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Chevy Venture

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Comments

  • catodelcatodel Member Posts: 5
    We are in the market to buy a 99 Venture 4door extended in the next week. Any word on current sale prices in relation to invoice?
    I will try to post how my negotiations are going here in Buffalo NY.
  • emaceemace Member Posts: 2
    I hear a metalic rattle noise while releasing the brake on my 99 Venture. It only happens the first time after starting the vehicle and seems to come from the right front wheel.

    I've had it in twice to my dealer who said they fixed the problem the first time (wasn't fixed) and the second time they said it was a normal noise. They said the mechanic duplicated the noise on a different Venture.

    I insisted on hearing it for myself when I went to pick up the vehicle. A different service rep. and myself selected a similar make/model van off the lot and were NOT able to make the sound reproduce.

    Do any other Venture owners out there notice this sound when they release the brake after starting the vehicle?
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Emace, you might try the "brake" topics in Maintenance and repair. Sorry I can't post any link, the "search" feature is giving me trouble.

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • nattanatta Member Posts: 9
    hi I just bought a 1999 venture ls.I negotiated with a dealer here in Hampton VA
    and got them down to 22,400 plus 1500 cash incentive(MSRP is 27,000)and dealer invoice down here is 22,150. I don't think i'm going to get a better deal than this anywhere.so in the end I ended up paying 20,900 which is actually under invoice.
  • investchinvestch Member Posts: 4
    I'm in the Northeast in So. NH.
    I have several offers at invoice on the 99' GM vans. Forget rebates for the comparison, how far
    below invoice can the 99's go??

    Any other recent buying experiences (or insight) on the Silhoutte, Venture or Montana would be great!
  • catodelcatodel Member Posts: 5
    Today I was offered a 2000 Venture extended with cassette for 23585 which includes everything but tax. The incentive is 3.9%financing over 4 years. Any ideas on if this is a good offer?
    thanks.
  • daverosedaverose Member Posts: 233
    You haven't provided enough information for your price to be judged. Ask to see the invoice. My hipshot response is: take the MSRP (Sticker price less the transportation charge.) and multiply it by 3 (.03 actually). For a $25,000 car, that would be $750. That is roughly how much profit there is to the dealer in the invoice price. So if my $25,000 vehicle has a $23,200 invoice price it COULD cost the dealer as little as $22,450 PLUS transportation ($350 to $450?) That $750 gets eaten away over time (interest/"floor plan" cost). Since you're talking about a 2000 model, it seems logical that it has not been on the lot rolling up those interest costs for very long, so you might be able to get some of that $750 in your deal. You'll have to do more research to be more sure of your deal. Carefully compare the sticker items on the vehicle to the price lists available in other areas of the Edmunds site. Good luck.
  • investchinvestch Member Posts: 4
    Regarding #162

    Your being kind to dealers. The profit at invoice is greater than 3%. The profit on options is far greater. I suspect the average car is 8 to 9% over cost from the dealers view at invoice. The group sales impact of dealership is designed to hide profits to the dealer. If only to keep it away from its sales help.
  • kenware1kenware1 Member Posts: 4
    For what it's worth, I submitted a price quote request through Edmunds & got a next-day call on
    a 99 Venture LT Extended at invoice. The woman said they offer invoice price to customers who get to them through the internet. Financing is 0% for 36 months.

    Ford did not respond to my internet request for a
    quote on Windstar SE - better safety rating than the Chevy but fewer options - no side air bags, no touring suspension, no CD, no traction control.

    If I go with a Chevy, I'll keep you posted on my experience with service. This forum is the consumer's best way to keep pace with dealer and manufacturer attitudes, service level and vehicle quality. Keep the comments, good and not so good coming!
  • kenware1kenware1 Member Posts: 4
    Sheesh I must be tired. The LT is a 2000 model. I found a '99 version similarly equipped. Confusion reigns as I have printed almost all of the Edmunds reviews and can't remember whose model se, lt, lx, ls, sel, url, 99, 00 or Y-too-K. Have a great weekend.
  • rachael1rachael1 Member Posts: 1
    I was wanting to know if the traction control feature can be added on later ?
  • lkenlken Member Posts: 2
    If I were you I get it up front $190 because thats not that much and it preforms well in the snow in my experiance, and good luck finding someone that installs traction control systems for that.(price)
    Good Luck!!!!
  • catodelcatodel Member Posts: 5
    On Sat. purchased 2000 venture extended plus-1sb. the only additional option was cd player (370 msrp). the sticker including destination was 25,300. the invoice + destination was 22618. the advertising fee was 311, and the cd invoice 318. this adds up to 23245. i paid 23422.
    i had 4800 on gm card, the night before i purchased i called gm card asking about any specials. they added $500 to my gm card balance!
    i'd appreciate any feedback on how i did.
    i took 3.9 financing for 48 mths in place of rebate.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Well, you bought the vehicle $2000 below MSRP, got a below-market finance rate, and a free $500 from GM. Nothing but a good deal I'd say :)

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • dplachtadplachta Member Posts: 109
    How did you collect more than $3500 on your GM credit card?

