NHTSA Complaint #10007883 — 1999 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

I HAVE A 1999 CORVETTE COUPE. I WAS DRIVING ON FOLSOM BLVD. (AT WATT AVENUE) IN SACRAMENTO, CA DURING RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC (4:50 P.M.). I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND MY CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. LUCKILY, NO ONE REAR-ENDED ME. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START MY CAR BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AND A "STEERING COLUMN" LOCKED MESSAGE ON MY COMPUTER READ OUT INSTRUCTED ME TO WAIT 10 SECONDS THEN REMOVE THE KEY. SO I COMPLIED. I THEN AGAIN STARTED MY CAR, BUT THE "STEERING COLUMN" LOCKED MESSAGE CAME ON AND MY STEERING COLUMN WAS, INDEED, LOCKED. LUCKILY, MY STEERING WHEEL WAS AIMED IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND I COULD DRIVE FORWARD OUT OF THE BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE I STOPPED IN FRONT OF A GAS STATION. I CALLED FOLSOM CHEVROLET'S SERVICE DEPT. AND THEY ADVISED I WOULD NEED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED INTO THEIR SHOP. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE EASILY ENDED UP IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT HAD I NOT BEEN IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFICE. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DOING 65-70 MPH? REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS