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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,822 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Chevrolet Venture electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Chevrolet Venture Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #28

Feb 072020

Venture

  • 173,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The instrument cluster gauges went out and my ABS light stays on and I'm in motion

- Denham Springs, LA, USA

problem #27

Feb 042013

Venture

  • 42,000 miles
Dash displays inaccurate or not working gauges. Temperature and speedometer often doesn't work at all or shows 120mph when driving at approx 55mph! temp will often show hot when car is at normal temp.

- Logansport, IN, USA

problem #26

Apr 172015

Venture 6-cyl

  • 206,804 miles
Cigarette lighter shorted with the phone charger plugged in. The fuse did not blow, which caused an electrical fire which totaled the van.

- Catawba, NC, USA

problem #25

Aug 012014

Venture

  • 135,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. The contact stated that the ABS light continuously illuminated and the power windows failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

- Bosie, ID, USA

problem #24

May 182005

Venture 6-cyl

  • 6,000 miles
My wife took her Chevrolet van in for service due to the interior light not functioning it was taken to mahoney Chevrolet and blossom Chevrolet. They told her it was corrosion causing the problem and did nothing to repair the problem as they said it was not covered. I being a certified mechanic and having an associates degree in electronics trouble shot the problem and found the body control module to be the cause of the problem. The module also caused the power windows, door locks, remotes and all other interior things to fail. I feel this is a very serious safety issue as there are millions of these vans on the road and these modules fail on this and all other models of this van such as the Pontiac etc... in a panic situation such as an accident the driver would have to manually operate the locks or smash out a window if they were able to do so if there were a fire and it was urgent to get out of the van many may panic and not be able to get out. I contacted GM over this issue and they appeared to agree with me and gave me a service # of 71-1331263820. I have sent them numerous E-mails and phone calls but have gotten no response. I feel this is the same old GM and they wont repair an obvious defect unless ordered to or if there are deaths from the problem. I am hoping contacting you will force them to do the right thing and repair this problem before someone does die because they cant get out of their van or the module catches fire from an overheated chip that controls this module. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon

- Fowlerville, MI, USA

problem #23

Oct 092013

Venture 6-cyl

  • 156,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. The contact stated there was a delayed response when staring the vehicle. The vehicle would also surge forward during the ignition malfunction. The failure recurred intermittently. The failure was not diagnosed by the dealer nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000. Updated 05/28/14

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #22

Oct 142005

Venture

  • 35,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The recent GM recall of 2004 - 2007 cobalt and other vehicles for ignition switch problems now makes my issues in my 2004 Chevrolet Venture van potentially make some sense. There have been multiple occurrences of the problem over the years but it sounds similar to the above recall. Some of the incidents occurred on the highway (70 mph), some happened on the dirt roads we live on (25 - 35 mph). The engine simply stopped - no power of any kind. The engine could be restarted by shifting into neutral and turning the key. It did not require a complete vehicle stoppage (although it did occasionally cause a nasty squeal from what I assumed was the starter motor). The car was purchased used from a dealer so I do not know if the issue occurred during the first year of so of the vehicles use. I think the GM investigation needs to be expanded to other models. VIN can be provided if needed.

- Ada, MI, USA

problem #21

Jun 152010

Venture

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. The contact was driving 45 mph and noticed that the speedometer was inoperable. Upon further inspection, the contact stated the fuel and temperature gauge were also inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed as having an instrument cluster panel failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 130000.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #20

Jun 172012

Venture 6-cyl

  • 110,996 miles
We bought the van used from a dealership about a year ago. The van was fine at first but a couple of months after we bought the van the fuel gauge fluctuated. The fuel gauge was at half, it went to empty then full and back to half, all in one motion. I thought it was odd but never had a fuel gauge do that to me before. After that the fuel gauge would fluctuate periodically but would always go back to were it was before it fluctuated. We figured as long as it went back to were it was before it fluctuated then we would just deal with it. Boy, were we stupid for thinking that it wasn't going to get worse. It eventually got worse and now it reads full(but its not) and just out of nowhere goes to empty and the fuel light comes on. Just last week the fuel gauge read empty, we put $50 worth of fuel in the van. The gauge read full, we did some running around town(we live in a small town) so we couldn't have used much fuel. We went home and was going to leave again a few hours later and when we started the van and got down the road, the fuel gauge went to empty immediately. Its frustrating that the fuel gauge doesn't display correctly. My wife usually drives the van and I don't want her to run out of gas and get stranded somewhere. I've been reading a lot about this problem on the internet and I was just wondering how many people does it have to affect to warrant a recall by GM" does someone have to get hurt or killed before something gets done" have always bought GM vehicles(never had any issues) but it doesn't make any sense if GM knew about the problem and decided to do nothing. Now were stuck paying 3 more years on a van that doesn't operate properly. We don't have the money to trade it in for something else and don't have the money to get it fixed. Very frustrating!

- Danville, IL, USA

problem #19

Feb 012011

Venture

  • 125,000 miles
The speedometer started acting sporadic not registering speed accurately then stopped working all together also the gas gauge does not register at all since the problem began.the low fuel light does operate as of right now.I have read that alot of Venture owners have this problem it is avery expensive repair 500 just for the parts.

- Concord, NC, USA

problem #18

Apr 122010

Venture

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We have a 2004 Venture. The speedometer started being erratic for a time, followed by the temperature gauge, and the gas gauge. Now none of them work. The speedometer is stuck on 45 mph, the gas is over full (straight down) but sometimes moves around at the bottom, but it generally has nothing to do with whether or not I have put gas into the van. The temperature gauge points down and to the left. None of the cluster has worked in over 2 years. I don't understand why this has not been recalled considering the amount of people that I have heard had the same issue.

