Overview & Reviews

At its introduction, the Chevrolet Venture and its corporate siblings were top-notch examples of the hot minivan class. We went so far as to describe it as "outstanding," impressed with its communicative chassis, sharp steering and nimble handling. Well, in a "the 320-pound left tackle was surprisingly nimble" sort of way.

At the time, the Venture matched Chrysler's innovative new minivans by offering a driver-side sliding door and two wheelbases, then added a few tricks of its own to entice families. We weren't so impressed with its toothy chrome grille and uncomfortable modular seating, but in general, we considered the Chevrolet Venture a good buy.

Time and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was not kind, however, as newer minivans and a poor offset crash rating conspired to sink the Venture's favorable opinion marks. The downturn of all minivan sales also torpedoed Chevy's entry, forcing General Motors to throw together a replacement van using the Venture's body, a long aardvark-inspired nose and raised ride height to create the supposed SUV-like Uplander. Nobody bought the idea of a crossover minivan and for that matter, nobody bought the vehicle either, signaling the eventual end of Chevy's participation in this mom-mobile segment.

Most Recent Chevrolet Venture

The Chevrolet Venture was sold from 1997-2005. Buyers could choose from standard and extended wheelbases, and three- and four-door bodies. The three-door body disappeared in 2000, while only the long-wheelbase model was available in 2005. Seven-passenger "modular" seating with individually removable chairs was standard, while eight-passenger capacity and middle-row captain's chairs were optional.

Standard features included antilock brakes, front side airbags (starting in 1998), a tilt steering wheel and an acceptable quota of cupholders and storage bins. Traction control, a power-sliding door, rear seat audio and climate controls, and a load-leveling suspension were options. As its life progressed, features like leather seating, rear parking assist, OnStar and satellite radio became available. A Warner Bros. special edition featuring special badges and a VHS entertainment system (later DVD) was offered from 2000-'03. Although initially satisfied with Venture's fit and finish, we eventually saw it as increasingly cheap and as just one area where Chevy's minivan was being outclassed by a new generation of competition.

The Venture's safety was also put into question by the IIHS' frontal offset crash test, which slapped a poor rating on the minivan's Pontiac Trans Sport clone. Although it did just fine in the NHTSA's full-frontal crash test, other minivans at the time did better at handling the added structural stresses of an offset collision. However, the Venture was the first minivan to offer front side airbags as standard equipment, while standard antilock brakes and optional all-wheel-drive improved traction.

During its first few years on sale in the late-1990s, the Venture was our top pick in the minivan segment. But once the next millennium dawned, so did other, more attractive family haulers – particularly those from foreign manufacturers. Although a well-equipped Venture could present a good bargain, it would be a wise idea to shop newer minivan designs that have better safety ratings.

Past Chevrolet Ventures

There was only one generation of the Chevrolet Venture. It replaced the Lumina minivan.

User Reviews:

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  2003 Chevy Venture Review - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By md2011 - September 20 - 11:41 am

  We bought this car used in Dec 05. Had 30K on it. it has been a very dependable vehicle for the past 6 years. Impressed with the mpg even when the van is loaded and have the ext version (gotten 28mpg traveling from NYC to North Carolina). Maintenance has been: oil changes every 4 months, cabin air filter, air intake filter replaced at 45K, transmission fluid and filter changed at 45K. Things that have broke are, glovebox handle, headlights are fogged, rear seatbelt stuck. The only issues I have with the vehicle are, poor headlight illumination, mushy brakes (no matter what weve done to improve them), and taillight keeps burning out. Overall a great vehicle!!

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  Very dependable - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By grannytaxi - August 17 - 5:25 pm

  We have had a 1999 Venture for 8 years and have only had one major expenditure with it. It has nearly 170,000 miles now. It runs like a top and is getting better gas mileage (20-26 mpg) than when we first got it.

