1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE Complaints

THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE LS (THAT I PURCHASED IN JANUARY OF 2004), THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE, AND THEN FROZE UP WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. AFTER HAVING TO HAVE IT TOWED AND LOOKED AT BY 2 MECHANICS, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE ROCKER ARMS TO QUIT WORKING, THE VALVES TO BEND AND THE CAM SHAFT TO BREAK IN HALF. THE COST OF A REBUILT MOTOR AND LABOR TO INSTALL IT ADDS UP TO $4,300. GM DOESN'T KNOW IF THEY CAN HELP OR NOT.*AK

1999 VENTURE WITH 3.4 L ENGINE AND 42,000 MILES HAS LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. GM SHOULD RECALL MINIVANS AND REINBURSE OWNERS FOR REPAIR COST. DEALER COST ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS WAS $800.00. *AK

WHILE DRIVING,THE PASSENGER'S TIRE SHEARED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE LUG NUTS AND BOLT NEEDED REPLACEMENT WITH WHEEL. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE PARKING, THE CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. *AK *SC THE FUEL LINES WERE CORRODED. *JB

BOUGHT AT 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN IN SUMMER OF 2003. WHEN THE CAR WARMS UP, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND CLUNKS. BOUGHT WITHOUT WARRANTY; DIDN'T DO IT UNTIL I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR 30 MILES. PROBLEM DUE TO DEFECTIVE BEARING; SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BY GM!!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS/ABS, AND SRS LIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

I OWN A 1999 CHEVY VENTURE WHICH HAS BEEN DRIVEN 26,000 MILES. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FORAN OIL CHANGE AND ON INSPECTION THE DEALER FOUND COOLANT LEAKING FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THEY REPLACED THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GAKET AND RELATED GASKETS AT A COST TO ME OF $753.88. THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE GASKETS AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING AND FIXING THIS PROBLEM ON VEHICLES WITH THIS PARTICULAR MOTOR. HE INFORMED US THAT IF WE DID NOT GET OUR VECHICLE REPAIRED THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT SEIZE UP. I CALLED THE CORPORATE OFFICE FOR CHEVROLET AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE FAULTY GASKETS AT THIS TIME. IAK

NUMEROUS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE AIR-BAG LIGHT INDICATOR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD STAY ON AFTER STARTING, BUT ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. INSTRUMENT PANEL AIR-BAG LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STAY ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET SERVICE CENTER ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE, LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE.BATTERY CORRODED AND WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. PROBLEMS WENT AWAY BRIEFLY AFTER SERVICE BUT CAME BACK INSTRUMENT PANEL ABS & TCS (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) LIGHTS WILL COME ON AND STAY ON AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR 5 MINUTES OR SO, BUT NOT ON EVERY TRIP ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE EMERGENCY FLASHER / TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WILL COME ON. VEHICLE HAS 55K MILES AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION.*AK

I OWN A 1999 CHEV VENTURE VAN WITH 65,000 MILES. IN MARCH 2004, I HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE GASKETS REPLACE BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, THIS HAD GOTTEN IN THE CAM SHAFT AND CAUSED THE CAM SHAFT TO BREAK. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OF ENGINE FAILED LEADING TO DEX-COOL RADIATOR FLUID LEAKAGE ON GROUND AND INTO ENGINE OIL. REPAIR OF INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WATER-PUMP, SPECIAL SEALANT FOR BOLTS COST CONSUMER $807.00. THE LEAKAGE OF TOXIC FLUID INTO ENVIRONMENT HAS NO ESTIMATED COST, BUT REPRESENTS HAZARD TO ANIMALS AND ENVIRONMENT. CHEVROLET HAS RECEIVED A HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO REVISED GASKET, SEALANTS, TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS AND ORDER OF TIGHTENING BOLTS, BUT DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL. INTERNAL DAMAGE TO ENGINES IS OFTEN NOT DETERMINED UNTIL COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE DESPITE REPAIR OF MANIFOLD GASKET. DEX-COOL FLUID CITED IN CHEVROLET LITERATURE AS HAVING 100,000 MILE LIFESPAN, BUT FLUID APPEARS TO HAVE DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL TO ENGINE BEGINNING AT ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 60% OF THIS ESTIMATED LIFESPAN. *JB