2001 Chevrolet Venture LE 3.4 liter V6 from North America

Summary:

Amazing value - don't believe some of the nay sayers - great van for the price

Faults:

Check engine light turned out to just be a cam sensor - delaying the replacement of it since it really doesn't bother me. $180.00 with parts. Not bad. Other than that, NOTHING has gone wrong! No leaks, no wobbles, no noises, no problems.

General Comments:

We were amazed by the value of picking up a used one of these. We bought ours from a GM dealer and had it inspected at a different dealer prior to purchase. Good move on one of the vans we were looking at, but no issues on this one. Clever, simple, comfortable, affordable. It gets fantastic mileage for an 8-passenger vehicle, especially on 87 octane. Everything is just where it is supposed to be. Don't care for the tone of the stereo, but that is really minor and easily fixed! Ridiculous value for the money. We took a quick roadtrip in it right after we bought it and could not believe how well thought out it is, comfortable and easy to get used to.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th December, 2007

2001 Chevrolet Venture LS 3.4L from North America

Summary:

I will never buy a GM product again during my lifetime

Faults:

10000km Front dash cup holder area fell apart.

20000km Problems with poor gas mileage. Cleaned fuel injectors, etc for $400 but problem was not fixed.

25000km Power sliding door will not always close when it's cold outside. Dealer could duplicate problem to fix.

25000km Transmission slamming into gear. Brought to dealer 4 times before problem was corrected.

30000km. Battery died after only 2 years.

35000km. Wife locked in car. Could not manually unlock door. Alarm was on and remote would not cancel alarm or unlock door.

50000km Front driver window does not lower properly. It gets stuck. The dealer has already replaced the window track once.

59000km Replaced coolant intake seal.

59000km Repainted bumper after paint peeled off.

70000km All ignition lights are on when the key is in the accessory position. Dealer could not duplicate.

90000km Replaced front tie rod end.

90000km Replaced rear brake seals.

105000km. Vehicle continues to speed up without touching to gas pedal and the cruise off. Travelled for 8hrs at 70 mph without touching the gas pedal. Replaced the throttle position sensor to try to correct, but problem still exists. Dealer has no clue what the problem is.

General Comments:

I cannot recommend this vehicle to anyone. This has been the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. It has left me stranded over 10 times. I have already spent $5000 in repairs. The worst part is, the dealer will be happy to keep my van running as long as I'm willing to spend $2000 a year. I haven't even had a chance to replace brakes and get a tuneup yet because the other repairs have been so expensive.

I'm sad to say that I trust my 97 Ranger with 290000km more than I trust this van. While I definitely feel ripped off for buying this vehicle, I can guaranty that I will never buy another GM product during my lifetime even though I work in a GM manufacturing plant.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th November, 2006

29th Dec 2007, 10:19

You are preaching to the choir. My dad got his Venture brand spanking new, and the transmission went out at just over 20,000 miles, leaving us stranded near a freeway entrance for nearly two hours. He is a SENIOR DRIVER, who never slams the gas/brakes, and who does the regular vehicle maintenance on time. The cheap interior parts are breaking/falling off, right on schedule it seems. We've been buying GM products all our lives, but I recently purchased a used Mercury and the quality is so much better it is almost unbelievable. I am aware that Ford products aren't exactly perfect, but it's such an improvement over what I'm used to that I can forgive them for it. I'm joining the Never-Buying-A-GM-Again club with enthusiasm.

29th Dec 2007, 20:18

I think that the Chevy Venture is a piece of crap. My Grandpa bought a 2001, and the electrical system was Christmas treed together. He bought the van from a Chevy dealer, paid 15,995 and a couple of three years later, with the body still in pristine condition, found out that the van was a piece of crap, he got screwed 9 ways to Sunday, and the van was only worth 1,500. What a piece of work.