1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE SLIDING DOOR CLOSED AND LOCKED ALL THE DOORS. DEALER NOTIFIED. *JB

THE JACK THAT CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH THE THE VEHICLE FAILED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS REPLACING A TIRE. *AK *NLM

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, AND WHEN HE TURNED HIS VEHICLE OFF THERE WAS NO PRESSURE IN THE RADIATOR. THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. AFTER TESTING THE VEHICLE THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $678.00 PLUS TAX. *NLM

WHEN SITTING STILL AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE IS A LOW FREQUENCY LOUD GROANING NOISE. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE STEERING MECHANISMS OUTSIDE OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE KEY REMOVED WHEN SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR AREA FILLED THE INTERIOR CABIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG THEN DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. *NLM

INTAKE GASKET LEAK OF COOLANT. ON WEB RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM KNOWN TO GM USUALLY WITH SERIOUS ENGINE REPAIRS BEING NECESSARY. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS A, "COMMON PROBLEM". *JB

THE VAN OVER HEATED AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET MELTED. *JB

I OWN A 1998 CHEVY VENTURE VAN. I RECENTLY TOOK IT IN FOR A RECALL FOR A DEFECT ON THE STEERING RACK AND PINION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 02V286000). THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT BECAUSE THE VAN HAS A SALVAGE TITLE. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT "THE BEARING IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT" AND THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION WAS DAMAGED DUE TO THE DEFECT AND HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $600. I CALLED GM AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THEIR POLICY NOT TO DO RECALLS ON VEHICLES WITH A SALVAGED TITLE. THIS IS A DEFECT AND A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDLESS OF THE SALVAGED TITLE AND I THINK GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SAFETY RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 98V131000) THAT IS A PROBLEM ON MY PARTICULAR VAN. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, A 5 YEAR OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY WAS PLAYING IN THE VAN (WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE). HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER ENOUGH TO DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION LOCK EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL IN PARK, AND THE VAN ROLLED DOWN THE HILL IN OUR BACK YARD. IT WAS STOPPED BY A SMALL TREE. NOBODY WAS HURT EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE TWO OTHER CHILDREN IN THE BACK YARD PLAYING AND THE VAN SUFFERED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. I THOUGHT PERHAPS THIS WAS BECAUSE THE VAN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT SO I DIDN'T PURSUE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. THEN I DISCOVERED THE RECALL ON IT AND NOW I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THEM TO FIX MY VAN?. *JB

I HAD MY VAN IN THE SHOP BECAUSE MY HEATER QUIT WORKING. THE THERMOSTAT WAS CHANGED. WHEN I GOT THE VAN BACK THE HEATER DIDN'T WORK AND BY THE NEXT MORNING THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THEIR WEREN'T ANY EXTERNAL LEAKS NOTED. I TOOK IT BACK INTO THE SHOP AND HE RAN SOME CHECKS AND HE STATED THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND THAT THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY. HE ALSO SAID THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MOST GM ENGINES. NOW MY VAN IS PARKED AND I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT. IT IS KNOCKING REAL LOUD AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO THE VAN EVENTUALLY CATCHING ON FIRE. MY VAN HAD BEEN IN THE CHEVROLET SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON BECAUSE THE GAS CAP WASN'T ON TIGHT. MY VAN IS JUST OUT OF THE WARRANTY AT @ 82,000 MILES. I HEAR THAT THE GASKET IN QUESTION IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER DO THE EXCESS AMOUNT OF GM VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *NLM

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED POWER STEERING FAILURE. HE DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING THE STEERING. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE RECALL SCOPE, EVEN THOUGHT IT HAS THE EXACT PROBLEM.