Cons of buying a Venture?

We're looking at buying a Venture (probably somewhere between a 1998 and 2001) as my Windstar is now toast. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the issues are that the Ventures are known or prone to have?

Thanks in advance!

First off if you can afford to buy a newer model, I'd do so. The older Ventures, pre 2003 are known for their leaking intake manifold gaskets. This is a labor intensive job costing anywheres from $5-600 and up,(depending where you take it for repair.)Other issues that affect the older Ventures are electrical problems with various components on the van including but not limited to the power sliding door, window switches,etc. Some members odf this forum have also reported problems with ABS/TCS, head gaskets, wipers not parking properly,transmission issues (not as bad as Chryslers though,). Minor problems others have experienced include issues with the rear suspension( shocks or the motor that is art of the auto leveling system if the van has one-sometimes it's just a leaking shock or air line,)blower motor resistor, wacky fuel or temperature gauges, and tie rod ends.
Those are some of the common issues addressed here on this forum in the past few years. I hope it doesn't scare you off too bad:grinyes: Overall these are fairly good vans that are plagued with the same recurring problems from year to year and a company (GM) that does little in the way to address some of them. You will find a lot of satisfied owners, (me included - I've owned 2,) that say they are a good van and have a lot of amenities that families can enjoy. Every model has it's issues, it's just that the Venture seems to fall to the side of "more than usual" on that scale. Like I said earlier, the newer models post 2002 tend to have less. It seems as time goes on, the issues fom the past are ironed out. A new gasket was introduced in '02 to solve the intake issue. With the various programs out there concerning car buying and the many changes that have taken place over the past decade, it might be worth your while to look at a more recent model if the price is within your budget. Prices have been coming down in recent years as more used Ventures are re-entering the used car market, and both dealers and private owners are looking to sell theirs.

I don't think I would say "Pre-2003"

I own a 2004 and at 60k miles - Lower Intake failed. Fortunately, warranty covered the repair.

I have had no other issues with my van. we love it. If i were to do it again, I would DEMAND a coolant pressure test prior to buying to verify the lower intake, and anything else is good.

if they throw a fit about it - then don't buy it.

just my 2 cents.

I've got a 99 with it's problems but I love it. My wifes car so I don't drive it everyday but we use it all the time for trips and it has been a champ for us. Already been down the "gasket" route with it, but Goodyear fixed for us when we were out of town.

My 98 Venture has had a few things go wrong, but all in all it has been a great vehicle. Perhaps a thread about "cons' AND "pros", because the pros out weight it or I would certainly sell mine.

4 things come to mind that Ive learned are "typical" problems, and I am still dealing with them.

- window get stuck - a result of an inside armature arm that bends over time
- AC problem - result from rear air line undeneath that cracks
- intermittent high idle - as noted on another topic here
- keyless entry issue - still yet to determine what the issue is, may not be common

I would still recommend buying one - new or old. The 3800 engine inside some of them will last forever - a great product. Mine has over 170,000 miles and still running well. I can live without AC and keyless entry, but if it don't start that's a different story.

I don't think I would say "Pre-2003"

The reason I said "Pre 2003" was that GM came out with the revised intake gasket to repair the problem with the leaking intakes in July of 2002. You can pretty much be certain that by 2003 all the vans produced had the revised gasket installed at the factory. I would think if an intake gasket failed post 2003 it would be considered an anomaly.

I purchased a 1999 Venture in 2004 and love it. In fact, I purchased a 2004 for my wife earlier this year (trading in a 2002 Town Country I purchased new).

I've put 50K miles on my 99 and have had no major problems. I purcahsed after market extended warranty, and used it to replace front struts, tie rods, and intake gasket repair, so other than warranty, hasn't cost me much for maintenance.

Among the features I love most are the great mileage. I dare say the best of the minivans (20-21 in traffic; 26 on highways).

My 2004 has had no problems so far (purchased at 33K miles, now 39K).
My 1999 other than listed above, I'm seeing rust along the rocker panels.

I'm sad that GM has stopped making them. I wish they just made them better instead of giving up.

:nono: leave gm mini vans alone go buy you a toyota or nissan minivan i will never buy another gm product again and i used to love to drive a gm product...... for a van to cost between 20 and thirty grand you would think gm would build them better. gm will be its own downfall.......

When I mentioned to a friend that it cost us $1600 to fix the head gaskets he gasped and was shocked that I'd put that into a van that was 7 years old at the time. While he proudly looked over is brand new 4 door, 4 wheel drive Ford gas guzzler pickup he just purchased for $36,000. Well the bank bought it for him and will kindly let him use it for the next 6 years until it is paid off. I paid $7500 for this fully loaded '98 Venture back in early 2003. I love it, my wife loves it. And I still don't have $10,000 invested. We owned an older Caravan before this and it gave us a lot of good years. But the Venture has a much bigger feel to it, has gobs of power and gets great mileage. And all the bells and whistles are still working. Most of the minor stuff I fix myself, with the help of this forum of course. I would purchase another (newer one) without hesitation.

