NHTSA Complaint #10107866 — 2003 GMC SIERRA

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION WHEN I STEER MY 2003 GMC SIERRA PICK UP TRUCK. THE VIBRATION IS DISTRACTING AND I WAS WORRIED THAT THERE MAY BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM SO I TOOK IT INTO THE GMC DEALER TO BE LOOKED AT. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE IF IT WAS TO FAIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE RESULTS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. THE VIBRATION ALSO CREATES UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION, WHICH IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN. THE DEALER AND GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE 200,000 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS ON BACK ORDER - SO THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME IT COULD BE 3 MONTHS BEFORE I COULD GET THIS REPLACED. MY TRUCK IS ONLY 1 1/2 YEARS OLD WITH 52,000 MILES. THERE CURRENTLY IS NO RECALL. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GMC (SERVICE REQUEST # 1-304994219), BUT I DO NOT THINK THERE RESPONSE WAS ADEQUATE. THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE SHAFTS WERE READY AND THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY NOT PERFORMING THIS WORK UNDER A RECALL. THERE LACK OF CONCERN WAS TROUBLING AND I DO NOT WANT TO TRUST MY FAMILIES SAFETY TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT, WHICH HAS BEEN DIRECTED ON WHAT TO SAY. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT RESULTING FROM THIS PROBLEM YET, BUT I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION. *NM