NHTSA Complaint #10064099 — 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE

I BOUGHT A USED 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE WITH 54,500 MILES ON IT. 7 MONTHS AND 32,000 MILES LATER, THE VAN IS AT MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER WITH $1,650 $2,200 OF ENGINE DAMAGE, DUE TO AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE.*AK THE VANS 3.4L ENGINE WAS WELL-MAINTAINED, WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES AND INSPECTIONS. THE ONLY WARNING SIGN THAT I GOT WAS THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL HAD TO BE TOPPED OFF ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. A MECHANIC SAID THAT THE COOLANT LOSS WAS DUE TO EVAPORATION. MY MECHANIC OFFERED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A USED ONE FOR $2,200. HE WOULD PUT A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE, SO I WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO RUN INTO THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I LEARNED OF GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #03-06-01-010, WITH SUBSEQUENT REVISIONS APPENDED A AND B, WHICH DESCRIBES A REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR COOLANT LEAKS ON 3.1L AND 3.4L ENGINES. THE REPAIR PROCEDURE IS INSTALL A NEW DESIGN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE MATERIAL USED IN THE GASKET HAS BEEN CHANGED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE SEALING QUALITIES OF THE GASKET. WHEN REPLACING THE GASKET, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BOLTS MUST ALSO BE REPLACED AND TORQUED TO A REVISED SPECIFICATION. THE NEW BOLTS WILL COME WITH A PRE-APPLIED THREADLOCKER ON THEM. MY SON CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND SPOKE WITH JOHN BROOKS, WHO TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MY VAN EVALUATED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF A CHEVROLET DEALER BEFORE HE COULD OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. HE GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING SERVICE NUMBER WITH WHICH I COULD REFERENCE THE CALL: 1-201938-040. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK WAS CONFIRMED AT THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER ESTIMATED THAT THE ENGINE COULD BE REPAIRED FOR ABOUT $1,650, INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR, BUT THAT HE COULDNT CONFIRM THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE ENGINE. GETTING INTO THE ENGINE WOULD COST $500, AFTER WHICH THERE WOULD BE NO GOING BACK. HE SAID THERE WOULD BE NO ASSISTANCE FROM CHEVROLET, AS I HADN'T BOUGHT OR HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED THERE.