I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE WITH 64,346 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD SHOW AN INCREASE IN HEAT THEN DROP DOWN TO NORMAL. I CHECKED THE ANTIFREEZE LEVEL, WHICH SHOWED IT NEEDED TO BE FILLED. I ADDED THE PROPER COOLANT, DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE MIXTURE OF 50-50. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT THEN IT RECURRED. THERE WAS NO LEAK OF ANY COOLANT THAT I COULD SEE ANYWHERE UNDER THE HOOD OR ON THE GROUND. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO MY MECHANIC. HE CHECKED IT OUT AND TOLD ME THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS WERE DAMAGED AND ANTIFREEZE WAS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE. THE OIL DIP STICK WHEN CHECKED SHOWED A FLUID LEVEL ABOUT 6 INCHES ABOVE THE OIL-FULL LEVEL MARK. HE FOUND THAT THE NEW GASKETS HAD BEEN REDESIGNED BY GM, AND THAT MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 3.4 V6 ENGINE. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS OVER $600.00. MY RESEARCH ONLINE SHOWED HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MANY OF THE CONSUMERS HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THE DEALERSHIPS TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE COST OF REPAIR, BUT TO NO AWAIL. COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW GENERAL MOTORS COULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. BECAUSE NO ONE WAS KILLED OR HURT AS A RESULT OF THIS INADEQUATE DESIGN OF THE MANIFOLD GASKETS WAS NO EXCUSE FOR GM NOT TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE CONSUMER FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS THEIR FAULT. MYSELF AND MY FAMILY HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT AMERICAN, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE MY WAY OF DOING BUSINESS. HOWEVER , IF I WAS GOING TO BE TREATED IN THIS MANNER I AND MANY OTHERS MAY HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS THE NEXT TIME AROUND. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10190462
- Incident
- May 2, 2007