2000 Chevrolet Venture

I HAVE OWED THE VEHICLE FOR 53 DAYS AND HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED 4 TIMES AND REPLACE FUEL PUMP TWICE, THE BATTERY ONCE. LUCKILY THE PUMP CONKED OUT WHILE PARKED, AND NOT AT AN INTERSECTION. MY WIFE IS PREGNANT WITH OUR THIRD CHILD, AND THE VAN HAS STRANDED HER 4 TIMES. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP RUN A CHECK ON THE PAST REPAIR HISTORY OF THE VAN AND HEY! THE PUMP WAS REPLACED (BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER) ON 7/6/01 AND AGAIN ON 8/04/01. WITH THE ADDITION OF MY TWO PUMPS, THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 4, OBVIOUSLY. THE VAN HAS 38000 MILES AND FOUR FUEL PUMPS, I THINK THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO CHEVROLET, OF COURSE DON'T EXPECT A FAVORABLE RESPONSE. ANOTHER FACTOR OF COMPLETE IRRITATION IS THE PLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR AN AVERAGE JOE LIKE MYSELF TO ACCESS THE BATTERY TO REPLACE IT. I HAD TO PAY $200 FOR PARTS AND LABOR FOR A BATTERY, WHICH I COULD REPLACE MYSELF IF THE THING WASN'T DESIGNED (SEEMINGLY) TO PREVENT OWNER MAINTENANCE. I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND THIS VEHICLE TO ANYONE. WHEN IT RUNS IT'S NICE, BUT UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUN THE RISK OF HAVING IT TOWED ONCE EVERY 13 DAYS AND PAYING $520 IN REPAIRS AND TOWS WHILE ONLY OWING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN TWO MONTHS, PURCHASE SOMETHING ELSE. DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS-----769737. *AK

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR (10/04/00) THE HORN INTERMITTENTLY DIDN'T WORK. ON 3/14/01 I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT HORN RELAY (P/N 12088567) AT THE DEALER & TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT OF THE PROBLEM & THAT I WOULD WAIT UNTIL IT PERMANENTLY DIDN'T WORK. THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I ASSUMED THEY NOTED THAT ON MY SERVICE RECORD. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED & I HAD THEM LOOK AT IT 12/14/01 DURING WHICH TIME THEY SAID THEY TIGHTENED SOME LOOSE CONNECTIONS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED & ON 9/5/02 I BROUGHT IT BACK. THEY ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE & REPORTED THAT THE HORN INITIALLY DIDN'T WORK BUT STARTED TO WORK AGAIN BEFORE THEY GOT IT BACK TO THE GARAGE. THEY CLEANED SOME CONNECTIONS BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. TODAY, I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST (WHEN THE HORN WASN'T WORKING, OF COURSE, WHICH IS PROBABLY LESS THAN 5% OF THE TIME) & WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS. I BELIEVE THAT, SINCE I WAS SOLD A VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT, THE MANUFACTURER HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY MILES ELAPSED SINCE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED (AT 0 MILES). I COULDN'T PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR SO IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE DATE.*AK

WE HAVE A BUILT IN CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT IN THE MIDDLE ROW OF OUR VAN. I NOTICED THAT THE CLIP THAT SITS BY A CHILDS CHEST DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. I COULD PULL IT APART BY GIVING A LITTLE TUG ON IT. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAT. I THEN TESTED IT TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD WORK AND THE SAME THING OCCURRED, I WAS ABLE TO PULL IT APART JUST BY TUGGING ON IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT UNDER HIGH IMPACT IT WOULD LOCK UP. I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T FEEL CONFIDENT WITH THAT ANSWER AND THEY THEN INFORMED ME THAT GM GAVE THEM THIS INFORMATION. I WAS IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT WHERE MY VEHICLE ROLLED THREE TIMES AND WHEN I TURNED AROUND AFTER THE ACCIDENT I SAW MY 3 YR OLD SONS SEAT BELT WAS UNLATCHED. I BELIEVE IF THIS WAS A HEAD ON ACCIDENT MY SON WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT THE WINDOW. I"M GLAS I KEPT HIS COAT OVE HIS SHOULDERS AND LOCKED IN THE SEAT WITH HIM BECAUSE THIS MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT SAVED HIS LIFE. THIS IS ALL IN A POLICE REPORT WITH 2 PASSENGER WITNESSES. AS SOON AS I GOT HOME I BROUGHT THIS TO NEWBERRY MOTORS AND GM'S ATTENTION. BOTH PLACES IGNORED ME AND ACTED AS IF THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM. FINALLY AFTER OUR 3RD ATTEMPT AT TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO LISTEN AT GM WE GOT A CALL BACK FROM A GM REPRESENTITIVE. THIS GENTLEMAN OWNS THE EXACT TYPE OF VEHICLE, WENT HOME & TESTED HIS AND FOUND HIS FAILED IN THE SAME WAY. HE THEN CALLED AROUND TO OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND FOUND ALL FAILED IN THE SAME WAY. THEY TOLD US TO GO OUT AND BY A NEW CHILD SEAT AND THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM GM ON THIS MATTER. MY ACCIDENT WAS 3/2002. MY CONCERN IS THAT I'M GOING TO HEAR ABOUT A KID THAT WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE AS MY SON. GM DID SAY THEY WERE GOING TO RESEARCH FURTHER AND ISSUE SOME SORT OF RECALL, BUT AS I SAID I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING FURTHER ON THIS MATTER. I WOULD THINK THAT CHILDRENS SAFETY WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM. I WOULD HOPE THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO SOMETHING QUICKLY! THANK YOU! *AK