1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

LEAKING COOLANT IN 1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN W/ 3400SFI V6 ENGINE DIAGNOSED BY DEALER AS "BLOWN HEAD AND INTAKE GASKETS; MAY HAVE CRACKED HEAD, WON'T KNOW UNTIL OPENED UP. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $1300 FOR REPLACEMENT OF GASKETS AND ANOTHER $660 IF HEAD IS CRACKED." NO ACTION YET TAKEN BY CONSUMER 1/3/2003. MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM NOTED BY OWNERS. TS

NOTICED AN ENGINE "TICK" COUPLE WEEKS AGO. PROBLEM SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR ONCE ENGINE CAME UP TO TEMPERATURE. NOTICED LAST NIGHT THAT PROBLEM "TICK" IS MORE NOTICEABLE. INVESTIGATED TONIGHT AFTER RESEARCHING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEMS ON THE WEB, AND DISCOVERED COOLANT IN THE ENGINE OIL. TS

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH THE VEHICLES STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CONSUMER STATES' AFTER BREAKING STEERING OUT OF THE LOCK MODE, CONSUMER DROVE TO A NEAR DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

I WAS EXPERIENCING LOSS OF COOLANT. FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD /GASKET. COST OF REPAIR $700. WENT ON LINE AND FOUND A SITE WITH OVER 1,000 PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM. MECHANICS ARE SAYING IT IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL GM ENGINES. THEY SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED. HOPEFULLY, I CAUGHT MINE IN TIME. HUNDREDS DIDN'T AND THEIR ENGINE BLEW. MECHANIC SAID HAD I TAKEN THIS OUT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE LEAK MY ENGINE WOULD HAVE FAILED. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM AND IS AFFECTING MILLIONS. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!! DT

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS WHICH ALLOWED DEXTROL COOLANT TO MIX WITH OIL. COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE FROM GENERAL MOTORS. DT

THIS FAILURE IF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS A COMMON AND COSTLY REPAIR ON THESE GM MINIVANS. DT

ENGINE CONTINUES TO SHAKE REAL BAD AND STALLS OUT. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON THE CAR WONT START. *TS *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**770115

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACK CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND MAKE LEFT TURN. STEERING WHEEL, WILL LOSE THE CONTROL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. NOTHING THEY CAN DO. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE FIRST BENCH SEAT, SEAT BELT WILL NOT HOLD WHEN THE CONSUMER CLICK THE TOP BUCKLE INSIDE OF THE RETRACTOR. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS