Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Dt:the contacts states the gas tank scrapes the ground when two or more people sit in the rear seat of the vehicle. The dealership stated the vehicle had been damaged, causing this problem. The dealership repaired the heat shield that covers the gas tank. This did not correct the problem. The manufacturer was contacted, and they stated the rear springs were causing the scrapping. This would be repaired under warranty. The door doesn't close properly. Updated 01/19/06.
Dt: the caller has a broken rear sway bar. While driving the caller turned a corner and heard a pop. He almost lost control of the vehicle, but was only going 10 MPH and was able to stop the vehicle. The caller said when he called the dealer he was switched to a fax machine. The manufacturer has not been contacted yet. The caller was able to drive the vehicle home.
Had a suspension rattle and dealer inspected it on 6/28/05 and found two bad trailing arm bushings and a bad shock absorber (dealer replaced the parts). On 8/24/05 I had a banging noise again in the rear and the dealer found the other shock absorber no good (dealer replaced). On 9/8/05 I started having a bad rattle that sound like metal on metal in the rear. The dealer changed the rear hatch shock absorbers but that was not the problem. It was brought back in the same day to find the source of the noise and the fixed the cooling line for the rear ac unit under the truck but that was not the source of the noise. The truck was taken apart inside ands driven and was concluded that the shock towers are bad and have movement in them and there is no fix for a structural problem of this kind. I was given the truck back a told that is all they can do. …
Consumer complained of rear end problem. Consumer maintained that manufacturer never sealed the back end of the vehicle. As a result, water leaked into the vehicle. The manufacturer refused to repair the defect. However, the manufacturer was willing to dry out the vehicle. Also, a moldy mildew smell lingered within the vehicle. Mold was all through the ceiling as well as blowing through the rear vents, the back end leaked, the roof rail seams and pitch rail were not sealed, water leaked into the rear dome light and leaked onto the floor in the rear, the tires were replaced at 18K miles, the #2 and #3 fan relay shorted, the front end had excessive play, and the front windshield seal had come loose from the glass.
Air conditioner condenser failed, GM new of the problem in December, 2002, but kept their mouth shut until the warranty expired. The gas gauge does not work, it flips from full to empty, I have to keep a mileage notebook in order to know when to fill up. My warning light on the dash continues to flash "rear hatch ajar, side door ajar, low brake fluid." there is nothing wrong with any of the items. The front brakes went bad at 32,000, requiring new pads and rotors. The window button on the driver side will put the passenger window down, but not up. The rear window washer does not work. I am so glad that GM is going bankrupt. I bought an American car, to try and help the workers stay employed, but now realize that all I did was to keep some overpaid, lazy slobs on the job for much longer than they should have been employed. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Venture. While driving at highway speeds of 70 miles per hour, the front right tire rod broke along with the front right control arm. The dealer (in grants pass, oregon) stated that they are unable to assist him with the failure since it was involved in a crash; however, the contact was not involved a crash. The front tires were worn and that doesnt occur during an accident. The contact is aware of the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 57,2000.
On leaving the parking lot at southern maryland hospital, I heard a scraping noise coming from the bottom of the van. I quickly pulled over and looked under the van. The front frame had dropped to the road and I found that the steering wheel now turned 360 degrees. Fortunately, I had not entered a high speed road so I was able to pull over out of harms way before anything drastic happened. I had it towed to jack winegardner Chevrolet. They looked it over and said the bolt holding up the frame had sheered off. They did not know why it happened. The van has never been in an accident; there was no rust (the van was well maintained). I asked that it be repaired and called the GM headquarters to ask for relief on the cost of the repairs since I felt it was probably a manufacturer's defect and definitely a safety issue. …
We own a 2000 Chevy Venture that we bought used about 4 years ago. When we bought it, the button for the doors to open automatically didn't work as well as the gas gauge. Since, we have replaced the heads, the water pump, rack and pinion, wheel hub, tie rod end, as well as replacing the head lights every couple months and now having problems with the brake lights.when we had the heads replaced, they flushed the radiator and we are still having problems with the low coolant light coming on and the fluid looking cloudy. They told us that the cloudiness sometimes happens, but still doesn't explain the light coming on saying its low!!! We were also notified that the ABS box is bad and needs replaced...also, sometimes there is water that leaks from the weather gauge or the top of the windshield. …
NHTSA investigations
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.
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Venture years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (15), 1997 (12), 1998 (8), 2003 (8) and 2002 (7) model years. Suspension complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Venture suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Chevrolet Venture model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Venture suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles; 57% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (12 mentions), followed by the rear (9).
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.