2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

I HAVE A 2004 (BOUGHT NEW) CHEVY VAN. WE STOPPED ON DAY AND THE BACK WHEEL WAS SMOKING. WE CALLED THE DEALER AND TOOK IT IN TO BE CHECKED AND THEY TOLD US THAT THE BACK BRAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN ATTACHED. WE WERE RUNNING ONLY ON FRONT BRAKES. WE JUST CAME BACK FROM A TRIP AND TO THINK WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I WAS FURIOUS THAT SUCH A THING COULD HAPPEN. THEY DID ATTACH THE BACK BRAKES AND I FEEL THAT SINCE WE WERE RUNNING ON ONLY FRONT BRAKES, THAT THE FRONT BRAKES SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THEM.*AK

THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPENED AND CLOSED ON ITS OWN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *JB

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL THE CHILD SEAT INTO A NEW VEHICLE THE BASE SEPARATED FROM THE SEAT. THE CHILD WAS NOT INJURED.*AK *NM

ON JULY 8-15, 2004 I RENTED A 2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE FROM HERTZ RENTAL AT THE SAN DIEGO AIRPORT. WE LOADED 4 SMALL CHILDREN, AGES 1-5 YEARS OLD INTO THE VAN. AS WE WERE STRAPPING ALL OF THEM INTO THEIR CAR SEATS, MY 3 YEAR OLD PUSHED A BUTTON THAT WAS JUST INSIDE THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS BUTTON WAS TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR, AND THE DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE WITH MY SON STANDING AT THE PART OF THE SLIDING DOOR THAT LATCHES (THE FORWARD MOST PART OF THE DOOR). AS THE DOOR HIT HIS BODY AND DID NOT STOP, ONE OF THE ADULTS INSIDE OF THE VAN PULLED HIM INTO THE VAN AND TO SAFETY. THE DOOR WAS NOT GOING TO STOP AND WOULD HAVE INJURED HIM. A DAY LATER, MY BROTHER WAS STRAPPING MY SON INTO HIS CAR SEAT AND SOMEONE ACCIDENTLY PUSHED THE AUTO DOOR CLOSE THAT WAS ON THE KEY CHAIN. AGAIN, THE DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE AND DID NOT STOP FOR MY BROTHER (WHO IS A 6 FOOT 3 INCH MAN), AND HE HAD TO JUMP OUT OF THE WAY. WE WERE VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AND WERE VERY CAREFUL THE REMAINDER OF OUR WEEK LONG RENTAL. HOWEVER, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT ANOTHER CHILD, OR ADULT, IS GOING TO BE INJURED IN THIS VAN'S AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. WE WERE CURIOUS JUST HOW FAR THE DOOR WOULD GO BEFORE IT WOULD BOUNCE BACK OPEN SO WE PUT A STUFFED ANIMAL IN THE DOOR AND HIT THE AUTO DOOR CLOSE BUTTON. I HAVE TO SAY, THE STUFFED ANIMAL DID NOT FARE WELL. WE ALSO PUT A LARGE CARROT AND A BANANA IN THE DOOR, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SIMULATE A SMALL CHILD'S ARM. THE CARROT WAS SLICED RIGHT IN HALF, AND THE BANANA WAS SMASHED AND OOZING OUT OF ITS PEEL. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CHEVROLET VENTURE AFTER OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE VAN, BUT I DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE AUTOMATIC DOOR NEEDS TO BE CHANGED SO THAT IT SENSES WHEN SOMETHING IS IN IT'S WAY AND BOUNCES BACK OPEN, OTHERWISE CHILDREN'S SAFETY, AS WELL AS ADULT'S SAFETY, IS AT STAKE. I DO HAVE SEVERAL VIDEOS DEMONSTRATING HOW THE DOOR DOES NOT BOUNCE BACK. *AK

THE SLIDING DOOR DOESN'T STAY LOCKED IN THE OPEN POSITION, EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS ON A FLAT SURFACE. THIS ALMOST RESULTED IN A TODDLER BEING CRUSHED BETWEEN THE DOORS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT A SLIDING DOOR ATTACHMENT NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. *AK THE PASSENGERS LEFT SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE. *SC *JB

WHILE CONSUMER'S HAND WAS PLACED ON THE INSIDE OF VEHICLE AUTOMATIC POWER SLIDING DOOR CLOSED, JAMMING CONSUMER'S HAND. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR. *AK

ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT.... COOLANT WAS WAY DOWN, OVERHEATING CONTINUED WHEN COOLANT ADDED... VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP. *LA

DESIGN FLAW IN 2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE.*MR THE CONSUMER RENTED THE VAN FOR A VACATION. WHEN THE CONSUMER CHILD OPENED THE POWER SLIDING DOOR HIS ELBOW BECAME STUCK IN THE SEAT AND HE COULD NOT REMOVE HIS HAND FROM THE DOOR HANDLE. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN AND HYPER-EXTENDED HIS RIGHT WRIST. THE CHILD HEAR A FEW SNAPS AND THEN WAS ABLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR. THE CHILD SUSTAINED A BROKEN WRIST. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS DOOR IS POORLY DESIGNED. *NM

2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. WHILE STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT, MY FOURTEEN YEAR OLD SON OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SIDE DOOR USING THE INTERIOR HANDLE. HE KEPT HIS HAND ON THE HANDLE WHILE IT WAS OPENING. HIS ARM (ELBOW) BECAME STUCK IN THE SEAT AND HE COULD NOT REMOVE HIS HAND FROM THE DOOR HANDLE WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPENING. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN AND HYPER-EXTENDED HIS RIGHT WRIST. HE HEARD A COUPLE SNAPS AND FOUND A WAY TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR. HES NOW WEARING A CAST. WE TOOK HIM TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND X-RAYS INDICATED THAT HE FRACTURED HIS RIGHT WRIST.*AK PE04064.PCO

CONSUMER'S ARM BECAME TRAPPED IN THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR OF VEHICLE.*MR THE CONSUMER COULD NOT REMOVE HER ARM FAST ENOUGH OR STOP THE DOOR FROM OPENING. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER'S ARM WAS BROKEN NEAR THE WRIST. (RENTAL VEHICLE). *NM PE04064.PCO *TC *JB