2000 Chevrolet Venture

ON LEAVING THE PARKING LOT AT SOUTHERN MARYLAND HOSPITAL, I HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VAN. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER AND LOOKED UNDER THE VAN. THE FRONT FRAME HAD DROPPED TO THE ROAD AND I FOUND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NOW TURNED 360 DEGREES. FORTUNATELY, I HAD NOT ENTERED A HIGH SPEED ROAD SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER OUT OF HARMS WAY BEFORE ANYTHING DRASTIC HAPPENED. I HAD IT TOWED TO JACK WINEGARDNER CHEVROLET. THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND SAID THE BOLT HOLDING UP THE FRAME HAD SHEERED OFF. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY IT HAPPENED. THE VAN HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT; THERE WAS NO RUST (THE VAN WAS WELL MAINTAINED). I ASKED THAT IT BE REPAIRED AND CALLED THE GM HEADQUARTERS TO ASK FOR RELIEF ON THE COST OF THE REPAIRS SINCE I FELT IT WAS PROBABLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DISTRICT MANAGER, TERRY LYNN, CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THEY DID NOT CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE VAN WAS TOO OLD (8-1/2 YEARS OLD) AND HAD 75,000 MILES ON IT. (THE 75,000 WAS MY ESTIMATE AT THE TIME. WHEN I GOT THE VAN BACK, THE MILEAGE WAS ACTUALLY 63,700.) THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP HAS ASSURED ME THAT THERE WOULD BE O.K. TO DRIVE THE VAN, THAT IS CONSIDERED SAFE. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE, BUT I BELIEVE AN ALERT SHOULD BE ISSUED. (I DROVE MY CHEVY CAVALIER FOR 17 YEARS AND OVER 400,000 MILES BEFORE TRADING IT IN ON THE 2000 VENTURE. AND NEVER ONCE DID THE FRAME "FALL TO THE GROUND".) I DID NOT ASK FOR THE RUINED PARTS TO BE RETURNED. SORRY! *TR

I HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME PROBLEM FIXED ON MY CHEVY VENTURE VAN (2000) THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME...THE INTAKE GASKET KEEPS BLOWING OUT...I WOULD HOPE IF ANY OTHER GM VEHICLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM WOULD COME FORWARD SO THERE CAN BE A RECALL ON THIS, SO WE CAN GET IT FIXED...TRUST ME IT IS NOT A "CHEAP" FIX AT ALL. THIS HAS BEEN FIXED WITHIN THE LAST 4 YEARS...3 TIMES...THE CAR STARTS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, AND OVER HEATING THE VEHICLE. *TR

MY 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS OPENING THE DRIVER-SIDE SLIDING DOOR (NOT-AUTOMATIC), WHEN IT SLID OUT OF THE TRACK (THE ONE IN THE REAR PANEL, NOT THE BOTTOM), SHEARED OFF THE ROLLER-BEARING (?) PART THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE TRACK, AND THE REAR PART OF THE DOOR DROPPED TO THE GROUND, NEARLY LANDING ON HER. THIS IS A SMALL (37LB) CHILD - AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT SHE COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS OCCURRENCE. WE HAVEN'T YET REPAIRED THE PART, AND THE DOOR DOESN'T CLOSE CORRECTLY AT ALL. WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE REPAIR WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A RECALL-WORTHY EVENT. *TR

