Cons of buying a Venture?

[nomi123]

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!

['97ventureowner]

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 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.

[bleepster]

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.

[bigcoconut]

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.

[spazzer99]

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.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by bleepster

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.

[pastaben]

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.

[rockwood84]

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.......

[dj1111]

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.

[ruralways]

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

[chinflip4u]

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.

[jhong1226]

get a Sienna or Odyssey.

[nomi123]

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!

[Greg Gore]

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.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by Greg Gore

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.