NHTSA Complaint #10183470 — 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

ON JANUARY 26 I TOOK MY 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT (CLASSIC EAST, MADISON OHIO 44057) FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND MENTIONED THAT I HEARD A RATTLE IN MY STEERING COLUMN WHEN I WAS ON ROUGH ROAD. THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE NOISE BY ADJUSTING THE PRELOAD STEERING GEAR, BUT IT DID NOT WORK SO THEY SPECIAL ORDERED A PART. I RETURNED ON FEBRUARY 1 AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE NOISE BY INSTALLING A POWER STEERING GEAR, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK. USING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM GENERAL MOTORS, THEY RAN SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN ON FEBRUARY 2. ON FEBRUARY 3 I PHONED THE DEALERSHIP TO LET THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KNOW THAT THE STEERING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT- IT WAS ALTERNATELY VERY LOOSE OR VERY TIGHT. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING, SO THAT WAS NORMAL. I STATED THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN THAT WAY BEFORE, BUT WAS ASSURED THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND I SHOULD DRIVE IT FOR A WHILE TO SEE IF IT GOT BETTER. ON FEBRUARY 24, I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AND HEARD A SNAP IN MY STEERING COLUMN. AT THAT POINT, I HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL 360 DEGREES WITH NO IMPACT ON THE TIRES OR CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AT THAT TIME. AT THIS TIME, THEY HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED IF THIS WAS DEALER INSTALLATION ERROR OR A FAULTY PART. NM