2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

LOSING OIL ON 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN AND WENT FOR SERVICE. THEY FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS LEAKING COOLANT AND OIL. THEY EXPLAINED THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED CRITICAL ENGINE ISSUE IF LEFT. HAVE READ MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND ALSO SERVICE NOTES FROM GM ON THIS TOPIC. THE VAN HAS ONLY 49000 MILES. I PAID OVER $950 TO FIX A GM DEFECT.*AK

AIR BAG LAMP GOES ON /OFF WHEN MANUALY MOVING SEATS IN FRONT. MY AIR BAG LAMP WILL GO ON IF I MOVE THE SEATS IN MY CAR EITHER FWD OR BACK. CAN GET LAMP TO GO OUT IF I MOVE SEAT VERY LITTLE.*AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. *AK THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER WAS INSTALLED WITH AN ACTIVATION CABLE UNDER THE SEAT TRACK. OVER TIME, THE WIRING IN THE CABLE SHORTED INTERNALLY REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. WITHOUT REPLACEMENT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. THERE WAS ALSO A COOLANT LEAK WHICH WAS FOUND IN THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

FUEL GAUGE ERRATIC AND DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON REGARDLESS OF FUEL LEVEL IN TANK.*AK

LABOR DAY 2004 TRAVELING THROUGH ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, ENGINE COOLANT OVERHEATED. HAD REPLACED COOLANT 2 MONTHS PREVIOUS. TEMPERATURE GAUGE NOW ALWAYS SHOWS COOL. TODAY HAD ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND SHOP ADVISED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING AND NEEDING REPLACED. UPON RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, DISCOVERED IT IS EXTREMELY COMMON ON CHEVROLET 3.4L ENGINE AND OFTEN LEADS TO CAM SHAFT AND EVEN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT. GM CURRENTLY IGNORING CONDITION.*AK

HAD PROBLEMS WITH REAR BRAKES WHEN VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED. THEY WERE NOISY AND CLUNKY, DEALER FOUND THEM TO BE 'NORMAL' BUT DIRTY AND CLEANED THEM. WHEN FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT ~15,000 MILES (VERY EARLY WEAR OUT AND NOISY) REAR BRAKES WERE CHECKED AGAIN AND FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVELY DIRTY/GREASY-THEY WERE CLEANED AGAIN. AT ~ 35,000 MILES THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD SOMETIMES SEEM TO STICK ON. REAR BRAKES BECAME LESS EFFECTIVE AT ~46,000 MILES, FOUND THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING ONTO BRAKE SHOES. BOTH WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE REPLACED. *NM

SEVERE SHAKING WAS OCCURRING WHEN BRAKING. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEELS NEEDED TO BE BALANCED. SITUATION KEPT OCCURRING. IT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED (FIGURED OUT) THAT THE TIE ROD WAS WORN AT 43,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY. LEFT OUTER TIE ROD WAS WORN OUT. *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES THERE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CONSUMPTION OF COOLANT, WITH NO LEAKS OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS THEN A LEAK THAT STARTED OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE A FEW HUNDRED MILES LATER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR ($800) OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. UPON RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS FAILURE IS VERY COMMON TO THE GM V6 ENGINES (WHICH THE SERVICE MANAGER CONFIRMED). THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL!! GM IS AWARE OF THIS WITH TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 03-06-01-010. *NM

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT THE FRONT RIGHT FENDER, SPEED WAS UNDETERMINED). THIS CAUSED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A TREE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK...PICTURE ENCLOSED. *AK