NHTSA Complaint #10107620 — 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE

STEERING RACK BROKE. DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY STEERING WHEEL CAN ASSUME POSITIONS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 2 O'CLOCK WHILE STILL GOING STRAIGHT. STEERING ACTION IS NOT POSITIVE. AT TURNS, MORE STEERING MOVEMENT IS NEEDED AND VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPONSE AS BEFORE. FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL NHTSA #02V286000 FOR THE STEERING RACK LOWER PINION BEARINGS THAT THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE THE LOWER PINION BEARING OR REPLACE THE STEERING RACK. WE TOOK THE CAR IN 5/28/05 FOR THIS RECALL AND I BELIEVE THE LOWER PINION BEARING WAS REPLACED. CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE 1/17/05. TOLD TO HAVE CAR INSPECTED BY DEALER. LANNAN CHEVROLET CONFIRMED THAT DAMAGE IS INSIDE STEERING RACK AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TALKED WITH CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE 1/20/05, THEY DECLINE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CURRENT PROBLEM AND SAID THAT IT IS DUE TO "WEAR AND TEAR". HE BLAMED IT ON OTHER THINGS SUCH AS HYDRAULIC HOSE LEAK. THE HYDRAULIC HOSE HAS BEEN "WET" SINCE THE EARLY DAYS (1 OR 2 YEARS) AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR. THE LEAK IS NOT SIGNIFICANT AND THE LEVEL HAS BEEN CHECKING EVERY 1-2 WEEK. WE BELIEVE THIS CURRENT PROBLEM IS A SAFETY DEFECT AND THE WORK DONE FOR THE STEERING RACK RECALL DID NOT CORRECT THE UNDERLINING PROBLEM. EITHER THERE ARE ADDITIONAL STEERING RACK DEFECTS OR INTERNAL DAMAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. *JB