1997 Chevrolet Silverado Steering Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT INTERMITTENTLY. THE PULLING OCCURS SUDDENLY AND LAST FOR ONLY A SECOND. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR THE PROBLEM BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP IN 2000. THE REPAIR SHOP WAS UNABLE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PULLING. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER YESTERDAY. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE A POSSIBLE CAUSE BY PHONE AND SUGGESTED REPAIRING THE STEERING SENSOR. *NM UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10147904

Incident

Jan 16, 2006

Mileage

170,000 mi

CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1997, STEERING PINION GEAR SEPARATION. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HIS VEHICLE PULLED TO LEFT OR RIGHT REAL HARD AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE JUST LIKE THE CHEVROLET MALIBU HE HAD WHICH HAD A RECALL ON THE RACK AND PINION, WHICH NEVER EXHIBITED A PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10115924

Incident

Nov 1, 2004

BELOW IS A COPY OF THE E-MAIL I HAVE SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP HERE IN AUBURN AL. I DID NOT GET AN E-MAIL BACK SO CALLED A FEW DAYS LATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WOULD BE $240 . I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED IN MANY CASES AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I KNOW OF 4 GM TRUCKS WITHIN 1997-1998 RANGE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS! AT THIS TIME NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT AN ACCIDENT IS NOT CAUSED BECAUSE OF IT. DYAS, I HAVE A "97 SILVERADO EXT CAB 2WD 1500 WITH A 350 VORTEX. DYAS HAS DONE RECALL WORK FOR ME IN THE PAST (WIPERS). I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT WILL COME AND GO EVERY FEW WEEKS THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE STEERING. DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN, BUT I WILL DO MY BEST. IT WILL SEEM TO SURGE IN TURNING POWER WHILE TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION, CAUSING YOU TO HAVE TO STEER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE IN A CURVE TO ADJUST COURSE. IT CAN BE VERY NERVE-RACKING FOR ME AND FOR SOMEONE THAT IS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM I CAN SEE WHERE IT COULD EASILY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. MY FATHER WAS ACTUALLY UNAWARE AND HAS INSISTED THAT I HAVE IT FIXED BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS. IT BECOMES EVEN MORE DANGEROUS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME TYPE OF CONTROL MODULE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER STEERING ON THESE TRUCKS..? WHICH HAS LED ME TO INQUIRE NOW ABOUT A RECALL / REPAIR FOR THE PROBLEM. BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT A COSTLY REPAIR MAY NOT BE AN OPTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF COST.*AK

NHTSA ID

10078457

Incident

May 27, 2002

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. SOME TIMES WHEN DRIVING AND MAKING EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN IT FELT AS IF POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE WAS A DEVICE BUILT INTO THE VEHICLE FOR PROTECTION. *AK THE EVO (EXHAUST VALVE OPENING) WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10057470

Incident

Feb 3, 2004

VEHICLE HAS SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE LANES WITHOUT NOTICE. OWNER HAD THE SPEED SENSOR DISCONNECTED. *MR

NHTSA ID

10066687

Mileage

32,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. CONSUMER LOST THE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER INDICATED DETERMINED THAT RACK AND PINION FAILED. *AK CONSUMER CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, AND WAS TOLD TO FIX THE VEHICLE AT OWN EXPENSE. IF VEHICLE WAS RECALLED, CONSUMER WOULD BE REIMBURSED AT A LATER TIME. *LA

NHTSA ID

10059265

Incident

Feb 18, 2004

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, AND A LEFT TURN WAS MADE, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. *JB *MR

