NHTSA Complaint #10165371 — 2000 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

I OWN A 2000 CHEVY SILVERADO. THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED PER SERVICE BULLETIN 00-02-35-003J IN JAN. 2002. PROBLEMS WITH CHATTERS AND ERRATIC STEERING PERFORMANCE HAVE CONTINUED AND GM STATES THAT THEY PLAN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT NEVER HAVE. THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO GREASE THE SHAFT...WHICH ONLY HELPS FOR A FEW THOUSAND MILES AND THEN THE CHATTER AND ERRATIC STEERING PERFORMANCE RETURNS. IT'S A DISTRACTION WHICH DRIVING AND IN MY OPINION COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. I ALSO QUESTION WHETHER THE CURRENT SHAFT IS STRONG ENOUGH IN THE EVENT OF A RIGOROUS STEERING MANEUVER. GM HAS DRAGGED IT'S FEET ON THIS AND IT'S TIME AN OUTSIDE AGENCY LOOKED INTO IT AND INSISTED THAT GM RECALL THE VEHICLE AND DEVELOP A PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. SUCH ERRATIC PERFORMANCE IN MY OPINION IS A DISTRACTION THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO AN ACCIDENT AND THE SHAFT COULD STRIP OR FRACTURE AS WELL IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS ACCORDING TO CERTAIN MECHANICS I'VE TALKED WITH. *JB