NHTSA Complaint #10124222 — 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE

IN SEPT. '03 THE REAR CYLINDER BRAKES WERE LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACED; IN MARCH '04 THE FRONT SUSPENSION WENT AND HAD UPPER STRUTS, MOUNTS AND BEARINGS ALL REPLACED; IN JUNE '04 I FIRST TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR ENGINE ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE LUNGES AND REVS HIGH BUT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD IT IN SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THEN; ALSO IN JUNE '04 THE LOWER INTAKE OF THE ENGINE COOLING WAS FOUND LEAKING. IN OCT. '04 THE ABS BRAKES WENT AND IT WAS VERIFIED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL HUB FAILED AND REPLACED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL HUB BEARING. ALSO IN OCT. '04, THE TRANSMISSION WENT. IT WAS NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP VERIFIED SUN SHELL FAILED AND REPLACED NEW SRTA TRANSMISSION. ALSO AT THIS SAME SERVICE VISIT, THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE CAM SENSOR LEAKING. THEY REPLACED LOWER INTAKE AND ALL RELATED GASKETS. IN NOV. '04, I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM, WHICH THEY AGAIN COULD NOT DETERMINE. IN APRIL '05, I DISCOVERED MY AIR CONDITIONING DID NOT WORK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY AND THAT I PROBABLY HAD A LEAK AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH MY VAN IS STILL LESS THAN 4 YRS. OLD AND HAS ONLY SEEN 3 SUMMERS AND THE AIR CONDITIONING IS BARELY USED. IN MAY '05, DURING A RAINSTORM MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT COME ON. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY JOLTED ON AND NEARLY FLIPPED OFF THE SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAIT FOR THE RAIN TO STOP UNTIL I COULD DRIVE AGAIN, ALL WHILE MY 4 CHILDREN WERE IN THE VAN. I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SHOWED THEM THE WIPERS. THEY LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND TOLD ME THAT THE WIPERS CAME AWAY FROM THE SUPPORT BRACE. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE WIPER TRANSMISSION, MOTOR AND CRANK. CHEVROLET SAID THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP WITH ANY OF THE REPAIR COSTS AND TOLD ME THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN AND I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.THIS VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 4 YRS. OLD.