2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

HEATER SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING ON VERY COLD DAY WAS INITIAL INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM. AFTER HAVING EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTICS DONE AND MANY REPAIRS LATER TEMPERATURE GAUGE STILL GOES INTO RED AND NO HEAT COMING INTO CABIN WHEN HEATER TURNS ON. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AS I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH, AND PEOPLE SEEM TO BE STUCK WITH HIGH REPAIR BILLS JUST LIKE ME BECAUSE THEY MADE THE UNFORTUNATE DECISION TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE THAT CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLE WITH A FLAWED DESIGN IN THE COOLING SYSTEM/ HEAD GASKETS. *TR

2001 CHEVY VENTURE WITH 150K MILES. CAR GETS HOT VERY QUICKLY...WITHIN FEW MINS OF DRIVING THE HOT TEMP COOLANT LIGHT GOES ON AND THE NEEDLE IN THE RED ZONE. REPLACED TEMP SENSOR, THERMOSTAT, RADIATOR CAP AND HOSE. TOOK TO THREE MECHANICS AND CHEVY DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. HEAD GASKETS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RESEARCHED YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL AND MANY LISTED FOR SAME ISSUE. *TR

AT 35,000 MILES, INTAKE GASKET FAILURE, COOLANT LEAKED INTO INTAKE, REPAIR COVERED BY WARRANTY. AT 68,000 MILES INTAKE GASKET FAILURE ALONG WITH HEAD GASKET FAILURE, COOLANT LEAKED INTO CRANKCASE CONTAMINATING OIL. WAS RECOMMENDED BY MECHANIC AT THE REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE ENGINE AND DID. THE NEW USED ENGINE HAD A INTAKE GASKET FAILURE ALONG WITH A HEAD GASKET FAILURE 36,000 MILES AFTER INSTALLATION. INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT A NEW GASKET KIT CAME OUT FOR THIS ENGINE TO FIX THE GASKET FAILURES WITH THE 3.4 LITER. BOTH ENGINES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THIS IS A ENGINEERING FLAW BY GM. I FEEL GM SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THIS GASKET FAILURE. *NM

FAX FROM CONSUMER (OH) RE THE PROBLEM HE AND HIS WIFE HAD WITH THE HEAD GASKETS IN THEIR 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. *NM THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. *JB

FAX FM (OH) RE THE PROBLEM HE AND HIS WIFE HAD W/THE HEAD GASKETS IN THEIR 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU & 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. *TS ***REFERENCE 10154062*** THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. *JB

SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH COOLING SYSTEM AS REPORTED BY OTHER POSTS. PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW. SERVICED AT SHOP REGULARLY. AT 60,000 MILES THE SUPPOSED "100,000 MILE" COOLING SYSTEM SUDDENLY DEVELOPED LEAK IN LOWER INTAKE. AS THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE INTO THE HOT, I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF TO LET IT COOL OFF. WHEN I DROVE IT TO THE SHOP (MAYBE DRIVING A TOTAL OF 10 MILES AFTER PROBLEM STARTED), SHOP DIAGNOSED IT AS LOWER INTAKE GASKET LEAK. THE MANUAL SAYS IT HAS A ENGINE SAFETY FEATURE TO ALTERNATELY FIRE THE CYLINDERS TO KEEP HEADS FROM BLOWING. DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. BOTH HEAD GASKETS BLOWN. WARPED HEADS. HAD TO HAVE HEADS SHAVED. $2000 REPAIR BILL DURING A VACATION AT A GM SHOP. THE SHOP PUT ON "NEWER GASKETS" THIS ISN'T RIGHT! *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS GOING UP AND DOWN. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THE THERMOMETER WAS NOT WORKING. HE PICKED UP THE CAR AND IN 3 THREE DAYS LATER THE CAR BLEW UP. HE HAD IT TOWED A WEEK LATER THEY TOLD HIM A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. IT HAS BEEN 5 WEEKS SINCE HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY STILL HAVE NOT FIXED IT. ON THE 2ND DAY AFTER HE BOUGHT THE CAR THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT WORKING.*AK *JB

THE LOWER INTAKE GASKETS LEAK FLUID, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND STALL. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK

COOLANT LOSS, AND TEMPERATURE PROBLEMS LED ME TO MECHANIC, ASSUMING IT WAS A THERMOSTAT. HE TRACED PROBLEM TO LEAKING INTAKE GASKETS. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT! COST $532 FOR 6+ HOUR JOB TO REPLACE FAULTY INTAKE GASKETS. GM SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS; THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW ABOUT THEIR FAULTY GASKETS, BECAUSE THE SET NOW OFFERED IS A "NEW AND IMPROVED SET". *AK

AS THE VEHICLE IDLED IN TRAFFIC, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE CREPT INTO THE HOT ZONE, THEN SLOWLY WENT BACK TO NORMAL WHEN 50 MPH OR MORE WAS ACHIEVED. *NM THE FUEL GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE FROM E TO F. THE CONSUMER RAN OUT OF GAS NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH GASOLINE WAS IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER IS OUTRAGED BY THE PROBLEMS SHE FACED WITH HER NEW CAR AND THE SERVICE SHE RECEIVED. *TC

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2001. SINCE THEN, MY VCR THAT IS INSTALLED IN THE VENTURE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. EACH TIME UNDER WARRANTY BUT IT WAS INCONVIENENT FOR ME. THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON ME TWICE THAT I REPAIRED AT A MECHANIC, THEN THE A/C WOULDN'T COOL (THIS IS RECENTLY), NOW THE OXYGEN SENSOR IS CAUSING THE "SERVICE ENGINE" MESSAGE ON MY DASH BOARD TO LIGHT UP. THIS CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD!!! I MAINTAIN MY CAR WELL, THE MANAGER OF THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP TRIED TO ACCOMODATE ME (ONCE) SO THAT I WON'T MAKE A FUSS AND CALL THE MEDIA ON THEM. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LEMON LAW UNTIL RECENTLY.

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED UP AND DOWN. ENGINE TOOK LONG TO WARM UP. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER DETERMINED LOWER INTAKE GASKETS LEAKED. *AK DEALER REPLACED INTAKE GASKETS. *LA

CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW, SERVICED AS PER MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. HAD TO REPLACE INTAKE GASKETS AND SEALS, REPLACE OIL PUMP DRIVE SEAL, FLUSHED CRANK CASE. *JB

TRANSMISSION SLIPS AFTER SITTING WHEN FIRST STARTING OUT;HORN HONKS OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING; POWER SLIDING DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE WON'T OPEN/CLOSE WHEN ACTIVATED BY BUTTON OR REMOTE SWITCHES; HARD STARTS AFTER DRIVING AND SITTING BRIEFLY (ESPECIALLY AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING--TRIED DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS GASSES). TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS MOSTLY ABOUT TRANSMISSION AND THEY CLAIM UNLESS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. GOING TO TAKE BACK AND HAVE IT STAY THERE UNTIL THEY REPRODUCE THIS WEEK. *AK