PROS VS CONS of buying a Venture...

PROS:
Relatively inexpensive
Easy to find parts
Easy to fix(using this forum)
Good on mileage(ave. 24mpg)
It has a good feel on the road

CONS:
You are buying a used van. Buyer beware. You WILL have repairs on it...like every other used vehicle out there. All vans will need some kind of repairs regardless of who it is made by.

I love my 2000 Venture van. The pros far outweigh the cons. You will always hear from the folks who talk badly about this van and all GM related stuff. I find them to be more vocal than the content owners like myself. All vehicles are machines that need repair and upkeep. I would rather buy a GM part than a foreign $$ part personally.

I paid for my used van with just one small cattle check. I recently did the IMG as a preventative measure. I worked on some other minor issues with the help of my husband and this forum. Everything is now working properly. I have no regrets whatsoever!

Mary Jo

If I would have done better homework (shame on me) i would have never purchased my Venture. It has been a headache from day one. All of the problems with it have left me a little bitter. But if the one you are thinking about purchasing has all the maintenance records, I would possibly consider it depending on the price. You ccan see some of the major issues in this forum. Check to see if they have been addressed yet!!! Some are very costly. But I do have to say, i really like owning a minivan. But my next will probably be an Odyssey or Quest.

get a Sienna or Odyssey.

Thank you for all your replies. We have looked at a few vans over the past few weeks and decided to go back to Windstar (that's what he had previously). It did us well for 375,000 kms when the tranny went. After looking at the issues the other vans had we are staying with what we know (and know how to repair..LOL).

Thanks again!

I have a 2003 and I love it. Has been very reliable and it drives very well; I would recommend another which I will do when the time comes to replace this one if they still make it. Believe it or not the Dexcool coolant issues are easily resolved if owners will just maintain proper cooling system levels. It seems the coolant has a tendency to evaporate over the course of time and needs to be replenished. I was surprised to find my own cooling system reservoir bone dry and the level had also dropped down in the radiator when I checked it. According to engineers Dexcool has a tendency to form the reported brown sludge if it can come into contact with air. Solution is to check levels periodically like when oil is changed and maintain as necessary.

According to engineers Dexcool has a tendency to form the reported brown sludge if it can come into contact with air. Solution is to check levels periodically like when oil is changed and maintain as necessary.
Another solution to add is to check and replace the cap on the cooling system. It has been found that these caps can become defective , allowing air to infiltrate the cooling system.A recommended brand of cap to replace your old one is Stant.

We bought a 2002 LS last year and it's been an awesome van for us. The previous owner took EXCELLENT care of it, it was like new (literally) when we got it and very low milage. Payed a very low price, too.
I admit I've been slacking a little with the maintenance (still need to do breaks, replace radiator-cap, front blinker and thinking about a new suspension.

The only problem that I cannot figure out are:
- Some of the dash-lights went out, I know how to dissemble it, but it's way to hard for me to care.
- Lost 2 Tires due to tread seperation
- some IDIOT hit my back hatch while the van was parked at night.
- the kids tend to spill drinks and food (even though my strickt "no eating or drinking in the van: rule.

here is probaby the most annoying thing about this van:

The back breaklights tend to go out OFTEN. I have to replace them so often, I keep extra bulbs and a tool in my car.

But generally, this van is awesome, storage is easy, I love the way I can modify the interior so easily, it's big, the Tan color on the inside looks gorgeous, it drives smoothly, it has better milage than even most big new cars and it has some power when you need it.
I hauled everything from construction material, laundry, kids, realtives, trash.... it's the best car I ever had.

I am seriously thinking about buying a second one, not that we need two vans, but it's a great car.

Your brake lights are going out in the back because you probably have the typical short in the ground prong of the supposed weather proof plug that connects the wire harness to the 3 up taillight panel via this plug. It is not your bulbs, but the $%^^&&+ short. This plug points straight up into the path of all water flow down the rear hatch. I could not have designed it worse myself. Anyway, search for rear brake lights venture and find a few different ways to fix including my least-cost method (cjstew4).

i'm going to help toyota beat gm in sales next year again. i don't want anything with gm on it or in it.

i'm going to help toyota beat gm in sales next year again. i don't want anything with gm on it or in it.

Amen to that, although I'll tell you in my experience older GM cars are cheaper to own and maintain than older Toyotas or Hondas. New, I'll take a T or H, but to replace some stuff on those older Japanese cars can go through the roof.

Not me, the Japanese are great plagarizers of what we invent. They visit and tour our factories to steal ideas (remember Pearl Harbor!, Mitsubishis made from scrap obtained from us)... I was getting in my car in a parking lot the other day when I heard a chorus of rattling rods and knocking until the oil pressure came up so I turned to see what it was... Lexus 400! There's your Tojo for ya!!!

It annoys me so much that poeple don't THINK when they buy cars.

Toyota is NOT the allmighty, infailable carmaker. They have just as many recalls, problems and issues as any other carmaker in the world.

