27 of the
3,069 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Venture
are about the child seat —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2000.
MOVED CAR SEATS TODAY BECAUSE I NEEDED TO GET VAN READY TO TAKE ON THANKSGIVING TRIP. I STRAPPED MY DAUGHTER INTO THE SMART SEAT WHILE I WAS MOVING EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IN THE VAN. AFTER I GOT DONE I WENT TO GET HER OUT OF THE SEAT AND COULDN'T GET THE CROTCH BUCKLE TO UNDO. I TRIED PUSHING EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE CAME AND TRIED TO GET HER OUT. WE LOOSENED THE STRAPS AND COULDN'T GET HER OUT (DUE TO HER DISABILITY SHE HAS EXTREMELY TIGHT MUSCLES AND WE COULDN'T GET HER MANEUVERED AROUND ENOUGH TO PULL HER OUT. (KEEP IN MIND SHE IS AT THE HIGHEST HARNESS HEIGHT AND THE HARNESS ALREADY IS ALMOST ALL THE WAY LOOSENED WHEN SHE IS IN THE SEAT CORRECTLY). I COULDN'T GET THE SEAT UNINSTALLED BECAUSE IT IS LATCHED TO A BASE, THAT IS INSTALLED WITH A SEAT BELT, THAT HAS AN SNAP DOWN BELT GUIDE INSIDE IT. I TRIED TO UNINSTALL THE SEAT, TO GET TO THE "YOLK" THAT HOLDS THE HARNESS STRAPS- BUT COULDN'T GET TO IT. I CALLED GRACO BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. THEY TOLD ME TO CUT THE STRAPS ON THE SEAT, AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE SEAT. UNFORTUNATELY THIS LEAVES US WITHOUT A SEAT, SO I OPTED TO GO PURCHASE A NEW ONE AND THEY JUST REFUND ME FOR THE OLD ONE. LUCKILY I HAVE AN EXTRA SEAT THAT MY DAUGHTER CAN USE UNTIL I PURCHASE THE NEW SEAT. I LOVE THE CONCEPT OF THE BASE FOR THE SMART SEAT, BECAUSE THEN WE DON'T HAVE A BUNCH OF SEATS INSTALLED IN THE TRUCKS, ONLY THE BASE. BUT I AM NOT SURE I WANT TO BUY ANOTHER SMART SEAT. IT MEANS I HAVE A BUNCH OF BASES THAT WILL NOT BE USED, BUT THAT LACK OF ABILITY TO GET TO THE YOLK HAS ME CONCERNED. BUCKLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO UNLATCH, BUT WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO GET IT UNBUCKLED.
NHTSA complaint #10485417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CRANCKING EXTENSVLY, BRAKES FRONT AND REAR, UNEVEN WEAR AND TEAR, HYDROPLANING NOISE, VIBRATIONS, STEERING AND UNALIGNMENTS PROBLEMS, EMMISION REPAIRED AND TREATED, AS THE CREATED SULPHUR ODORS, AND STALLING. UNEVEN DRIVING, ABS LIGHT COMING ON AT SPEED EXCEEDING 60 MPH.
NHTSA complaint #10105875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE CHEST BUCKLE ON THE BUILT-IN CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN MY 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE CAN BE PULLED OPEN WITHOUT PUSHING THE RELEASE BUTTON. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY INJURIES BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY MOTHER'S VAN, ALSO A GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLE. HER DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE BELT SYSTEM OF THE SEAT. GENERAL MOTORS HAS TOLD ME MY SEAT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. I THINK THERE MAY BE A DEFECT AND AM AFRAID CHILDREN CAN BE HARMED OR EVEN KILLED IF INVILVED IN AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10100776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WE HAVE A BUILT IN CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT IN THE MIDDLE ROW OF OUR VAN. I NOTICED THAT THE CLIP THAT SITS BY A CHILDS CHEST DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. I COULD PULL IT APART BY GIVING A LITTLE TUG ON IT. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAT. I THEN TESTED IT TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD WORK AND THE SAME THING OCCURRED, I WAS ABLE TO PULL IT APART JUST BY TUGGING ON IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT UNDER HIGH IMPACT IT WOULD LOCK UP. I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T FEEL CONFIDENT WITH THAT ANSWER AND THEY THEN INFORMED ME THAT GM GAVE THEM THIS INFORMATION. I WAS IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT WHERE MY VEHICLE ROLLED THREE TIMES AND WHEN I TURNED AROUND AFTER THE ACCIDENT I SAW MY 3 YR OLD SONS SEAT BELT WAS UNLATCHED. I BELIEVE IF THIS WAS A HEAD ON ACCIDENT MY SON WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT THE WINDOW. I"M GLAS I KEPT HIS COAT OVE HIS SHOULDERS AND LOCKED IN THE SEAT WITH HIM BECAUSE THIS MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT SAVED HIS LIFE. THIS IS ALL IN A POLICE REPORT WITH 2 PASSENGER WITNESSES. AS SOON AS I GOT HOME I BROUGHT THIS TO NEWBERRY MOTORS AND GM'S ATTENTION. BOTH PLACES IGNORED ME AND ACTED AS IF THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM. FINALLY AFTER OUR 3RD ATTEMPT AT TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO LISTEN AT GM WE GOT A CALL BACK FROM A GM REPRESENTITIVE. THIS GENTLEMAN OWNS THE EXACT TYPE OF VEHICLE, WENT HOME & TESTED HIS AND FOUND HIS FAILED IN THE SAME WAY. HE THEN CALLED AROUND TO OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND FOUND ALL FAILED IN THE SAME WAY. THEY TOLD US TO GO OUT AND BY A NEW CHILD SEAT AND THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM GM ON THIS MATTER. MY ACCIDENT WAS 3/2002. MY CONCERN IS THAT I'M GOING TO HEAR ABOUT A KID THAT WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE AS MY SON. GM DID SAY THEY WERE GOING TO RESEARCH FURTHER AND ISSUE SOME SORT OF RECALL, BUT AS I SAID I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING FURTHER ON THIS MATTER. I WOULD THINK THAT CHILDRENS SAFETY WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM. I WOULD HOPE THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO SOMETHING QUICKLY! THANK YOU!
