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 2004 Chevrolet Venture owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dash displays inaccurate or not working gauges. Temperature and speedometer often doesn't work at all or shows 120mph when driving at approx 55mph! Temp will often show hot when car is at normal temp.
My wife took her Chevrolet van in for service due to the interior light not functioning it was taken to mahoney Chevrolet and blossom Chevrolet. They told her it was corrosion causing the problem and did nothing to repair the problem as they said it was not covered. I being a certified mechanic and having an associates degree in electronics trouble shot the problem and found the body control module to be the cause of the problem. The module also caused the power windows,door locks,remotes and all other interior things to fail. I feel this is a very serious safety issue as there are millions of these vans on the road and these modules fail on this and all other models of this van such as the Pontiac etc... …
The day after thanksgiving I got in my van and drove to peoria which is about 20 from the city I live in. I went shopping for a few hours and when I came back out I turned my van on and it would not heat up. I noticed the temperature gauge was past halfway heading towards hot. I sat there for about 20 minutes with everything turned off. I turned the van on again and it seems that the temperature unit was stuck and had come unstuck. I was able to drive home. Two weeks later I was driving home from work and noticed that the temperature gauge was almost to hot. I pulled over and could not get it to go down. In the end I had to have it towed and worked on. I had the temperature sensor changed, the water filter and the thermometer. I got in my van last night to find out that the temperature sensor is still reading beyond hot. …
The recent GM recall of 2004 - 2007 cobalt and other vehicles for ignition switch problems now makes my issues in my 2004 Chevrolet Venture van potentially make some sense. There have been multiple occurrences of the problem over the years but it sounds similar to the above recall. Some of the incidents occurred on the highway (70 MPH), some happened on the dirt roads we live on (25 - 35 MPH). The engine simply stopped - no power of any kind. The engine could be restarted by shifting into neutral and turning the key. It did not require a complete vehicle stoppage (although it did occasionally cause a nasty squeal from what I assumed was the starter motor). The car was purchased used from a dealer so I do not know if the issue occurred during the first year of so of the vehicles use. I think the GM investigation needs to be expanded to other models. VIN can be provided if needed.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. The contact stated that the instrument cluster works randomly. The speedometer is not registering the correct speed and the dial becomes stuck at extremely low or high speeds. On occasion, the speedometer will work temporarily if the engine is turned off and restarted. The temperature gauge also works at random and does not indicate the correct temperature in the vehicle. The dealer stated that the instrument cluster was the cause of the failure. Other Chevrolet models have been recalled, but not the Venture. The instrument cluster has not been repaired. The contact believes the failure is due to a manufacturer defect and that they should be responsible for the repair. The current and failure mileages were 60,000.
Dt: contact stated on 10-15-05 while driving the contact approached a stop sign , pressed down on the brake pedal and the vehicle had no brakes. The vehicle was towed to a dealership, where they replaced the master cylinder and the electrical system. The vehicle had no problems until 11-05-05 while pulling into a driveway she applied the brakes, and the brakes were not working. She had the vehicle towed to a different dealership, where they replaced the brake lines. On 11-12-05 she took the vehicle to another dealership to have it inspected, and the dealership told her the brake lines were hanging and there was no conduit on the brake lines .the dealership made the repairs .the vehicle is still under warranty.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the passenger side door slid open without warning. The contact's child was seated next to the door at the time of the failure. She pulled over to the side of the road to shut the door, but it would not close. An hour later, the door was able to close. The dealer was notified and stated that the sensor board needed to be cleaned. The repairs were not performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls relating to her vehicle. The current mileage was 160,000 and failure mileage was 155,000.
Chevrolet ventures seem to have an electrical problem affecting the right side (from the driver's perspective). I've noticed a lot with the driving lights out on that side, after I started having problems with my own. I've replaced the bulb in the front as well as in the back multiple times. Within a month or so, the bulbs are blown out again. The right side blinkers don't work in the front or the back after a month or so after they're replaced. Recently, I turned on the brights and the lights went out all together. We've had this van for 4 years and this has been an ongoing issue.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. While driving approximately 60 MPH on normal road conditions, the speedometer and temperature gauges displayed inaccurate readings regardless of the speed being traveled. The failures occurred without warning. An independent mechanic stated that the cause of the failure was related to the instrument panel cluster, which required replacement. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 80,000.
We currently own a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. The van has 58,000 miles at this time. The speedometer started jumping quickly on acceleration and deacceleration. From this it went to reading incorrectly and now has fallen down and will not read at all. We have not done anything to correct the problem at this time. However we were informed by a dealership that this was a problem on some of the Chevrolet trucks. We were told to wait and it might be placed on a recall list.
Electrical complaints in other Venture years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Venture?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Chevrolet Venture, 30% of the model year's 124 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Venture electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 Chevrolet Venture, though it has 3 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 2004 Chevrolet Venture electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire 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.