1997 Chevrolet Venture exterior lighting problems

“REAR BRAKE LAMPS KEEP FAILING, LIGHT BAR ON TOP WORKS FINE BUT BOTH SIDE REAR BRAKE LAMPS FAIL CONTINUOUSLY. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF BRAKE LIGHT ONE CAN SEE THE SOCKETS AND BULB CONTACTS ARE MELTING. THIS VAN HAS ALREADY HAD THE ENTIRE REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY ON EACH SIDE REPLACED BUT PROBLEM IS RECURRING. CLEANING/SANDING SOCKETS WORKS TEMPORARILY BUT PROBLEM RETURNS WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BULB REPLACEMENT ALONE DOES NOT WORK. FILAMENTS IN BULBS ARE NOT BURNT OUT BUT CONTACTS ON BULBS AND SOCKETS ARE BURNT. THIS ONLY AFFECTS THE CIRCUIT THE BRAKE LIGHT FILAMENT IS ON, THE TAILLIGHTS (WHICH SHARE THE SAME MULTIFILAMENT BULB) ARE NOT AFFECTED. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH IT'S QUITE APPARENT THIS IS A PROBLEM VERY COMMON ACROSS MOST OR ALL MODEL YEARS OF THIS VAN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE OCCUPANTS - THE LIGHTS CAN (AND WILL) FAIL WITHOUT NOTICE LEAVING DRIVER VULNERABLE TO COLLISIONS FROM BEHIND DUE TO INADEQUATE SIGNALING. *TR”

“I HAVE OWNED 3 CHEVY VENTURE MINIVANS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. ALL OF THEM HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS, THE SIGNAL AND HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT, THE WINDOW SWITCH GOES OUT AND FINALLY THE HEAD GASKET GOES. THEY RUN GREAT UNTIL THE DAY IT STARTS OVERHEATING, THEN YOUR OUT A VEHICLE. EVERYONE I KNOW WHO HAS A VENTURE HAS HAD AT LEAST ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLE. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB CONTINUOUSLY FAILED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BULB, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONSTANT FAILURE WAS DUE TO MOISTURE ENTERING THE FIXTURE, WHICH BLEW OUT THE BULB AND DISCOLORED THE LENS. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.”

“DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE PLASTIC COVERS ON THE HEADLIGHTS WERE GLUED AND NOT BOLTED ONTO THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE GLUE WORE OUT WATER GOT INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THE PLASTIC POPPED OFF, CAUSING THE HALOGEN LIGHT BULB TO BURN OUT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK”

“DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE HEADLIGHT COVERS CAME OFF OF THE VEHICLE. IT COSTS $178.00 PLUS TAX FOR EACH OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS TO BE REPAIRED. ABOUT SIX MONTH AGO ONE OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS CAME OFF, AND A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE OTHER HEADLIGHT COVER CAME OFF. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE GM MANUFACTURER TOLD HER THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, THE CONTACT HAD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE FIRST TIME IT GOT STUCK IN SECOND GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME AT ONLY 26,000 MILES, AND THE SECOND TIME AT 26,100 MILES. BOTH TIMES WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IT HAD ONLY 78,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE ON VACATION AND DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE TRANSMISSION QUIT. HAD TO COAST OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THAT TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED TRANSMISSION, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR. ALL THE DEALERSHIPS THAT THE CONTACT CHECKED TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION SAID THAT THERE WHERE NO TRANSMISSIONS AROUND BECAUSE THEY WERE REDESIGNING ALL OF…”

“THE FRONT HEADLAMPS ON THE 1997-2004 CHEVROLET, PONTIAC, & OLDSMOBILE VANS DO NOT RELEASE MOISTURE FROM THE CAPSULE CAUSING THE LIGHT TO GLAZE OVER TIME. I HAVE REPLACED FRONT LIGHTS TWICE SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE GLAZE ON THE HEADLIGHTS DRAMATICALLY REDUCES YOUR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT TO SEE WHAT IS OUT THERE, POTENTIALLY ABLE TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *JB”