NHTSA Complaint #10148279 — 1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

I OWN A 98 M/T CORVETTE & I AM AN AUTOMOBILE EXPERT. THE C5 CORVETTE HAS AN ENGINEERING SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE ELECTO-MECHANICAL STEERING COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM. THERE HAD BEEN MANY INSTANCES OF THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK ENGAGING WHILE DRIVING ON THESE C5 & HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON MY C5 BEFORE THE ACCIDENT ON 12/25/05. NO FAIL SAFE SYSTEM FOR THE COLUMN LOCK EXISTS AND THE BCM OR BODY CONTROL MODULE HAS TOTAL CONTROL OVER THIS COLUMN LOCK. MANY VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS WILL CAUSE THIS STEERING LOCK TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING. GMS RECALL FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN A/T THE COLUMN LOCK WAS ELIMINATED. GMS SUPPOSED FIX FOR THE M/T VEHICLES WAS TO REPROGRAM THE PCM'S WITH NEW SOFTWARE & THIS SOFTWARE CHANGE DID NOT PREVENT THE COLUMN LOCK FROM ENGAGING; IT JUST MADE SURE THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK ENGAGE. ABOUT 07/05 THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK HAD ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING & HAD LEFT THE CAR STUCK IN TRAFFIC. THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AT HIS TIME. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING LOCKING PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED. ON 12/25/05 WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD, WITHOUT WARNING, MY C5 SKIDDED WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED & I WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE SKID BECAUSE THE STEERING LOCK HAD ENGAGED & THE CAR WENT A CROSSED A DIVIDED ROADWAY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, STOPPED & THEN GOT HIT. THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT HIT MY C5 WERE DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. THIS ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WITH ALL C5 S. IF THE STEERING LOCK HAD JUST ENGAGED THIS WOULD HAVE OF NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IF IT HAD JUST LOCKED, & THE ENGINE HAD NOT SHUT OFF, THE CAR COULD STILL BE STOPPED SAFELY JUST BLOCKING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, IF THE ROAD IS WET WHEN THE ENGINE STOPS & THE VEHICLE IS REAR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A M/T THE REAR WHEELS WILL SKID. IF A SKID OCCURS IT CAN BE EASILY CORRECTED BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN A STRAIGHT PATH UNLESS THE STEERING IS LOCKED. IF THE RECALL HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED THIS ACCIDENT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.*JB