NHTSA Complaint #10043869 — 2002 CHEVROLET VENTURE

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