    I have $3460 saved up on my GM card and was thinking of buying a GM van in the next year or so partly because I thought I had maxed out the savings. If I could keep on saving I will, as my '91 Previa still runs great.

    I really like the GM trio of minivans but am discouraged by the offset crash results. I don't know if I'm discouraged enough to walk away from $3460 of rebate savings, but it is close.
  • catodelcatodel Member Posts: 5
    I collected over $3500 because for 1 or 2 years I had the gm gold where the max used to be $1000/year.
    I know what you mean about the offset crash. It bothered me too. My thoughts were:
    1. many of the vehicles I was looking at never underwent that test.
    2. I read that GM said less than 4 one-hundreths of 1% of serious highway accidents were in the manner of that test.
    Still, I wish it performed better on the test, or that GM had sone something to improve.
  • investchinvestch Member Posts: 4
    Could you tell me more how you picked up the extra $500 for the GM Card? I have $3700 right now.

    In the early days you could balance transfer or write checks and earn GM dollars. It didn't last long.

    Did you consider the OLDS Silhouette? I like the trim better than the ventures I have seen. Although I saw a Venture on the street which I liked a few monnths ago. The supply seems low in the NE.

    Regards
  • catodelcatodel Member Posts: 5
    I merely called the gm card and told them i participated in the gm survey, but never received any offers, and that i was about to buy a venture. he told me right then he'd add $500 to gm rebate.
  • than3than3 Member Posts: 5
    I bought the Venture in August. I just bumped into
    a truck in front of me last week. I costed me over a grand to fix it. I am disappointed. The
    guy at the body showed the bumper, headlamps and grille. They are nothing but cheap PLASTIC. He said they made them out of plastic to make the car lighter - good for gas mileage but not very durable. I hope I don't ever have to be in that four-hundredth of 1%! ;-(

    than
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Unfortunately, the majority of bumpers out there look just like that! One difference you will find is that "quality" vehicles, like BMW, use thicker plastic for the bumpers, but it is still plastic. All in all, cars today are crushable. It costs money to repair, but takes the force off of the occupants. Of course, it would be nice if no damage occurred up until 5-8 mph or so, but that isn't the case :(

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • a06570a06570 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone had any luck negotiating on a 2000 Venture LT? How close to invoice did you get not including the rebate?

    What about the Warner Brother version - are dealers negotiating or are they using the limited edition as a way to keep prices high?
  • phyllisjphyllisj Member Posts: 1
    A salesman stated that the Venture LT has more padding and better construction than the LS. Does anyone know if this is true?

    He also explained that the touring/load-leveling suspension system would make it easier to drive in windy weather or when meeting or passing a semi. What is your opinion? Would the load/leveling system create more problems to contend with, when the vehicle ages?
  • dwdedwde Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 2000 Venture LT on 9/18/99 in Lakewood, Ohio for $400 over the invoice price. We did not get any of the options available for the LT model (Towing Package, Leather Seats, Self-Sealing Tires, etc.). The vehicle invoice was $25,114, Destination Charge was $580, Tax / Title was $49.95 and Advertising was $277. This was in line with what I expected to pay. My brother-in-law works at a Chevy dealership in Illinois and he had advised us to offer $400 - $500 over the invoice, which he thought would be acceptable to most dealers. We took the 4.9% financing for 60 months instead of the $1000 rebate.
  • mar915mar915 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking between these two minivans. What has been your feeling on the two. Any big problems with either one that you have heard about??


    Thanks
  • greg79greg79 Member Posts: 3
    I am looking for ideas for protecting the floor
    of my new minivan. The kids play soccer, ski and
    are often muddy.
    Email me at ucanski@aol.com or post here.
    Thanks.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Mar915, make sure and read the 179 previous posts. When people have a problem, they tend to post it first thing. Honestly, I don't recall too many people posting problems with the Chevy. Make sure and check out the Montana topics also.