NHTSA ID

10054143

Incident

Jul 29, 2003

Mileage

54,000 mi

IN JANUARY 2004 THE NEWS REPORTED A RECALL ON CHEVROLET CARS WITH THE EXACT PROBBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING SINCE 2000. THE POWER STEERING WILL OVER-ASSIST CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK AND HENCE THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY STEER RIGHT OR LEFT. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN ON A CURVE OR WHEN DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THIS PROBLEM IS UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS CAUSED SOME NEAR MISSES AND SCARY MOMENTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SNOW COVERED STREETS. THE FAILURE OCCURS FREQUENTLY AND LASTS FOR A DAY OR A WEEK AT A TIME THEN GOES AWAY FOR AN UNDETERMINABLE PERIOD. BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHILE TEST DRIVING OTHER 1997 PICKUPS. SINCE THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON CHEVROLET CARS I FEEL IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE C/K, SILVERADO PICKUPS AS WELL. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE AN ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10056775

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL JERK TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10055748

Incident

Jan 2, 2004

Mileage

169,000 mi

WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AT 45 MPH STEERING FELT LOOSE, ESPECIALLY WHEN STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE 8 O'CLOCK POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055488

Incident

Jan 2, 2004

No narrative was included with this report.

NHTSA ID

10068840

Incident

Mar 15, 1998

Mileage

30,000 mi

1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO EXT. CAB. 1500 SERIES, AT LOW SPEED I AM EXPERENCING INTERMITTENT LOSS IN MY POWER STEERING ON LEFT TURNS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10053224

Incident

Dec 1, 1999

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING WHEEL GETS LOOSE. IF I'M ON A ROAD WITH A CURVE AND I HAVE PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT LET'S SAY OR LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SUDDENLY LOOSEN UP AND QUICKLY TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESSURE I'M APPLYING. AS IF OPENING A JAR. IT GETS THAT LOOSE. I ALMOST HIT A COUPLE OF PARKED CARS BECAUSE OF THIS. THE ONLY REASON WE FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IS WE OVERHEARD A CHEVY OWNER SHOWING SOMEONE THE PART HE HAD TO CHANGE. THIS WAS AFTER WE HAD THE FRONT END DONE TO NO AVAIL. THIS GUY HAD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FRONT END WORK DONE AT THREE DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS TO NO AVAIL. OUR PART COST $50 AND THE LABOR WAS $100. I'VE TALKED TO TAHOE OWNERS AND RODE IN THEIR VEHICLES AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS I DID. WE HAD TO TELL THEM WHAT THE FIX WAS. PRETTY LAME SEEING THE DEALERS DON'T EVEN KNOW. IF CHEVY WOULD AT LEAST TELL THEIR MECHANICS IF THEY WON'T RECALL. BY THE WAY THE PART IS A EVO SENSOR AND IT RAPS AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN INSIDE THE VEHICLE RIGHT ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL. WE WOULD HAVE CHANGED IT OURSELVES BUT YOU HAVE TO FOOL WITH THE AIRBAG, SO WE PAID SOMEONE TO DO IT. ALSO, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE WE FIXED IT. THERE WASN'T JUST ONE INCIDENT DATE AS YOU MADE ME FILL OUT ON YOUR FORM. THANK-YOU. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047091

Incident

Feb 14, 2000

WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL GIVES AND CAUSES TEMPORARY STEERING LOSS. TS THE VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES, THE PCV VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE #2 AND #3 HEAT SHIELDS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK. THIS MALFUNCTION WAS REPAIRED AND NOW THE 4 LOW GEAR IS INOPERABLE. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSOR, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. NOTICEABLY AFTER PURCHASE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT GIVES WHEN BRAKING. *JG

NHTSA ID

8023926

Incident

Nov 2, 2000

Mileage

69,000 mi

AUTO THEFT. *AK

NHTSA ID

760896

WHILE TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING BOX WAS THE PROBLEM. *YH

NHTSA ID

8005872

WHILE TRAVELING AROUND A CURVE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO TRAVEL INTO OTHER LANE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THE EOV SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

