Cons of buying a Venture?

[Meike]

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.

[cjstew4]

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).

[rockwood84]

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.

[iceman2]

Originally Posted by rockwood84

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.

[Greg Gore]

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!!!

[Meike]

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.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by Meike

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.

[rockwood84]

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.

['97ventureowner]

I knew before long we'd see another one of your negative posts 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".

[rockwood84]

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

[Meike]

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

[rockwood84]

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.

[Meike]

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.

[Tonto Kowalski]

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.

['97ventureowner]

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