Steering locked up on '97 venture van while being operated at 70 MPH on a straight highway. Vehicle had to be towed, rack and pinion and steering pump replaced.
Chevrolet Venture steering lock-up problems
23 of the 2,334 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Venture describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 23
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 100,197
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 2Power steering loss 1Loss of power 1Airbag light 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that while making a left turn at approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 09e005000 (steering). The failure mileage was 122,000.
As I was turning into the parking lot of my child's school, the steering locked up on me. I couldn't turn the wheel for anything and thankfully was not going fast at the time or I wouldn't have been able to stop before having an accident with my children in the car. I turned the van on and off, waited and it still wouldn't work at all. It was after a few hours that I tried again and it worked at that time. I drove carefully home and have to take it in to the dealership to find out what is going on and have it fixed before we do have a major accident. There was no warning at all prior to this happening and we have had it serviced, checked, and all parts replaced as recommended. Oil changes done every 3,000 miles with full synthetic oil. All done at the dealership.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not going to honor the recall for the steering rack and pinion because her VIN was not included. While making a right turn at 5 MPH, the steering wheel locked. The failure occurs intermittently. According to the federal safety agency manufacturer notices to dealers (etc rcmn-02v286-8630.pdf), the VIN was included in the recall. The dealer stated that they could not find a recall for the steering rack and pinion. The powertrain and recall number were unknown. The current mileage was 160,000 and failure mileage was 100,197.
When turning the steering wheel towards the right steering wheel locked, causing the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. Consumer took vehicle to the dealership to be inspected.
Loss of power steering LED to the death of driver's infant daughter as stated by the consumer's lawyer. *la while driving the vehicle's steering locked up. The consumer lost control of the vehicle which then ran off the road and struck a tree. In january 2003 the manufacturer issued a recall for the vehicle's rack and pinion.
I made a left hand turn onto the street I live on, the steering wheel locked up and released. It ripped out of my hands and sent me right on onto someone's front lawn nearly missing a tree. I regained control just in time and got it back on the road. I limped it home and parked it. I called the dealer I bought it from and did not believe me and would not help, so I started looking for a different vehicle with help from my parents. Found a dealer ship 3 cities away and said bring it in and we'll help you. They called in saginaw steering plant rep. And it did it to him and said we'll replace for free just pay labor. Seeing it was not covered by my extended warranty I accepted and traded it in on a s-10 pick-up.
While driving at 70 MPH the vehicles steering wheel locked up. Consumer states' after breaking steering out of the lock mode, consumer drove to a near dealer. Please provide any further information.
While driving and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel locked up nearly causing a major accident. This now happens constantly to the point where we don't even want to drive this minivan. The last time I drove it, the steering locked up a total of 15 times. It is definitely a hazard to my wife and children.
While in motion, consumer was making a left turn and the steering locked. Consumer had to apply considerable force to overcome the resistance. Driving about 100 feet and turning left the steering locked again. Consumer was later informed that a seal in the rack and pinion had failed and the assembly had to be replaced. Consumer disassembled the pinion gear and the seals were in tact. The seals didn't fail. Further inspection and consumer discovered that the lower pinion bearing was damaged and all of the ball bearings were gone. Consumer believes there is a design flaw in the rack and pinion assembly that poses a risk to the general public. Consumer would like to be compensated for monies paid to replace the assembly.
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V286000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box: shaft sector
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger mini vans. The left and/or right front lower insulator to cradle center metal sleeve is collapsed, which can result in loss of clamp load in the joint. If the clamp load is reduced or lost, the bolt can be lost or broken and the joint can separate.
- Risk
- If not repaired, separation of the opposite side joint could occur resulting in steering shaft separation.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left and right front lower cradle-to-suspension insulators and the attaching bolts.
Recall number 99V071000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Venture steering lock-up
Which Chevrolet Venture years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (17 complaints), 1998 (5 complaints) and 2004 (1 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Venture?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history