Toyota is NOT the allmighty, infailable carmaker. They have just as many recalls, problems and issues as any other carmaker in the world.
And the problem is getting worse in their attempts to be the dominant automaker in the world. They've ramped up production and the introduction of newer models and at the same time at the other end, their quality is slipping, and they seem to not be paying much attention to it ,in their quest.

but the foriegn car manufactures will change something that is not working out as it is supposed to. gm and ford will sit back and sell hundreds of thousands of **** and when people start complaining about problems it takes them years to do a recall . this is after numerous annoying trips to the dealer only to get repeated run-a rounds, that that can't do that or that won't do that it can't. i don't see many gm ,ford or chrysler with 400,000 miles on them. alot of nissan and toyotas have 300,000 + miles on them and when you rebild the motors you don't have to bore the cylinders because they have only wore a couple of thousands. so y'all keep gm going and think as you do i'm driving a gm wow.gm has put some good cars and truck on the road but NOT in the last ten years.and ford is getting just as bad . the american auto makers can produce a car or truck as good as toyota and nissan but they have NOT for so long as they were to busy selling **** and doing nothing about it.:banghead:

I knew before long we'd see another one of your negative posts :lol: Maybe you're looking in the wrong places as I see plenty of GM, Ford , and Chrysler vehicles with well over 400,000 miles on their odometers. Things are starting to turn around as evidenced by news reports last week about the quality of American company cars on the rebound, while foreign carmakers are suffering. I'm waiting for the day when this country has had enough of our jobs and money going overseas and the backlash will begin. Add to that the Chinese are having with their products and we could see an eventual "domino effect".

its about time if the american auto makers are going to do something they better get it moving. i'm not trying to be negative i speak truth. as for a ford having 300,000 + miles on it ,it won't stay together that long.i've owned alot of fords[ got three in backyard right now i think the one that has the most miles on it is 225,000 and it was treated with kindness] and i also have a toyota '92 corrolla that has had the **** run out of it and it keeps on getting up with 280,000 miles on it. also a '86 nissan with 375,980 miles on it and it had the guts run out of it.so i guess what i'm saying is that ford old slang of fix-or-repair-daily seems to have fallen on the three american auto makers with gm leading the pack.. fact only the american people can save themselves from themselves

I also have an 1984 Olds Delta 88 that comes awfully close to 300.000 miles, original engine and all, that car has made about 50 trips to Mexico and back, and dispite the interior being all torn up, that car runs and runs and runs and runs.
And I see far more Caprices, old Olds, Crown Vics, Bonneville or whatever on the streets that Toyotas or hondas. And when I do see them, they don't looke nearly as cool :grinno:

yeah and if the motor is a 305 that the crankshaft was made in mexico as some of the '84 thru '86 305's were. when you get ready to rebuild it you will have to tell the parts house what size oversized bearings you need not just get a set of 10s or 20s all im saying is at 400,000 a toyota or nissan motor if it has had the oil changed regular and not been run hot you will most of the time put a set of original bearings in instead of oversized ones on crank and cam. and be able to put original set of rings in no boring cylinder to make rings set you hone it out with 400 grit emery cloth two passes [ one pass right angle one pass left angle.] and ain't no american made motor in anything made in america car or truck can be done this way.and if you have a 305 with the crank made in mexico then have fun cause it has gm wrote all over it. :licka:

Yeah well, that car got hit on a side impact the other day by an import car.... (I will not disclose the marque...) and the other car is totaled (and I mean totaled). The Olds has a broken bumper, a dented side and a bent wheel. Talk about being built like a Tank.
My Venture (or any other post 80s car) would have probably flipped and killed everyone inside.

I'm thinking of buying a used minivan as I'm going to need to haul a lot of things soon.

Some of you mentioned that you owned multiple Ventures, did they by any chance happen to have different engines? I would be interested to hear a comparisson of the 3.4 and 3.8 engines.

I believe the only engine used in the Ventures through their production run (1997 to 2005) was the 3.4 engine.

I just looked it up and it appears you are correct. I had assumed a 3.8 was also available because the pre-97 Transport and Lumina APV had them.

The Ventures only had one engine, the 3.4. Not till the late Uplanders did they put out a 3.9.

Depending on what you mean by hauling (trailer or cargo in the van), my other experiences were with Chryslers I've owned. I've owned a 3.3 Grand Caravan and a 3.8 Town Country.

Supposedly, the 3.3 made the transmission work harder under loads than the 3.8. However, on both my 3.3 and 3.8 with avg use, I had to repair or replace tranny twice each. With a family of 7, the differences were noticeable, but not great.

My Ventures have hauled sofas and building materials, and have not had any problems.

When the Uplander came out in 2005, the base engine was a 3.5 . I believe for 2006 the 3.9 was added as an option. When I was looking for an Uplander last year, I couldn't find any used ones with a 3.9, in fact I think I only saw one or two NEW ones on the dealer lots that had the 3.9 .