2000 Chevrolet Venture

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR TWO DAYS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CAUSED A GARAGE LOCATED NEXT TO THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

PLEASE INVESTIGATE INCIDENTS OF FAILURE OF THE GM PASSKEY/PASSLOCK/VATS SECURITY SYSTEM. SECURITY LIGHT WOULD FLASH AND VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. PROBLEM OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. NO ACCIDENTS INVOLVED, BUT SEVERAL NEAR MISSES. PROBLEM OCCURRED VERY FREQUENTLY IN THE PAST WEEK, AND NOW VEHICLE WILL NOT START DUE TO SECURITY FEATURE. I AM USING FACTORY ORIGINAL KEYS, NOT REPLACEMENTS. PROBLEM AFFECTS THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL, BUT IT IS SO SYSTEMIC TO GM, AN ENTIRE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY HAS ARISEN TO BYPASS THIS SECURITY "FEATURE." *TR

I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A DEAD STOP,THEN WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. AS SOON AS I DID THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK,WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND CAUSED ME TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. ALSO MY GAS GAUGE DIDN'T WORK AND WOULD RANDOMLY MOVE BACK AND FORTH,EVEN IF I HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS. THEN,THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUED TO GO OUT DUE TO THE MELTING OF THE PART OF THE BULB,NOT THE BULB ITSELF. MY ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE CAME OFF THE TRACK DUE TO THE CORD AND PULLEY/MOTOR IN THE DOOR. I COULD NEVER GET THE DOOR TO WORK OTHER THAN BY MANUALLY OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR AFTER THAT. *TR

WE OWN A 2000 CHEVY VENTURE THAT WE BOUGHT USED ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, THE BUTTON FOR THE DOORS TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY DIDN'T WORK AS WELL AS THE GAS GAUGE. SINCE, WE HAVE REPLACED THE HEADS, THE WATER PUMP, RACK AND PINION, WHEEL HUB, TIE ROD END, AS WELL AS REPLACING THE HEAD LIGHTS EVERY COUPLE MONTHS AND NOW HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS.WHEN WE HAD THE HEADS REPLACED, THEY FLUSHED THE RADIATOR AND WE ARE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON AND THE FLUID LOOKING CLOUDY. THEY TOLD US THAT THE CLOUDINESS SOMETIMES HAPPENS, BUT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE LIGHT COMING ON SAYING ITS LOW!!! WE WERE ALSO NOTIFIED THAT THE ABS BOX IS BAD AND NEEDS REPLACED...ALSO, SOMETIMES THERE IS WATER THAT LEAKS FROM THE WEATHER GAUGE OR THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO THE TRACTION SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON AND ACTUALLY SHUTS THE SYSTEM OFF WHEN YOU TURN THE VAN ON, THIS MAYBE DUE TO THE BAD ABS BOX BUT HAS BEEN DOING THIS LONGER THEN THE ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THERE IS ALSO RUST ALONG THE VAN BELOW THE SLIDING DOORS. THE LOCKS ALSO SOMETIMES STICK WHEN USING THE KEYPAD OR THE ELECTRICAL LOCK BUTTON INSIDE THE VAN. WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF THIS VAN! JUST HOPE WE HAVE BETTER LUCK WITH OUR NEXT VEHICLE. *TR

MINI VAN WAS TRYING TO TURN OVER OR START ITSELF WITHOUT HELP OF KEYS OR PEOPLE BEING IN VEHICLE. DOES NOT HAVE AUTO STARTER THAT SOME PEOPLE PUT ON CARS TO START IN COLD WEATHER.FIRST STARTED THIS IN EARLY A.M. ON WEEKEND WHILE OWNER STILL SLEEPING. BEFORE OWNER REALIZED IT WAS THEIR VEHICLE (THEY LIVE IN APT COMPLEX) THEY DROVE THEIR VEHICLE THROUGH OUT DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. LATER WHEN PARKED IT TRIED AGAIN WHEN OWNER WAS IN APT. TOOK TOO AUTO SHOP AND STARTER WAS REPLACED . DROVE THROUGHOUT DAY AGAIN WITHOUT INCIDENT THINKING PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. LATER ABOUT 10:30 P.M. IT TRIED TURNING OVER, REPEATING AT 2:30 A.M. THEN EVERY 15-20 MINUTES UNTIL 5:30 A.M. WENT BACK TOO SHOP TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK. SHOP IS NOT SURE WHAT PROBLEM IS EXCEPT SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELECTRICAL., BUT IF STARTS ITSELF COULD CAUSE FIRE. *TR

IN DECEMBER 2007 MY SON PARKED OUR 2000 CHEVY VENTURE VAN AND WENT INSIDE. 10 MINUTES LATER SOMEONE TOLD HIM THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. IT WAS PUT OUT WITH A GARDEN HOSE. FIRE STARTED IN WINDOW CONTROL PANEL DESTROYING THE DOOR AND PART OF THE DASH, SOOT FILLED INTERIOR. SIDE WINDOW AND WINDSHIELD BROKEN DUE TO HEAT. WINDOWS HAD NOT BEEN USED DUE TO COLD WEATHER. VAN WAS TOTALED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING VERY HARD TO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY MAKING NOISE. THE FUEL GAUGE QUIT WORKING ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, IT JUST GOES BACK AND FORTH TO WHATEVER IT FEELS LIKE. CRANKSHAFT PULLEY SEPARATED AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING THE BELT TO JUMP AND TANGLE IN EVERYTHING, TOO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY BEING PULLED INTO THE FRONT MAIN SEAL CAUSING THAT TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *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