1997 Chevrolet Venture Transmission Problems

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I GOT THE VEHICLE IN 2003 USED. THE DAY I BOUGHT IT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I HAD IT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WATCHED THEM TAKE A NEW TRANSMISSION OUT OF A CRATE AND PUT IT IN. AFTER THAT IT WAS BACK IN THE SHOP 3 MORE TIMES OVER THE NEXT YEAR FOR PROBLEMS. WHEN I WOULD GO THROUGH A YIELD REQUIRING ME TO SPEED UP SUCH AS GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE IT WOULD REV UP AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL , ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GET HIT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN I WOULD TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THEN TRY AGAIN IT WOULD GRAB AND TAKE OFF. ALL THREE TIMES THEY REBUILT THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. NOW THE SHIFT SENSORS ARE GOING OUT AND EVEN THE LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT ONLY 35,000 MILES. EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER THAT PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN HAS PURGED THEIR SYSTEM AND MY INFORMATION WAS KICKED OUT AND I CANNOT FIND THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK. WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE INTERNAL TRANSMISSION PART THAT IS EXPENSIVE TO HAVE PUT IN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10236318

Incident

Mar 14, 2003

Mileage

135,000 mi

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE HEADLIGHT COVERS CAME OFF OF THE VEHICLE. IT COSTS $178.00 PLUS TAX FOR EACH OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS TO BE REPAIRED. ABOUT SIX MONTH AGO ONE OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS CAME OFF, AND A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE OTHER HEADLIGHT COVER CAME OFF. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE GM MANUFACTURER TOLD HER THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, THE CONTACT HAD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE FIRST TIME IT GOT STUCK IN SECOND GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME AT ONLY 26,000 MILES, AND THE SECOND TIME AT 26,100 MILES. BOTH TIMES WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IT HAD ONLY 78,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE ON VACATION AND DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE TRANSMISSION QUIT. HAD TO COAST OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THAT TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED TRANSMISSION, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR. ALL THE DEALERSHIPS THAT THE CONTACT CHECKED TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION SAID THAT THERE WHERE NO TRANSMISSIONS AROUND BECAUSE THEY WERE REDESIGNING ALL OF THE TRANSMISSIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME. SHE CONTACTED GM MANUFACTURER, AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 100,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

10134990

Incident

Feb 1, 2005

WE OWN A 1997 CHEVY VENTURE AND I AM FEARFUL THAT I WILL BE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND WE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. THIS NEARLY HAPPENED AT OCTOBER OF 2003. NOW THERE IS A TICKING NOISE. THIS HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MANY TIMES. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. *LA

NHTSA ID

10052682

Incident

Oct 26, 2003

TRANSMISSION JERKS AND BUCKS WHEN SHIFTING INTO OVER DRIVE, AND CONTINUES DOING THIS. HAD TORQUE CONVERTER CHANGED, FIXED PROBLEM FOR 2 WEEKS. THEN STARTED DOING THE SAME JERKING CONDITION. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047691

Incident

Sep 30, 2003

Mileage

97,775 mi

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACE, ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSING THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTOL SYSTEM NOT TO WORK. LAST MONTH THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10032849

Incident

Aug 13, 2003

Mileage

57,500 mi

1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE TRANMISSION FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10030612

Incident

Jul 10, 2003

Mileage

55,300 mi

HAD A VERY LOUD BANGING SOUND IN REAR OF VAN AFTER TURNING VAN OFF, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOMETIME BUT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PIN POINT THE CAUSE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY MAY 4, 2003 (AT 55 MPH), TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING A VERY VIOLENT FORWARD JERK. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A SOMEWHAT FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN THIS MODEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY INJURED. THIS OCCURRED 2 DAYS AFTER HAVING THE RECALLED REPAIR DONE TO THE RACK & PINION STEERING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10017004

Incident

May 4, 2003

Mileage

110,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE - MECHANIC STATED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR OF THE SECOND DRUM CLUTCHES DUE TO THE FOURTH CLUTCH SUPPORTS MAIN BEARING BEING OUT OF CORRECT POSITION. FAILURE WAS LIKELY DUE TO PRODUCTION ERROR. WE HAVE THE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION PART AS PROOF THAT IT WAS MISALIGNED WHEN INSTALLED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10014531

Incident

May 6, 2002

Mileage

30,247 mi

REF: COMPLAINT #761127 WE ALSO EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE THAT REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME - NOW THERE ARE 140,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WITH A REBUILT (GM WARRANTY) TRANSMISSION. I ALSO HAD A 1997 BUICK (GM CAR) THAT HAD WARRANTY WORK TO REPLACE/REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION (TWICE) AND A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION (WHICH WAS LESS THAN 200 MILES OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY BUT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY). MY GRANDMOTHER ALSO HAD A 1997 BUICK WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES (BUT OUTSIDE THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD). I WOULD THINK IT UNLIKELY THAT SO MANY 1997 CARS WOULD EXHIBIT TRANSMISSION FAILURES WITH LOW MILEAGE UNLESS THERE WAS A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH 1997 GM TRANSMISSIONS. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10010578

Incident

Aug 1, 2001

THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING AND THE WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10009938

Incident

Mar 2, 2003

Mileage

148,000 mi

HEADLAMP FELL OUT WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, NEVER DID FIND IT. ANTILOCK BRAKES ARE MALFUNCTIONING, VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR, ESPECIALLY WITH SO LITTLE MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. THESE PROBLEMS THAT I AM REPORTING ARE VERY COMMOM AND NEED SOME ATTENTION GRANTED TO THEM. VEHICLES COST SO MUCH AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THEM IT CAN FINANCIALLY DRAIN YOU. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

761127

Incident

Mar 25, 2002

CONSUMER STATES HIS TWO YEAR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO SHIFT GEAR OUT OF PARKED INTO DRIVE, MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. NLM

NHTSA ID

8007983

Incident

Apr 14, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

748914

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 25MPH. ALSO, TRANSMISSION MAKES A BANGING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

861654

Incident

May 2, 2000

WHEN REMOVING FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL TO ACCELERATE ON AN INCLINE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS. THE ONLY WAY TO CONTROL VEHICLE IS TO PLACE LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATE WITH THE RIGHT FOOT. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO CHEVROLET'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. *AK.ET.

NHTSA ID

860571

Incident

Sep 8, 1998

WARNING LIGHT INDICATES OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE, DEALER NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. NLM

NHTSA ID

782812

Incident

Jul 21, 1999

WHILE DRIVING ON AN INCLINE OR HILL, VEHICLE WILL ROLL. THE DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES , BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ALSO, AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR SHUTS ON PASSENGERS WHEN THEY ARE GETTING IN/OUT OF VEHICLE. ALSO, SLIDING DOOR LOCKS ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER REPAIRED VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

837624

Incident

May 5, 1999

LEFT LATCH ON THE CONVERTIBLE TOP HAD SNAPPED LOOSE.

NHTSA ID

999999999