1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

I HAVE A 1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE WITH 82,651 MILES. THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOWLY DISSIPATE COOLANT, WHICH I REPLENISHED AS NEEDED. THEN A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK OCCURRED AT THE ENGINE BLOCK. BARNARD CHEVROLET OF CHURCHVILLE, NY 14428 REPAIRED THE LOWER AND UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS, AND THE REAR HEAD GASKET. EACH HAD DETIORATED FROM THE DEX COOL, CAUSING THE LEAKAGE. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED ANY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, DESPITE MY PROVIDING THEM WITH TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #03-06-01-010. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER PROVIDED A COMPLETE AND PROFESSIONAL REPAIR, I BELIEVE THAT EVIDENCE IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT AND THE GASKET MATERIALS USED BY GM RESULTS IN A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, AND THAT GM MUST PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THAT NHTSA HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE AMERICAN CONSUMER TO HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO HAVE COMPLETELY SUPPRESSED THIS ISSUE IN TERMS OF GOVERNMENT FOLLOWUP. WHAT A SHAME, THE LOBBYISTS WIN AGAIN. MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS LEFT WITH THE BILL. *AK

EXTREME LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, LEADING TO POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO COOLANT DESTROYING ALUMINUM COMPONENTS OF INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. THE FOLLOWING WAS DONE TO PREVENT IMMEDIATE ENGINE FAILURE: REPLACE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND THOROUGHLY CLEAN INSIDE ENGINE ($771), REPLACE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH ($86), FULL COOLANT FLUSH ($105), OIL/FILTER CHANGE ($15), AND REPLACE COOLANT SENSOR ($85). CONSISTANT WITH HISTORICAL FAILURE OF ALL SIMILAR MAKES/MODELS. CUSTOMER PAYS FOR GM'S POOR PRODUCT. *AK

HEATER NOT WORKING DUE TO A FAULTY MANIFOLD GASKET THAT ALLOWED THE COOLANT TO LEAK OUT OF THE ENGINE OF OUR 1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECH THAT GM IS NOW PRODUCING A BETTER GASKET TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THAT'S GREAT!! I WOULD LIKE GM TO PAY THE $798.67 BILL FOR HAVING TO REPLACE THE FIRST GASKET THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY TESTED BY ENGINEERING. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON, AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *JB

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY VAN OVER HEATED AND STALLED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. I HAD TO REPLACE MY HEAD GASKETS, LOWER INTAKE, ALL MY SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES. I HAD NO LEAKS THAT I WAS AWARE OF. NOTHING ON THE GORUND TO EVEN SUSPECT A LEAK. APPARENTLY I WAS LEAKING SO BAD INTERNALLY THAT 2 OF MY SPARK PLUGS CRAPPED OUT AND MY VAN REFUSED TO RUN. FROM WHAT I READ THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG VENTURE OWNERS. I REALLY LOVE MY VAN BUT THIS FLAW WILL PREVENT ME FROM BUYING ANOTHER ONE, WHICH I FULLY INTENDED ON DOING IN A FEW YEAR. SORRY GM BUT I'LL GO WITH A HONDA NEXT TIME. *AK

CAM SHAFT BROKE WHILE WARMING UP IN MY YARD. 1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. I FOUND A TSB THAT STATED THAT THIS PARTICULAR VAN HAD AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE DEALER NEVER REPLACED THE GASKET BEFORE I PURCHASED IT.IT HAS 56000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT AND NOW HAS 88000 16 MONTHES LATER. TALKED TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT CAMSHAFTS DON;T JUST BREAK UNLESS THEY ARE FAULTY. I AM CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING WITH DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE LOANED ME A VEHICLE TO USE UNTIL WE COME TO SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT.*AK

I HAD THE COOLANT FLUSHED ONE MONTH AGO AT THE LOCAL DEALER. DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY NEAR HOME, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. NO INDICATION ON TEMPERATURE GAUGE THAT COOLANT TEMP EVER EXCEEDED EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE NORMAL RANGE. THE NEXT MORNING, THE VAN RUNS ROUGH AND HAS A LIGHT COOLANT SMELL FROM THE EXHAUST. TOOK IT TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. DEALER SAID THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS FAILED ALLOWING THE VAN TO OVERHEAT AND BLOW THE HEAD GASKETS. REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $2500 AND WITH ONLY 88K MILES ON THE VAN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAVE FAILED. FIRST TIME THE INTAKE GASKETS FAILED WAS AT 45K MILES RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT. THERE WAS NO OVERHEAT OR HEAD GASKET FAILURE ON THE FIRST INCIDENCE. *JB

I AM GOING TO NEED TO REPAIR MY MINIVAN DUE TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT LEAK AND I REALLY CAN NOT AFFORD THIS AND MAY HAVE TO HAVE THE VAN SIT UNTIL I CAN. I CANNOT BELIEVE AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ON HERE THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS OR THE HEADLIGHTS. I WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVY VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR THAT IS NOT THE CONSUMERS RESPONSIBILITY, ITS OBVIOUS THAT THIS NEEDS A RECALL. I DO HOPE YOU COME TO YOUR SENSES ABOUT THIS COSTLY REPAIR TO THE CONSUMERS BECAUSE I WILL LET EVERY ONE I POSSIBLE KNOW THAT CHEVY KNOWS ABOUT THIS COSTLY PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AS I AM SURE OTHERS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM HAVE TOLD NUMEROUS PEOPLE AND YOU SALES WILL DROP SO LOW THAT YOU WILL WISH YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL. *JB

THE POWER SLIDING DOOR WONT OPEN OR CLOSE AT TIMES. HAS HAD ALL OF THE RECALS DONE. TODAY THE DOOR CLOSED ON MY SONS LEG AND WOULD NOT STOP MOVING OR REVERSE CAUSING A LARGE BRUISE TO HIM.*AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY STOPPED WHILE IN OPERATION OR NOT WORK AT ALL DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NOT COVERS UNDER A RECALL. *AK RECALL# 98V072000. *SC *JB

IN FEB./MARCH 2004, RIGHT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY LENS FELL OFF, EXPOSING LAMP TO WEATHER. IN JULY 2004, LEFT HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IN BOTH CASES. COST ABOUT $160 EACH TIME. DEALER INSTALLED NEW ASSEMBLIES AND TOLD US THE FAILURE IS DUE TO ADHESIVE BREAKDOWN BUT NOT COVERED BY CHEVROLET. THE VEHICLE IS A 1998 CHEVY VENTURE LS WITH 75000 MILE IN FEB AND 80000 MILES IN JULY. *JB