1999 Chevrolet VENTURE: complaints, problems and recalls

1999 CHEVY VENTURE AT 40,000 MILES HAD TO HAVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THEM YET ALL I SEE ON THE INTERNET IS EVERYONE NEEDS TO REPLACE THEM AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES (JUST OVER WARRANTY).

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000413 at NHTSA ↗

LEAKING HEAD GASKET ON MY 1999 CHEVY VENTURE WITH LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON FREQUENTLY THE VAN HAS ABOUT 70000. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 700,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000435 at NHTSA ↗

MY 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE GASKETS LEAKING AND THUS CAUSING THE CAMSHAFT TO SNAP IN TWO WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 40 MPH. THIS CAUSED A IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. HAD THERE BEEN ANYONE BEHIND ME, I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BEEN INJURED, AS WOULD ANYONE WHO WOULD BE SITTING BEHIND ME. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ACCORDINGLY. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 74,098 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000524 at NHTSA ↗

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON WHEN AIR BAG IS NOT DEPLOYED. ONCE THE LIGHT IS LIGHT, IT REMAINS LIGHT UNTIL VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THREE YEAR OLD VEHICLES SHOULD NOT EXPERIENCE INTERMITTANT RELIABILITY PROBLEMS.

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000583 at NHTSA ↗

IN JANUARY OF 2002, THE HEAT IN OUR 1999 CHEVY VENTURE STOPPED WORKING. THE VAN HAD AROUND 50 OR SO THOUSAND MILES AT THE TIME. THE DEALER IN BATON ROUGE ALL-STAR CHEVROLET COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED A COOLING-SYSTEM FLUSH AS THE COOLANT LEVEL LOOKED LOW IN THE RESERVOIR. THIS FLUSH WAS DONE AT ANOTHER SHOP IN TOWN. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THIS SHOP RECOMMENDED I GO BACK TO THE DEALER. THE ENGINE WAS ALSO RUNNING HOT, SO TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER WITH THESE PROBLEMS. THIS DEALER DID AROUND $1,000 IN REPAIRS …

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000638 at NHTSA ↗

MY 1999 CHEV VENTURE VAN REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT ABOUT 65,500 MILES. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A BAD BATCH OF MANIFOLD GASKETS AND THAT GMC WAS NOW GETTING GASKETS FROM ANOTHER SUPPLIER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITHIN GM PRODUCTS; HOWEVER, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED; NOR WAS THERE ANY OFFER OF A DISCOUNT OR REFUND FROM THE DEALER FOR THIS APPARENT DEFECT. THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE ENGINE COULD GET WATER IN IT AND FREEZE UP. IF THIS HAPPENS DURING THE WIN…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000754 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN, TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAR SHOP, A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING, MANIFOLD FAILED AT 78000 MILES AND THE COOL FOUND LEAKING WILL PAID A COUPLE THOUSAND OF DOLLARS PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002161 at NHTSA ↗

FAILURE OF ENGINE GASKETS

Owner-reported narrative. 36,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002683 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2001-03-08 (March 8, 2001)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOORS. THE DOOR CLOSES BUT MAY NOT BE LATCHED. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE POWER SLIDING DOOR CAN OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE VEHICLE ASCENDS A HILL, MAKES A TURN, OR TRAVELS OVER A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE.

Consequence: AN UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT OF THE VAN AND BE INJURED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW UN-LATCH ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY TO THE POWER SLIDING DOOR. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN CONTINUED UNDER SAFETY RECALL 01V-264. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

Reported: 2001-08-21 (August 21, 2001)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1997-2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE, PONTIAC MONTANA/TRANSPORT, AND OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOORS THAT WERE SERVICED IN CAMPAIGN 01013 (01V-067) FROM APRIL TO AUGUST 2001. ALSO 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE, PONTIAC MONTANA, AND OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOORS ASSEMBLED IN JANUARY THROUGH APRIL 2001. THESE VEHICLES HAVE INADEQUATE FRONT WELDS. IF A FRONT WELD FAILS, THE ACTUATOR CAN JAM IN THE UNLATCHED POSITION AND, WHEN THE SLIDING DOOR CLOSES, IT WILL NOT BE LATCHED.

Consequence: IF THIS HAPPENS, THE POWER SLIDING DOOR CAN OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE VEHICLE ASCENDS A HILL, MAKES A TURN, OR TRAVELS OVER A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. AN UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT OF THE VAN AND BE INJURED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF REQUIRED, INSTALL A NEW POWER SLIDING DOOR UNLATCH ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON OCTOBER 22, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

Reported: 2004-12-22 (December 22, 2004)

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH SECOND-ROW BUCKET SEATS OR CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS AND A POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, A PASSENGER USING THE INTERIOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE POWER SLIDING DOOR COULD BE INJURED.

Consequence: IF A PASSENGER USES THE INTERIOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE POWER SLIDING DOOR AND HOLDS ONTO THE HANDLE WHILE IT IS BEING OPENED BY THE MOTOR, THE PASSENGER'S ARM MAY BE PUSHED INTO THE SEAT BACK OR ARMREST AND A WRIST OR LOWER ARM INJURY MAY RESULT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER SLIDING DOOR INTERIOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER-SIDE. IF THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A POWER OR MANUAL SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER-SIDE, THE INTERIOR HANDLE WILL ALSO BE REPLACED FOR APPEARANCE REASONS. NOTE: BEFORE THE VEHICLE IS SERVICED, GM ADVISES OWNERS TO NOT USE THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE DRIVER CAN OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR FROM SWITCHES AT THE DRIVER'S POSITION OR BY USING THE REMOTE KEY FOB. THE DRIVER SHOULD TELL PASSENGERS TO USE THE SWITCH LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE DOOR TO OPEN OR CLOSE IT. THE DRIVER SHOULD USE THE OVERRIDE SWITCH TO PREVENT OPERATION OF THE POWER DOOR BY CHILDREN OR BY OTHERS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH ITS USE. THE OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER MAILING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PHASES WITH THE FIRST PHASE BEGINNING ON MAY 31, 2005. THE SECOND PHASE MAILING BEGAN ON JULY 18, 2005. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 31, 2005. PHASE 2 BEGAN ON JULY 18, 2005. PHASE 3 (FINAL PHASE) BEGAN ON AUGUST 24, 2005, TO ALL REMAINING CUSTOMERS. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668; OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537.

Reported: 1999-04-12 (April 12, 1999)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER MINI VANS. THE LEFT AND/OR RIGHT FRONT LOWER INSULATOR TO CRADLE CENTER METAL SLEEVE IS COLLAPSED, WHICH CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CLAMP LOAD IN THE JOINT. IF THE CLAMP LOAD IS REDUCED OR LOST, THE BOLT CAN BE LOST OR BROKEN AND THE JOINT CAN SEPARATE.

Consequence: IF NOT REPAIRED, SEPARATION OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE JOINT COULD OCCUR RESULTING IN STEERING SHAFT SEPARATION.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT LOWER CRADLE-TO-SUSPENSION INSULATORS AND THE ATTACHING BOLTS.