1998 Chevrolet Venture Value Van 3.4 liter V6 vin E

Summary:

I would not hesitate in driving it anywhere I needed to go!

Faults:

Have done two sets of intake gaskets @ 78K and 225K.

Four sets of front brake pads.

One water pump @ 150K.

Front sway bar broke @ 274K.

Rear hatch door pull broke.

General Comments:

Have yet to put back brakes on it.

Has always ran great, and does well on gas.

Has made many long distance trips, and has never actually broke down and left us stranded.

Some of the interior plastic is cheap, but overall has been a great van for us.

Even with the mileage - still only uses about a quart of oil at about 2-3K miles!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th November, 2009

6th Jan 2010, 19:26

What else do you want from a van. Even Siennas are not reliable as this one?

1998 Chevrolet Venture Base Model 3.4L

Summary:

Have your van inspected before buying

Faults:

I am a wholesaler and in the hope of making a good earning on a Chevy Venture, it actually turned out that I took a good hit. While the truck looked awesome what lied beneath the skin was another matter. I had sold the thing and after the costumer got it inspected her mechanic found $2500.00 worth of repairs. Not bad for a truck I paid $2500.00 and later sold $3000.00 after repairing it a much lower cost thanks to a buddy mechanic of mine. Still I lost a good deal. I had to change two outer tie-rod ends, two balls joints, front brakes---which wear prematurely, the O-ring, manifold, and the rack and pinion. I am not sure I want to buy one of these again. Hey everybody out there, go HONDA, TOYOTA or NISSAN. They are reliable and costlier to buy, but you won't spend your Saturday afternoons at Rick's corner service station

General Comments:

Too bad the van looks nice and rides well. There is lots of space and the ergonomics were well plotted out, however get your wallet ready.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 7th January, 2007

1998 Chevrolet Venture LS 3.4 V6

Summary:

I'd sell it if I thought I could find another vehicle that would treat me this well

Faults:

Intake manifold gasket, replaced by dealer $500.

General Comments:

I think this may be the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.

The only repair in 8 years was for the intake manifold gasket (common to 3.4 V6).

It's never been in a garage and the paint shines like new (although I do wash and wax the car appropriately).

Excellent on long trips as it swallows a ton of luggage and returns almost 30 MPG on the highway.

I almost cried when I traded my 1995 Impala SS in on this, but to be honest, it's been more reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th December, 2006

1998 Chevrolet Venture

Summary:

Horribly made, I will never buy another one

Faults:

The transmission keeps messing up at around 50-55 MPH, it hesitates and the service engine light comes on especially when entering the highway.

We had to have the front hub assembly replaced and now we need a half shaft replace.

I also have a problem with the power locks, they will not work from any door or from the remote.

The van also stopped responding to the remote start, even after changing the battery.

General Comments:

Transmission is horrible.

Power locks never work anymore.

Brakes always make a grinding noise, even though they are new.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 15th February, 2006

1998 Chevrolet Venture LX 3.4

Summary:

My opinion on this car isn't very good

Faults:

Head lights - Water accumulates after 6 month or so and needs to be replaced.

Driver Side Widow inoperable The scissors bent inside window that drive the glass up and down.

Axle replaced this was vibration related.

Lower intake manifold gasket leaking at 70k.

Head gasket blew - 160k miles engine was replaced. Payed nearly 6k for new engine.

Lower intake manifold gasket leaking with new engine at 40k miles, and was replaced by the dealer only after I hounded them. Otherwise they wanted to charge me 1,200 dollars.

This list is a fraction of what has been done to keep it on the road.

General Comments:

My Veture van has been very problematic. I have easily spent over 10 grand in repairs and cannot afford to sell this car. I recently bought a 2005 Honda Civic to take the pressure off the Venture, but I still own it, and will use it as a back up vehicle. I have done everything possible to maintain the Venture, but it simply has defects from Chevy that have gone ignored by the manufacturer. I have vowed never to buy another Chevy product, and will do everything in my power to steer potential buyers away. I bought the car new in 1998, and it has been nothing, but a nightmare to maintain, and keep it on the road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th April, 2005

5th Apr 2005, 11:51

Just look at the mileage you got out of this thing!

6th Apr 2005, 19:07

True, I have a lot of miles on my Venture, but it has cost a lot of money keeping it on the road, and that has been my main complaint.

11th May 2005, 22:17

I have a 98 venture that has had all the same problems as yours. Plus a bunch more! I also bought a new motor only to have the same problems start to occur. Chevrolet knows there is a problem, but says oh well..

23rd Jul 2006, 13:53

I bought my 98 Venture with 93000 kilometers in 2002. I guess I'm lucky to get to 183,000 K's. One water pump, leaking headlight, rear wiper motor seized, rear hatch key opener seized, paint peeling all over and the ever present GM secret warranty problem, but no recall, a leaking intake manifold gasket. By the time you find out it is leaking it is too late. Two months ago I had the windshield replaced to find out that it is rusting out across the entire top of the windshield (numerous holes, not leaking yet). In the last 3 to 4 weeks I find out my air conditioning is not working, the right front CV joint is going, my left front wheel bearing and to top it off the engine starts knocking (finished). My power mirror switch shorted out 4 weeks ago and burned the plastic and left a terrible smell in the van. What kind of cancer causing chemicals were in that smoke? Too bad it did not burn the whole van. I never like to say never, but I will never buy another GM. For sale, a good pair of snow tires and the radio.

18th Jun 2007, 20:55

My '98 made it to 143K. Same problems as above. Cool van till the Intake Manifold Gasket thing happened and it was downhill from there.

When I junked it, the woman at the junkyard was impressed that I had gotten so many miles. Said she usually gets them at 100K.

The GM V6 motor is terrible. I feel sorry for my parents with their Buick Rendezvous, same motor, same intake manifold leak. It has 120K and probably not many to go.