NHTSA Complaint #10196398 — 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS, CAUSES ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHICH RESULTED HEADS WERE WARPING. MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON I-10 COMING HOME FROM OUR FAMILY VACATION FROM DISNEYLAND AND HEADING BACK TO PHOENIX AZ WHEN THE ENGINE OVERHEATED ON THE 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN. WE WAITED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE DESERT FOR THE ENGINE TO COOL TO ADD WATER INTO THE RADIATOR. 45 MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE COOLED ENOUGH TO ADD THE WATER AND FOR SOME REASON IT WOULD NOT DRAW THE WATER OUT OF THE RESERVOIR. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. WE CALLED THE STATE POLICE AND A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN CAME OUT AND COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR US. HE CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND WE WERE CHARGED $250.00 TO BE TOWED 25 MILES FROM WHERE WE WERE TO THE TRUCK STOP AT TONAPAH. HE WANTED $700.00 TO TOW US HOME TO CHANDLER, AZ. HOWEVER, A FRIEND CAME TO OUR RESCUE BY TOWING US HOME WITH A STRAP FROM HIS TRUCK. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE 101 FREEWAY IN THE EAST VALLEY THE BATTERY DIED, ADDING TO THE DRAMA AND STRESS OF THE EVENING. WE FINALLY GOT HOME AFTER 1 AM , WE WERE EXPECTED AT 5 PM. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER THAT THE HEADS WERE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER BECAUSE OF FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND IT WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM IN ENGINES OVER 75,000 MILES , WE HAVE 77000 MILES, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVER HEAT AND DAMAGING IT. *AK