1998 Chevrolet Venture Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 17about this part
- Share
- 4%of 409 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 130,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 17 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Chevrolet Venture, 4% of the 409 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 130,000 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Current problem is leaking coolant with ticking sound in engine at startup until engine is warm. Diagnosed by dealer as blown head and intake gaskets. Estimated cost is $1300 for gasket replacement and another $660 if head is cracked. Mileage is 83350. Many other reports exist of this problem in Chevrolet ventures with some leading to engine failure. 3.4l v6.”
NHTSA complaint #10069544, filed 2004-01, 83,350 miles“While driving at high speeds antifreeze was mixed in with the oil. This caused the vehicle to vibrate. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. This caused the transmission to break. The sliding door on the driver's side rubber trim had fallen off, water would get into the trunk when it rained, and the rear windshield did not work properly.”
NHTSA complaint #10055639, filed 2004-03, 145,000 miles“This is an annoyance problem with the transmition. On highway inclines at 40 to 60 MPH in 3rd gear there is a constant bucking of the van. This was reported to, and noted by the dealer but he would never do anything about it. Another dealer says it is the tourque converter but is now out of warranty. I purchased this van after lease ran out 11/99. I would still like this defect fixed.”
NHTSA complaint #714893, filed 1999-11“My wife and I noticed a delayed response when accelerator was pushed while already at speed. My wife also said that the engine sounded different than in the past. We took vehicle to dealership and they inspected the transmission. There are metal shavings throughout the transmission - it needs to be replaced. We do not understand how a vehicle that has received regular maintainance can have a transmission go bad at only 50k miles.”
NHTSA complaint #727983, filed 2000-08“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 the consumer stated the cable end that connects to the transmission failed. The vehicle was repaired. Updated 7/1/2015”
NHTSA complaint #10701077, filed 2015-03, 159,817 milesRelated recalls
- 98V131000Jun 11, 1998Vehicle 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…Covers: Chevrolet Venture 1998, Oldsmobile Silhouette 1998, Pontiac Trans Sport 1998
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1998 Chevrolet Venture
111 complaintsExterior lighting
59 complaintsSteering
36 complaintsElectrical system
31 complaintsBody and structure
30 complaintsFuel system
28 complaintsAir bags
27 complaintsBrakes
23 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
23 complaintsSeat belts
21 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
16 complaintsOther or unknown
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Chevrolet Venture
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology