U.S. public vehicle records

1997 Chevrolet VENTURE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

296 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

78,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 91 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Exterior Lighting:Headlights is the most frequently named component, appearing in 39 of 296 complaints (13.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	56	18.9%
Braking behavior	32	10.8%
Transmission and shifting	17	5.7%
Electrical and battery issues	16	5.4%
Engine operation	15	5.1%
Fuel system concerns	9	3.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Steering:Rack And Pinion

Engine And Engine Cooling

Structure:Body:Door

Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Exterior Lighting:Headlights	39
Steering:Rack And Pinion	36
Engine And Engine Cooling	28
Structure:Body:Door	19
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe	17
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System	14
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	14
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	13

Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 39; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 36; Engine And Engine Cooling: 28; Structure:Body:Door: 19; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe: 17; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 14; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 23; 75,000 to 99,999: 32; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 4

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (32). 205 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2016

2017

2000: 56; 2001: 44; 2002: 52; 2003: 53; 2004: 55; 2005: 16; 2006: 7; 2007: 1; 2008: 2; 2009: 3; 2010: 2; 2011: 2; 2013: 1; 2016: 1; 2017: 1

Pattern summary

Exterior Lighting:Headlights leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 56 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 17 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10009962 · 2003-03-05 (March 5, 2003)

THE POWER STEERING FAILED. SHE HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING STEERING AND HAD THE REMEDY WORK PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009962 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010296 · 2003-03-11 (March 11, 2003)

I TOOK MY 1997 CHEVY VENTURE VAN TO THE DEALER TODAY FOR A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR STEERING AND TO MY SUPPRISE I WAS INFORMED THAT MY LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS BAD AND WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $600 TO FIX. NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT KIND OF MONEY INCLUDING ME. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED?*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10010296 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002331 · 2003-01-08 (January 8, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES THAT REAR BRAKE LIGHTS BULB WENT OUT, ALSO STATES THAT THE CURRENT PAST IS CAUSING THE BULB TO BLOW. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITION INFORMATION. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002331 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10030983 · 2003-08-07 (August 7, 2003)

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LAMP IN MY 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES AND THE RIGHT REAR ONCE. AFTER REMOVING THE BULBS, I NOTICED THE BASE OF THE BULBS WERE CHARRED AND MELTED. I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHARRING/MELTING EVENTUALLY CAUSING A FIRE. IF THE BULB ASSEMBLY IS PULLING ENOUGH POWER TO MELT THE BASE, SHOULDN'T THE FUSE BLOW? THE LAST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AFTER WORK WHEN ANOTHER MOTORIST TOLD HER SHE HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS. AFTER I CHECKED THE VAN, I DETERMINED THAT B…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10030983 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009938 · 2003-03-05 (March 5, 2003)

THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING AND THE WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 148,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009938 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010578 · 2003-03-17 (March 17, 2003)

REF: COMPLAINT #761127 WE ALSO EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE THAT REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME - NOW THERE ARE 140,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WITH A REBUILT (GM WARRANTY) TRANSMISSION. I ALSO HAD A 1997 BUICK (GM CAR) THAT HAD WARRANTY WORK TO REPLACE/REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION (TWICE) AND A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION (WHICH WAS LESS THAN 200 MILES OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY BUT WAS NOT COVERED U…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10010578 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031143 · 2003-08-09 (August 9, 2003)

MY 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY NO ONE IN IT AND NOT RUNNING WHEN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A WIRING DEFECT AND WOULD COST MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH TO FIX IT!! APPARENTLY WATER GOT INTO THE WIRE HARNESS. HOW IS THIS MY FAULT? THANK GOD MY KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR!!!*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 96,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031143 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10057204 · 2004-03-03 (March 3, 2004)

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS: 1. HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY; 2. WHEN HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD, HEADLIGHTS CAME ON; 3. ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO LEAKING RADIATOR , AND 4. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, SUCH AS IGNITION AND POWER DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED REGULARLY. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START. THE DOOR PANELS WERE LOOSE. THE WINDSHIELD LEAKED. THE ANTI THEFT ALARM MALFUNCTIONED. REAR WINDOW WASHER MALFUNCTIONED. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057204 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037299 · 2003-09-05 (September 5, 2003)

TRAVELLING ~40 MPH, APPLIED BRAKE, ENGINE STALLED. RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. PROCEEDED ONE QUARTER MILE, APPLIED BRAKE TO TURN RIGHT, ENGINE STALLED, RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. REPEATED MULTIPLE TIMES. TOOK TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC; COULD REPRODUCE PROBLEM BUT NOT LOCATE SOURCE. TOOK TO DEALER: UNABLE TO REPRODUCE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 140,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037299 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10041981 · 2003-09-30 (September 30, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE WOULD STALL, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. ALSO, BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10041981 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031124 · 2003-08-08 (August 8, 2003)

I BOUGHT A USED 97 CHEVROLET VENTURE FROM THE NORWOOD GROUP IN WARWICK, RI BACK IN SEPT 2002. APPROXIMATELY 5 WEEKS AGO I BEGAN EXPERIENCING OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS IN WARICK, RI FOR A DIAGNOSTIC THINKING THAT IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT. THEY RAN THE TEST AND CAME BACK WITH AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I DID THIS AND THE SERVICE DEPT AT NORWOOD INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE FOR TWO WEEKS THEY REPAIRED THAT AND …

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031124 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032733 · 2003-08-13 (August 13, 2003)

DESCRIPTION : I BOUGHT A USED 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE FROM THE NORWOOD GROUP IN WARWICK, RI BACK IN SEPT 2002. APPROXIMATELY 5 WEEKS AGO I BEGAN EXPERIENCING OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS IN WARICK, RI FOR A DIAGNOSTIC THINKING THAT IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT. THEY RAN THE TEST AND CAME BACK WITH AN ENGINE PROBLEM, AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I DID THIS AND THE SERVICE DEPT AT NORWOOD INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE FOR TWO WEEKS THEY R…

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032733 at NHTSA ↗