2003 Chevrolet Venture exterior lighting problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT PARKED AND OBSERVED THAT THE LAMPS WERE MELTED AND THE BULBS WERE DARK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”

“I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY VENTURE AND WHEN I PURCHASED IT, I NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD START BLINKING REAL FAST ON THE DASH. WHEN I WOULD LOOK AT THEM ON THE OUTSIDE THEY WERE BLINKING FINE, AS WAS THE DASH LIGHTS. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, SO I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST THE BULBS THEMSELVES. THEN ON MARCH 29, 2014, I NOTICED A LITTLE PUFF OF SMOKE COME FROM THE HEADLIGHT AREA WHEN MY WIFE PULLED INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TURN/PARKING LIGHT WAS OUT. I LUCKILY HAD A BULB FROM ANOTHER CAR TO REPLACE IT, BUT WHEN I TOOK THE ASSEMBLY OUT AND WENT TO TURN THE CONNECTOR TO REPLACE THE BULB, AND NOTICED IT WAS HOT. THINKING THAT SOMETHING DID NOT SEEM RIGHT, I LET IT COOL DOWN AND THEN REMOVED IT. WHAT I SAW WAS THE CONNECTOR THAT HOLDS THE BULB WAS BLACK AND MELTED. IT ACTUALLY MELTED TO THE BULB ITSELF. I LOOKED AT THE BULB AND IT WAS STILL GOOD, OTHER THAN THE BOTTOM PLASTIC PART. THE WHITE SMOKE I HAD SEEN WAS EITHER THE CONNECTOR CATCHING ON FIRE AND MELTING OR THE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC ITSELF. I NEVER SAW ANY FLAMES. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE CONNECTOR, NOR WOULD I RISK MY FAMILY'S LIFE, SO I HAVE NO TURN SIGNAL. THEN…”

“BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. BULBS REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. PANELS REPLACED TWICE. WHEN PANELS REPLACED, WILL WORK APPROXIMATELY 1-2 WEEKS. UPPER LIGHT BAR WILL ILLUMINATE. NO WARNING AS TO WHEN LIGHTS FAIL. NUMEROUS WARNINGS BY POLICE TO HAVE FIXED. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THROUGH THE REFLECTION OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH HAD BEEN DRIVING EXTREMELY CLOSE, THAT BOTH OF HIS REAR TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE BOTH TAIL LIGHT BULBS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHICH REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TAIL LIGHT BULB CONTINUOUSLY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE THROUGHOUT THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS AND THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT COVER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BUT ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD CONTINUE TO RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”

“I PURCHASED THE 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN NEW AND HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE/TAIL LIGHTS BURNING OUT. SPOKE WITH GM AND IF I RECALL CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME THEY BULBS WERE REPLACED WAS IN JUNE 2004. SINCE THEN I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS 2-4 TIMES PER YEAR TRYING DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND TYPES. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR SOLUTIONS ON THE INTERNET AND TRIED REPLACING THE CIRCUIT BOARDS AND THIS STILL DOES NOT MITIGATE THE ISSUE. THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND AT THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-VENTURE/TSSEMRSDQ22R1F463 WITH DATES BEGINNING 8/2006 RUNNING UNTIL 4/2012. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD FOR SEVERAL REASONS. 1) THE BULBS CAN WORK INTERMITTENTLY GIVING A FALSE SENSE OF REPAIR; 2) THE BULBS CAN FAIL WITHOUT WARNING; 3) THE TAIL LIGHTS CANNOT BE SEEN WHEN DRIVING IN THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS; 4) THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHT TO INDICATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT THE BULBS HAVE FAILED; AND 5) REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF BULBS AND/OR CIRCUIT BOARDS ARE COSTLY AND CANNOT BE EASILY ACCOMPLISHED BY THE ELDERLY OR HANDICAPPED DUE TO THE LOCATION AND STRENGTH NECESSARY TO DISASSEMBLE THE TAIL…”