1998 Chevrolet Venture Problems

What owners report

Complaints from owners of this model year center on coolant loss from intake manifold gaskets on the 3.4L V6, often noticed well before 100,000 miles and sometimes followed by heater, head gasket, or engine trouble. Owners also report headlamp lenses and assemblies separating from the housing, power sliding doors that close but do not latch or open on their own, and steering rack or pinion problems on vehicles their VIN check placed outside the related recalls.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Intake manifold gasket coolant leak

   • 84 complaints (21%)
   • median 74,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (58 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $908 (median of 25 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2008

   Owners describe slowly losing coolant, refilling the reservoir, and finding no external leak; dealers or shops commonly diagnose failed intake manifold gaskets, and some replace the heater or water pump first without solving it. Complaints mention coolant mixing with oil, overheating, rough running, a sweet exhaust smell, and in some cases camshaft or head gasket damage afterward. Several owners say a redesigned gasket was later used but that repairs were quoted between roughly $500 and $2,500. Reported from about 50,000 to 110,000 miles in the sample, with some as low as 20,000-35,000 and several at 80,000-90,000 miles.

   What to check: Pressurize the cooling system and check for coolant loss without an external leak, and look for a milky residue or coolant smell in the oil. Ask for repair records showing which gaskets were replaced and when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1998 chev Venture was getting coolant into the motor oil which caused it to start ticking.I took it to the dealer and they said it was the intake gasket. They fixed the problem which cost me $1500.00. Three months later the engine blew up .I had to get a reman.engine which cost $4000.00.I feel because of the faulty gasket this lead to my engine problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10066155, filed 2004-04, 127,000 miles

   “The intake gasket on my 98 Venture failed and leaked dexcool into the engine. The engine temp fluctuated and the vehicle overheated damaging the head gasket. I see GM is ignoring the issue as well as NHTSA. There is however a law firm in putting together a class action suit for this problem. I encourage all to join in the suit and to leave GM and become loyal honda owners.”

   NHTSA complaint #10148300, filed 2006-01, 112,234 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering rack and pinion binding or breakage

   • 26 complaints (6%)
   • median 106,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2015

   Owners report the steering wheel locking, seizing, or only turning one direction, typically during a low-speed left turn, and one complaint describes the rack and pinion fracturing while parking. Several say the dealer found the vehicle's VIN was not included in the rack and pinion recall, so the repair was at their expense. Others mention a groaning noise from the steering when turning while stationary. Reported from about 74,000 to 140,000 miles in the sample, mostly over 120,000 miles.

   Recall 02V286000

   What to check: Ask whether the rack and pinion recall 02V286000 was performed on this VIN, and test the steering through full left and right turns at low speed for binding or noise.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10159931, filed 2006-06, 130,153 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10215369, filed 2008-01, 132,000 miles
3. 3
   Exterior lighting

   Headlamp lens and assembly separation

   • 47 complaints (11%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2007

   Owners describe the headlamp lens or the whole lamp assembly coming loose or falling off, in some cases both sides on the same vehicle and repeated on the same side after replacement. Complaints say the dealer attributed it to adhesive breakdown, replaced the full assembly, and treated it as not covered. One owner reported the assemblies detaching while braking. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles, at vehicle ages of roughly six to thirteen years.

   What to check: Inspect both headlamp housings for loose lenses, cracked adhesive, or signs of moisture, and check whether the assemblies have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am going to need to repair my minivan due to the problem with the coolant leak and I really can not afford this and may have to have the van sit until I can. I cannot believe after all the complaints I have read on here that there is not a recall on this or the headlights. I will not purchase another chevy vehicle again because this is a costly repair that is not the consumers responsibility, its obvious that this needs a recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10098700, filed 2004-11, 71,691 miles

   “In feb./march 2004, right headlight assembly lens fell off, exposing lamp to weather. In july 2004, left headlight lens fell off. We had to replace the entire assembly in both cases. Cost about $160 each time. Dealer installed new assemblies and told us the failure is due to adhesive breakdown but not covered by Chevrolet. The vehicle is a 1998 chevy Venture ls with 75000 mile in feb and 80000 miles in july.”

   NHTSA complaint #10088766, filed 2004-08, 75,000 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Power sliding door closes without latching or reopens

   • 27 complaints (7%)
   • median 110,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2011

   Owners describe the passenger power sliding door closing but not latching, reopening by itself after being shut, or a buzzer sounding with the door shut, sometimes requiring the power switch to be disabled to keep it closed. In one case a dealer reported the vehicle had already been repaired under the sliding door latch recall and the problem returned later; another owner was told to bring it in for service. Reported from about 89,000 to 163,000 miles in the sample.

   Recall 01V067000Recall 04V597000

   What to check: Ask whether the power sliding door latch recalls were completed on this VIN, then open and close the door several times, including on a slope, and confirm it latches firmly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10160756, filed 2006-06, 125,000 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10395712, filed 2011-04, 163,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop pressure-test the cooling system and check for coolant in the oil before buying, since the gasket repair is the most commonly reported expense. Also confirm which open recalls were completed for this VIN and check the sliding door, steering, and rear seat belts on a test drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.