NHTSA Complaint #10058317 — 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE

MY CHEVY VENTURE WITH 95,000 MILES, WITH NO PRIOR WARNING, RATHER SUDDENLY OVERHEATED AND STALLED AS I WAS PULLING IT OVER ON THE INTERSTATE. THANKFULLY THERE WAS A LEVEL, GRASSY SHOULDER SO I COULD PULL ALL THE WAY OFF THE ROAD, AS THE HEAVY TRUCK TRAFFIC WAS QUITE INTIMIDATING. THIS WAS IN MAINE, ON A VERY COLD DAY, AND I WAS ALONE WITH MY 4 SMALL CHILDREN, ABOUT 45 MINUTES FROM HOME. TOW TRUCK DRIVER COULDN' T TAKE ALL OF US, AND THERE WERE NO TAXI CABS. THANK GOD ONE OF MY FRIENDS WITH A VAN (FORD!) WAS ABLE TO COME GET US. WE HAD TO WAIT IN THE CAB OF THE TOW TRUCK FOR 45 MINUTES FOR MY FRIEND TO COME FROM HOME TO WHERE WE WERE STRANDED. GOT THE VAN BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH A $2800 REPAIR BILL (APPARENTLY WE GOT OFF EASY, USUALLY MORE ENGINE DAMAGE IS SUSTAINED IN THIS KIND OF THING) DIAGNOSIS: FAILURE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (WHICH DEALERSHIP ADMITS IS A "DESIGN FLAW", RESULTING IN THESE PROBLEMS FOR TOO MANY OWNERS) RESULTING IN A FLOODING OF ENGINE WITH ANTIFREEZE, SUDDEN TEMPERATURE CHANGE WARPING THE HEAD. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM, I WISH IT HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR A REPLACEMENT BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. CHEVY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT ITS MINIVAN PRODUCTS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS DRIVEN BY MOMS WITH LARGE FAMILIES WHO CANNOT AFFORD (FINANCIALLY OR SAFETY-WISE) TO BREAK DOWN SO DRAMATICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. MY CHILDREN AND I WERE TERRIFIED THAT DAY--IF IT HAD STALLED 5 SECONDS SOONER, WE WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT OFF THE ROAD. THANK YOU. MARCIA HYDE. *JB