FaultScore

1998 Chevrolet Venture seat belt problems

22 of the 518 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Venture are about the seat belts — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 90,000 miles.

D

22

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

4

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Anchorage 7 31.8%
Retractor 5 22.7%
Seat Belts 3 13.6%
Buckle Assembly 3 13.6%
Rear/Other 3 13.6%
Front 1 4.5%

Seat Belts across every Chevrolet Venture year

1997 24 22.0%
1998 22 20.2%
1999 10 9.2%
2000 20 18.3%
2001 12 11.0%
2002 11 10.1%
2003 10 9.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 85,000 miles Sault Ste. Marie, MI

SEAT BELTS

SEAT BELTS FAIL TO LATCH ON REAR REMOVABLE PASSENGER SEATS (7 PASS. OPTION) 3 SEATS USABLE OUT OF 5. 2ND ROW RH OUTER BELT WILL NOT RELEASE FROM RETRACTOR - IT'S STUCK. INQUIRED WITH CHEVROLET DEALER, SADLER MOTORS - S.S.M. MI GM SAID NO RECALLS ISSUED, OR WILL BE ISSUED. I TOOK THE LATCH FROM THE SEAT 2ND ROW RH OUTER SEAT AND PUT IT ON THE CENTER SEAT SO THE RETRACTABLE BELT COULD BE USED - GIVING ME 3 SAFE SEATS. NO HELP FROM DEALER OR GM. WE HAVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT IS PRIMARILY USED TO TRANSPORT CHILDREN TO/FROM SCHOOL - NOW WE HAVE TO LIMIT THE CHILDREN WE CAN SAFELY TRANSPORT.

NHTSA complaint #10229913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 128,614 miles Kennesaw, GA

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

REAR SEATBELTS FAIL DUE TO THE BUCKLE SLIPPING DOWN EXPOSING THE PARTS INSIDE. THESE PARTS COME APART WHEN EXPOSED. 2 HAVE FAILED SO FAR...RENDERING 2 SEATS AS UNUSABLE AND UNSAFE FOR TRAVEL IN VEHICLE. A THIRD SEAT IS IN PROCESS OF FAILING...BUCKLE HAS TO BE KEPT UP WITH DUCT TAPE.

NHTSA complaint #10117968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 83,000 miles Dayton, OH

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

REAR LOCKING LATCH PLATE BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK.

NHTSA complaint #10056109 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 95,000 miles Overland Park, KS

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

THE SEATBELTS IN THE PASSENGER SEATS CONTINUOUSLY LOCK, WHICH REQUIRES MY CHILDREN TO UNFASTEN THEM AND REFASTEN THEM SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #10043094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

NEW Canaan, CT

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

THE "PRETENSIONER" OF THE SEATBELT SYSTEM ON MY 1998 CHEVROLET VENTURE HAS FAILED NOW FOR THE THIRD TIME. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS MEANS THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE ALERT LIGHT THAT WARNS OF TROUBLE IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM SEEMS TO REVERT TO NORMAL AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT WHEN THE DEALER USES THE PROPER TEST EQUIPMENT IT CAN BE DETERMINED THE UNIT HAS FAILED. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT MANY VENTURES ARE BEING USED WITH FAILED PRETENSIONERS AND THEIR OWNERS ARE UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE SINCE ALL INDICATIONS FROM THE ALERT LIGHT IS THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED ON MY VEHICLE IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS AND CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10005399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Landing, VA

SEAT BELTS

THE FIRST BENCH SEAT, SEAT BELT WILL NOT HOLD WHEN THE CONSUMER CLICK THE TOP BUCKLE INSIDE OF THE RETRACTOR. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA complaint #8021561 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Steelville, MO Crash 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND DRIVERS SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER, RESULTING IN MAJOR HEAD INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA complaint #8011354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ourora, IL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY FASTEN AFTER BEING LOCK ED.

NHTSA complaint #8010763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Melbourne, FL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

LEFT 2ND SEAT BELT DEFECTIVE. WHILE PROBLEMATIC FOR MONTHS, PRECISE CAUSE JUST IDENTIFIED. ANY SLIGHT PRESSURE TO (RED) RELEASE BUCKLE, THOUGH CAUSING NO VISIBLE CHANGE, CAUSES BUCKLE TO RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY AT A LATER TIME. WAS USED TO SECURE CHILD CAR SEAT. CONTINUALLY FOUND BUCKLE UNLATCHED AFTER TRIPS. ORIGINALLY SUSPECTED CHILD WAS RELEASING BUCKLE BUT RECENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED TRUE CAUSE (OTHER BELTS FINE). CHEVROLET DEALER DENIES THIS AS A SAFETY REPAIR, OUT OF WARRANTY.

