NHTSA Complaint #10064953 — 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CONSUMER TOWED THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER WENT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE A RECALL REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE (TYPE OF RECALL REPAIR WASN'T STATED). WHEN THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER ASKED THE MECHANIC WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. THE MECHANIC COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE AND THOUGHT THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE BELT FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER. CONSUMER DECIDED TO HAVE IT CONSULTED TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE MECHANIC BY (PRESUMABLY) A FRIEND OF THE CONSUMER. AS THE DRIVER WAS ABOUT TO RESUME COMING FROM A STOP SIGN, STEERING RACK AND PINION MECHANISM FELL WHICH ALSO LED TO STEERING LOCK-UP. THE STEERING FAILURE RESULTED THE DRIVER TO OVER TURN VEHICLE INTO A DITCH. POLICE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT BOLT FROM THE FALLEN MECHANISM WAS MISSING. *LA