1997 GMC Sierra Steering Problems

DT: 1997 GMC SIERRA C1500 PICK UP TRUCK - THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE GMC SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THE STEERING BOX WORE OUT, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD PLAY IN THE WHEEL. IT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED AS OF YET. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT APPROACHING A STOP, BUT WAS COMING UP ONTO A BIG TRUCK, WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND HAD NO BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED WITH ALL NEW BRAKE LINES, BUT THEY WERE STILL MAKING NOISE AND ID NOT FEEL RIGHT. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10136029

Incident

Mar 16, 2005

Mileage

115,000 mi

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL JERKING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN MAKING A SLIGHT TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. IT CAUSES ME TO OVERCORRECT MY STEERING. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST YEAR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE STEERING GETS VERY LOOSE. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM SHOULD CORRECT, AS MINE IS FAR FROM THE ONLY TRUCK WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10118458

Incident

Apr 25, 2005

I TOOK MY 1997 GMC SIERRA TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS INVOLVING THIS VEHICLE. BUT THE DEALER SAID ALL THE RECALLS PERTAIN TO THE 1999-2004 MODELS NOT MINE - BUT I AM HAVING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEMS - DRIVE SHAFT, AND BRAKES - MY BRAKES LOCK UP - CREATE LOTS OF NOISE, CALIPHER DAMAGE, ETC. I BELIEVE THAT THE RECALLS FOR THE NEWER VEHICLES SHOULD APPLY TO MINE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN THE BRAKES DECIDE NOT TO WORK. MY WIFE DRIVES THE TRUCK AND I AM CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116309

Incident

Mar 14, 2004

Mileage

98,116 mi

POWER STEERING GOES OUT OCCASIONALLY. THIS HAS BEEN NOTED MANY TIMES ON THE NHSTA WEB SITE AS WELL AS OTHER CONSUMER COMPLIANT WEB SITES EXPLAINING THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SERIES. *AK THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE INTERMITTENT. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10074537

Incident

May 17, 2004

Mileage

73,202 mi

STEERING WHEEL FAILURE. STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED EITHER TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT. WHEN THIS OCCURRED STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS SEPARATING FROM ITS LINKAGE. A MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE POWER STEERING BOOSTER WAS BAD, AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10066723

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL JERKS IN THE SAME DIRECTION. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A GMC SUBURBAN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10061592

Mileage

60,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055968

Incident

Jan 16, 2004

Mileage

12,000 mi

I BOUGHT A 1997 GMC SIERRA IN 1999. THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH IT, AND SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, IS ON OCCASION, WHEN I MAKE A TURN, EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE STEERING COMPLETELY. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. IT ONLY DOES THIS FOR A MINUTE PORTION OF A SECOND, AND THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL.*LA

NHTSA ID

10054895

Incident

Jun 9, 1999

Mileage

31,000 mi

GOING DOWN THE ROAD ALL AT ONCE YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF YOUR STEERING WHEEL. IT IS LIKE YOU HAVE NO WAY TO TURN OR ANYTHING. IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU TO HAVE CONTROL OF YOU PICKUP AGAIN. THIS COULD BE REAL DANGEROUS IF YOU WERE TO HIT SOME ICE OR RAIN SLICK ROADS AND ALL AT ONCE YOU COULDN'T CONTROL YOUR PICKUP. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THESE LATE MODEL PICKUPS AND GM HAS MADE NO RECALLS ON THIS. IT IS 1996 THREW 1999 THAT THE TROUBLE IS IN. THERE IS A SENSOR IN THE POWER STEERING THAT TELLS IT WHAT TO DO. THERE WAS A LADY IN THE SAME TIME I WAS IN GETTING HER PICKUP FIXED ON A RECALL ON THE WIPERS AND I ASKED HER IF SHE HAD EVER HAD ANY TROUBLE LIKE THAT. SHE SAID YES IT CAUSED HER TO GO INTO THE DITCH BEFORE SHE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE HER SENSOR ALSO. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.

NHTSA ID

10070172

Incident

Apr 15, 2003

Mileage

69,983 mi

THE ENGINE ROD BEARINGS STARTED MAKING NOISE AT 80,000 MILES. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVLY GOT WORSE SO I WAS ADVISED TO RUN A 15W-40 OIL AND RUN THE MOTOR TO FAILURE. GM GAVE ME A PRICE OF $2500 FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT SAYING IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO JUST REPLACE ROD BEARINGS AND THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW MOTOR WAS BETTER. AS FAR AS THE STEERING PROBLEM, THE TRUCK STARTED TO UNDER-STEER AT ABOUT 4500 MILES. AS YOU ENTER A TURN (LEFT OR RIGHT) SOMETIMES THE TRUCK JUST DIVES IN THAT DIRCTION AND YOU MUST COMPENSATE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DRIVES THE TRUCK. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 97 CHEVY TRUCK AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HE HAD IT REPAIRED FOR THE SUM OF $1000.

