NHTSA Complaint #10052461 — 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE

I OWN A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. RECENTLY DISCOVERED ENGINE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BECAUSE OF A FAILED GASKET AND DEXCOOL ENGINE COOLANT. WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING ALSO. WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM I BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A PETITION LOCATED AT HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/GMCNSMRS/ THAT CONTAINED ALMOST 5000 GM OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. ON OTHER SITES I FOUND THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE PUT IN HARMS WAY BY THE FAILURE OF THIS GASKET AND THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE CAUSED TO THEIR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES. THE GASKET HAS BEEN REDESIGNED BUT AT SOME POINT LAST YEAR (2003) IT WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. AFTER REPAIRS AND APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES OF TRAVEL MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT HAS NOW COME ON. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FAILURE OF THESE GASKETS, THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY USE OF DEXCOOL COOLANT, AND SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL FAILURE OF GMC ENGINES. *AK