2004 Chevrolet Venture

DT:THE CONTACTS STATES THE GAS TANK SCRAPES THE GROUND WHEN TWO OR MORE PEOPLE SIT IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DAMAGED, CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE HEAT SHIELD THAT COVERS THE GAS TANK. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY STATED THE REAR SPRINGS WERE CAUSING THE SCRAPPING. THIS WOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK THE DOOR DOESN'T CLOSE PROPERLY. UPDATED 01/19/06. *JB

DT: THE SLIDING DOORS ARE UNSAFE, THEY ARE CATCHING PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOORS. THE DOOR CAUGHT THE OWNER'S DAUGHTER 3 TIMES IN THE DOORWAY WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE A CHILD FROM THE CHILD SEAT. THE DOORS ARE SLIDING CLOSED, AND WHEN IT HITS A PERSON IT'S NOT RETURNING. THE OWNERS 3 YEAR OLD WAS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR, AND THE OWNER HAD TO PULL HIM LOOSE. THE OTHER DOOR WAS OPENING AND CLOSING BY ITSELF. IF THE OWNER HAS THE REMOTE IN HAND AND ACCIDENTLY HITS THE REMOTE DOOR WOULD START TO CLOSE. IF SOMEONE IS IN THE DOORWAY THE DOOR IS NOT REVERSING ITSELF. THE OWNER HAS ALREADY TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. AND NO ONE IS WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO HELP TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DOOR CLOSED ON THE 3 YEAR OLD'S BODY AND HEAD AND THEN THE DOOR STILL DIDN'T RETURN BACK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR 3 TIMES. WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF.*AK

AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR ON 2004 VENTURE VAN...DOOR IS DANGEROUS. I SOMETIMES TRANSPORT OLDER PEOPLE. I HAVE HAD 2 NEAR TRAGEDIES IN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS I HAVE OWNED VEHICLE. THE LAST WAS WHEN I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO PICK UP A SEVERELY HANDICAPPED WIDOW WOMAN. WHEN SHE STARTED TO MAKE HER EXIT SHE SOMEHOW MUST HAVE HAD HER RIGHT HAND ON DOOR THE HANDLE AND ELBOW PART OF ARM ON SEAT WHILE DOOR WAS OPENING. I COULD NOT HOLD THE DOOR BACK BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL HER ARM FREE BEFORE IT WAS BROKEN. I REPORTED THIS TO GENERAL MOTORS AND TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON AUGUST 2004. THEY BOTH TOLD ME THAT THIS IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. *AK PE04064.*PCO *JB

I WAS ON A BUSINESS TRIP IN TEXAS AND WE HAD RENTED A 2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN FROM HERTZ. ON THURSDAY WE WENT TO LUNCH, AND I WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE BENCH SEAT BEHIND THE FRONT PASSENGER. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR TO GET OUT, THE AUTOMATIC OPENER MECHANISM ENGAGED. I WAS HOLDING THE DOOR HANDLE PULLING THE DOOR OPEN, THE AUTOMATIC OPENER PUSHED MY ELBOW INTO MY SEAT, AND THE OPENER CONTINUED TO FORCE THE DOOR OPEN. WITH MY ARM TRAPPED BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND THE SEAT, THE DOOR TWISTED MY WRIST BACK UNTIL IT BROKE ONE OF MY WRIST BONES. AFTER THAT I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND TREATED. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO HERTZ, AND HERTZ WAS NOTIFIED, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW THEY HAVE TAKEN NO ACTION. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE IS NO CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT GM HAS TAKEN TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM WITH THE VENTURE. *JB

AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR ON DRIVER SIDE OPENS BY ITSELF. I WILL CLOSE THE DOOR USING THE KEYLESS REMOTE OR THE BUTTON ON THE INSIDE OF DOOR FRAME BUT DOOR WILL REOPEN. HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES IN A SINGLE ATTEMPT TO CLOSE DOOR. SLOPE OF VEHICLE IS NOT A FACTOR AS IT WILL REOPEN WHEN VAN IS PARKED ON EVEN GROUND. COLD WEATHER MAY BE FACTOR. THERE IS ALWAYS A LOUD "KACHUNK" AS I ASSUME THE MECHANISM IS TRYING TO WORK. TO FINALLY GET IT TO STOP REOPENING IN SINGLE INCIDENT, I WILL ENGAGE THE LOCK OR WILL TURN OFF AUTOMATIC OPTION. HAVE MADE NUMEROUS CALLS TO DEALER AND HAVE TAKEN VAN IN TWICE TO BE INSPECTED. EACH TIME MECHANICS ARE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND END UP "CLEANING" THE TRACK AND ADJUSTING STRIKER. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DOOR IS NOT LATCHING PROPERLY AND MAY POSE DANGER OF INJURY TO MY SMALL CHILDREN IN ACCIDENT.*AK

