2002 Chevrolet Venture

MY VAN WAS DRIVING IN THE COLD SNOW ON AN EARLY MORNING. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES VERY SLOWLY, MY TRANSMISSION CEASED. WHEN I PULLED TO THE STOP LIGHT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE AFTER THAT. PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING I HAD HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER WITH INTERMITTENT CONCERNS WITH GOING INTO REVERSE. EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO REVERSE, BUT IT WOULD HOP INTO GEAR. *CB

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON JULY 31, 2003 FROM BAKER MOTORS IN MILAN IN. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS LATER THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED COMING ON AND OFF. I CALLED BAKER MOTOR AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME SOMEONE WOULD BE CONTACTING ME. NO ONE CONTACTED ME. ON AUGUST 27, 2003 THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. ON AUG. 28, 2003 THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THERE WAS NO COLLISION. THE USED CAR DEALERSHIP, BAKER MOTORS, IN MILAN IN. HAS REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS AT THEIR COST STATING IT IS A DEFECT AND IS THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY. GENERAL MOTORS HAS REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS AT THEIR COST STATING, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USED CAR DEALER BECAUSE THEY SOLD IT TO ME THAT WAY, AND ALSO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS SUPPOSE TO BE MAINTENANCE FREE, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO DEPLOY UNLESS FROM THE FORCE OF A COLLISION AND THERE WAS NO COLLISION, YET THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. I WAS SOLD A VEHICLE THAT WAS UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, AND THAT AN INSURANCE COMPANY CAN REFUSE TO INSURE.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO WORK WITH GM TO GET THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC, POWER SLIDING DOOR REPLACED WITH A MANUAL SLIDING DOOR. FILE NUMBER AT GM IS 1-112050633 FILED ON 6/23/03. WE HAVE YET TO SPEAK TO MR. KEVIN DREW AT GM WHO IS HANDLING OUR COMPLAINT. WE HAVE LEFT NUMEROUS MESSAGES FOR HIM. MY 9-YEAR OLD SON GOT HIS FINGERS CAUGHT IN THE SLIDING DOOR AS IT WAS CLOSING. HE WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE VAN AND GOT THEM CAUGHT IN THE BACK EDGE OF THE DOOR (TOWARDS THE REAR SEAT). THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT RELEASE TO GET HIS FINGERS OUT OF THE DOOR. WE HAD TO FINALLY USE A CROWBAR TO GET HIS FINGERS OUT. WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO CALL RESCUE PERSONNEL TO GET HIM OUT IF WE HAD BEEN SOMEWHERE WHERE WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TOOLS. IT WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR MY SON AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE FAMILY.

MY 2002 VENTURE HAS LOST THE ABS & AWD SYSTEMS SEVERAL TIMES, (WHICH IS NO FUN WHILE DRIVING ON ICE AND SNOW). THE DEALER HAS FIXED WIRING, REPLACED SENSORS, AND IS KNOW WAITING FOR COMPLETE WHEEL ASMBLIES FOR MY VAN AND AT LEAST 3 OTHERS. THE DEALER HAS FURNISHED EACH OF US WITH LOANER VEHICLES WHILE THEY AWAIT PARTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE 2003 VENTURE HAS AN UPGRADED SYSTEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, BUT I THOUGHT I SHOULD BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION, BEING THAT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE "WEB". I WASN'T AWARE OF OTHERS HAVING PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS LAST INCIDENT AND THE SERVICE MANAGER MENTIONED THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE HAVING PROBLEMS. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION, ALSO LET ME KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN A LARGER NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.

OWNER STATES THAT FRONT DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED BY USING THE REMOTE OR DOOR SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER CLEANED THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND ADVISED THE CONSUMER TO RETURN IF THE PROBLEM PERSIST. *NM

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A DELAY BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AND THE PEDAL WOULD GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BUT IT RECURRED. *NLM FAILURE OF BRAKES AND AWD SYSTEM HAS OCCURED THREE TIMES. THERE WAS A DELAY IN STOPPING WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR BOARD WHEN DEPRESSED.*MR

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH CONSUMER STRUCK A LARGE DEER CROSSING THE ROAD. CONSUMER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, CONSUMER'S SON SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A DEER. VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A DITCH, FLIPPED ON ITS ROOF, AND SLID DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. SEAT BELTS WERE WORN, BUT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES . *AK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 CHEVY VENTURE ON 10/15/01. ONE WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED THE VAN THE DRIVER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR MALFUNCTIONED. IT CLOSED TO WITHIN AN INCH AND THEN SPONTANEOUSLY BOUNCED BACK OPEN. IT MALFUNCTIONED NO MATTER WHICH METHOD I USED TO CLOSE THE DOOR (PRESSING THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE BUTTON, THE DOOR BUTTON OR THE REMOTE BUTTON.) I HAD TO MANUALLY PUSH THE DOOR CLOSED WHEN IT OCCURRED. FOR A WHILE, I THOUGHT I WAS ACCIDENTALLY HITTING THE REMOTE BECAUSE THE MALFUNCTION DOES NOT OCCUR ALL THE TIME. RATHER, IT HAPPENS OFF AND ON, SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK AND THEN NOT AGAIN FOR A FEW WEEKS. IT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION SPORADICALLY AND I RETURNED TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT THE FIRST TIME ON 2/1/02. IT HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM 9 TIMES AND STILL CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION. ON ONE RECENT OCCASION MY 4-YEAR-OLD SON WAS STRUCK IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WHEN THE DOOR MALFUNCTIONED WHILE HE WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE VAN. I NOTIFIED CHEVROLET'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING THE VAN IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN. I COMPLIED, BUT THE DOOR CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER FOLLOWED UP AND I TOLD THEM THAT THE DOOR STILL IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN (FOR THE 10TH TIME). I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. FOR SOME UNKNOWN (TO ME) REASON, THE AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) STARTS TO SMELL HORRIBLY FOUL. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED ON 4 OCCASIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT TIME (IN AUGUST 2003), THE TECHNICIANS REMOVED ALL HOSE AND DUCT WORK AND CLEANED IT WITH BLEACH AND CLEANER. THE FOUL ODOR RETURNED WITHIN 2 WEEKS. I HIRED A CONSULTING FIRM TO PERFORM AN AIR ANALYSIS ON THE VAN AND THE LAB RESULTS INDICATED THAT 2 SPECIES OF MOLD SPORES ARE STILL PRESENT IN THE DUCT WORK. AGAIN, CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY ADVISED ME TO RETURN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. *LA

I HAD A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE WITH OUR 2002 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINI-VAN. WHEN THE VAN IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEYS ARE OUT, THE POWER WINDOWS AND RADIO ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL FOR SEVERAL MINUTES OR UNTIL THE DOOR IS OPENED. MY 3 YEAR OLD SON AND I WERE SITTING IN THE VAN TODAY WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN WAITING FOR PRESCHOOL TO START. MY SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH. THE WINDOW STARTED TO RAISE UP AND CLOSE WITH HIS HEAD STILL IN THE WINDOW. FORTUNATELY I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO HIT THE SWITCH TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN. JOHN WASN'T HURT, BUT HE WAS VERY SCARED, AND I WAS TOO. I CHECKED MY MANUAL TO SEE IF MY VAN HAS A WINDOW LOCKING FEATURE, BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE THAT. MY REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS TO MAKE THE MANUFACTURER AND PARENTS AWARE OF THIS DANGER AND TO SEE IF SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. JOHN COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT, AND I AM STILL SHAKING AN HOUR LATER. *LA