Most common 2003 Chevrolet Venture problems
Share of the 185 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 →
2003 Chevrolet Venture recalls (5)
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
On certain vehicles, variations in the manufacturing process or exposure to high ambient temperatures May lead to fracture of the fuel tank inlet check valve (icv).
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall will be mailed in two phases with the first phase beginning on December 4, 2007. The second phase will be mailed on December 13, 2007.
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…
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or…
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
On certain Mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that May not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on March 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Air bags › Frontal
Certain passenger, Mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began August 15, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 Chevrolet Venture:
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…
What 2003 Chevrolet Venture owners say
Lights all 30 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Venture. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was a strong odor of burning wires. The contact mentioned that while attempting to park, the turn signal lamps failed to illuminate. The contact parked and observed that the lamps were melted and the bulbs were dark. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
I have a 2003 Chevy Venture and when I purchased it, I noticed that the turn signals would start blinking real fast on the dash. When I would look at them on the outside they were blinking fine, as was the dash lights. This happened several times, so I thought that it was just the bulbs themselves. Then on March 29, 2014, I noticed a little puff of smoke come from the headlight area when my wife pulled into our driveway. I also noticed that the passenger side turn/parking light was out. I luckily had a bulb from another car to replace it, but when I took the assembly out and went to turn the connector to replace the bulb, and noticed it was hot. Thinking that something did not seem right, I let it cool down and then removed it. What I saw was the connector that holds the bulb was black and melted. It actually melted to the bulb itself. …
Engine & cooling all 28 →
I was struck from the back, while taking foot off the brake, I attempted to proceed from a stop sign in shopping mall. Due to delay, from a bad transmission from day 1 when I first purchased vehicle from felix Chevrolet, la ca it holds up traffic. I took my foot off brake after stopping at stop sign and it appeared to driver that I was moving forward. Yet, the delay causes danger from behind and I'm still encountering delays from the date of purchase, 2006 up until now. Felix denied anything was wrong with after I complained and had them test transmission problem within 30 days of purchase. I've been very dissatisfied with performance and quality of vehicle from day one. When accelerating from a stop the vehicle severely jerks. The transmission fluid and filter have been replaced with no change in the condition. The vehicle had around 60,000 miles when I purchased.
The engine RPM surges without pushing the gas. The engine will gradually propel the vehicle to around 50-60 MPH with no mechanical movement of the gas pedal. This happens about every day or two. Have to put the car in neutral or firmly press the brakes to get the velocity down. The car is in motion and stationary when this happens. It happens sporadically. Changing all types of parts and still no resolution. I also see alot of the same issues on line with other owners of this vehicle.
Body & structure all 27 →
Driver was turning at traffic light at low speed, 200 ft from her home. When turn was complete, driver was unable to return steering wheel to forward position, nor was she able to stop the vehicle using brake pedal, until the vehicle crashed into another one parked along the street. Driver was unable to explain how it could happen, and the accident was considered her fault. However, the latest GM recall regarding weakness of ignition key mechanism provides logical explanation of this accident. If the ignition key flipped to "off" position during the turn, power steering and power braking would be gone, and what driver described would make total sense. Especially taking into account that at that time the driver had several additional keys on the keychain. Is it possible that 2003 Chevrolet Venture ignition mechanism May suffer from the same problem as ones recalled by GM?
Due to rusted rear right brake line, vehicle lost all brake fluid without warning and prevented vehicle from stopping in a timely manner. The lack of brake control caused right rear side of the van's body (just in front of the rear right wheel) to hit the protective barrier at the gas station. Upon inspection rust is now observed at several places on the brake lines as well.
2003 Chevrolet Venture engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Venture a good car?
Based on 185 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Venture rates better than average: 42% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Venture at the same age. It is one of the best Venture years by this measure. 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 2003 Chevrolet Venture?
The lights — 30 complaints, 16% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the engine & cooling (28) and body & structure (27).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Venture have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2003 Chevrolet Venture, the most recent from August 8, 2007 (storage). 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 2003 Chevrolet Venture problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 40% 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.