NHTSA complaint #763958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT THAT IS EQUIPPED WITH BUCKLE ASSEMBLY THAT IS POSITIONED BETWEEN CHILD'S LEGS. THIS HAS CAUSED CHILD'S TESTICLES TO SWELL. *AK
NHTSA complaint #8005227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IN A LOW SPEED, LOW IMPACT CRASH, THE CHEST CLIP ON THE INTEGRAL CHILD SAFETY SEAT CAME OPEN. MY SON HAD MARKS ON HIS SHOLDERS. HARMON CHEVROLET ORDERED A NEW SEAT, BUT THE NEW ONE PERFORMED THE SAME WAY. THE CHEST STRAP IS WEAK ENOUGH FOR MY FOUR YEAR OLD TO PUSH HIS CHEST AGAINST IT WHEN STRAPPED IN AND POP IT OPEN. HARMON CONTACTED GM AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT WAS DESIGNED TO OPEN IN A CRASH. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF A MINOR CRASH CAUSED MARKS THAT A HIGH IMPACT CRASH WOULD BREAK HIS BACK WHEN HE WAS IMPELLED FORWARD. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CHILD CAR SEAT BEING DESIGNED TO COME OPEN AND AM QUITE CONVINCED THAT THE OPPOSITE IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. THE SEAT IS VERY POORLY DESIGNED IN THAT THERE IS A HARD BAR SITUATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE BUTTOCKS AND IS UNSAFE IN THAT IT WILL NOT PROTECT A CHILD IN A CRASH. I WOULD TRULY LIKE TO SEE THESE FLAWS FIXED PROMPTLY.
NHTSA complaint #758142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 40 MPH, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DURING THE CRASH, THE RETAINER CLIP FOR THE HARNESS ON THE CHILD SEAT CAME LOOSE AND RELEASED. CHILD RECEIVED NO INJURIES. *AK NO INFORMATION GIVEN REGARDING THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT.
NHTSA complaint #8001549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CSS HARNESS RETAINER CLIP LOCKS IN POSITION ON CHILD CORRECTLY, BUT CAN VERY EASILY BE PULLED APART. *AK THE RETAINER CLIPS ON THE BUILT IN CHILD SAFETY SEATS WERE EASILY PULLED APART WHEN PRESSURE WERE APPLIED DUE TO DESIGN FLAW.
NHTSA complaint #888951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CSS HARNESS RETAINER CLIP LOCKS IN POSITION ON CHILD CORRECTLY, BUT CAN VERY EASILY BE PULLED APART. *AK THE RETAINER CLIPS ON THE BUILT IN CHILD SAFETY SEATS WERE EASILY PULLED APART WHEN PRESSURE WERE APPLIED DUE TO DESIGN FLAW.
NHTSA complaint #888951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE INTEGRATED CHILD RESTRAINTS HAVE A CHEST LATCH. THIS LATCH IS ABLE TO BE PULLED APART BY MY 18 MO. OLD DAUGHTER WITHOUT UNLATCHING. I INVESTIGATED, AND FOUND THAT THEY ALL COME APART EASILY. BOTH CHILD SEATS WERE REPLACED AND THE NEW ONES ARE ABLE TO BE UNLATCHED BY SIMPLY PULLING THE BUCKLE APART. ONCE, MY DAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SEAT COMPLETELY AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. AND I AM CONCERNED IN A CRASH THAT THE LATCH WON'T HOLD, OR A CHILD CAN UNLATCH IT JUST BY PULLING ON IT.
NHTSA complaint #744349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I REPORTED A DEFECT LAST WEEK ON MY INTEGRAL CHILD SAFETY SEAT - THE LATCH WHICH GOES ACROSS THE CHILD'S CHEST POPS OPEN WHEN PULLED ON - SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY BOB TAGG THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR LAWRENCE HALL CHEVROLET THAT THE SAFETY RESTRAINTS ON THE NEW CHEVY VENTURE VANS DO THE SAME THING - AND THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT REPLACE MINE. I WAS HORRIFIED TO FIND THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ON THE ROAD WHOSE PARENTS (LIKE I WAS) THINKING THAT THEIR CHILD IS SAFELY STRAPPED IN AND THEY ARE FAR FROM IT. I IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS DEFECT FOR THE WELFARE OF THESE CHILDREN.
NHTSA complaint #740450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE BUILT IN CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINTS IN THE MIDDLE SEATS OF THE VAN ARE DEFECTIVE. THE LATCH WHICH GOES ACROSS THE CHILD'S CHEST, POPS OPEN WHEN TUGGED ON. THIS OCCURS ON BOTH RESTRAINTS (ONE RESTRAINT HAS NOT BEEN USED) WHICH MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.
NHTSA complaint #740226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WAS TRYING TO LATCH BUILT IN CHILD SEAT, LATCH WOULD FAIL TO CATCH IN BUCKLE MECHANISM IN CHEST AREA. WHEN IT WAS LOCKED, COULD PULL OR TUG ON IT & LATCH WOULD RELEASE. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. SERVICE MANAGER CHECKED LATCHING & INDICATED IT WAS OKAY, NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE. SALES PERSON INDICATED ALL VENTURES WITH BUILT IN SEATS ARE LIKE THAT.
NHTSA complaint #874028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.