2000 Chevy Astro 134,xxx miles, AWD Gray with LX package.

ALL WHEEL DRIVE

Includes privacy tint, direction/temp display, power everything, roof racks, rear AC, etc.

It seems to drive solid, however the seller, who are some VERY honest customers of my business I own, they had the van looked at by their supposed reputable mechanic of 30 years and they said he said this needs to be replaced:

-Front ball joints
-Rear wheel bearings

They also said he said the "transmission" or "rear differential" pump needs to be replaced. Now I have never heard of a rear differential pump. I have heard of the pump in the transmission, which controls the fluid going through the valve body and torque converter. Anyways, while driving the van, I only got it into 3rd gear, but it shifts rough from 1 to 2 and 2 into 3. Now, to be honest, I didn't think it shifted that bad. I mean it wasnt as smooth as it should be, but it also wasnt as rough as they made it out to be. Now the transmission fluid did look clean, so I'm not sure what the problem would be.


They want $1000 for the van. It also has no back seats, needs the passenger front fender hammer out, and the front bumper cover replaced. Brakes/tires/engine are great.

Would you buy it for $1000? Does this seem like a solid deal? It would either be a vehicle I'd fix up and sell, or fix up for my wife.

 

Personally, I'd walk away.

 

do you live in the rust belt? If yes, i'd say no thanks.

 

No rust belt. I live in Colorado. Also, it goes into 4th gear, I just never drove it fast enough to get into it I think. Why would you walk away? Just wondering. Im leaning towards walking away as well. But the van does start and drive good.

 

With what you posted it needed, you'll put $1000 that + into it. Your call.

 

its not worth $1000. Find something else for a bit more money that won't be a project.

 

Thanks for the input. I'm holding off. How about if I talk them down to $600 or 700? Or should I try even lower?

 

its 13 years old. A trans, ball joints, wheel bearings, bumper cover will cost (and what ever else) thousands at a shop. They be lucky to get $500 at most and its only value is as a parts car. This is why the current owners are selling.

 

Im still contemplating if this is a good buy. The price for all the parts, minus what needs to be done with the transmission, is less then $1000. Now, I own plenty of vehicles. So I only want to buy this if it can net me some profit. I'm just wondering if the rougher shifts are due to something simple. I mean it did drive smooth IMO, it just has a more rough shift then normal. But it's really not bad. I've felt way worse. Also the back seats. How much are those used, around $300?

Again, I'm not trying to convince myself to buy this astro here. I just want some more opinions.

Thanks

 

I'm a new member and I'm a little late to this thread. I have a 2000 AWD Astro. If it's indeed an All Wheel Drive vehicle you're looking at, that alone makes it worth at least a grand here in Montana. If it was me, I'd just fix the thing, but then some say I'm crazy. Let's look at the problems individually.

Front ball joints are a typical replacement item for a front end. Take it to a good reputable front end shop and ask them about this. Make sure it's not the wheel bearings! Those require replacing the front axle shafts as it's a unit part. They're not a deal killer but they're pricey. If you go for any front end work, make sure you have the vehicle aligned correctly after any front end work is done.

Rear wheel bearings are another common item. The front end shop you go to might do these as well. It's just a periodic maintenance item.

That "rear differential pump" may actually be the rear pump in the automatic transfer case. The 2000 and later Astros had a transfer case that would shift to 2WD at highway speeds to increase mileage. You need to talk with a good, reputable transmission shop about this. Also make certain the drain plugs haven't been screwed up and the unit didn't run low on fluid. Poor mechanics will torque the fluid plugs in and the aluminum to aluminum pressure will cause the threads to seize. A good transmission shop will use new aluminum plugs and teflon tape or anti-seize compound in the seal and not over-torque them.

You have to make your own decision on what to do, but you have a good salable vehicle for your area. Skiers love the All Wheel Drive and these are good getting up to the ski mountain. They have lots of room for ski gear inside and plenty of room for people.

If you're considering giving it to your wife to drive, you might not get it back. I just bought a 2002 AWD Astro for my wife because she wants to be able to get around in the winter and she likes the visibility of being up higher.

The AWD Astros have held their value here in the Mountain West, and might surprise you on resale value. (2WDs not nearly so.) I've seen AWDs go for $4k to $7K in good condition, and they just don't sit on dealer lots very long. But remember, YMMV!!