NHTSA Complaint #767292 — 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR (10/04/00) THE HORN INTERMITTENTLY DIDN'T WORK. ON 3/14/01 I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT HORN RELAY (P/N 12088567) AT THE DEALER & TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT OF THE PROBLEM & THAT I WOULD WAIT UNTIL IT PERMANENTLY DIDN'T WORK. THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I ASSUMED THEY NOTED THAT ON MY SERVICE RECORD. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED & I HAD THEM LOOK AT IT 12/14/01 DURING WHICH TIME THEY SAID THEY TIGHTENED SOME LOOSE CONNECTIONS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED & ON 9/5/02 I BROUGHT IT BACK. THEY ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE & REPORTED THAT THE HORN INITIALLY DIDN'T WORK BUT STARTED TO WORK AGAIN BEFORE THEY GOT IT BACK TO THE GARAGE. THEY CLEANED SOME CONNECTIONS BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. TODAY, I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST (WHEN THE HORN WASN'T WORKING, OF COURSE, WHICH IS PROBABLY LESS THAN 5% OF THE TIME) & WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS. I BELIEVE THAT, SINCE I WAS SOLD A VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT, THE MANUFACTURER HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY MILES ELAPSED SINCE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED (AT 0 MILES). I COULDN'T PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR SO IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE DATE.*AK