2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I OWN A 2001 GRAY CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN & OFTEN TIMES FOR ABOUT THE LAST 5 YEARS NOW AND EVEN AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE ACCELERATOR SPEEDS UP WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION AND I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AGAIN TO STOP IT FROM CONTINUOUSLY ACCELERATING. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND WHEN I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL ACTUALLY PUMPS UP TO DEACTIVATE THE ACCELERATION PROCESS TEMPORARILY. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN AIR CONDITION IS IN USE AND IT ALSO HAPPENS ALOT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AND THE ACCELERATOR WILL JUST SPEED UP SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON. I HAVE HAD IT INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP ONCE ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED AND THEY SAY THAT IT IS SOME KIND OF BRAKING SECURITY FEATURE ONCE THEY HOOKED IT UP TO THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM AND SAID IT WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT BUT OTHER AUTO MECHANICS THAT HAVE INSPECTED MY BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE DON'T SEEM TO KNOW ANYMORE THAN THE DEALERSHIP KNOWS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS COMPUTERIZED. ALL THE OTHER MECHANICS DO IS CHANGE MY BRAKES PADS WHEN THEY WEAR DOWN BUT CAN'T EXPLAIN THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION NOW THAT I AM HEARING ABOUT ALL OF THE CONTROVERSIES WITH TOYOTA MOTORS BRAKING DEFAULTS AND THE DEATHS AND INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT I AM REALLY GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT MY VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY ACCELERATING FOR NO EXPLAINABLE REASON. I THINK CHEVROLET WILL PROBABLY TRY AND HID SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THE BAD EXPOSURE THAT TOYOTA IS GETTING SO I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM RIGHT NOW ESPECIALLY AFTER THEM TELLING ME BASICALLY NOTHING IN THE PAST. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVICE ME WHAT TO DO??? [XXX] *TR

OUR 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS FAILED, ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE OIL. WE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH IT IN JANUARY 2007. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE TOOK IT IN TO OUR MECHANIC. HE CHECKED THE COOLING SYSTEM AND FOUND THE THERMOSTAT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT WAS REPLACED. IN JUNE 2008, WE NOTICED A LOSS OF COOLANT. WE TOOK IT IN TO OUR MECHANIC AGAIN. HE DID A COOLANT SYSTEM CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG, REPLACED POSSIBLE LEAKING HOSE. ONCE AGAIN WE WERE LOSING COOLANT. WE TOOK INTO OUR MECHANIC AGAIN (THIRD TIMES A CHARM). COULD FINE NOTHING WRONG WITH COOLING SYSTEM, DID DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. WE HAD NO WARNING, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO OVER HEATING SINCE EARLIER TIME. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE COOLANT WAS GOING INSIDE THE ENGINE, NO OUTSIDE LEAKING TO WARN US. THE CAR STALLED AND DIED ON US, LUCKILY IT WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY GOING 65. IT HAS BEEN PARKED AT MY HOUSE, NON-OP WITH DMV. GM HAS ADMITTED TO ME DURING MORE THAN ONE CALL THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME, BUT REFUSE TO FIX IT. THEY SAY THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE NHTSA TO PUT OUT A MANDATORY RECALL BEFORE THEY WILL FIX ANY PROBLEMS. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE 3.1LL AND 3.4L V-6 ENGINES WERE PUT IN ALL BODY TYPES AND DIFFERENT GM MAKES AND MODELS. NOW SOME V-8'S AND NEWER MODELS ARE COMING DOWN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO INTERNAL MEMO'S FROM GM, THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2000. DEX-COOL SEEMS TO BE THE CULPRIT. IT IS A KNOWN PLASTICIZER (SOFTENS PLASTIC) AND IS CORROSIVE TO ALUMINUM. THE GASKET ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THE SOME OF THE MANIFOLDS AND OR PARTS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM. DEX-COOL DEGRADES HOSES, GASKETS AND ALSO RUSTS ALUMINUM, CAUSING A SLUDGE TO BUILD UP INTO THE ENGINE. WHY WOULD ANY ONE PUT THIS CORROSIVE MATERIAL INTO AN ENGINE ON PURPOSE? *TR

1. NORMAL OPERATION 2. AIR CONDITION SYSTEM FAILURE. 3. HAD DYE, REFRIGERANT & SEAL CONDITIONER INSTALLED INITIALLY SYSTEM OK BUT, OVER NIGHT REFRIGERANT LEAKED DOWN. NO EVIDENCE OF DYE IN MOTOR COMPARTMENT. *TR

AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER LEAKING. DEALER WANTS $1000 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT ON THIS CONDENSER, BAD WELDS, YET GM TAKES NO FAULT EVEN THOUGH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE HAVE FAILED. WITH ASTHMA, I NEED A/C AND THIS VEHICLE IS NO SAFE WITHOUT IT. *TR

FUEL TANK LEAK FROM "NECK" OR "STEM." DEALER DECLARED "UNREPAIRABLE." REPLACED TANK AT COST OF$834 (AFTER 10% DISCOUNT GRANTED BECAUSE OF LOW MILEAGE ON VEHICLE). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE AND NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND. HE THEN OBSERVED A CRACK IN THE FUEL INLET CHECK VALVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE CONTACT MUST PAY $135 JUST TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. HE FEELS THAT SINCE THIS IS A DEFECT, HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

BAD/LEAKING MANIFOLD GASKET...... COOLANT LEAKS....CAUSING WATER PUMP TO BURN OUT...REPLACED TWICE ALREADY....AND COOLANT TO GET IN WITH OIL. *TR ESTIMATED REPAIR COST > $700

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE WAS TOO EXCESSIVE TO BE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE). IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE TANK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 177,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE REAR SLIDING DOOR FAILED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY. THE DOOR WOULD CLOSE AND THEN OPEN APPROXIMATELY A HALF AN INCH. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SLIDING DOOR AND THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE DOOR WOULD HAVE TO BE HELD UNTIL IT LATCHED INTO PLACE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK FOR REPAIR; HOWEVER, HE REFUSED BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE CORRECTLY. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $200 TO REPAIR THE DOOR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHER REPAIR BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,855 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,855.

OUR VEHICLE IS A 2001. HAS 62,000 MILES. THE CONDENSER WENT ON THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD THAT ALOT OF THE CONDENSER ARE GOING IN THE 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. HAVE YOU DONE ANY INVESTIGATING OR RECALLS, OR REIMBURSEMENT ? THANK YOU *TR