1997 Chevrolet Venture defect investigations

Investigations by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation that name the 1997 Chevrolet Venture. An investigation is how complaints can become a recall: complaints → investigation → (sometimes) TSB → recall.

• RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT FAILURE
  Defect Petition DP04002 · opened Feb 3, 2004 · closed Mar 17, 2004

  Mr. Dennis fike of elkridge, md, submitted a petition to nhtsa by letter dated january 13, 2004, alleging that a gm dealer informed him that his van was not included in safety recall 02v286 and charged him for the replacement of the steering rack and pinion unit.mr. Fike believes that his van should have been included …

• REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURE
  Engineering Analysis EA03005 · opened Apr 23, 2003 · closed Jan 12, 2004

  On november 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on april 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue. The…

• SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLY FAILURE
  Engineering Analysis EA02032 · opened Nov 18, 2002 · closed Nov 21, 2003

  Odi identified 59 reports with the alleged defect.odi was able to contact 44 of the 59 consumers in order to determine the specific cause of the latch problems.of the 44 owners contacted, odi determined that four failures were due to an out-of-tolerance latch plate, and that 23 failures were due to a displaced buckle h…

• POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
  Engineering Analysis EA02003 · opened Apr 4, 2002 · closed Dec 10, 2002 · led to recall 02V286000

  The lower pinion bearing in the rack and pinion steering assembly may fail.gm will recall 1997-98 grand prix built between 1-mar-96 and 31-oct-97; and 1996-98 u-vans/j-cars built between 1-jan-96 and 31-oct-97.see attached summary.

• SHOULDER HARNESS CLIP
  Preliminary Evaluation PE02017 · opened Feb 11, 2002 · closed Aug 2, 2002
• STEERING RACK AND PINION
  Preliminary Evaluation PE01038 · opened Nov 14, 2001 · closed Apr 4, 2002

  Odi has received 200 complaints fromt consumers and 1,238 from gm alleging failure or lockup of the steering rack and pinion unit (r&p).this alleged condition can result in the loss of steering control of the vehicle and a crash can result.gm has reported six crashes in which eight people have sustained injuries rangin…

• UNEXPECTED OPENING OF SLIDING DOOR
  Investigation SQ00014 · opened Jul 25, 2000 · closed Oct 22, 2001 · led to recall 01V067000

  There is no summary currently available

• FINGER CUTTING/PINCHING
  Preliminary Evaluation PE98030 · opened May 15, 1998 · closed Jun 30, 1998 · led to recall 98V145000

  Odi has received three reports indicating injuries occurred to consumers while they wer folding a second row seat to gain acces to the rear or third row seats.when folding the seat a portion of the seat frame moves in a scissor action.two of the consumers severed the end of their finger and the third suffered a pinched…