Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 76 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 76, in the owner's own words
steering wheel lock car cannot start and this can happen while driving and could cause a accident chevy knows of problem and has been recalled but has not solved the problem knowed as steering wheel lock
2005 Corvette coupe, manual trans, Z51. Intermittent problem: Electronic steering column will not unlock when attempting to start or will not lock on shutdown. Vehicle inoperable, sometimes in potentially hazardous situations e.g., late night in parking lot, and compromised anti-theft feature. Possibly relevant: When parked but steering failed to lock, continuous battery draw is 4 amps, which might contribute to the "dead battery syndrome" that 2005 M6 Corvettes are known for. Hard to separate the two issues since either way the starter will not engage. Problem has existed since new (2005) but has gotten progressively worse. GM nonresponsive to multiple owner complaints. Aftermarket "Column Lock Bypass" work-arounds have been sold for this problem, but they are potentially dangerous since they simply spoof the BCM into thinking that the lock is fully released when it is simply unpowered and can easily move into a partially locked position with vibration and time. This is what I recently observed that motivated this safety complaint. GM finally issued a recall in 2018 (13 years after MY) for this problem, but for some reason did not include manual transmission cars in the recall, possible because production was small compared with automatics. But from internet forums, it is clear that this problem affects all 2005 M6 Corvettes.
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle felt as if the passenger’s side front brakes had seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V172000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 27,400.
THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS ON AND CAR SHUTS OFF WHEN DRIVING, CAR WAS IN DRIVE LEAVING DRIVEWAY. SEEMS A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THESE VEHICLES, MY CAR BEING A 05 DOES NOT SEEM THE VIN WAS CAPTURED FOR THIS ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ACCESS HANDLING WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V172000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE BRAKES INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATED WITHOUT WARNING. BOB MCCOSH CHEVROLET BUICK GMC CADILLAC (1 BUSINESS LOOP 70 W, COLUMBIA, MO 65203, (573) 442-6156) WERE CONTACTED BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 160,000.
NHTSA CAMPAING NUMBER 10V172000. MY CAR IS PRESENTING THIS PROBLEM, IT IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I AM AFRAID TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT TO WEIGHT THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF THE GM DEALERS PROBLEM DO NOT WANT TO ATTEND UNDER ITS RESPONSIBILITY
CAR STOPPED AT STOP SIGN TURNING RIGHT INTO TRAFFIC,STEERING BECAME SHAKIER AND BRAKES STARTED LOCKING UP AND TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. TOP SPEED WAS 20MPH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND COULD NOT BE TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION AND THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS FINALLY RESTARTED, THE MESSAGE 'STEERING LOCKED' HAD DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE LOCAL DEALER GRABIAK CHEVROLET (8282 RT. 22 NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA.) THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
MAKING A U-TURN OR ANY EXTREME POSITION OF STEERING WHEEL ROTATION CAUSES ABS AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS TO ENGAGE AND FORCES A SEIZURE IF THE BRAKES, LOCKING THEM AND PREVENTING ANY KIND OF MOVEMENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION TO UNLOCKING BRAKES THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE IS TO SHUT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE.
I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND COLD. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AND DID NOT HIT ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY I FELT THE STEERING PULLING MY CAR ABOUT 1/4 TURN TO THE LEFT AND ABOUT A 1/2 TURN TO THE RIGHT AND BRAKES WERE APPLIED, NOT BY ME. I THEN HEARD A CHIMING NOISE AND SAW AN ERROR CODE ON MY DASH SAYING "SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM". I GAINED CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND EXITED THE HIGHWAY. I READ ON MANY FORUMS THAT OTHER C6 OWNERS, ESPECIALLY YEARS '05-'06 HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AND THAT THE DEFECT MAY LIE IN THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR CONNECTOR. MY VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL WHERE THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO ARISE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME PERMANENTLY LOCKED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V060000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,700.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO CRANK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WALLY EDGAR CHEVROLET INC (3805 S LAPEER RD, LAKE ORION, MI 48360), BUT NO DIAGNOSTIC FAILURE CODES WERE FOUND AND THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO JEFFERSON CHEVROLET (2130 E JEFFERSON AVE, DETROIT, MI 48207) WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT NO RECALLS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V060000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 8-1941692497. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.
I RECEIVED A MESSAGE ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN ON THE DASH, IT SAYS SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS. WHAT MAY HAPPEN, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND I DO, I BELONG TO A CORVETTE FORUM HERE IS THE WEB ADDRESS FOR THE FORUM HTTP://NHTHQNWWS111.ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GO, HTTPS://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-TECH-PERFORMANCE-101/ HTTPS://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-TECH-PERFORMANCE/2336065-SERVICE-ACTIVE-HANDLING-CONSUMER-ACTION.HTML,, I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 45 MPH
KEEP SHOWING " SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING." I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID ALL OF THE RECALLS HAS BEEN DONE BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB FIXING IT. I BOUGHT 2 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN ITS SLIPPERY OR RAINING. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BECAUSE THE WHEELS LOCKED UP.