- Stephenville, TX, USA

problem #17

Mar 102011

Venture

  • 72,512 miles
February 2009 - beginning of instrument cluster panel failure - gas gauge not functioning. Have documentation at mileage 72,512. Consequence - forced to fill up at every gas purchase and track mileage until time for next fill up for over two years. Never knew for certain how much gas was in the tank - very stressful. November 2010 - continuing cluster panel failure - speedometer malfunctioning until completely out by January 2011. Consequence - unable to tell speed - unwilling to drive the vehicle long distances and full concentration required to judge speeds by other traffic. Taken in March 2011 to local dealer, [xxx], for replacement of cluster panel at my expense of over $550 - before I agreed to pay for the repair they assured me that they would flag the old panel for diagnosis into the reason gauges failed as they would be sending it to GM to be rebuilt and resold. They would not give the old one to me unless I paid them for it. The report that I was consequently given of the cause for gauge failures was that the speedometer was stuck at 100 mph and gas gauge was stuck on empty. I wrote a letter to GM executive and was advised that they would be reimbursing me for no part of the repair cost. I was also told that they had no way of tracking my old panel as I was told by the dealer. I had done extensive research into defective stepper motors and class action lawsuits resulting in partial recalls and knew that they were performing a cover up of other models that were effected. That is why they were not cooperative in determining the cause of my gauge failures. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Moscow Mills, MO, USA

problem #16

Jan 272011

Venture 8-cyl

  • 96,479 miles
2004 Chevrolet Venture temperature gauge suddenly reads hot. The gauge will not reset. The engine is not hot or running hot. No history of front damage. Van was purchased new and I am the only owner. Problem just started 2 weeks ago during a 5 hour trip. 96,479 miles. Will also complain about water in the head lights. Started around 45K. Have burnt out several bulbs. Poor design, but will known problem for GM.

- Salisbury, MD, USA

problem #15

Dec 202010

Venture

  • miles
Gas gauge and temperature gauge do not register at all on my 2004 Chevy Venture. Had fuel pump replaced as I thought that was initial problem, but then I was told I had an instrument cluster problem.

- Holland, MI, USA

problem #14

Dec 102010

Venture

  • 80,000 miles
The temp gauge in my 2004 Chevy Venture shows to be hot all the time, although my mechanic says the vehicle is not overheating. Now the check brake fluid light is on and my mechanic says the brakes and brake fluid are fine. Both problems are being attributed to a possible instrument panel defecy.

- Oklahoma City , OK, USA

problem #13

Nov 262010

Venture

  • 80,000 miles
The day after thanksgiving I got in my van and drove to peoria which is about 20 from the city I live in. I went shopping for a few hours and when I came back out I turned my van on and it would not heat up. I noticed the temperature gauge was past halfway heading towards hot. I sat there for about 20 minutes with everything turned off. I turned the van on again and it seems that the temperature unit was stuck and had come unstuck. I was able to drive home. Two weeks later I was driving home from work and noticed that the temperature gauge was almost to hot. I pulled over and could not get it to go down. In the end I had to have it towed and worked on. I had the temperature sensor changed, the water filter and the thermometer. I got in my van last night to find out that the temperature sensor is still reading beyond hot. I drove it not even a mile and it was saying the van was extremely hot. I have 3 little children and I'm also a single mom. What is going on with the temperature gauge" has there been a recall on this" I'm still driving my van since I have to work and have no other options. I would like to know if my van is actually over heating or not. Help!

- Chillicothe, IL, USA

problem #12

Nov 242010

Venture 8-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
All 3 of my gauges are intermittently malfunctioning, starting with the temperature gauge and progressing to the fuel gauge and finally the speedometer. They give erroneous readings and often don't reset to zero when turning off the key.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #11

May 252010

Venture

  • 58,000 miles
I have a 2004 Chevy Venture van and my temp gauge and gas gauge are not working correctly, never know how much gas I really have and don't know if my van is over heating, the gauge is pointing down and won't reset to cold position. I went on line to research and found many people with the same type van with same problem with the cluster panel, I feel this should be investigated for a recall since there are so many case, and it is quite expensive to repair.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #10

Jun 052009

Venture

  • miles
Last summer I noticed my temperature gage was going over to the hot mark while I was driving along. I pay close attention to my gauges at all times, I have 3 daughters with me at all times. I pulled over at a rest area and let it sit a while. 45 minutes later it was still on the hot as soon as I turned the key. My husband took it to our mechanic and he said the air conditioning coil may be clogged and he repaired it. Was ok for a few days and then it was right back to hot. I had the temp. Gauge sensor replaced in Dec.09 and that hasn't helped.my engine is not hot but my fear is, with my daughters in the car and not knowing if or when it really is getting hot. It stays on hot even if thereis no air or heat on and it can sit in my drive for 2 days and when I start it, it goes straight to hot, and past the red part.

- Appomattox, VA, USA

problem #9

Jan 012009

Venture

  • 75,000 miles
2004 Chevy Venture - gas gauge jumps wildly, gives inaccurate readings. Doesn't seem associated with the fuel pump sending unit. Appears to be electrically shorting, as when it park it will bounce up and down and it just seems as some sort of current problem.. started 1 year ago. To know the fuel level, we track the mileage manually.

- Franklin, NY, USA

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