NHTSA Complaint #10293749 — 2005 CHEVROLET VENTURE

TEMP GAUGE READING HOT, DECIDED 95 S IN NEW YORK CITY WASN'T AN IDEAL PLACE TO STOP AND TRAFFIC WAS VERY BAD HAD TO DRIVE IN BREAKDOWN LANE TO GET TO NEAREST EXIT (APPROX 1.5 MILES) PULLED OVER IN A WATER WORKS LOT WITH MY 4 YR OLDS AND WIFE AT 11:30 PM, ON WAY TO OHIO FROM RHODE ISLAND. CALLED AAA TOOK TO GARAGE, SEVERAL HOURS LATER, US TO A HOTEL THAT WASN'T BOOKED. NEXT GARAGE REPLACED THE TEMP SWITCH AND THERMOSTAT. SEEMED OK. CONTINUED TO OHIO. WHILE IN OHIO TEMP GAUGE WAS READING HOT AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER AND SAID THAT THE GAUGE CLUSTER WAS FAULTY BUT DID NOT HAVE THE PART TO REPLACE. CAME HOME , TEMP GAUGE HAS BEEN READING FINE IF I TURN THE KEY ON AND OFF TO "RESET" THE GAUGE BACK TO "ZERO" STILL NOT SURE THAT IT IS READING CORRECTLY AT THAT POINT. $500.00 TO HAVE REPLACED. MOST CAR FORUMS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING OF THIS ISSUE AND SOME OTHER COOLING ISSUES THAT VERY WELL MAY BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT AND HAVING A VAN THAT "OVERHEATS"IS A PROBLEM DUE THE FACT THAT IF WE IGNORE THE GAUGE IT VERY WELL MAY OVERHEAT AND MY FAMILY MAY BE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD NOT BEING ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT AAA WAS ABLE TO HELP US ALOT AND THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE THAT WASN'T THE BRONX (WHICH WAS THE NEXT EXIT) OR WORSE. THIS PROBLEM INCLUDING THE STAY WAS $1300.00 AND NOT TO MENTION BEING IN A STRANGE DARK PLACE FOR NEARLY 3 HRS. I STILL HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THE NEW CLUSTER IS WORKING THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO. *TR