1998 Chevrolet Venture
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Chevrolet › Venture › 1998
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 1998 Chevrolet Venture. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
10 recalls name the 1998 Chevrolet Venture. Newest first.
Dorman IS recalling 979 steering knuckles, dorman p/nos. 697-902 and 697-903, sold under dorman's "oe solutions<sup>tm</sup>" brand name, and napa p/nos. 7-8502 and 7-8503 which were sold for replacement use on the various vehicles listed above. a potential material or design defect could result in the steering knuckle breaking in the hub area.
A broken steering knuckle could result in loss of steering control and a possible crash without warning.
Dorman will notify owners and replace the defective steering knuckles free of charge and reimburse the repair facility or owner for labor. the recall began on february 23, 2009. owners may contact dorman's toll-free hotline at 1-800-523-2492 and press 5.
K2 motor IS recalling 1,921 aftermarket headlamps of various models sold for use on the above listed vehicles. these headlamps are missing the amber side reflex reflector which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility may be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
K2 motor will notify owners and offer a full refund. the recall began on decemeber 17, 2008. owners may contact K2 motor at 1-909-839-2992.
Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. Fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. the universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer.
Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire.
Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. the recall began on april 23, 2007. owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770.
On certain minivans equipped with second-row bucket seats or captain's chairs and a power sliding door on the passenger side of the vehicle, a passenger using the interior handle to open the power sliding door could be injured.
If a passenger uses the interior handle to open the power sliding door and holds onto the handle while it IS being opened by the motor, the passenger's arm may be pushed into the seat back or armrest and a wrist or lower arm injury may result.
Dealers will replace the power sliding door interior handle on the passenger-side. if the vehicle IS equipped with a power or manual sliding door on the driver-side, the interior handle will also be replaced for appearance reasons. note: before the vehicle IS serviced, gm advises owners to not use the interior door handle to open the door. the driver can open and close the door from switches at the driver's position or by using the remote key fob. the driver should tell passengers to use the switch located in front of the door to open or close it. the driver should use the override switch to prevent operation of the power door by children or by others who are not familiar with its use. the owner notification letter mailing will be conducted in phases with the first phase beginning on may 31, 2005. the second phase mailing began on july 18, 2005. the recall began on may 31, 2005. phase 2 began on july 18, 2005. phase 3 (final phase) began on august 24, 2005, to all remaining customers. owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; pontiac at 1-800-620-7668; or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
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.
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.
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.
Vehicle description: 1997-2001 chevrolet venture, pontiac montana/transport, and oldsmobile silhouette MINI vans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors that were serviced in campaign 01013 (01v-067) from april to august 2001. also 2001 chevrolet venture, pontiac montana, and oldsmobile silhouette MINI vans equipped with passenger side power…
If this happens, the power sliding door can open while the vehicle IS in motion, particularly when the vehicle ascends a hill, makes a turn, or travels over a rough road surface. an unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.
Dealers will inspect and, if required, install a new power sliding door unlatch actuator assembly. owner notification began on october 22, 2001. 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.
Vehicle description: minivans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors. the door closes but may not be latched. if this happens, the power sliding door can open while the vehicle IS in motion, particularly when the vehicle ascends a hill, makes a turn, or travels over a rough road surface.
An unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.
Dealers will install a new un-latch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. this recall has been continued under safety recall 01v-264. 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.
Vehicle description: passenger MINI vans equipped with bucket seats or a split bench seat in the second (middle) or third (back) row. the seat latch mechanisms on bucket seats and on the 40% portion of the split bench seat in the second and third rows do not have protective covers.
When activating the release mechanism to roll a bucket seat forward, a customer's finger(s) could be severely injured or severed in they are not kept clear of the mechanism.
Dealers will install protective covers on the outboard latch mechanisms on all left and right hand rear bucket seats in the second and third row, and to both inboard and outboard latch mechanisms on the center rear bucket seat and the 40% portion of the split bench seat.
Vehicle description: MINI vans. these vehicles may have (1) a broken shift cable fitting or (2) loose shift linkage. consequently, moving the shift lever to a 'park' position may not shift the transmission to 'park'.
The vehicle could roll increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect, and replace if necessary, the automatic transaxle range selector cable.
Vehicle description: passenger MINI vans equipped with traction control systems. the windshield wiper linkage arm can contact a brake line which IS connected to the traction control system modulator valve. this contact can chafe the brake line resulting in a brake fluid leak.
Brake fluid leakage can cause reduced brake effectiveness and increased stopping distances.
Dealers will install a brake line clip to ensure proper clearance. also the brake lines will be inspected to any damage caused by this condition and will replace any damaged lines.
