NHTSA Complaint #10135271 — 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP ON 2002 CORVETTE WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. SCENARIO IS AS FOLLOWS: WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING COLUMN DOES NOT RELEASE THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINS LOCKED IN POSITION. THIS CAN BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS IF IT OCCURS AT STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT AFTER THE DRIVER HAS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED THE VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO RESTART. WHEN IT OCCURS THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO CALL A TOW SERVICE AND GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. GM STATES THAT THE VEHICLE IS FINE. THE EVENT DOES NOT LOG AN ERROR CODE SO WHEN THEY PLUG THEIR COMPUTER INTO THE CAR THEY FIND NO PROBLEMS. ITS SEEMS OVER TIME THE STEERING COLUMN WILL RELEASE WHEN RESTARTED. I HAD WAITED 30 MINUTES ON ONE OCCASION AND THE COLUMN RELEASED. FOR TODAY'S INCIDENT, AFTER FOUR HOURS THE COLUMN WOULD NOT RELEASE. MANY CORVETTE OWNERS HAVE OPTED TO DISABLE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK "FEATURE" WITH AN AFTERMARKET DEVICE. I WILL BE DOING THE SAME SHORTLY. *JB