Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND WAS TOTALLED. NONE OF THE VEHICLES AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK DEALER CONTACTED. STEERING WHEEL BROKE DUE TO IMPACT. INJURY WAS SUSTAINED. *TT
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM A STOP, THE STEERING COLUMN FELL INTO MY LAP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND WAS INFORMED OF A SET OF 4 PINS THAT WORK THEMSELVES LOOSE. THE DEALER TOLD ME ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL IT HAPPENS RATHER OFTEN. THEY PUT THE PINS BACK IN AND GLUED THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY WOULD NOT FALL OUT AGAIN. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER, STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN BECAME EXTREMELY WOBBLY AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND TOLD ME THE GLUE MUST HAVE NOT HELD. THEY REINSTALLED THE PINS AND GLUED THEM BACK ONCE AGAIN. THE STEERING WHEEL IS STILL LOOSE AND SHAKES. I AM AFRAID THEY WILL FALL OUT AGAIN. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS IN ADVANCE.*AK
TILT MECHANISM "SPRUNG" WHEEL SWINGS UP AND DOWN EFFECTS ABILITY TO DRIVE CAR. AIRBAG PERFORMANCE COULD BE COMPRIMISED BECAUSE STEERING WHEEL SWINGS UP AND DOWN. LIGHTS ON DASH OR HEADLIGHTS MAY NOT FUNCTION WHEN HIGH BEAM TURNED ON OR OFF BY STALK ON ST
WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL FALLS DOWN ONTO DRIVERS LAP DUE TO BOLTS DISENGAGING AND CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
RECALL 00V287000/ IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED TURN SIGNAL TO BE INOPERATIVE WHICH IS A SAFETY FEATURE. DEAELR IS NOT WILLING TO HELP BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF RECALL. *AK FIRE AND HEAT GENERATED IN THE STEERING COLUMN COULD POSSIBLY DAMAGE OTHER PARTS. THE ENGINE DOES NOT START AND RUN BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS NOT SUPPLYING POWER TO PARK NEUTRAL SWITCH AND WAS REPLACED. *YH
STEERING WHEEL FELL INTO DRIVERS LAP WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO A DRIVE WAY. STREERING COLUMN DROPPED INTO DRIVER LAP AND STEERING WAS IMPOSSIBLE!!*AK
THE STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT PINS KEEP FALLING OUT CAUSING THE WHEEL TO WOBBLE. THERE ARE TWO PINS THAT KEEP FALLING OUT, WE REMOVE THE WHEEL IN ORDER TO PUT THEM BACK IN PLACE, HOWEVER THEY CONTINUE TO COME OUT. I T IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS DURING DRIVING . THE WHEEL ALMOST SITS ON MY LAP. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO. THESE PINS HAVE MANY SCREWDRIVER MARKS, WHICH MAKES ME THINK THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND SOMEONE FIXED IT TEMPORARILY. I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR THEY ARE ASKING AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO LOOK INTO IT. PLEASE TELL ME IF THERE IS A WAY WE CAN FIX IT OURSELVES, FOR WE DO ALMOST ANY TYPE OF MECHANICAL WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP. SINCERELY, MRS. GRUBBS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
RACK & PINION STEERING WOULD GET STIFF IN THE MORNINGS. WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED, IT WOULD MAKE WHINNING NOISE. FEELS LIKE NO POWER STEERING. PROBLEMS WITH STEERING HAPPENS ONLY IN THE MORNINGS & NOT AFTER IT HAS WARMED UP. *AK
THIS IS THE 4TH FAILURE OF THE FRONT PADS. THIS LAST FAILURE TOOK PLACE AFTER ONLY TEN MONTHS OF SERVICE. THE FAILURE ALSO WARPED THE ROTORS, SHEARED THE ANTI-LOCK SENSOR FORM ITS MOUNT. DEALER BLAMES FAILURE ON A CRACKED STEERING KNUCKLE. THIS CONSTANT BRAKE PAD FAILURE HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHUSE THIS CAR. THIS MEANS THAT THE KNUCKLE HAS BEEN CRACKED UNDER WARRANTY AND PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON EXCESIVE BRAKE WEAR FOR THIS CAR BUT NO GM DEALER TOOK ACTION BASED ON THIS. THIS LAST FAILURE WAS THE MOST SERIOUS AS IT INVOLVED THE PADS/ROTORS, ANT-ILOCK SENSOR, AND STEERING KNUCKLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN FELL OFF INTO CONSUMER'S LAP. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT STEERING WHEEL COLUMN FELL OFF, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP SIGN READY TO MAKE A LEFT WHEN STEERING COLUMN CAME LOOSE, FELL DOWN,STEERING SHIFTED FROM PLACE TO PLACE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT,CONSUMER TOOK COVERING OVER THE STEERING COLUMN NOTICED LEFT PIN CAME OFF, AND RIGHT WAS VERY LOOSE BECAUSE THE STEERING WAS LOOSE. CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE HOLDING STEERING WHEEL IN A TIGHT HOLD POSITION UNTIL ARRIVED AT HOME. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT (25) MPH, THE TILT STEERING WHEEL CAME OUT OF THE LOCKED POSITION AND MOVED AROUND FREELY. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
FRONT STEERING PULLE DTO THE LEFT, ALSO MADE SQUEALING NOISE. *AK
STEERING RACK REPLACED DUE TO DEFECT, CAUSING ACCIDENT/LOSS OF CONTROL. *SD
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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