2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE Fuel System, Gasoline Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. WHILE PUMPING FUEL THE CONTACT OBSERVED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,874. UPDATED 01/27/17*LJ UPDATED 02/02/17.*JB

Mileage: 199,874

ON 08/13/2010 OUR 2003 VENTURE MINIVAN SUDDENLY BEGAN SMELLING OF FUEL. UPON INSPECTION I NOTICED FUEL STREAMING FROM THE FUEL TANK WHERE THE FILLER NECK JOINS THE BODY OF THE TANK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE FILLER HOSE WAS LOOSE SO I TRIED TO TWIST IT TO CHECK THE TIGHTNESS, AT THIS POINT THE NECK SEPARATED FROM THE TANK ENTIRELY! ABOUT 15 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE SPILLED AND FIRE RESCUE WERE DISPATCHED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS TANK, I HAVE ONLY BEEN LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT ONE DAY AND HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL TANKS WITH THIS PROBLEM. SOME HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WITH AN EPOXY BUT I HAVE BEEN WARNED THIS IS A "TRADE IT QUICK" REMEDY. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM ,GASOLINE:STORAGE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WOULD BE CHARGED IF HER VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THE FAILURE PRESENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND STATED THE SAME THING. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE.

MY 2003 CHEVY VENTURE HAS A LEAKING FUEL TANK. THE LEAK IS WHERE THE PLASTIC INLET NIPPLE MEETS THE PLASTIC TANK. I CALLED GM AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. THE TANK WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

FOR NEARLY 6 MONTHS MY MINIVAN ENGINE WOULD SHUT-OFF WHILE I WAS IDLING WHILE PARKED, WAITING TO PICKUP AND TRANSPORT CHILDREN TO NEXT STOP. ONCE IT CUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TURN THE WHEEL ENOUGH TO COAST ONTO A SIDE STREET. CURIOUSLY, WHEN VARIOUS TOW OPERATORS CAME TO TOW THE VAN DIRECTLY TO DEALER, THEY TOO WERE NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE--THERE IS NO NOISE, NO CRANK. BY THE TIME THE MECHANICS GOT TO THE VAN IN THE MORNING, THEY REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FINAL TIME AND APPROXIMATELY 4TH TIME I EXPERIENCED ENGINE CUT-OFF, I HAD MY HUSBAND PICKUP THE CHILDREN AND I. WE ATE DINNER, THEN LATER RETURNED TO THE VAN. IT STARTED JUST FINE AND I DROVE IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS INSISTENT THAT THE DEALER FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. DEALER REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND FILTER. BECAUSE OF HISTORY OF THE COMPLAINT, I PAID FOR PARTS BUT NOT LABOR, $470. I ALSO PAID FOR A ROUTINE FUEL INJECTION CLEANING, $150. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *TR

Mileage: 44,800

1.) THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REFUELED. DURING THE REFUELING IT WAS NOTICED THAT FUEL STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. 2.) LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE A CRACK COULD BE SEEN WHERE THE MOLDED PLASTIC FILLER NECK INTERSECTED THE FUEL TANK. A FUEL SPILL OF TWO THIRDS OF A TANK OF GASOLINE. 3.) THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW FUEL TANK ORDERED FROM GM AT LOCAL GARAGE. *TR

Mileage: 111,394

GM FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THIS RECALL ON A 2003 CHEVY VENTURE FUEL TANK: HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/CARS/PROBLEMS/RECALLS/RESULTS.CFM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A FUEL LEAK WHERE THE NIPPLE MEETS THE GAS TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMPACT AND WAS DUE TO AGE AND MILEAGE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

Mileage: 85,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE. THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL GAS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AFTER INITIALLY DETECTING GAS THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE HEAD GASKET. THE CONTACT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS, BUT THE SCENT OF GAS REMAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AGAIN APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM SHOULD BE REPLACED. ONCE MORE, THE CONTACT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FILLER HOSE DETERIORATED DUE TO POOR DESIGN OR A MATERIAL DEFECT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 113,000.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKS FROM THE MANIFOLD AS WELL AS THE FUEL TANK SYSTEM. UPDATED 07/30/07 *TR