899193

I HAVE TWO GM TRUCKS ONE A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND ONE A 1997 GMC SIERRA K-2500 THIS WILL BE THE THIRD REPLACMENT OF THIS STEERING PART, IT IS A DANGER BECUSE WHEN YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OVER STEERS LIKE YOU JUST HIT ICE. ITS A SIMILAR FEELING TO HITING THE BRAKES AND THE WHEEL BEING JERKED OUT OF YOUR HAND. THIS WOULD BE VERY HAZARDEST ON ICE COVERED ROADS. BOTH TRUCKS HAVE ONLY ABOUT 42K MI. AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 15K MI. I HAVE REPLACED THREE NOW. THE DEALERS SAY IT IS A VERY COMMON PARK TO REPLACE.*AK

NHTSA ID

747585

WHILE MAKING A TURN BY TURNING STEERING WHEEL VEHICLE TRAVELED LIKE ICE WAS ON ROAD, SOON AFTER RETURNING TO NORMAL TRAVEL. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFNORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

888819

THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR (SWP, MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) SENDS AN INPUT TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) WHICH IN TURN THEN CONTROLS POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID FLOW BASED ON VEHICLE SPEED AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CAUSING A VERY SERIOUS INTERMITTANT STEERING PROBLEM ONLY DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THIS HAS TWICE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS THE NATURAL REACTION TO THIS FAILURE (WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL) IS TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER TO THE RIGHT TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. IN BOTH NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS THERE WAS A CAR ON MY RIGHT SIDE WHICH I CAME CLOSE TO HITTING. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO AND AT LOW SPEED NOT MUCH OF A CONCERN BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT IS SERIOUS. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER, WHICH HAS BEEN COURTEOUS AND HELPFULL, TELLS ME THEY HAVE HAD TWO TRUCKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN FOR THE SAME TROUBLE (SWP SENSOR) AND A CO-WORKER ALSO HAS THE SAME TROUBLE, SO THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AFFECTING OTHER GM VEHICLES INCLUDING SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON AND SIERRA. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME BUT PLAN TO REPLACE THE SWP SENSOR MYSELF QUITE SOON AS THE DEALER SAYS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. ESTIMATED DEALER REPAIR COST IS 160.00. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IS THE FIRST TIME IN SOME 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A MALFUNCTION OF THIS TYPE, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEED IT GETS YOUR ATTENTION VERY FAST! AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ROLL OVER AS WELL SHOULD THE DRIVER JERK ON THE WHEEL TO HARD TO CORRECT IT. I FEEL CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS TROUBLE AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO FIX THIS REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY COVERAGE AS LAW SUITES AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT/S WILL COST THEM MUCH MUCH MORE.*AK

NHTSA ID

745552

Incident

Apr 1, 2001

WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL SLIPS. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

888392

STREEING ON VEHICLE JERKS FROM ONE SIDE OR OTHER , SOMETIMES IT PULLS REAL HARD TO ONE SIDE, AND SOMETIMES NOT HARD AT ALL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THEY HAVE TRIED TO FIX PROBLEM TWICE ALREADY, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS.*AK INSTALLING A NEW SENSOR SOLVED THE PROBLEM. DRIVE BELT AND TENSIONER REPLACED BECAUSE THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN *YH

NHTSA ID

882460

Incident

Mar 1, 1999

STEERING LOCKS WHILE MAKING A TURN AND WHILE BRAKING. NLM

NHTSA ID

785236

ERRATIC STEERING. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK SPEED DEPENDENT STEERING ELECTRONIC VARIABLE DEVICE SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING ERRATIC. *YH

NHTSA ID

874806

STEERING SENSOR GOES OUT MAINLY AT HIGH SPEED. STEERING GETS REAL TIGHT. FASTER CONSUMER GOES. WHEN VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN STEERING IS SO LOOSE, IT'S LIKE BEING ON ICE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. IT'S BEEN REPAIRED 10 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THERE IS NO REMEDY.*AK THE SENSOR HAD BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM STILL NOT SOLVED. *YH

NHTSA ID

870964

Incident

Feb 16, 1998