1998 Chevrolet Venture SLE 3.4 gas from North America
Summary:
Poor vehicle, poor service, poor choice
Faults:
The engine and transmission have been reliable. Everything else has either quit working or fallen off, at least once.
The van runs out of gas with 85 miles left to go according to the trip computer. Dealer says this is normal.
Power sliding door has failed 4 times and opened on the highway twice.
Air levelling suspension failed.
Weak air conditioning. Dealer says this is normal.
Eats tires. Original tires were worn out at 24,000 miles of highway driving. Dealer says this is normal.
Seats look comfortable, but aren't after an hour or so.
General Comments:
Minor problems have been made into major problems by awful dealer service.
Example: Air suspension compressor ran ALL the time. 4 trips to the dealer. The dealer says they all do that. Stopped for gas AFTER DARK one night. 17 year old gas attendant says "How come that pump runs all the time?" I say "The dealer says they all do that".
17 year old gas attendant bends down IN THE DARK and says "There's the problem, the little arm that senses the ride height is broken and hanging down." Fixes it with a piece of string. Still working. Wrote a letter to GM. No reply.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 11th August, 2001
26th Nov 2003, 13:17
Well I have a Venture also, and I have had NO problems! I take care of it, and it takes care of me. The only problem I had was the battery. I recommend this vehicle to anyone who's looking for a nice, sporty, fast, minivan. I cannot sit in the seats for more than an hour without falling asleep! They are very comfortable!
19th Mar 2004, 10:13
It sounds like you have an average van with a below average dealer, who doesn't want to be bothered by your problems. Don't be discouraged, just find a good independent mechanic who will take care of you.
4th Jul 2004, 12:54
I find the front seats very uncomfortable after an hour of driving also. I find the rear seat horrible to remove and replace. The running lite sockets are chard from overheating. Other than these problems, I take it for regular maintenance and it runs well at 138000 K. Blaine in Canada.
2nd May 2003, 01:52
I wish to thank the person who wrote this review.
It probably saved me several hundred dollars, since this Monday my wife called and told me that the car became impossible to drive.
After returning home I noticed that the rear end of the car was much higher than normal, and that the shock absorbers were at their highest position.
I would not have been able to locate the problem, nor to fix it, without the comments about the 17 yr old attendant fixing the problem with string.
I used cable binders and duct tape to fix mine, and it is running perfectly now... :-)
Thank you.