Van was traveling at approx 65 mph..ford quad cab truck pulled out in front of me..i locked the brakes, some skid marks down the highway, and completely broadsided the truck. Damage to truck was on driver side door, and front corner panel. Several of trucks airbags deployed. Impact was at a high speed. Injuries to myself and passenger, neck, shoulder, knee, wrist, ankle, not fatal, thank goodness. Passenger of truck, injuries unknown. Truck was at fault in accident.
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 nhtsa campaign number: 09e005000 (steering). The failure mileage was 122,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift from the park position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 98v131000 (power train). The failure mileage was 159,817. updated 5/18/15*cn the consumer stated the cable end that connects to the transmission failed. the vehicle was repaired. updated 7/1/2015 *js
Goodyear assurance comfortred 215/70 R15 98T. Belts separated at bead, giant goiter in sidewall. I was told by dealer this was a mounting error. No tearing of inner edge on bead. The other three tires all have bulges starting in sidewalls. *tr
Sudden and complete brake failure. it was discovered that the rear brake lines had rusted to the point of failure. no warning...just complete failure. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the passenger sliding door automatically opened on its own after it was closed. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa recall campaign ID number 01v067000(latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch). The vehicle was not repaired for the sliding doors a second time. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
I backed the van out of my driveway at home and placed the car into drive. as I started to move forward, the gas pedal felt harder than normal but I attributed that to being left outside all winter. I pushed the gas pedal harder to get to car to move forward. And immediately I felt the pedal unstick . At that same moment, the engine raced to full throttle and raced forward with the van continually going faster and faster racing instantly to 50 miles an hour and still accelerating. at the beginning of the sudden acceleration, I tried to apply the brakes but could not stop the van or stop the acceleration. I turned off the ignition and finally braked the van to a stop. this all happened on the side street of my subdivision before I could get onto the main road. luckily there were no cars or people in my way and I was able to get control of the van without hurting myself or others, the van was brought back to my driveway where it remains. I have not contacted the dealership at this point as I do not want to pay to have this 12 year old van repaired at my cost nor do I ever want to drive this van again. *Tr
1998 chevy venture. Rear brake line failure. Brake line was rusted through-midway from front to back on both rear brake line's. These lines are made of metal and have several 90 degree bends along the frame of the vehicle. There were no events leading up to equipment failure. I was backing the vehicle out of the driveway when the brake pedal went to the floor and lost all resistance. Should this have occurred while traveling at legal speed limit and proper following distance the results could be catastrophic for the vehicle occupants and other motorist involved. Stainless steel materiel should be used for equipment as important as this. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. the contact shifted the gear into park and shut off the vehicle. the vehicle rolled away while she was assisting a child with exiting the vehicle. the contact ran to jump into the vehicle and noticed that the gear shifter was very unstable and had a lot of "play" or wiggle. she depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle came to a stop. prior to this failure, the tail lights failed in february of 2007. at that time, she was informed that she needed new circuit boards. within a year, the failures recurred. the circuit boards burned out and the dealer stated that the plug for the boards was burned out as well, which would cause the failures to continue. the failure mileage was 130,000 and current mileage was 168,000.
Smell of gas, inside and out. Even when van was sitting all night and all day. *tr
Seat belts fail to latch on rear removable passenger seats (7 pass. Option) 3 seats usable out of 5. 2ND row rh outer belt will not release from retractor - it's stuck. Inquired with chevrolet dealer, sadler motors - s.s.m. Mi gm said no recalls issued, or will be issued. I took the latch from the seat 2ND row rh outer seat and put it on the center seat so the retractable belt could be used - giving me 3 safe seats. No help from dealer or gm. We have an unsafe vehicle that IS primarily used to transport children to/from school - now we have to limit the children we can safely transport. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. while idling in traffic or on an incline, the heat temperature gauge fluctuates. the vehicle IS also losing antifreeze. the contact has been adding one half gallon of antifreeze per month and does not know why. when the weather becomes warmer, the check engine light illuminates sporadically. the light does not illuminate in the winter. the purchase date and powertrain were unknown. the current mileage was 160,000 and failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. the contact stated that while the vehicle was unlocked, she would close any door, and the vehicle locked all the doors automatically. the failure occurred 5-6 times and the vehicle would shut down. the dealer acknowledged the failure and informed her to file a complaint. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 157,000 and failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. while making a left turn at 20 mph, the steering column locked and almost caused a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion). the vehicle would have to be repaired at the contact's expense. he IS currently in the process of repairing the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 132,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet venture. while attempting to make a left turn at 5 mph, the steering wheel would only turn right. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and has not been inspected by a dealer. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number 02v286000 (rack and pinion). the current and failure mileages were 138,000. Updated 01/02/08. *Lj the consumer stated the parts were purchased from autozone. She was not able to use her vehicle for several days, while the vehicle was being fixed. Updated 12/12/07. *Jb
