NHTSA Complaint #756409 — 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE

1. THE AUTOMATIC POWER DOOR HAS NO SENSOR. IF YOU ARE STANDING IN ITS WAY WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSING, IT WILL CLOSE ON YOU BEFORE IT RETRACTS. IF MY CHILD WOULD GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR, IT COULD DO SUBSTANTIAL HARM. 2. THERE ARE 2 BUCKET SEATS IN THE BACK OF THIS MINIVAN. THEY ARE SPACED 4.7 INCHES APART. MY SON WHO IS 2 YEARS OLD (35LBS AND 38") WAS INSIDE THE CAR AND REACHED BETWEEN THE SEATS TO RETRIEVE SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK AREA. HE BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE SEATS AND COULD NOT FREE HIMSELF. THANKFULLY, WE WERE ABLE TO LIFT HIM OUT BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED. IF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED DURING THE SUMMER AND WE DID NOT NOTICE HE WAS IN THE CAR, HE COULD HAVE SUFFOCATED. 3. THE WAY THE CAR IS DESIGNED WITH ALL BUCKET SEATS, IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTACH BOOSTER SEATS AND CAR SEATS PROPERLY. THE BUCKLES THAT CLASP THE SEATBELTS DO NOT STAND UP TO FACE UPWARDS, THEY FACE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THEREFORE, YOU CAN NOT GET A GOOD CONNECTION FOR THE SEATS TO FIT SECURELY. I WENT TO CAR SEAT CLINICS SPONSORED BY CHEVY AND THE "PROFESSIONALS" COULD NOT GET THE SEATS TO FIT PROPERLY AND WITHOUT MOVEMENT. FOR A CAR THAT WAS DESIGNED WITH CHILDREN IN MIND, THEY DID A SORRY JOB. I FEEL THIS CAR TO BE UNSAFE FOR ANY CHILD UNDER 40 POUNDS! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THESE PROBLEMS LIGHTLY - MY CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE AT STAKE.*AK