NHTSA Complaint #10039516 — 1998 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA

STEERING WHEEL IS VERY LOOSE AND WHEN KEY WAS PUT IN STARTER, IT WOULD NOT START. AND I COULD NOT GET KEY OUT OF IGNITION. WHEN I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE CAR DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE TWO PINS THAT HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL ON WAS MISSING, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS HALF WAY OUT. IF I HADN'T HAD IT FIXED, THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF WHILE DRIVING!! WHEN I HAD DRIVEN IT THE NIGHT BEFORE, IT WAS FINE. I CALLED GMAC YESTERDAY, AND THEY CHECKED INTO IT AND DECIDED THAT SINCE IT WAS A 1998 VEHICLE AND HAD 120,000 MILES ON IT THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE CHARGES OF $372.96 THAT IT COST TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A MECHANICAL DEFECT, THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR KILLED SOMEONE IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL FELL OFF!