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • hyde6hyde6 Member Posts: 4
    My problem with the Chevy Venture and its twin is that in the offset frontal crash the roof collapsed in on the middle seat. Not good.
  • 66156615 Member Posts: 1
    The crash test gives you an idea of the strength of the vehicle. I was extremely concerned also about the crash test and contacted The Insurance Institute which performed the test. They e-mailed me back saying that GM's vehicles suffered greater damage to the interior than other manufacturers. They would not condemn the product, probably because of potential lawsuits, but said that the results should be used to "effectively compare similar vans to each other." I also looked at the injury numbers that the government publishes after they test the vehicle. It doesn't give you much comfort. I'll stay with the Sienna.
  • kenware1kenware1 Member Posts: 4
    We paid invoice price, used GM card to pay sales tax and opted for 0% financing. The dealer was Anderson Chevrolet in Palo Alto, CA who responded to my RFQ submitted from Edmunds. I told our sales rep., Carmel Trela, what I wanted, she found it at another dealer and called back. Invoice may be Anderson's standard price on internet sales - they know what the buyers know and knowledge is power. We are happy with the way Carmel treated us and handled the transaction.

    The touring suspension is great & it handles well.
    I drove it in a stiff cross wind over the Altamont Pass east of Livermore & it was very stable. The noise level is very low at highway speeds which makes the audio system, including CD player, worth having. We are driving a new vehicle and are pleased with the first 900 miles. I hope to be as happy at 90K miles; time will tell.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    I would try to get a response about the tax issue in the Smart Shopper conference. Good luck.

    That is not a big enough difference in price to match the depreciation of the older vehicle. I think you should either get the dealer to take a much larger depreciation hit, otherwise, take the newer vehicle.

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • than3than3 Member Posts: 5
    I just a mail message from Autobytel, the online
    car buying services, about a recall on the 99
    Venture. Anyone have details?
  • sixpacksixpack Member Posts: 3
    We purchased our 1999 Venture on Sept 23, and I am concerned about keeping the carpet clean! I have 7 kids in and out of my van everyday..(carpool, but 4 are mine!) and I decided to go and buy some vinyl carpet runners from the local home improvement store. I bought 8 ft of it and cut pieces to fit. It covers between the two rows(we have 8 pass seating) my only problem is keeping it in place..I will try some little velcro tabs to hold it in place. Let me know if you find a better way to hold it in place!
    As for all of the people wondering if they should buy a Venture...I say Chevys rule! Very good quality..and as far as the crash testing..every crash is different..just drive safely..that is also what full coverage insurance is for.
    We love our Venture even more than we loved our Astro that we drove for 10 years! The Venture may have a few minor things that go wrong..but it is nothing compared to the tranny problems that the Chrysler vans have. As far as the others.. Buy AMERICAN..the job you save is important to someone,just as yours is to you.
  • merrussellmerrussell Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I are on the verge of making a decision on a van. We are stuck between the Venture and the Toyota Sienna. I need some quick advice from anyone who may have bought a Venture recently. What about the safety issue and is the Chevrolet product reliable. I haven't been able to locate any crash test results for the 2000 model. Thanks
  • creidcreid Member Posts: 54
    russell:
    I myself would go with the Sienna. I had a 98 Pontiac Transport extended & I had nothing but problems with the van. After one year we traded it in due to everything electrical & mechanical going wrong. Even after one year the sticker was $27K, we paid $23800 & barely received $17500 on trade-in. The van only had 15K miles on it after a year of ownership & was nothing but a regular service issue. Go with the Sienna. My 2 cents.
  • codetalkercodetalker Member Posts: 11
    I just spent some time in a Venture (rental with 5000 mi) and while some of the features were nice (e.g. configuration of back A/C vents) it had a much "tinnier" feel than the Sienna and had louder engine noise. The Sienna seems to have a higher quality level.

    However, you will pay for the quality. A lot will depends on how much you're willing to spend.
  • SAhladasSAhladas Member Posts: 35
    As far as that 'Safety Thing', the update is out from the IIHS on injury rates and the Sienna and GM injury rates were the same (actually GMs is a little lower). As for codetalkers allegation that the GM is louder, this also has proven to be incorrect, it is somewhere in the archive or do the work yourself and find the sound pressure levels on the web (they are somewhere).

    As for cried, I also have a '98 transport. Biggest problem to date is having a nail in a tire. WHat specific problems did you have?

