1997 Chevrolet Pickup Steering Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET PICKUP. WHILE TURNING LEFT AT 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND PLACED THE GEAR INTO PARK. HE THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED. HE HAD TO DO THIS TWICE BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER DID NOT WANT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THEY HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS AND CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 138,000.

NHTSA ID

10215809

Incident

Jan 17, 2008

Mileage

138,000 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL GETS LOOSE AT LOW SPEEDS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THUS, INCREASING THE CHANCE OF A CRASH. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE OVERSTEERS. *TC

NHTSA ID

10110839

Incident

Feb 4, 2004

STEERING COLUMN STABILIZER SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10068641

Incident

Apr 15, 2004

Mileage

81,000 mi

WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CONSUMER FELT THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055960

Mileage

200 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME LOOSE. THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS MAKING RIGHT AND LEFT HAND TURN. THE DEALERSHIP'S MECHANIC WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10054198

Mileage

63,000 mi

STEERING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. CONSUMER HAS TO REPLACE STEERING SENSOR FIVE TIMES SINCE BUYING THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037802

Incident

Jul 23, 2003

Mileage

100,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN IN ANY DIRECTION. *JB THE POWER STEERING BECAME INOPERATIVE WHILE PARKING. *MJ

NHTSA ID

8009056

Incident

Apr 10, 2002

A JERKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL JERK OR TRY TO TURN ON ITS OWN WHILE GOING STRAIGHT OR ON A TURN. IT HAS CAUSED SEVERAL NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS. THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE STEERING ACTS UP AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND SPEEDS AND CANNOT BE PREDICTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

756794

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING BECOMES VERY LOOSE AND THE SUDDENLY CATCHES. I HAVE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FEEL CERTAIN IT IS A POWER STEERING SPEED SENSOR. I HAVE ENCOUNTER MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING.*AK

NHTSA ID

752633

STEERING WHEEL PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT WHEN STEERING THROUGH A CURVE. IT IS A VERY SUDDEN MOVEMENT AND LASTS FROM 1-3 SECONDS AND CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES GOING THROUGH A CURVE. I WAS TRAVELING ON A TWO LANE ROAD AND WAS PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD TRAVELING AT 55 MPH NEARLY MISSING A TREE. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS AT ANY SPEED AND AT ANY TIME.

NHTSA ID

748389

Incident

Jul 9, 2001

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIANCED PORBLEMS WITH LOSING POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. CHECKED FLUIDS, AND THE FLUIDS LOOKED FINE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WILL REPLACE A PUMP IN ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

886461

Incident

Apr 23, 2001

DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKS. I HAD THE SEAT BRACKET REPLACED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW THE SEAT BRACKET HAS PLAY IN IT AGAIN. THIS IS UN-SAFE BECAUSE WHEN YOU ACCELERATE (AT ANY SPEED) THE SEAT ROCKS BACK EFFECTING THE GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND REACH TO THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THERE IS NO RECALL AND I COULD PAY TO HAVE THE BRACKET REPLACED. THIS WOULD MAKE THREE TIMES AND THERE WOULD BE NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T WORK ITS WAY LOOSE AGAIN. THIS ITEM PROBABLY REQUIRES A RE-DESIGN. P.S. I'M OF AVERAGE BUILT 6 FEET TALL, 180 POUNDS SO MY SIZE SHOULDN'T BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

743292

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

SINCE FIRST PURCHASED, THIS VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO PULL TO EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT WITHOUT CAUSE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A STEERING SENSOR UNIT, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. SINCE THEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN PULLING AT LEAST 50 TIMES. A FRIEND OF MINE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW 1997 CHEV. P.U. AND HAS HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. TODAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THERE IS A WEB SITE DEVOTED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM. ON ICY ROADS AND FOR THE INEXPERIENCED DRIVER, THIS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT. HOW MANY ROLLOVERS AND DEATHS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CAUSED BY THIS UNEXPLAINED STEERING PROBLEM??

NHTSA ID

732538

Incident

Sep 27, 1997

WHEN DRIVING AND UPON MAKING A SLIGHT TURN, POWER STEERING SENSOR ENGAGED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A FULL TURN, RESULTING IN POOR STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

857983

CD PLAYER HAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE. NLM

NHTSA ID

550943

Incident

Jul 12, 1999

STEERING WHEEL STICKS WHEN TURNNING AND THEN LOOSENS AND TURNS FREELY, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

854422

Incident

Dec 27, 1999

STEERING WHEEL WILL MOVE WHEN CORNERING OR DRIVING STRAIGHT, WHEN STEERING WHEEL MOVES IT IS A SUDDEN MOVEMENT. THE FEELING IS LIKE NORMAL RESISTANCE TO NO RESISTANCE AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED OR CONDITION.

NHTSA ID

712567

Incident

Feb 20, 1998

WHENEVER DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 25-35MPH STEERING WHEEL WOULD START TO TWITCH. IT WOULD THEN TURN ON ITS OWN. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE STEERING WHEEL CHECKED. *AK

NHTSA ID

849313

Incident

Jul 15, 1997

WHEN DRIVING IN LOW SPEED AND TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE WON'T ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO MAKE A COMPLETE TURN, AND THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP. CONSUMER HAS TO FIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO MAKE A TURN. *AK CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE INFORMED CONSUMER TO RETURN VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. *SLC

NHTSA ID

832887

Incident

Jan 1, 1998

CONSUMER STATES THE THE POWER ASSIST STEERING INTERMITTENTLY COMES AND GOES. (THE POWER ASSIST IS SUPPOSED TO KICK IN WHEN TRUCK IS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS). CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH WHEN THE POWER ASSIST STEERING KICKED IN, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE TRUCK. *AK

NHTSA ID

816176

Incident

Aug 25, 1997

BOLT THAT HOLDS THE STEERING SHAFT FROM THE STEERING GEAR BOX TO STEERING COLUMN WAS MISSING, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING.

NHTSA ID

517813