Most common 1999 Chevrolet Venture problems
Share of the 349 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Venture complaints by model year
Best Venture years: 2005, 2004, 2003. Years to avoid: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000. Compare all years →
1999 Chevrolet Venture recalls (4)
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
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.
Remedy: 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…
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if required, install a new power sliding door unlatch actuator assembly. Owner notification began on October 22, 2001.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
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.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new un-latch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. This recall has been continued under safety recall 01v-264.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right front lower cradle-to-suspension insulators and the attaching bolts.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 1999 Chevrolet Venture:
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
Power-sliding door
Subject vehicles are available with an optional power sliding door.the interior handle is oriented in the vertical position in the door panel and lines up at the elbow level when the occupant is seated in the 2nd-row outboard position.if the occupant holds the interior handle in the thumb up position during power-assisted opening, the arm/wrist can be push back with force against the 2nd-row bucket seat or captain's…
Rear axle trailing arm failure
Analysis of odi and GM data has identified 14 incidents of rear trailing arm failures in model year (my) 1997 through 1999 GM u-vans, including two that allegedly resulted in crashes. The trailing arm design in these vehicles is used in the u-vans from my 1997 through 2003.according to GM, the subject trailing arms can crack or buckle if they have been damaged during assembly, pre-delivery handling, or certain…
Shoulder harness clip
Air bag tear during deployment
Rear axle trailing arm failure
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.
What 1999 Chevrolet Venture owners say
Engine & cooling all 115 →
1 inch of sludge in engine, lost of coolant, the engine pinging and knocking, steering and brakes locked up which caused the accident while driving. We changed the oil pump, oil connecting rod, spark plugs, spark plug wires, coils and still engine is broken. Started with coolant in the oil. Unsure symtoms leading up to the accident.
In January of 2002, the heat in our 1999 Chevy Venture stopped working. The van had around 50 or so thousand miles at the time. The dealer in baton rouge all-star Chevrolet could not diagnose the problem and recommended a cooling-system flush as the coolant level looked low in the reservoir. This flush was done at another shop in town. This did not correct the problem and this shop recommended I go back to the dealer. The engine was also running hot, so took it into the dealer with these problems. This dealer did around $1,000 in repairs including a water pump and thermostat. The problem was not fixed as I drove the van home. I brought it back to the dealer the next day and they looked at it and said they could see nothing wrong and would not do any more work. I then took it to another Chevy dealer (brian harris Chevrolet) in baton rouge with my problem. …
Air bags all 40 →
Dt*: the contact stated while stopped at a stop light during wet road conditions, the vehicle was impacted on the front driver side by another vehicle traveling 45 MPH. The contact's vehicle was pushed into oncoming traffic and collided with 3 other vehicles causing damage to the whole front end and front passenger door. None of the air bags deployed, and the contact sustained injuries to the leg, shoulder, and chest. The seat belt was worn, and the airbag warning light was not illuminated prior to the incident. A police report was taken and pictures were available. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, and was deemed totaled. Updated 1/26/2007 -
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. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,500.
Body & structure all 36 →
This will be a list of most of the problems. I have complained of smelling anti-freeze since I purchased the van new. It currently has 94K on it and I have done all scheduled maintenance on it. I think the clock work oil changes is the only reason it still runs. Manifold gaskets, intake, head...have been replaced twice and need it again, really bad. But I just do not have 5-800 bucks laying around to do a gasket job again since I just did it a year ago. The anti-freeze diluting the oil has messed up a couple pistons. They slap very bad OK here is my list (I have dealer invoices for everything fixed the first time and receipts for parts and labor the second time, or my husband got sick of paying for the same crap so he would fix things) (he is in the automotive testing and design field)
The pinch welds behind the side sliding doors (left and right) are badly corroded compromising the overall structural integrity of this unibody vehicle. Whenever a passenger weighing over 150 lbs. Sits in the passenger front seat, the right side power sliding door alarm sounds. When this happens the door sometimes not close or will open unexpectedly even while the vehicle is in motion. With the integrity of the structure compromised, it has also resulted in a cracked windshield. This is not only dangerous but could potentially result in a fatality. The defect has been brought to the attention of a couple of different GM dealerships of which none were of any assistance.
1999 Chevrolet Venture engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Chevrolet Venture a good car?
Based on 349 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Venture rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Venture at the same age. It is one of the Venture years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Chevrolet Venture?
The engine & cooling — 115 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. Next are the air bags (40) and body & structure (36).
How many recalls does the 1999 Chevrolet Venture have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1999 Chevrolet Venture, the most recent from December 22, 2004 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Venture?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2004 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. See the full Chevrolet Venture years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Venture problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 28% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.