1997 Chevrolet Venture Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (32% of reports).
- 85engine and engine cooling complaints
- 75,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $6,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 27 of 85 complaints (32%)
- Head gasket: mentioned in 9 of 85 complaints (11%)
- Engine damage: mentioned in 6 of 85 complaints (7%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 5 of 85 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture at $6,100, and half of them between $2,100 and $7,700.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2005), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 49 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 85 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 3 a fire.
Chevrolet Venture engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Venture | 3 | 7% | 34,000 |
| 2004 Venture | 9 | 7% | 53,500 |
| 2003 Venture | 23 | 12% | 60,667 |
| 2002 Venture | 42 | 19% | 60,765 |
| 2001 Venture | 44 | 20% | 55,000 |
| 2000 Venture | 82 | 23% | 58,000 |
| 1999 Venture | 114 | 33% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Venture | 111 | 27% | 76,000 |
| 1997 Venture | 85 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Venture | 1 | 50% | 70,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Chevrolet Venture. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
1997 chevrolet venture, caught fire and became fully engulfed causing total damage. *bf according to the police report, the vehicle had engine trouble. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0318-89)*jb updated 09/13/10*bf
I have owned 3 chevy venture minivans over the past 10 years. All of them had the same problems, the signal and head lights go out, the window switch goes out and finally the head gasket goes. They run great until the day it starts overheating, then your out a vehicle. Everyone i know who has a…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the antifreeze in her vehicle has corroded the radiator, water pump, thermostat, and intake valve. This is the coolant that was listed in the owner's manual and is always used in her vehicle. A recall was sent to chevrolet…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Ventures have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 85 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Chevrolet Venture (20% of the 432 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,100 (half paid between $2,100 and $7,700), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 27 of 85 complaints, followed by “head gasket” (9).
Other 1997 Chevrolet Venture problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Venture problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Venture years.