1997 Chevrolet Venture Steering Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 83,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (41% of reports).
- 76steering complaints
- 83,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 11%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.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 31 of 76 complaints (41%)
- Steering wheel locked: mentioned in 9 of 76 complaints (12%)
- Making turn: mentioned in 7 of 76 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 11 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Chevrolet Venture steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Venture | 3 | 7% | 138,000 |
| 2004 Venture | 1 | 1% | 114,530 |
| 2003 Venture | 2 | 1% | 500 |
| 2002 Venture | 8 | 4% | 44,500 |
| 2001 Venture | 2 | 1% | 57,241 |
| 2000 Venture | 7 | 2% | 65,000 |
| 1999 Venture | 11 | 3% | 44,000 |
| 1998 Venture | 36 | 9% | 90,000 |
| 1997 Venture | 76 | 18% | 83,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Steering locked up on '97 venture van while being operated at 70 mph on a straight highway. Vehicle had to be towed, rack and pinion and steering pump replaced.
Needs replaced frontend hubs ,tierod,pinion repairs/recall this van needs a new owner!!! Nothing but costly repairs chevy needs to recall all them ventures. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not going to honor the recall for the steering rack and pinion because her vin was not included. While making a right turn at 5 mph, the steering wheel locked. The failure occurs intermittently. According to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Ventures have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about steering for the 1997 Chevrolet Venture (18% 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 steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 83,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 31 of 76 complaints, followed by “steering wheel locked” (9).
Other 1997 Chevrolet Venture problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Venture problems or steering problems across all Venture years.