NHTSA Complaint #10460044 — 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE

I PURCHASED THE 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN NEW AND HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE/TAIL LIGHTS BURNING OUT. SPOKE WITH GM AND IF I RECALL CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME THEY BULBS WERE REPLACED WAS IN JUNE 2004. SINCE THEN I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS 2-4 TIMES PER YEAR TRYING DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND TYPES. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR SOLUTIONS ON THE INTERNET AND TRIED REPLACING THE CIRCUIT BOARDS AND THIS STILL DOES NOT MITIGATE THE ISSUE. THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND AT THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-VENTURE/TSSEMRSDQ22R1F463 WITH DATES BEGINNING 8/2006 RUNNING UNTIL 4/2012. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD FOR SEVERAL REASONS. 1) THE BULBS CAN WORK INTERMITTENTLY GIVING A FALSE SENSE OF REPAIR; 2) THE BULBS CAN FAIL WITHOUT WARNING; 3) THE TAIL LIGHTS CANNOT BE SEEN WHEN DRIVING IN THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS; 4) THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHT TO INDICATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT THE BULBS HAVE FAILED; AND 5) REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF BULBS AND/OR CIRCUIT BOARDS ARE COSTLY AND CANNOT BE EASILY ACCOMPLISHED BY THE ELDERLY OR HANDICAPPED DUE TO THE LOCATION AND STRENGTH NECESSARY TO DISASSEMBLE THE TAIL LIGHTS. AN ELDERLY PERSON OR ANY INDIVIDUAL MAY MAKE THE CHOICE TO FOREGO REPAIR DUE TO COST AND ENDANGER THEMSELVES IN THE MEANTIME. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND SEE IF YOU AGREE THAT A RECALL IS IN ORDER THAT COVERS ALL 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE VANS (NO MILEAGE LIMITS) SO I MAY NO LONGER WORRY ABOUT MY WIFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHILE COMMUTING AND TRANSPORTING OUR SON AND HIS FRIENDS TO SCHOOL. *TR