    Perception is everything, open your mind, and you will make a good decision on your purchase.
  • natale_pnatale_p Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if anyone has had problems with the Venture transmission. I have a 97 model with 95000 miles. It was running fine up until a few weeks ago when the tranny started to shutter and slip. I had the fluid and filter changed, and it worked good for another 2 weeks. It then started to slip again, and now 1st gear is completely gone. Anyone with similar problems?
  • nattanatta Member Posts: 9
    I just bought a 2000 venture and am very happy with this van,The product is not as solid feeling as the sienna but is comparable and has alot more to offer at a more affordable price. so far we just put 300 miles on the van and like it more and more each time we drive it.so whatever you choose im sure you'll like either one.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Can anyone post experiences about broken trannies for Natale_p?

    guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • sloan2sloan2 Member Posts: 8
    Has anyone had problems with a buzzing speedometer cable. I believe that is the problem because the pitch of the vibration increases proportionally to speed. It's funny though, because it sounds like it is coming from the emergency brake area. Has anyone had this problem? It is very annoying. Other than that, I am very satisfied with my '98 Venture.
  • stevensorianostevensoriano Member Posts: 40
    Our 99 Venture has about 16,000 miles on it.

    We have the double child seats, and the dual air.

    No quality problems with it. (A gasket came off the power door, but no big deal.)

    The thing drives really well, plenty of spunk.

    The front-brakes wiped out in about 9,000 miles, but that may have more to do with our start-stop-start-stop lifestyle. GM cheerfully paid for the fix.

    We are at the end of our lease now too, and are having a hard time between another Venture,a gussied up Town and Country or a sparce, but bulletproof Sienna.

    Does the Sienna have child seats built in?
  • rameshv1rameshv1 Member Posts: 1
    We are in the process of buying a 2000 Chevy Venture (LS Extended). We have narrowed down the exterior color choices to Medium Blue Metallic, Dark Sapphire Metallic, Dark Teal Metallic, and Medium Fernmist Green Metallic. Since there is no consensus amongst us, we have agreed to elicit your choices from the colors above! Your preference would decide the issue!

    Thanks in advance.

    RV
  • steveandsuesteveandsue Member Posts: 1
    We are considering leasing a 2000 Venture. Can anyone tell me if the rebates apply when leasing??
  • nattanatta Member Posts: 9
    I just bought a 2000 venture in the silvermist metallic, but my second choice was dark sapphire metallic. I would choose the dark sapphire
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    There is no speedometer cable in the GM vans. The speedometer is driven electronically by the PCM (powertrain control module.) The noise may be from the vehicle speed sensor in the transaxle output. A noise that changes with speed may be coming from this or anything else from the final drive out to the wheels.
  • daverosedaverose Member Posts: 233
    We bought the Oldsmobile Silhouette in the Sky/International/Medium Blue Metallic. (Sky is the Oldsmobile name; I believe International is the Pontiac name; and Medium is the Chevrolet name for the same color.) It's a rich, pretty color on cloudy days and is spectacular on sunny days. To my eye, it hides dirt quite well. To me the very dark colors, Sapphire and Teal, would show dirt too easily. The Fernmist Green has similar visual qualities to the Blue, and was our second choice, but is too similar to other colors, or non-colors, as my wife would say, to be distinctive.
  • sloan2sloan2 Member Posts: 8
    Hardesty, Thanks for the information on the speedometer. Sounds like you are pretty familiar with the vehicle. Is this speed sensor located on the front or rear wheels? If you'd like, e-mail me at ssloan@lbmc.com with the answer, so not to bore everyone else.
  • jckoraljckoral Member Posts: 1
    Does anybody have any comments about the servicability of the 2000 venture engine. I have heard that they need to pull the engine to replace the rear spark plugs. Is this true and are there any other relatively minor repairs which necessitate pulling the engine... THANX !!
  • SAhladasSAhladas Member Posts: 35
    Like most modern minivan V6s, it is mounted laterally with one set of plugs towards the firewall. You don't have to pull the engine, you might have to remove the air intake plenum and the like. By the way, the GMs come with platinum plugs, so you will find you won't have to change the plugs for a while (std service interval 100K miles).
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    The rear plugs are accessed by removing the top front engine mounts (2 bolts) then putting a cinch strap (like you would use on a pickup load) around the engine and rocking it forward. Considering that it only needs to be done every 100,000 miles, it is not much extra work, and can be easily done by a shadetree mechanic. Just so you know, the reason that I know is because I bought the service manuals (from www.helminc.com ). Sloan2, the speed sensor is on the transaxle output (front wheels) under the hood.
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