WE RENTED A 2004 CHEVY VENTURE MINIVAN FROM AVIS AT PHILA AIRPORT. THE MINIVAN COMES EQUIPPED WITH A REMOTE-CONTROLLED POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WE WONDERED IF THE DOOR HAD AN AUTO-REVERSE TO PREVENT IT FROM CLOSING ON SOMETHING. WE COULD IMAGINE THAT WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL, SOMEONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VAN OR INTHE DRIVER'S SEAT COULD CLOSE THE DOOR WITHOUT SEEING THAT THERE WAS A CHILD, FOR EXAMPLE, SITTING OR LYING ACROSS THE DOORWAY. SO WE DECIDED TO TEST IT. WE HELD A 1/2 INCH THICK STICK AGAINST THE DOORFRAME AND CLOSED THE DOOR WITH THE REMOTE. IF THERE IS AN AUTO-REVERSE, IT DID NOT OPERATE! THE DOOR CLOSED ON THE STICK WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT PULLED THE STICK OUT OF THE TESTER'S HAND AND CRUSHED THE STICK AGAINST THE DOORFRAME. IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD DO TO A CHILD'S HAND OR LEG! OR NECK, GOD FORBID! WHAT IS THIS MINIVAN DOING ON THE MARKET????*AK

THE AUTOMATIC REVERSE SAFETY FEATURE OF BOTH POWER SIDE SLIDING DOORS REQUIRES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO ACTIVATE. THIS RESULTS IN POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO SMALL CHILDREN, WEAK ADULTS OR SENIOR ADULTS UNABLE TO EXERT ENOUGH FORCE TO ACTIVATE THE REVERSING MECHANISM. COMPARE EFFORT REQUIRED TO THIS SAFETY FEATURE IN TYPICAL HOME GARAGE DOORS OR THE HONDA ODYSSEY FOR EXAMPLE. *JB

THE SLIDING DOOR DOESN'T STAY LOCKED IN THE OPEN POSITION, EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS ON A FLAT SURFACE. THIS ALMOST RESULTED IN A TODDLER BEING CRUSHED BETWEEN THE DOORS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT A SLIDING DOOR ATTACHMENT NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. *AK THE PASSENGERS LEFT SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE. *SC *JB

DESIGN FLAW IN 2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE.*MR THE CONSUMER RENTED THE VAN FOR A VACATION. WHEN THE CONSUMER CHILD OPENED THE POWER SLIDING DOOR HIS ELBOW BECAME STUCK IN THE SEAT AND HE COULD NOT REMOVE HIS HAND FROM THE DOOR HANDLE. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN AND HYPER-EXTENDED HIS RIGHT WRIST. THE CHILD HEAR A FEW SNAPS AND THEN WAS ABLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR. THE CHILD SUSTAINED A BROKEN WRIST. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS DOOR IS POORLY DESIGNED. *NM

2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. WHILE STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT, MY FOURTEEN YEAR OLD SON OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SIDE DOOR USING THE INTERIOR HANDLE. HE KEPT HIS HAND ON THE HANDLE WHILE IT WAS OPENING. HIS ARM (ELBOW) BECAME STUCK IN THE SEAT AND HE COULD NOT REMOVE HIS HAND FROM THE DOOR HANDLE WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPENING. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN AND HYPER-EXTENDED HIS RIGHT WRIST. HE HEARD A COUPLE SNAPS AND FOUND A WAY TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR. HES NOW WEARING A CAST. WE TOOK HIM TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND X-RAYS INDICATED THAT HE FRACTURED HIS RIGHT WRIST.*AK PE04064.PCO