Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Venture owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
After starting the vehicle in driveway a burnt odor was smelled followed by black smoke. Within a few minutes the vehicle caught on fire from under the dashboard. Local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. Black smoke came gushing out by the airbag. Soon after the dash board exploded in flames. Explosion caused all the windows to blow out. Vehicle was a total loss as flames engulfed the entire body.
I have had to replace the left rear brake lamp in my 1997 Chevrolet Venture van a total of three times and the right rear once. After removing the bulbs, I noticed the base of the bulbs were charred and melted. I have serious concerns about the charring/melting eventually causing a fire. If the bulb assembly is pulling enough power to melt the base, shouldn't the fuse blow? The last incident occurred when my wife was driving home after work when another motorist told her she had no brake lights. After I checked the van, I determined that both brake lamps were charred and melted. I have not checked any of the other bulbs yet, but noticed another complaint had been filed about the bulbs melting/fusing to the socket.
Consumer complained about a multitude of problems: 1. Headlights came on and off intermittently; 2. When hitting a bump in the road, headlights came on; 3. Engine overheated due to leaking radiator , and 4. Electrical problems, such as ignition and power door locks malfunctioned regularly. The vehicle was hard to start. The door panels were loose. The windshield leaked. The anti theft alarm malfunctioned. Rear window washer malfunctioned.
Travelling ~40 MPH, applied brake, engine stalled. Restarted immediately. Proceeded one quarter mile, applied brake to turn right, engine stalled, restarted immediately. Repeated multiple times. Took to independent mechanic; could reproduce problem but not locate source. Took to dealer: unable to reproduce problem.
My 1997 Chevrolet Venture was in the driveway no one in it and not running when the passenger air bag suddenly deployed. I was told it was a wiring defect and would cost more than the car was worth to fix it!! Apparently water got into the wire harness. How is this my fault? Thank god my kids were not in the car!!!
Dt: the contact stated the vehicle was parked for approximately 30 minutes and busted into flames. The fire started in the driver's side door panel. The fire department was called to extinguish the vehicle. The fire inspector determined it was an electrical fire. The vehicle was still at her residence.
Vehicle was turned off for approximately ten minutes when vehicle caught fire underneath around gas tank, fire department was called, and determined the cause to hav ebeen an electrical problem or a pin hole in the gas tank. Please provide any further details.
While driving a fire stared in the tail light on driver's side of the vehicle, very near the gas tank. Inspector stated that it was a dead short. Consumer contacted Chevrolet, and they were willing to do pay the sum that vehicle was worth.
While driving on highway, I drove over debris (tree limb) on highway while passing semi at approx. 65 MPH. When I ran over branch, all vehicle electrical and braking systems suddenly went off, resulting in loss of lights, power brakes, power steering, signals, and power from engine - a total shutdown. I wrestled van to side of road and had towed to town (while on xmas trip, travelling thru OK). After towed to dealer (closed, at night), I checked under van to find a male and female plug for wiring harness disconnected and hangling down midway from front to rear on drivers side. I plugged two back together and van worked perfectly with no further problems. Altho there were no accidents, injuries, if my wife or daughter had been driving, they probably would not have been able to stay in control, pull van to side of road. …
ABS brake system not working properly. Extended stopping distance. Rapid pulsating noise has changed to long grinding noise when system engages. Feels like wheels lock to long before system engages. Then it feels like wheels lock and unlock to long of a time. Dealer claims nothing is wrong. Horn did not work when turned side-ways or up-side down. Took 4 service calls to correct. Horn works but it is still hard to find the "sweet" spot to activate. Audio tape deck housing heats up to 150 degrees when heater is on for 2 hours. Dealer cannot correct after 4 trys. Auto sliding side door would randomly reopen aafter closing. 4 service calls to correct problem. Clips holding rear brake line came off leaving line dragging on street. Rear brakes grind after car has sat for 1/2 hour. Dealer couldn't fix.
Electrical complaints in other Venture years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Venture?
NHTSA has 53 complaints about the electrical system of the 1997 Chevrolet Venture, 12% of the model year's 432 complaints. The component named most often is horn (30 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Venture electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Venture, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Venture electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.