1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

METAL SEAT SUPPORT WEAR THROUGH AND CONTACTS DRIVERS LOWER BACK BONE AND HIP. MFG. SAYS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND WILL NOT REPAIR SEAT CUSHION TO PREVENT HARM. DT

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND SIDE IMPACT AT 35 MPH, NEITHER FRONT NOR SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. TS

THIS IS A PART THAT FAILED AGAIN AFTER REPLACEMENT BY RECALL NHTSA # 01V067000 & 01V264000. REPLACED PART HAS FAILED CAUSING DOOR TO NOT FULLY LATCH AT TIMES. GM CONTACTED BY OWNER - GM EMPLOYEE - LEMONT BARLOW (866) 942-4368 HAS ADVISED OWNER THAT SINCE PART WA S REPLACED UNDER RECALL AND ONE YEAR HAS PASSED, GM NO LONGER WILL PROVIDE ANY REPAIRS. DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED (IN WRITING TO OWNER) REPLACED ACTUATOR AS BEING DEFECTIVE. MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED IT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE CAUSING INJURIES AND DAMAGES. *MR THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK. ONCE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARD OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INTO THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT, BUT NOT BEFORE THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THERE WAS A RECALL BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO THE VIN. *JG

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP WITHOUT WARNING, UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. CONTACTED DEALER. STEERING COLUMN HAS LOCKED UP.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHT LENS COVER WILL POP OFF WITHOUT WARNING, UNABLE TOO JUST POP IT BACK ON. CONTACTED DEALER.CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK

CONSUMER STATES VAN WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT START, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND THE VEHICLE STALLED AT LEAST 20 TIMES. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND REPORTED ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS NO FUEL PRESSURE TRACED TO NO OPERATION OF FUEL PUMP. FOUND WIRING HARNESS AT FUEL PUMP HAD COME LOOSE. AFTER HARNESS WAS RECONNECTED THE VAN STARTED RIGHT UP. ADVISED THAT CONNECTOR 305 AND GROUND 301 HAVE A HISTORY OF INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS AND ITNERNAL OPENS THAT CAUSE NO START CONDITIONS. *TT

THE CONSUMER HAD ACCIDENT AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AS THE RESULT OF THE AIR BAGS FAILURE TO DEPLOY. *YH DOORS DO NOT OPEN DRIVER HAS TO MANUALLY OPEN THE DOOR.*TS

AFTER MUCH RESEARCH WITH AREA GM DEALERSHIPS AND YOUR WEBSITE, IT APPERS THAT THE 1998 VENTURE MINI-VAN'S INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET DEVELOPS A LEAK AT 80000 TO 90000 MILES. I HAD THIS REPLACEMENT IN MAY 2002. SINCE MY VAN WAS OUT OF WARRENTY BY 1000 MILES (IT WAS SHY 2 WEEKS OF BEING 4 YEARS OLD). I SPOKE WITH GM'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE MAINTAINED MY VEHICLE ON SCHEDULE FOR ALL TUNE-UP/OIL CHANGES/TIRE ROTATIONS, ETC. I ENDED UP PAYING $575.00 TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. SINCE THEN MY VAN HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. IT IS NOW IN THE SHOP IN NEED OF A WHOLE NEW ENGINE WITH ONLY 82000 MILES. IT SEEMS A PISTON ROD SPUN AND DAMAGED THE CRANK SHAFT. AFTER MUCH INVESTIGATION, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET COULD HAVE CAUSED ALL OF THIS. NOW I AM FACED WITH REPLACING THE WHOLE ENGINE WITH AN USED ENGINE WITH 4,000 MILES FOR $2400 + TAX, GETTING A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE FOR $3865 OR TRADING IN THE CAR. I DO BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION IN THE LEAKING OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET SHOULD DEFINATELY BE PURSUED. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE. FOR THE HEADLIGHT, MY HEADLIGHT LENS FALL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVEN ON A HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 55 MPH. I NEVER COULD FOUND THE LENS AND LUCKY THE LENS FLYING OFF DID NOT CAUSE A CRASH. I CONTACTED THE GM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND ONCE AGAIN WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO ASSIST US. THIS WASN'T A KNOWN PROBLEM. AFTER INVESTIGATING AGAIN, I SEE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. REPLACING THE LENS MEANT REPLACING THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT UNIT AT THE TUNE OF $328.03. WHAT IS THE CONSUMER TO DO??NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, UPON IMPACT THE DRIVERS SEAT COLLAPSED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB