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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  I love my van! - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By CoolMama - August 13 - 5:06 am

  We bought this van new, and havent had many problems with it. I think its very comfortable, compared to other vans we considered buying. It has great safety features like the side air bags. After 10 years the a/c compressor is needing replacement, but weve really not had that many major repairs. Just standard wear and tear stuff and some minor annoyances that have nothing to do with its overall performance. I guess we drive it gently and stay on top of maintenance like oil changes and fluid checks, tire rotation, alignments, brakes etc. These things really make a difference in the life of a car. Overall very happy with my purchase, especially since weve been without car pmt for 6 yrs. :)

• 

  Seen better - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Gerald Tremblay - August 2 - 9:27 pm

  Bought that car in 2006 (4 years old) with 35000 km. First year had to replace front wheel bearings (500$, second year the front breaks (350$) amd this year had to rebuilt the transmission and replace the manifold casket as all the ventures sold in north america. Thought about changing but no value anymore so I decided to keep it for 2 or 3 more years.

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  98 Venture - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Englebert - July 25 - 5:40 pm

  Ive read the reviews on this vehicle and many mirrored our own experience! The headlight lens falling off, drivers window failing, electrical problems, gasket repair, etc. I think weve experienced an above- average amount of repairs on our 98 Venture... including a near-fatal water pump failure that almost doomed the car. Its still going at the 85K mark, but having owned a good mixture of foreign- made and domestic cars, this one is low on the quality.

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  This was a great car that I kept up - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By DSO - July 12 - 9:12 pm

  I brought this car new. It is 8 years old now and I no longer need a mini van. I never had many problems with it until the A/C died and I got it replaced with GM (China parts) that GM does not even make any more.It died again before the warranty was up and fixed again only to die once more. I really enjoyed this car but the back door hatches are rusting and so is an area on the roof where the roof rack is. The worst thing about this car is the headlights. Very cheap. When it still under warranty and new,I had one headlight replaced because it was holding water. Now they are both foggy and hold water.

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  The Kid-Mobile - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Dale - July 7 - 10:25 am

  I purchased this van because I had 3 kids under age 10! We have used it for all the family stuff including vacations to the Grand Canyon & Mt Rushmore. It has carried band members and deer. I plan to keep it for another 47,000 miles!

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  Stay Away! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By JJ - June 21 - 10:38 am

  Multitude of problems. at 80K the intake gasket failed ($1000.00) at 90K, AC compressor clutch failed ($800.00) at 100K front end work ($600.00) corosion everywhere. Way to go GM - NEVER again will I be sucked into your vechicles to purchase. I have a 1998 Honda with twice the kms that still runs, drives and looks new and worth 5x as much in resale.

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  overall Good Vehicle - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By 10Lb Dad - June 18 - 10:50 am

  I bought my Venture used with 33K Miles on it. Overall I am pleased with the van, it is comfortable (I am 6ft 6" tall) and the power seat is adjustable enough that my wife and I can both find a good seating position. Cargo capacity is excellent, whether people or other. I have hauled upwards of 1500Lbs worth of concrete blocks (the payload rating is 1450 Lbs which is 25lbs less than a std full sized truck!) after I took out the seats(which are quite heavy). I have used this van to haul motorcycles, fire wood, full size sheets of plywood, appliances, etc. The back end is cavernous once all the seats are removed but the seats are a pain to remove compared to Dodge Flipn-fold.

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  Excellent Vehicle!! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Lori - June 1 - 7:05 am

  Absolutely Excellent vehicle! Bought it with about 50,000 miles on and it now has 198,000 and drives just well as it did when I first bought it. I have beat the crud out of this van with three kids in hockey and multiple other activities. My job requires heavy loads to be transported here and there. Kids, now teenagers, have given it a beating, and it just keeps on going and going! Basic maintenance, other than the window motors going out on a couple of occasions. It runs out so smooth, cant even hear or feel when its on. Were pushing for another 100k??!!!

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  2004 Chev. Venture - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Richard T - May 28 - 2:36 pm

  I purchased this vehicle after owning a 2000 model and doing considerable research. This vehicle offers good mileage and good value for the money. I looked at newer SUVs and Vans, then discovered this model offers as good or better mileage, and just as much interior space for a lot less than new. Mileage first 5000 miles has averaged 23-27 MPG if driven reasonably.

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  Dont Buy It. - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Canadian Owner - May 18 - 11:49 am

  Bought it brand new in 2003. Regret the purchase. Resale value is poor. Coolant is leaking from manifold intake. Transmission problems. Air conditioning not working. Junk! No Wonder that gm is in trouble.