Mileage: 113,000

SEPTEMBER 2006 WAS TOLD MY FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASK THEM WHERE THE LEAK WAS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS LEAKING AT THE FACTOR SEAL WHERE THE GAS HOSE CONNECTS TO THE FUEL TANK ITSELF. DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED I WAS TOLD I WAS TO PAY $1500.00 TO REPLACE IT. I ENDED UP TAKING IT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY CHARGED ME $1100.00 TO REPLACE IT ON DECEMBER 23 2006 THE SHOP THAT DID THE REPAIR TOLD ME THAT WHERE THIS LEAK IS A FACTORY DEFECT AND, I WAS LUCKY THAT MY VAN NEVER CAUGHT FIRE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE AREA WHERE THIS LEAK WAS A WEEK POINT ON THE PLASTIC TANK AND THAT IT WAS NEVER SEALED RIGHT. THE DAY THEY FIXED MY VAN THEY ORDER A NEW AND IT TOO WAS BROKEN IN THE SAME SPOT AS MINE WAS. THEY HAD TO ORDER ANOTHER TANK THAT SAME DAY. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM (PLASTIC GAS TANK ON MY 2003 CHEVY VENTURE). THIS MATTER NEED TO BE LOOKED IN TO BEFORE SOME ONE ELSE GET HURT OR DIES BECAUSE OF THE WEAK POINTS IN THESE PLASTICS TANKS I STILL HAVE THIS TANK AND WILL SUBMIT PICTURES IF YOU NEED ME TO SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THIS DEFECT IS. *JB

Mileage: 61,000

MY 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE DEVELOPED A STRESS FRACTURE AT THE BEZEL/COLLAR OF THE GAS TANK WHICH CAUSED THE TANK TO BEGIN LEAKING AT A RATE OF 1 GALLON / HR. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, PER THE MECHANIC. HE COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY OTHER DAMAGE. THE LEAKING WAS SO BAD THAT I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS THE GAS TANK/BEZEL/CONNECTOR HOSE IS AT A LOW POINT OF THE VEHICLE IN THE BACK. IT IS ONLY THROUGH GOOD FORTUNE THAT I DID NOT START A FIRE FROM THE LEAKING FLUID. *JB

Mileage: 34,084

DT: THE CALLER SAID THE NECK OF GAS TANK CRACKED. THE TANK WAS MADE OF PLASTIC. THE CALLER STATED GAS LEAKED AT THE CRACK WHICH WAS IN THE NECK RIGHT WHERE THE BODY OF THE TANK STARTED. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. MANUFACTURER SAID IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THEY WILL OFFER NO HELP FOR FREE. CALLER DID FILE A COMPLAINT WITH MANUFACTURER. *AK

Mileage: 50,000

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY VENTURE MINI-VAN. THE GAS TANK HAS COME APART AT THE FILLER NECK ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A MOLDED TANK AND IS ALL ONE PIECE. MY VEHICLE HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT. G.M. IS WILLING TO PAY FOR HALF THE COST WHICH STILL AMOUNTS TO $500.00 BECAUSE THE ESTIMATE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE DEALER WAS $893.00. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT THE REASON FOR ME TO SEND THIS E-MAIL. I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THIS LEAK AND I FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTATION OF THIS HAZARD. I FIND IT PERPLEXING THAT THE MANUFACTURE AND DEALER WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF MILES ON IT. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE TANK REPLACED FOR A COST OF $250.00. BUT OBVIOUSLY, FOR A GAS TANK TO COME APART AT THE SEAM IN A TWO YEAR TIME FRAME MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT THE TANK WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY COMPLAINT. SINCERELY, TIM PURDY. *JB

Mileage: 46,600

CONSUMER STATED FUEL PUMP KEPT MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED. CONSUMER FELT THAT THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF A DEFECT IN VEHICLE TO CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO MALFUNCTION. *AK