Drivers side brake light. It keeps burning out the bulbs. It melts the plastic around the metal line, the part that it plugs into. I have talked to other people that has the same problem. *jb
1998 chevrolet venture headlight assembly. constant condensation/moisture inside drive and passenger side units causing a foggy or burned effect and rendering headlights virtually useless. After many years, I've noticed many different model years of the venture and its oldsmobile cousin have the same problem. The headlight assembly should be replaced, at no charge, form the auto maker. *Jb
Steering makes noticeable thumping when you turn the steering wheel at times, especially when backing up and turning the steering wheel.my mechanic told me that's the problem..the steering IS failing at this time.... *tr
TL* the contact owns a 1998 chevy venture. While driving 35 mph the vehicle shut off when approaching a traffic light or stop sign. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. it was towed to the mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the ause of the problem , and recommended the vehicle be diagnosed by the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that there was a bar inside the engine that broke, and therewas also corrosion in the engine. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle currently has 14, 4000 miles. *Ak
My headlight lenses have fallen off on three separate occasions. this IS clearly a faulty design as the lenses are merely glued on the front of the headlight assembly. because of the glue wearing away on the headlight cover, water gets into the assembly and causes the halogen lights to short out. this to me IS a very serious problem. I think that the manufacturer should admit to this and recall the vans and replace with a new design. why does it always take someone's death and a lawsuit to get something taken care of. I have had to replace the lights three times. the last time I put duct tape around the outside of the lenses to keep them on. why should I have to do that??? *jb
Dt*: the contact stated after pulling into a parking space and straightening the steering wheel, the steering wheel rack and pinion fractured without warning. Soon after, the airbag light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who confirmed the steering rack and pinion fracture. the repair shop also determined due to the unique fracture of the rack and pinion and the illumination of the airbag warning light, the airbag should have deployed. the manufacturer was not alerted.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's transmission would not shift into park. there was an nhtsa recall, # 98v131000 regarding the power train: automatic transmission. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.
Dt*: the contact stated that the sliding door on the side of the vehicle did not latch properly. while the door was being shut, it simply rolled back open upon movement of the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. a service dealer was called, who informed the contact to bring the vehicle in for service.*ak
Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to make a left turn at 20 mph the steering column locked. the vehicle was then pulled to the side of the highway. the vehicle was towed to a local independent repair shop. the mechanic determined there was failure to the lower bearing plate. there IS a nhtsa recall, # 02v286000, regarding the steering rack and pinion. the vin was not included in the recall. the manufacturer has been alerted.
Venture was making a smell that I remembered from my 95 chevy lumina. Pull over realized the same thing was going on with this van. Coolant going into engine. This van only had 51,652 miles on for a 98 that IS great I took very good care of it and chevy lost a customer for life. We were looking a tahoe but I would even look at it now chevy IS the worst car maker out there but then again they are making me now look a toyota,honda in a whole new light. *nm
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
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 (nhtsa 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.
On november 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on april 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue. The trailing arm design in these vehicles has been used in the u-van from my 1997 through the present.the gm analysis concluded that the subject trailing arms could crack or buckle if they were damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or subjected to certain service related abuse conditions such as improper towing or jacking.analysis of odi and gm data has identified 19 incidents of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles.there have been no new reports to odi or gm in the last 12 months and only one new complaint in the last 21 months. Due to the low complaint rate and the absence of a continuing trend in reported failures, a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. For additional information, see the attached closing report.
Analysis of odi and gm data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 gm u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. The trailing arm design in these vehicles IS used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to gm, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain service related abuse conditions (e.g., improper towing or jacking).gm identified a parts handling concern that was causing some trailing arms to be damaged prior to installation.to address this concern, gm implemented changes to the shipping containers from january 1999 through september 1999. Eight (8) of the reported incidents in my 1997-99 u-vans, including the two crashes, occurred in the last 2 years.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to assess the trend and safety risk associated with the alleged defect.
Odi identified 59 reports with the alleged defect.odi was able to contact 44 of the 59 consumers in order to determine the specific cause of the latch problems.of the 44 owners contacted, odi determined that four failures were due to an out-of-tolerance latch plate, and that 23 failures were due to a displaced buckle housing cover.the remaining 17 failures had indeterminable causes.of the 59 reports, there were three alleged minor injuries.no legal claims or lawsuits have been filed with regard to this alleged defect.based on the limited number of reports, and a declining report trend, this investigation IS closed.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appeared to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See additional summary report.
There is no summary currently available
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.