2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Steering Problems

HAVE 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 4WD 5.3 ENGINE A/T. WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED OUT & LOST ALL STEERING/BRAKES. 131,589 MILES ON ODOMETER AT TIME. MANAGED TO COAST VEHICLE ONTO SHOULDER, WAITED 2 MINUTES, STARTED VEHICLE AGAIN, PULLED OUT INTO BUSY TRAFFIC JUST TO MAKE IT 2 BLOCKS BEFORE STALL OUT AGAIN. REPEATED THIS PROCESS SEVERAL MORE TIMES BEFORE I FOUND A GAS STATION. SUSPECTING WATER IN GAS, ADDED 1 BOTTLE OF GAS LINE ANTI-FREEZE. DROVE REST OF WAY HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. REPLACED FUEL FILTER, PCV VALVE, AIR FILTER, SPARK PLUGS, AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY JUST TO HAVE STALL OUT THE VERY NEXT DAY. NO CODES ARE DISPLAYED IN MESSAGE CENTER IN DASH BOARD. STALLS OUT RANDOMLY WITHOUT A PATTERN. WAIT 1-2 MINUTES THEN WILL START AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10505113

Incident

Feb 28, 2013

Mileage

131,589 mi

I HAD JUST PULLED AWAY FROM MY HOME ( APPROXIMATELY GOING 5 MPH) AND MY STEERING WHEELED LOCKED TO THE RIGHT AND I SIDE SWIPED 2 PARKED VEHICLES. I HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL, WAS SEAT BELTED, NOT ON MY CELL PHONE NOR WAS I TEXTING...MY FULL ATTENTION WAS ON DRIVING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING FOR A FEW SECONDS. I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND BELTS FOR ANY SIGNS OF LEAKS OR WEAR, BUT THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF A MALFUNCTION. MY GREAT CONCERN IS , WILL THIS HAPPEN AGAIN...WHY DID IT HAPPEN AND IF THOSE PEOPLE WERE GETTING INTO THEIR CARS...I MOST PROBABLY WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM! *TR

NHTSA ID

10475726

Incident

Sep 15, 2012

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND VERY HEAVING STEERING REQUIRING GREAT EFFORT. I MADE A HARD U-TURN AND THEN FOUND THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY HEAVY. IT TOOK BOTH HANDS AND A LOT OF FORCE TO STEER THE CAR. I PULLED OVER, POPPED HOOD, AND SAW NOTHING WRONG. NO DASH MALFUNCTION LIGHTS WERE ON. AT REPAIR, THE STEERING PUMP SHAFT HAD SHEARED WHERE IT NECKS DOWN FROM ABOUT 3/4" TO 3/8" DIAMETER. AN INTERNET SEARCH PROVIDES MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PUMP WITH A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING FEATURE. I VERY MUCH DON'T LIKE THE RESULTING LACK OF ROAD FEEL AND AM PURSUING THAT PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER. THIS SUDDEN STEERING PUMP FAILURE IS A DEFINITE SAFETY RELATED ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10242899

Incident

Sep 18, 2008

Mileage

84,500 mi

WHEN THE CAR IS COLD, THE STEERING RESISTS VERY STRONGLY A TURN TO THE RIGHT IN THE FIRST 10-20 DEGREES OF STEERING WHEEL TURN TO THE RIGHT OF STRAIGHT. THE STRENGTH OF RESISTANCE IS VARIABLE, DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. SITTING STILL, THERE IS A SLIGHT ?HITCH? OR NOTHING AT ALL. AS VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES, THE AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE INCREASES TO A MAX AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH, WHERE IT TAKES AN ?ARM WRESTLE? FORCE TO MOVE THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT. IT RESISTS, FIGHTS BACK, THEN WITH A LOT OF MUSCLE ? POPS THROUGH THIS RESISTANCE AND FEELS PERFECTLY NORMAL. THE HARD MUSCLE PULL TO THE RIGHT, AND SUBSEQUENT RELEASE MAKES THE TRACK OF THE CAR TEND STRAIGHT, AND THEN JERK RIGHT. WHEN THE CAR HAS THIS MALFUNCTION, IT REQUIRES THE MOST PHYSICAL POWER TO PULL THE STEERING TO THE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. SUCCESSIVE TURNS TO THE RIGHT ARE EASIER AND EASIER, UNTIL AFTER ABOUT 4-5 CYCLES TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING IS ?NORMAL.? SYMPTOMS ARE GONE WITHIN 1 MILE OF DRIVING. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IT ALSO IS MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE IS COLD. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO BOTH. IT RESISTED TURNS TO THE RIGHT IN THE MORNING, AND EQUALLY AS MUCH THAT EVENING RETURNING HOME FROM WORK. IT HAS SHOWN UP IN THE SUMMER, BUT MORE OFTEN IN THE WINTER. IT DOES NOT DO IT EVERY DAY. I DESCRIBE IT AS PERMANENT, PERSISTENTLY INTERMITTENT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES, AND LEFT DAYS AND WEEKS AT A TIME. AT THE LAST INCIDENT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING POSITION SENSOR. FREQUENCY OF MALFUNCTION DECREASED, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TAKE NORMAL STEERING COMMANDS IS IN ITSELF HAZARDOUS. ON SLIPPERY SURFACES, THE LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF CONTROL IS SEVERE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10215539

Incident

Dec 15, 2007

Mileage

68,000 mi

CLANKING IN STEERING WHEEL / COLUMN. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE JUST HOW 2002 SUBURBANS RUN. NOT HAPPY WITH ANSWER, TOOK IT BACK AGAIN, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS REPLACED. 6 MONTHS LATER, SAME THING, AGAIN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS REPLACED. GUESS WHAT, MAKING APPOINTMENT TO GO BACK BECAUSE OF SAME PROBLEM IN STEERING, WITH CLANKING AND VIBRATION, CAN HEAR IT AND FEEL MOSTLY WITH ANY TURN OF THE WHEEL....BET IT WILL ONCE AGAIN BE AN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT REPLACEMENT AND 3 DAYS WITH OUT MY VEHICLE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10207293

Incident

Oct 29, 2007

3RD FAILURE OF THE INTERMEDITE STEERING SHAFT ON THE 2002 CHEVROLET 1/2 TON SUBURBAN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10195014

Incident

Jun 29, 2007

Mileage

16,725 mi

I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 SUBURBAN. MY INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED AT LEAST 5 TIMES SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR. THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAS BEGUN TO MAKE NOISES AGAIN, INDICATING IT IS TIME FOR YET ANOTHER SERVICE TRIP. *NM

NHTSA ID

10178899

Incident

Jan 10, 2007

FOLLOW UP TO SEE IF AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN OPENED REGARDING TWO VEHICLES WITH OFF CENTER STEERING PROBLEMS.*MR SERIAL NUMBER #[XXX] AND [XXX]. *CB *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10053925

Incident

Sep 23, 2003