1999 Chevrolet Venture Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated May 24, 2018 · 349 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Venture years
More complaints than other years 4th of 10 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 349 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Chevrolet Venture. That ranks 4th out of 10 Venture model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (114 complaints, 33%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 5 fires, 34 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.

Chevrolet Venture
2001-2005 Chevrolet Venture photographed in Greenbelt, Maryland , USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 1999 Chevrolet Venture problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine and Engine Cooling114 · ~60,000 mi
Air Bags40 · ~70,500 mi
Structure36 · ~65,400 mi
Visibility32 · ~40,000 mi
Power Train30 · ~60,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic27 · ~53,500 mi
Electrical System21 · ~48,167 mi
Exterior Lighting15 · ~57,500 mi
Suspension15 · ~93,056 mi
Latches/locks/linkages13 · ~37,158 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine and Engine Cooling problems11433%60,000“intake manifold” (44%)$1,500
Air Bags4011%70,500——
Structure3610%65,400——
Visibility329%40,000——
Power Train309%60,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic278%53,500——
Electrical System216%48,167——
Exterior Lighting154%57,500——
Suspension154%93,056——
Latches/locks/linkages134%37,158——
Fuel System, Gasoline113%46,167——
Steering113%44,000——
Unknown or Other113%69,000——
Seat Belts103%———
Equipment93%37,158——
Tires93%———
Vehicle Speed Control93%107,000——
Seats82%75,829——
Child Seat41%———
Fuel System, Other41%65,000——
Fuel/propulsion System21%120,500——
Service Brakes, Air21%———
Wheels21%82,000——
Engine10%84,000——
Parking Brake10%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2003, with 67 complaints
1999: 341999342000: 42422001: 352001352002: 44442003: 672003672004: 65652005: 272005272006: 10102007: 7200772008: 662009: 2200922010: 332011: 1201112012: 112014: 3201432017: 112018: 120181

n = 349 complaints · Source: NHTSA

1999 Chevrolet Venture recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchDec 22, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V597000 · 717,302 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchAug 21, 2001 · NHTSA campaign 01V264000 · 248,737 vehicles

Problem: 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 sliding doors assembled in january through april 2001. These vehicles have inadequate front welds. If a front weld fails, the actuator can jam in the unlatched position and, when the sliding door closes, it will not be latched.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchMar 8, 2001 · NHTSA campaign 01V067000 · 477,011 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.

Fix: 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.

Steering:gear box:shaft sectorApr 12, 1999 · NHTSA campaign 99V071000 · 59 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: passenger mini vans. The left and/or right front lower insulator to cradle center metal sleeve is collapsed, which can result in loss of clamp load in the joint. If the clamp load is reduced or lost, the bolt can be lost or broken and the joint can separate.

Risk: If not repaired, separation of the opposite side joint could occur resulting in steering shaft separation.

Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right front lower cradle-to-suspension insulators and the attaching bolts.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Power-sliding door (PE04064) — opened Sep 17, 2004, closed Dec 22, 2004, led to recall 04V597000.
  • Rear axle trailing arm failure (EA03005) — opened Apr 23, 2003, closed Jan 12, 2004.
  • Rear axle trailing arm failure (PE02086) — opened Nov 18, 2002, closed Apr 9, 2003.
  • Shoulder harness clip (PE02017) — opened Feb 11, 2002, closed Aug 2, 2002.
  • Air bag tear during deployment (PE00045) — opened Nov 3, 2000, closed Jan 11, 2001.
  • Unexpected opening of sliding door (SQ00014) — opened Jul 25, 2000, closed Oct 22, 2001, led to recall 01V067000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I need to know were i can find out who i tex to recall this van there are to many things thats going wrong with it i fix one thing and something else go wrong with it look i have cancer and need a good car to go to stanford cancer please can u help me.

Unknown or Other · received May 24, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11097733

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 chevrolet venture. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light would flash 7 times then remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a diagnostic was performed, which located a failure code for the air bags…

Air Bags · received Jul 24, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11010181

Cpsc: i1480097a. 1999 chevy venture. Consumer stated that she has a defective vehicle. *ln

Unknown or Other · received Dec 15, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10666949

In september of 2013 i noticed oil in coolant reservoir. Took to the mechanic. Closer inspection showed head gaskets were destroyed. Had the head gasket replaced and the coolant flushed out as well as changed all coolant hoses, water pump, and thermostat to the tune of $900.00 dollars. Vehicle only…

Engine · received Jan 28, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10561774

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 chevrolet venture. The contact stated while driving 40 mph and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home. A mechanic diagnosed that the fuel line and fuel tank melted due to the exhaust. The contact patched up the fuel tank and the fuel line since…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Jan 10, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10559371

Other Chevrolet Venture years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Chevrolet Venture?

Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, structure problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 114 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 1999 Chevrolet Venture?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 1999 Chevrolet Venture a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Venture model years, the 1999 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.