TRIED TO START MY CORVETTE WHICH IS STORED IN THE GARAGE AND DASH SCREEN STATED "SERVICE COLUMN LOCK" AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR 2005 MANUAL TRANSMISSION CORVETTES AND LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED GM TO SEE IF MY VIN WOULD BE COVERED SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH A FAULTY PART, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT. GM SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND RECALL THIS KNOWN PROBLEM TO FIX OR REIMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THIS VERY INCONVENIENT AND DANGEROUS ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, A WARNING MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED OF 'STEERING COLUMN LOCKED". THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,162.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE "VEHICLE SERVICE COLUMN LOCKED" SENSOR ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V060000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH CASE NUMBER: 8-2959654851. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED A YEAR PRIOR AND THE SYSTEM WAS RESET; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,183.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE BRAKING AND TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE VEHICLE BRAKED INDEPENDENTLY AND PULLED TO ONE SIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED AND THE WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V172000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS DEFECTIVE CAN LOCK WHILE DRIVING THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE ON 2005 CORVETTES GM IS REFUSING TO FIX IT THEY ARE CLAIMING MY CARE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL BUT IS SUFFERING THE SAME ISSUE AS OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE RECALLED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE. *TR
SERVICE ACTIVE TRACTION SYSTEM LIGHTS UP AND THE BRAKES ACTIVATE (ONE OR BOTH FRONT WHEELS LOCK UP) AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE BRAKING AND TURNING AT THE SAME TIME. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRAFFIC HAS TO GO AROUND YOU AND YOU ARE STRANDED
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AT ROUGHLY 10MPH, MY CAR JAMMED ON THE FRONT LEFT, THEN BOTH FRONT BRAKES, BRINGING ME TO A SUDDEN STOP. ACTIVE HANDLING WAS SHOWING IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CLUSTER JUST LIKE WHEN YOUR CAR LOSES TRACTION FOR ANY REASON... I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY ODD AS IT WASN'T RAINING, NO SAND OR FLUIDS WERE PRESENT ON THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME, AND I WAS BARELY TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. I THEN CHECKED TO SEE IF I HAD RUN SOMETHING OVER OR IF ANYTHING WAS JAMMED IN THE WHEELS/BRAKES.... NOTHING VISIBLE. I GET BACK IN, REVERSE JUST FINE, BUT AS SOON AS I SHIFT BACK TO FIRST AND ATTEMPT FORWARD MOTION BOOM IT JAMS THE BRAKES ON AGAIN. I THEN RE-CLUTCHED, TRIED AGAIN WITH A LITTLE MORE GAS, THINKING MAYBE I DO HAVE SOMETHING STUCK UNDER THE CAR.... NOPE, IT STILL BRINGS ME TO A STOP IMMEDIATELY. AT THIS POINT, I WAS FREAKED OUT....(NEEDLESS TO SAY) I HELD THE ACTIVE HANDLING (TRACTION CONTROL) BUTTON DOWN UNTIL THE SYSTEM WAS FULLY DISABLED, AFTER DOING THIS I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO WORK. I THEN FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL AND CALLED THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS RECALL FOR ACTIVE HANDLING HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN 2010. I ASKED THEM TO PLEASE VERIFY THIS AS I HAD A HEADLIGHT RECALL TO DO ANYWAYS AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT. LONG STORY SHORT... THE SERVICE ADVISER TOLD ME THAT THE PREVIOUS REPAIR HAD FAILED AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE AGAIN. HE THEN TELLS ME THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FIX MY CAR BECAUSE THEY ALREADY REPAIRED IT BACK IN 2010 AND THAT IT WOULD BE UP TO ME TO COVER THE COST. AFTER TRYING FOR OVER A WEEK TO CONVINCE THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING, I GAVE UP AND PAID THEM FOR THE REPAIR. IM VERY WORRIED THAT THIS WILL ALSO NOT HOLD UP. IF THIS REPAIR FAILED IN THE PAST, WHO IS TO SAY THAT IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THIS TIME IT COULD CAUSE A CRASH, EVEN DEATH. PLEASE HELP, SOMEONE HAS TO HOLD THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
POWER STEERING HOSE LEAK, HAD DEALER REMOVE, REPLACE. I WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY PURCHASE, ALSO TAIL LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS INOPERABLE, HAD DEALER PERFORM SAFETY INSPECTION. ITEMS CORRECTED. RECENT PURCHASE JAN. 2016 USED.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN A BUSINESS SECTION OF TOWN ,I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN ON RED AS THE CAR STRAIGHTEN OUT I ACCELERATED AND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LOCKED UP CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL HITTING THE CURB AND ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. A MESSAGE ON MY INFORMATION DISPLAY SAID SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF IGNITION THEN RESTARTED MESSAGE WAS GONE AND THE BRAKES RELEASED. THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS INJURED. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE WHEELS SEIZED, THE BRAKES APPLIED INDEPENDENTLY, AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. DURING THE FAILURE, THE SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSED A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION WITHIN THE COLUMN AND A PART IN STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V172000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 05V455000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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