GM dealership, Marvin Starr in Toronto Canada, had one of their "tech advisors" tell me my van was no longer drivable because some minor leakage of radiator fluid was showing on the block.

I had oil changed and then asked for look if they could find where the leak was... thought it was hoses. They insisted I rent a car while repairing the van, that it was unsafe for me to drive the van any longer. HAD TO YELL AT THE ADVISOR TO GET MY VAN BACK... imagine they tried to prevent me from getting my van back. They even had other advisors come and support the first assessment ... They claimed the system being a "closed" system was showing imminent failure if any leaks were showing.

After reviewing in my mind what I knew of the amount of the leakage and the minor amount of fluid loss I insisted they get my van. I was considering calling 911, that's how uncooperative they were being.

RESOLUTION: a mechanic in the family looked into the problem (he works for GM) - he explained GM sold "COOLANT PELLETS" for engines that were made with different metals (they expand/contract at different rates, hence leaks). This is GM THEMSELVES RECOMMENDING THIS SOLUTION.

Do not try Bar's Leaks or other... get GM coolant pellets, I've been driving for over 8 yrs WITH COOLANT PELLETS AND NO GASKET REPLACEMENT. Sure once in a while I top up the coolant in the upper tank, but minor price to pay vs $3000 out of pocket.

Good luck, if it sounds crazy, it might be... don't take anyone's word for it, research it.

ive owned my 2002 Chevy venture for about 4 months now it has roughly 112,000 miles on it, i understand this is a lot of miles, but i've owned 3 other GM vehicles and never had a major problem with them, but anyways, 1 month after purchasing the vehicle the AC condenser blew a hole in it and i had to fork out 2,000 for that, and right now im in the middle of a new blown head gasket that formed the day i got a coolant flush from jiffy lube, i took it back to jiffy lube before i knew about the blown head gasket to see if it might have had a clog since it was overheating and wasn't blowing any warm air. Drove it across the street to a mechanic then they told me it was a blown head gasket, ive been hearing A LOT of these same problems happening and also some stuff about class action lawsuits... im wondering if the dexcool (which is the worst fluid ever designed) isn't deteriorating the headgaskets causing them to blow so easily... any information or remarks would be appreciated

Two years after our Venture's first intake manifold gasket failed, the replacement gasket is leaking and GM is refusing to replace it again. It will cost us $1300 to get this repair done, on top of the $4800 it's already cost us over the years to have this vehicle maintained and serviced (which does not include the $1200 cost of replacing the gasket the first time!). If this is your first leak, ask about the "secret warranty" (in Canada, anyway). Your dealer might agree to repair it as a "goodwill" gesture. That's what they did for us the first time. This time, they're just blowing us off.