MELTED/BURNED PLASTIC WHERE BRAKE LIGHT & TURN-SIGNAL WIRES CONNECT TO REAR BRAKE/TURN-SIGNAL HOUSINGS. ALSO MELTED PLASTIC NEAR CONTACTS WHERE SOME BRAKE LAMPS PLUG INTO THAT HOUSING. CAUSE A DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR DRIVING AT THE LEAST, AND POSSIBLY A FIRE HAZARD. BACKGROUND & SPECIFICS: BRAKE LAMPS BURN OUT FREQUENTLY. UPON CHANGING THEM I SEE BURNED PLASTIC AROUND THE AREA WHERE BULB LEADS CONNECT TO BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING. ALSO HAVE SEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATORS FOR BRAKES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY, BECAUSE OF POOR GROUNDING/WIRING/CONTACTS BETWEEN BRAKE WIRES AND BRAKE LIGHT HOUSINGS. WHEN THEY FAIL, SPECIFIC RESULT IS THE FOLLOWING: WHEN IGNITION TURNED ON, BOTH BRAKE SIGNAL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHT UP--EVEN THOUGH TURN SIGNALS LEVER IS NOT ON. IF I SET TURN SIGNAL ON, BOTH DASHBOARD TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR LIGHTS STAY ON. THEN THE DASHBOARD TURN-SIGNAL LIGHTS WILL BLINK FAST IF I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND AT NORMAL SPEED WHEN I AM OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. I REMOVED BRAKE LIGHT HOUSINGS AGAIN AND REMOVED CONNECTOR THAT PLUGS INTO THEM. THEY BOTH SMELL OF BURNED PLASTIC, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PLASTIC IS BADLY BURNED AWAY AROUND ONE (GROUND) WIRE WITHIN THE CONNECTOR. I LOOKED ON FORUMS ONLINE AND MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL CAR. I FEEL THIS PRESENTS A DANGEROUS SITUATION--THAT MAY EITHER CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, OR A ELECTRICAL FIRE WITHIN THE CAR. THE CAR FAILED INSPECTION AND I FELT IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. BECAUSE OTHERS ONLINE INDICATED THE SAME PROBLEMS I FIGURED THAT REPLACING THE BRAKE/TAIL LIGHT HOUSINGS WITH MORE OEM HOUSINGS WOULD RISK HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SO I DRILLED OUT THE PLASTIC AND MANUALLY SOLDERED A PROPER GROUND WIRE TO THE PROPER PLACE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN PROPER GROUND CONTACT. I DON'T FEEL THIS IS A GOOD SOLUTION BUT MANY OTHERS WHO INDICATED THIS PROBLEM SAID THE DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR REPAIR OF THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE CONSTANTLY BLOWS OUT.. WE HAVE REPLACED IT NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT IT STILL BLOWS. THE BASE OF THE BULBS LOOK MELTED ON EVERY ONE WE HAVE REPLACED. NOW THE TURN SIGNAL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE GOES CRAZY AND BLINKS VERY FAST AT RANDOM. IT CAN WORK RIGHT FOR 20 TIMES AND THEN GO CRAZY THE NEXT TIME IT IS USED.. *TR

THIS SEPTEMBER I CAME HOME FROM MY NIECES WEDDING AND WENT TO OPEN MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE.. I LITERALLY HAD TO KICK THE DOOR OPEN. IT HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS NOW, I WAS TOLD IT IS A PROBLEM IN THE WIRING. THE WIRING UNDER THE FLOOR MATS AREN'T PROTECTED ENOUGH AND BECOME CORRODED BECAUSE THE FLOOR BOARDS GETS WET. *TR

I HAD MY RADIATOR FLUSHED AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE SEEMED TO HAVE OIL IN MY COOLANT. I WAS TOLD BY OUR MECHANIC THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE, WHICH WAS CAUSING THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE OIL. HE SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DEXCOOL WHICH IS THE RECOMMENDED COOLANT TO BE USED IN OUR VAN. IF GM RECOMMENDS THAT THIS COOLANT BE USED, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. WHICH IS GOING TO COST US ABOUT $800 OR MORE IF OUR ENGINE BLOWS. WHEN WE FINALLY DO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED WE WILL NOT BE PUTTING THE RED DEXCOOL BACK IN IT, WE ARE SWITCHING TO THE GREEN, IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY OUR MECHANIC. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR TAX REFUNDS, BECAUSE MY HUSBAND IS A DISABLED VET AND WE ARE ON A LIMITED INCOME.. SHAME ON GM FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CONSUMERS LIKE THIS, AND I CAN SEE FROM ALL THE COMPLAINTS LISTED HERE THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER THE SIDEWALK AND STRUCK THE RAILING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 87,000.

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A STREET, A 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN WAS STRUCK ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ENTERING THE STREET, CAUSING THE VAN TO ROLL OVER TO THE LEFT ON TO THE ROOF. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED (FRONT AND SIDE). THE DRIVER'S LEFT ARM WAS INJURED WHEN THE DRIVER HIT THE ROAD THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW AS THE VAN ROLLED OVER. THE NECK OF THE DRIVER WAS ALSO INJURED WHEN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD HIT ROOF ABOVE THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE FRONT, PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ROOF COLLAPSED. THE MINIVAN WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR