1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THE 3.4L ENGINE IN MY 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE FAILED. THIS IS A PERVASIVE KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 3.4L ENGINE PRODUCED AND SOLD BY GM. GM HAS HAD A NATIONWIDE BACKORDER ON THE GASKED INVOLVED INDICATING REDESIGN DUE TO POOR INITIAL DESIGN. I HAD TO WAIT 4 MONTHS FOR THE GASKET TO BE DELIVERED AND THERE WERE 2 OTHER VENTURES IN THE REPAIR FACILITY UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED OR DRIVEN DUE TO THE BACKORDER. MY COST FOR REPAIR WAS $538. OTHERS HAVE HAD TO PAY OVER $4,000 DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND GM MADE TO CONDUCT A NATIONWIDE RECALL/REIMBURSEMENT OF SAID REPAIR COSTS. IF YOU DESIRE I WILL PROVIDE MY REPAIR INVOICE. DUE TO THE PART FAILURE AND WAITING ON GASKET DELIVERY AND REPAIR, I MAY HAVE HIDDEN ENGINE DAMAGE THAT MAY SURFACE AT A LATER TIME.*JB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED AT 60,000 MILES REQUIRING ABOUT $800 IN REPAIRS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING VEHICLES FOR 35 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN AN INTAKE GASKET FAIL. I UNDERSTAND FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT GM IS AWARE OF IT. GM SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT AS IT COULD LEAD TO A BLOWN ENGINE WHICH WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC.*JB

DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN WITH 3.4 LITER V-6 ENGINE. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED COOLANT INTO ENGINE "GUMMING UP" AND CAUSED ENGINE TO SEIZE. STRANDED MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS. IMPACT OF SEIZING ENGINE SIMULATED A REAR-END COLLISION AS DESCRIBED BY MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME.

MY 1999 CHEV. VENTURE STARTED LOSING ANTIFREEZE WHEN IT HAD ABOUT 75,000 MILE ON IT. IT WAS NOT LEAKING SO I REPLACED THE COOLENT WHEN IT WAS LOW. THEN AT 100,000 MILES IT BEGAN LEAKING. UPON TAKING IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING. THE REPAIRS TOTALED TO $2,400.00. I KNOW OF ONE OTHER PERSON THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CHEV. VENTURE. I BELIEVE THIS IS DESIGN FAULT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY GENERAL MOTORS.

VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR (BY THE GAS TANK) WHILE WE WERE TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MPH, AT NIGHT TIME, ON A CROWDED FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING, THE ONLY INDICATION I HAD THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS THAT THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. OTHER PEOPLE ON THE FREEWAY WERE HONKING ETC BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE WHAT I COULD NOT. BY THE TIME I GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH, ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. I GOT IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SMOKE FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE GOT OUT AND RAN. A WRECKER DRIVER PUT OUT MOST OF THE FIRE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. GOT THERE. I HAD THE VAN PICKED UP AND BROUGHT HOME. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND ASKED THAT THEY COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THING. THEY DECLINED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND REFUSED TO SEND ANYONE. I TOOK IT TO AN ELECTRICAL SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED AT THE PLUG IN THE BACK WHERE YOU CAN PLUG IN A TV OR WHATEVER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS COULDN'T/SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT IT DID. I HAVE HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL AS WELL AS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS THING. I BOUGHT IT NEW, NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DRIVEN IT SO I KNOW THE HISTORY. I HAD THE WIRING REDONE BYPASSING THAT PLUG BUT I NOW HAVE A CHECK ENGINE, PASS KEY & AIRBAG LLIGHTS COMING ON. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALLED TO ME AS BOTH I AND MY KIDS ARE AFRAID TO RIDE IN IT. UNFORTUNATELY I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE IT SOME BECAUSE IT IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE.

I HAVE DEX-COOL COOLANT IN MY OIL. IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE A BAD GASKET, AND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHERS WHO ALSO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH LEAKING GASKETS (WHICH HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED). I THINK THAT GM SHOULD FIX MY CAR PRIOR TO TOTAL CATASTROPHY OF ENGINE FAILURE WITH MY LESS THAN 1-YEAR OLD CHILD ON BOARD.

WINDSHEILD WIPERS COME ON BY THERE SELF AT RANDOM,AND ON DIFFERENT SETTINGS. HEADLIGHTS WILL WORK AT RANDOM. I KEEP HEARING A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH,BUT OF COURSE SERVICE TECH CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON,VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT TIME.TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ACTUATER.THIS PART WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY!AND IN THE EVENT OF A ACCIDENT MY SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LOCK.

VEHICLE WILL SHIFT HARD WHEN DRIVING IN CITY (STOP & GO) CONDITIONS,TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN FEEL THE JOLT IN THE FLOORBOARD WHEN SHIFT WAS MADE (ACTUALY BROKE TRACTION A COUPLE OF TIMES) THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN (DOGGED) OR RACED AT THESE TIMES OF ACURRANCE.ONCE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A COUPLE OF MILES (ON THE WAY TO DEALERSHIP) FOR SERVICE TECH. TO RIDE WITH TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM SHIFTING IS SMOOTH AGAIN.

1999 CHEVY VENTURE 47,827 MILES HAD TO REPLACE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. SO FAR WE ARE OUT $1027.54