY WHEN THEY HAVE NOT BEEN USED FOR A WHILE. WHEN WIPERS ARE TURNED ON THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL WIPERS ARE TURNED ON HIGH. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. DEALERS HAVE NOT FOUND A CAUSE
VEHICLE'S WELDS WERE MISSING, AND THE UNI-BODY WASN'T WELDED TOGETHER. THE PILLAR ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE WASN'T SECURED BY THE WELDS. *AK
REVIEW MIRROR IS VERY SMALL RESULTING IN AN EXTREMELY LIMITED ANGLE OF VIEW TO THE REAR.
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP (3) TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM; 2/17/ 97, 2/21/97 AND 6/19/97. DEALER CANNOT GUARANTEE A FIX FOR PROBLEM. *AK FUEL TANK WAS BROKE AND DEALER REPLACED. *JB
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT HORN IS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE.
THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT ALLOW A CHILD SEAT TO BE PLACED IN THEM DUE TO THE SEAT BELT DESIGN. *AK
VEHICLE'S CRUISE CONTROL CUTS OFF BY ITSELF IN ANY SPEED OR ROAD CONDITION. AFTER IT CUTS OFF, THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS TO BE APPLIED IN ORDER TO RESET THE CRUISE CONTROL. *AK
CAR HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WHEN ON HILL DRIVER HAS TO KEEP FOOT ON BRAKE. *AK
BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAGM FAILED.
EVERYTIME CAR IS DRIVEN IT MAKES A WHISTLING NOISE. DEALER SAYS IT'S IN THE ENGINE. *AK
DUE TO 'COLLAPSING GAS TANK' DEFECT, GM WILL NOT AUTHORIZE A LOCKING GAS CAP.
THE DOOR LOCK DESIGN IS AWKWARD FOR PERSONS WITH BIG HANDS TO OPEN THE DOOR. WHEN YOU PULL THE DOOR RELEASE, YOUR KNUCKLES COULD DEPRESS THE DOOR LOCK THEREFORE LOCKING THE DRIVER OUT OF THE VEHICLE.
FROM HWY DRIVING TO CITY DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED FOR ABOUT 15 TO 30 SECONDS, THE DEALER STATES IT'S BECAUSE OF THE FUEL FILTER RUSTING IN PLACE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THERE IS A WHISTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FUEL PUMP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. *AK
HORN BUTTON NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina → · Every Lumina year → · How the figures are calculated →