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  Great Van - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By nascar2448 - August 12 - 11:20 pm

  Well I have owned the van for a few years and it has held up great. I have 4 kids and it is very roomy and it is amazing on gas for the size of the vehicle. It may be unbelievable but it has 319000+ miles on it. And as far as I know it has never been rebuilt but other than routine maint. it does not have many problems i have to replace the shift cable and get the a/c fixed but all in all it is well worth the money spent. And in this economy the gas mileage is good getting 23-26 city and 28 -31 hwy. I have the 25 gal. optional tank and can get over 600 miles to a tank. All I have to say is GOOD JOB GM.

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  Too many problems - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By fedup26 - July 23 - 6:05 pm

  With 89K miles, I have replaced: head gasket, power window motor & switches, tail lights, transmission cable, computer chip, engine mount. In addition, the latch for the glove compartment is broken, the sliding side door does not work. Also, the piece holding the power window motor has deteriorated. Can easily be replaced at a cost of $700 by ordering the part from Canada. Now, Im looking at worst case senario a rebuilt engine (not going to happen), best case senario another $1500 bill. I wil follow my kids advice - get a new car. I will never purchase another GM product.

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  Expensive to own - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By gunner29 - July 9 - 1:45 pm

  We have owned this van for over 4 years and are finally selling it. It is reliable as far as driving is concerned but expensive to own. The rear brake lights are always burning out. We have also had to replace the windshield wiper motor twice, the ball joints, the rear shocks and springs, and now the rear load leveler is broken. It is also starting to rust out all along the bottom. The gas mileage is okay if you do a lot of highway driving. Use synthetic oil for oil changes. We have put on over 130,000 kilometers since we have bought this vehicle (90% highway) and this van has not broke down once while driving. We do most of our driving with the van loaded with family gear.

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  comfy with extras, but serious flaws - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By busdriverjosh - May 27 - 8:53 pm

  We bought this used and had a transmission solenoid go out in two months. Soon after the ABS and AWD started to quit. You can turn the ignition off to reset it but its still a pain. Also, the wipers have a design flaw that allows the area to fill with snow and ice so the spring breaks if its not cleaned out before use. We like it and it has a lot of room and great features, but its just not reliable.

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  Good for about 55K - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By gotribe2 - April 22 - 9:40 pm

  Bought in 2003 from dirtbag Bob Serpentinis now defunct Aurora dealership. The rust on the passenger side rear wheelwell is epic. The windshield wiper motor and wiper transmission have a mind of their own since 45K, 2 replacements at $300 a piece. Now the windshield has a leak somewhere too. Once this thing was out of warranty it started crapping out. NO GM HERE EVER AGAIN.

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  Poor old beast kicked the can on NYE! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By ventureman5 - January 4 - 8:28 pm

  My 98 Venture died driving home from Hampton Roads VA this past New Years Eve. The dreaded gasket failure problem with the heads. At 176K miles though I supposed I should count my blessings. Especially considering this is the 1st time it has needed any serious work. It still runs. I drove it today to trade it in for a used Windstar and it was still full of powr and running smooth and quiet as ever but I knew with each mile the crankcase was filling with coolant. It made its last drive without failure despite the serious problems. I will miss this vehicle very much even though it was just a baseline grocery getter. It earned my admiration after all these years of flawless performance.

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  Chevy Ventures RULE! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Bryan - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Well, the Chevy venture is the best thing I ever spent my money on. I had a lumina apv, it was great when I got it, then got the venture, then got the uplander (hated the uplander). Chevy ventures are the best of the GM minivans. It is great for hauling car loads of people to and from work (I car pool), and just a great van you can have!

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  Was ok at first - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Thomas - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle purchased in California, where it did not rain very much at all. Moved to Virginia, when the rain came, the rain leaked through. So much got through the carpet had to be pulled out due to mildew. Mechanically (engine and Transmission) the van is still strong. However, the other (ABS system, sensors, brakes, wheel hubs) have all been an issue. Hub bearings and ABS sensors replaced, ABS light still comes on. Engine sensors can be a bit hectic to decipher and replace. When the van works it works well. However, that has not seemed to be the norm. The leak mentioned, has not been able to be figured out or fixed, the windshield has been resealed with polyurethane to no avail.