Problems · by component
1997 Chevrolet Venture structure problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet Venture cite structure, 10% of all 438 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
10% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the structure
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS: 1. HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY; 2. WHEN HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD, HEADLIGHTS CAME ON; 3. ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO LEAKING RADIATOR , AND 4. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, SUCH AS IGNITION AND POWER DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED REGULARLY. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START. THE DOOR PANELS WERE LOOSE. THE WINDSHIELD LEAKED. THE ANTI THEFT ALARM MALFUNCTIONED. REAR WINDOW WASHER MALFUNCTIONED. *NM”
“THE PAINT HAS PEELED OFF AND YET GM CANADA CLAIMS NO PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO HEAR OUR COMPLAINT LET ALONE ACKNOWLEDGE IT YET WE CAN SEE FOR OURSELVES ON THIS SITE THE U.S. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT! THE FLOORBOARD CRACKED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND IT'S BEEN A DAY AND WE HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM OUR LOCAL RETAILER!”
“FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR. WINDOW WILL NOT OPERATE. TALKED TO A MECHANIC ABOUT IT. HE WAS COMPLETELY AMAZED BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN ABOUT 5 VENTURE VANS IN THE LAST MONTH WITH THE PROBLEM. THE PART TO FIX IS ALMOST 500.00 AND I HAVE MY NAME ON LISTS COUNTRY WIDE TO PURCHASE A USED ONE, LOW IN BEHOLD I CAN'T FIND ONE THAT IS OPERABLE.”
“SLIDING DOOR COMPUTER MODULE IS BAD. SOMETIMES DOOR OPENS ON ITS OWN, AND SOMETIMES AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR DOOR DOESN'T WORK. DEALER HAS REPLACED 3 MODULES TRYING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK”
“THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET BLEW AND FILLED THE ENGINE WITH WATER, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 3.4 ENGINE THAT GM IS AWARE OF. THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS FALLEN OFF THE VAN 4 TIMES SINCE WE HAVE HAD DEALER FIXED 3 TIMES THEN IT WAS OUT OF WARRENTY. THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES STARTED SQUEALING WHEN THE VAN HAD 1000 MILES ON IT AND CONTINUE TO THIS DAY. GM SAYS THEY ARE DESIGNED LIKE THAT. THE SEAT BELTS IN THE VAN COME UNLATCHED AT ANY TIME, THE BELTS IN THE REAR WILL CONTIUALLY TIGHTEN WHEN YOU HIT BUMPS IN THE ROAD. GM TOLD US THAT WE WERE NOT USING THE SEATBELTS PROPERLY. THE RACK AND PINION STEERING STARTED MAKING A GROWLING NOISE IMMIDIATLY FOLLOWING THE WARRENTY RUNNING OUT. *AK”
“VAN WAS INVOLVED WITH RECALL 01V067 POWER SLIDING DOOR. DOOR APPEARS CLOSED BUT WILL OPEN WHILE VAN IS BEING DRIVEN. OWNER TOOK VAN BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHICH THEN REPLACED ELECTRIC CONTACT POINTS.*AK”
Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.