NHTSA complaint #754584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BAY City, MI

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT REMAIN IN LATCH PLATE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #888674 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Romkomkoma, NY

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. WILL NOT RELEASE FROM RETRACTOR TO BE USED. WOULD GET HUNG UP IN RETRACTOR MECHANISM.

NHTSA complaint #880282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Columbia, SC

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEATBELT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #553651 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kansas City, MI

SEAT BELTS

SEATBELT BROKE; CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS, AND THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED. CLIP WILLNOT NOT HOLD WHEN CLIPPED IT INSIDE OF RETRACTOR, SO THAT IT CAN CLICK AND HOLD.

NHTSA complaint #872759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairport, NY 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

WE WERE APPROACHING A CRASH AND HAD TO SLAM ON OUR BRAKES AT 40MPH AND THE SEAT BELT HOLDING OUR SONS CAR SEAT BROKE APART

NHTSA complaint #730299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairport, NY 1 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

WE WERE APPROACHING A CRASH AND HAD TO SLAM ON OUR BRAKES AT 40MPH AND THE SEAT BELT HOLDING OUR SONS CAR SEAT BROKE APART

NHTSA complaint #730299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richmond, VA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

WHEN IT RAINS IT GOES INTO VEHICLE WHERE DOME LIGHT AND ELECTRONIC COMPUTER WERE MOUNTED ON THE CEILING WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. ALSO, ON MIDDLE REAR SEAT BOTH SEATBELTS JAMMED AND WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE, WHICH WONT PROTECT CHILD IN EVENT OF A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT, AND FIXED DRIVER'S REAR SEATBELT. FINALLY, REAR MIDDLE WINDOW PIN KEPT FALLING, WHICH ALLOWED THE WINDOWS TO STAY OPEN. DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM 3 TIMES, BUT ON THE FOURTH TIME, THEY REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #870030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Temperance, MI

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

THE SAFETY BELT LATCH HAS A LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION AND DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A PROPER FIT FOR TODDLER CAR SEATS. THEY HAVE THE OVER THE SHOULDER STRAP AND WHEN YOU TRY TO SECURELY BUCKLE THE SEAT IN PLACE THE LATCH DOESN'T ROTATE UP FAR ENOUGH TO SECURE THE BELT. I'VE TRIED A COUPLE DIFFERENT SEATS THAT WOULD SUIT OUR NEEDS PERFECTLY AND THEY CAN'T BE USED UNTIL OUR CHILD IS OVER 40LBS. THE SEAT WE PURCHED IS THE GRACO CHERISHED CAR GO, MODEL #8480HG. IT SITS WELL IN THE SEAT, BUT CAN'T BE LATCHED PROPERLY. IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE MARKET THAT I COULD PURCHASE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PROPERLY SECURE THE TODDLER/BOOSTER SEAT?

NHTSA complaint #728897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kearney, NE Crash 3 injured

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

WHILE TRAVELING EAST APPROXIMATELY 35-40MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING WEST, ENTERED EASTBOUND LANE. BOTH VEHICLES COLLIDED HEAD-ON ON DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS INTACT, BUT DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. CHILDREN, IN REAR, SUSTAINED SOME BRUISES FROM SEAT BELTS, BUT NO TREATMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

NHTSA complaint #862996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ventura, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. YH

NHTSA complaint #608902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Diego, CA

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT.

NHTSA complaint #838605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indianapolis, IN

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

TSEAT BELTS WILL EITHER NOT BUCKLE OR WILL BUCKLE AND NOT RELEASE. CENTER MECHANISM IS POPPING, CAUSING FAILURE. BELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT FOUR DIFFERENT SERVICES.

NHTSA complaint #835149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hernando, FL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SECOND ROW SEAT BELTS REPLACED SEVERAL TIME DUE TO LOCK UP, CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE LOCK UP AFTER REPAIRS.

NHTSA complaint #541945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1998 Chevrolet Venture problems

← Full 1998 Chevrolet Venture report