NHTSA ID

10070023

Incident

Aug 15, 1999

Mileage

45,000 mi

I HAVE A GMC 1500 SEIRRA PICK-UP 1997 THAT I HAVE HAD A LOT OF STEERING ISSUES WITH SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TURN THEN IT GETS REAL LOOSE AND IF I GO IN TO A TURN, IT FEELS LIKE IT LOOSES ALL TENSION AND I OVER CORRECT MYSELF ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK. *LA

NHTSA ID

10052987

Incident

Dec 1, 1997

WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR OR SO, THE STEERING WHEEL OCCASIONALLY LOSES ALL RESISTANCE AND THE WHEEL TURNS AROUND TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE. I READ THAT GM HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR MANY VEHICLES THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE GMC 1500 TRUCK DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AMONG THEM. PLEASE ADD IT. *LA

NHTSA ID

10052906

Incident

Jan 11, 2003

Mileage

70,000 mi

VEHICLE LOSES IT'S ABILITY TO TURN TO THE LEFT

NHTSA ID

10039427

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

Mileage

45,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10020352

Incident

May 21, 2003

STEERING PROBLEMS AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. HOWEVER, DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND/OR RECALLS POSSIBLY RELATED TO STEERING PROBLEMS AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIRS. CONSUMER REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH REIMBURSEMENT. *TT *NLM

NHTSA ID

10009769

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SHOP WHERE THEY REPLACED A DEFECTIVE STEERING GEAR. *AK *NLM

NHTSA ID

10009620

Incident

Aug 19, 2002

Mileage

67,342 mi

WHILE DRIVING, INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL WILL HAVE TO MUCH PLAY IN IT AND TURN ALL THE WAY AROUND. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO STEER VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOST OF CONTROL AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

NHTSA ID

10005970

Incident

Nov 30, 2002

Mileage

70,000 mi

TRUCK STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK TO SIDE ON CURVE ABOUT 35 MPH. THOUGHT WAS MISALIGNMENT AT FIRST. IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE AND HAS TO BE FIXED SOON. ON SEARCHING INTERNET MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DT

NHTSA ID

770437

Incident

Jan 5, 1998

THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER ALSO STATED WHEN HE MADE A RIGHT TURN, IT FELT AS THOUGH ALL STEERING WAS LOST. TS *JB

NHTSA ID

8022822

Incident

Nov 1, 2002

Mileage

54,000 mi

THIS STEERING SENSOR MALFUNCTION WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND AT LEAST TWO OTHERS THAT I KNOW OF CAUSES THE TRUCK TO JERK IN THE DIRECTION YOU ARE STEERING. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING ON SLIPPERY ROADS. I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, JUST WANTED TO ADD MINE TO THE LIST.*AK

NHTSA ID

765558

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD BROKE UNTILL I WAS TURNING OFF THE INTER STATE HIW AY . IT HAD NEVER GIVEN INDICATION THAT IT HAD BROKEN NO NOISE OR RATTLE FROM THE POWER STEERING UNIT IT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SHAFT INTERNALY , THE SHAFT CONTINUED TO OPERATE, BUT THERE WAS NO PRESURE TO TURN THE WHEELS. IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ASSIST . IT WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE A QUICK MANUVER TO MISS SOMETHING BECAUSE IT WAS TO HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT .*AK

NHTSA ID

764440

Incident

Jul 16, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

760626

VEHICLE IS SITTING AND RUNNING. THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN. THERE IS NO NOISE WHILE TRAVELING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8002621

Incident

Dec 1, 2001

THE STEERING BECOMES QUITE LOOSE AND IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP ON THE ROAD, MOSTLY DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON ICY OR SNOWY ROADS.

NHTSA ID

9001627

THERE WAS REDUCED STEERING, AND STEERING WANDERED TO ONE SIDE. HAPPENED AT ABOVE 25 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 86-32-06 WAS USED BY THE DEALER TO FIX. CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL IN STEERING. *YH

NHTSA ID

884724

Incident

Mar 1, 2001