1997 Chevrolet Venture LS Extended Van review from North America
"I would never buy another one"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket blew at 71,000 miles.
Flywheel teeth broke off at 85,000 miles.
OE Battery terminals broke off at 60,000 miles.
General comments?
Liked this van when we first bought it. Turned out to be a money pit. Head gasket blew out with no warning and left me stranded on the side of the road in another state; $1400 later I was on my way. Flywheel teeth broke off earlier this year, costing another $600.
There was a steering gearbox recall on these vans; the dealer got the steering wheel cocked when they did the work and never managed to get it fixed right, so the steering wheel was always crooked from that point forward. The transmission was starting to shift really hard when I traded this thing in on a new truck.
This thing rode like a tank; it would kill you on long trips and anyone riding in the back ended up carsick. The only good thing about this van was when you took out all the seats it had a decent amount of storage space and it got OK gas mileage. The engine was way too weak for the van and it always sounded like it might come apart at any second, especially after the head gasket blew.
Recommended reviews
| A big disapointment to our family |
|
| 1997 - Venture extended LS typ. Keep a close eye on the venture and maybe it won't bite you too hard |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.4 6 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 2 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 3 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 57000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Econoline |
| Date of Entry | 29th December, 2004 |