Driver was turning at traffic light at low speed, 200 ft from her home. When turn was complete, driver was unable to return steering wheel to forward position, nor was she able to stop the vehicle using brake pedal, until the vehicle crashed into another one parked along the street. Driver was unable to explain how it could happen, and the accident was considered her fault. However, the latest gm recall regarding weakness of ignition key mechanism provides logical explanation of this accident. If the ignition key flipped to "off" position during the turn, power steering and power braking would be gone, and what driver described would make total sense. Especially taking into account that at that time the driver had several additional keys on the keychain. Is it possible that 2003 chevrolet venture ignition mechanism may suffer from the same problem as ones recalled by gm?
2003 Chevrolet Venture body problems
27 complaints (15% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 64,688. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 27
- of this car's complaints
- 15%
- typical mileage
- 64,688
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body: door12
- Body: door: hinge and attachments4
- Body4
- Frame and members: underbody shields1
- Frame and members1
- Body: roof and pillars1
- Body: hood: hinge and attachments1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Venture body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Power-sliding door
Subject vehicles are available with an optional power sliding door.the interior handle is oriented in the vertical position in the door panel and lines up at the elbow level when the occupant is seated in the 2nd-row outboard position.if the occupant holds the interior handle in the thumb up position during power-assisted opening, the arm/wrist can be push back with force against the 2nd-row bucket seat or captain's chair seat back creating a risk of injury (other seating configurations have ample seat to door clearance to avoid entrapment of the lower arm).among the 103 total reports, there were 102 alleged injuries including arm/wrist, thumb and shoulder injuries.a count of injuries reveals that 76 injuries were a fractured or a broken arm/wrist requiring an immobilizing cast for four-to-six weeks.all injuries involve the right side power sliding door.the left side power sliding door is on far fewer vehicles, but more importantly, it produces less force.gm notified the agency by letter dated december 21, 2004, that it will recall model year 1997 though early 2005 gm u-van vehicles equipped with a right side power sliding door and with 2nd-row bucket seats or captain chairs (the federal safety agency recall #04v597).as part of the recall remedy, gm will replace the door handle with a flush mounted handle that will prevent an occupant from grasping the handle with the palm between the handle and door panel (thumb up orientation) and thus eliminate the potential for arm/wrist entrapment.this investigation is closed.
PE04064
What 2003 Chevrolet Venture owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The driver side passenger door sill is rusting even if the car is washed on a regular basis. The frame holding the radiator is also rusting,and a rust spot is appearing on the passenger door sill.
The metal underside support bracket that holds up both the engine coolant radiator and A/C radiator had rusted completely to the extent that the left (driver) side of the bracket completely failed and allowed the radiators to tilt down and drop approx. 4" on the left side. The primary support is now only the coolant hoses. Had I not noticed, while viewing the car from the front that there was a problem; both the radiators could have fallen off while driving, they certainly could have wedged to impede the steering control and /or run over by the tires to most certainly be a safety issue to us or others on the road. My call to a dealership stated they are well aware of this particular rust issue and they have no knowledge of recall by gm. There should be a recall to repair a corrosion issue of this support component that is a safety integrity issue. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Due to rusted rear right brake line, vehicle lost all brake fluid without warning and prevented vehicle from stopping in a timely manner. The lack of brake control caused right rear side of the van's body (just in front of the rear right wheel) to hit the protective barrier at the gas station. Upon inspection rust is now observed at several places on the brake lines as well.
The vehicle was parked. The button was pushed to open the passenger side sliding door, and my 3-year old son was standing still in the third row, waiting for the door to open completely. (I was standing outside, directly in front of the door as it opened.) my son's foot slipped and his leg fell out of the van, and because the door was opening it pinned his leg between the bottom bar supporting the door, and the body of the vehicle. My son was injured. The door would not stop opening despite using manual force to stop the door from opening. The button was pushed to close the door, thus providing release of my son's leg, however in order to pull him out the door closed on us and we had to again push the button to open the door. This vehicle has no sensor for the side sliding doors opening. The space between the bar on the door and the body of the vehicle is approximately 2 inches once the door is fully opened. There is adequate space for a small child to completely fall out of the vehicle and potentially be crushed.
Chevy venture van. Unsure of exact year. Driving along the highway when the hood and grill flew up resulting in a completely smashed windshield. Est. Damages at $1800.00. Concerns about the safety of the hood latch, etc. *tr don't have immediate access to VIN.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet venture. The roof of the vehicle is corroding and rusting. The dealer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and was not their responsibility. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 123,000 and failure mileage was 89,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the passenger side sliding door failed to remain closed. The failure has occurred several times since the vehicle was purchased. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 33,000. The consumer stated the door has been malfunctioning since a couple of months after he purchased the vehicle. The consumer stated back in the spring of 2006 the door malfunctioned and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who in turn adjusted the rod and thought the problem was fixed but the defect still persists sometimes. Updated 08/20/07
2003 ventura gas tank suffered damage due to there being no road hazard protection for the tank. *ts the vehicle has a 25 gallon fuel tank. This tank has a metal shield from the rear to within 24 inches from the front. The front area is unprotected.
Dt*: the contact stated the right power sliding door of the vehicle latched close trapping a child's hand. The keys were locked inside the vehicle and an ambulance was called to assist. A paramedic had to break a window to release the child. The vehicle has not been to a dealer or independent auto repair shop to determine whether this incident was caused by a manufacturer defect.
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Venture body
Does the 2003 Chevrolet Venture have body problems?
Owners have filed 27 complaints about the body of the 2003 Chevrolet Venture, 15% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Venture body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 64,688 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Venture body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Chevrolet Venture have the most body problems?
The Chevrolet Venture model years with the most body complaints are 2000 (50 complaints), 1997 (44 complaints) and 1999 (36 complaints).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Venture problems
Lights 30Engine 28Fuel system 23Airbags 17Electrical 17Transmission 16Brakes 12Locks 11Seat belts 10Suspension 8Visibility 8Tires 5Acceleration 4Seats 2Steering 2Wheels 1
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