Problems · by component
1999 Chevrolet Venture air bags problems
40 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Chevrolet Venture cite air bags, 11% of all 356 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
40
11% of all complaints
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD FLASH 7 TIMES THEN REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED A FAILURE CODE FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,500.”
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT DURING WET ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING 45 MPH. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND COLLIDED WITH 3 OTHER VEHICLES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WHOLE FRONT END AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEG, SHOULDER, AND CHEST. THE SEAT BELT WAS WORN, AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AND PICTURES WERE AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED. UPDATED 1/26/2007 - *NM”
“THIS WILL BE A LIST OF MOST OF THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE COMPLAINED OF SMELLING ANTI-FREEZE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VAN NEW. IT CURRENTLY HAS 94K ON IT AND I HAVE DONE ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON IT. I THINK THE CLOCK WORK OIL CHANGES IS THE ONLY REASON IT STILL RUNS. MANIFOLD GASKETS, INTAKE, HEAD...HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND NEED IT AGAIN, REALLY BAD. BUT I JUST DO NOT HAVE 5-800 BUCKS LAYING AROUND TO DO A GASKET JOB AGAIN SINCE I JUST DID IT A YEAR AGO. THE ANTI-FREEZE DILUTING THE OIL HAS MESSED UP A COUPLE PISTONS. THEY SLAP VERY BAD OK HERE IS MY LIST (I HAVE DEALER INVOICES FOR EVERYTHING FIXED THE FIRST TIME AND RECEIPTS FOR PARTS AND LABOR THE SECOND TIME, OR MY HUSBAND GOT SICK OF PAYING FOR THE SAME CRAP SO HE WOULD FIX THINGS) (HE IS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE TESTING AND DESIGN FIELD) *JB”
“I HAVE HAD 3 MAIN PROBLEMS TRANSMISSION, HEADLIGHT MOISTURE AND AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION MY 99 VENTURE HAS 79K MILES ON IT AND THAT TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD (DEALER SUGGEST A DRAIN AND FLUSH) AT 60K I HAD A VALVE IN THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED FOR 800 DOLLARS. I AM AFRAID WE WILL BE REPLACING A TRANSMISSION AT 85000 MILES. I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE HAD IT IN 7-9 TIMES FIXES RANGED FROM CLEARING THE CODE TO TIGHTENING UP A PLUG. THE HEAD LIGHT UNITS HAVE BEEN TAKING ON WATER AND BURNING OUT LIGHTS FOR THE LAST 20K MILES. SOUNDS LIKE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS AND I CANNOT BELIEVE GM WOULD PRODUCE A VEHICLE LIKE THIS AND NOT STAND BUY THERE PRODUCT. *JB”
“AIR-BAG WARNING LIGHT I JUST BOUGHT ANOTHER 1999 CHEVY VENTURE BECAUSE I REALLY LIKED MY OTHER ONE, BUT IT HAD TOO MANY PROBLEMS. MY OLD ONE WAS A LS AND THIS ONE IS A LT. NOW THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON WITH THIS ONE TOO! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT IS SUCH A PROBLEM. *JB”
“WHILE DRIVING TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS/ABS, AND SRS LIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK”
Showing 6 of 40 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.