NHTSA Complaint #10197501 — 2001 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

AS WITH MANY OTHER C-5 CORVETTE OWNERS I HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE CONCERNING MY STEERING COLUMN TO LOCK UP AND THUS MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. I HAD RECEIVED A BULLETIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT YET HAD THE ISSUE I TOOK THE CAR IN AND HAD THE SUPPOSED REQUIRED FIX. HOWEVER A FEW DAYS AGO WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY THE COLUMN LOCKED UP AND NO MATTER WHAT I DID I COULD NOT GET IT TO UNLOCK. I CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN UPON THEIR RECOMMENDATION, DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVEN IF I GOT IT UNLOCKED IT COULD POTENTIALLY LOCK UP AGAIN EVEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT HAS BECOME EVIDENT TO ME AT THIS POINT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE AS WELL AS REFERRING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL BULLETIN THAT THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A CHEVROLET'S MANUFACTURING DEFECT. HOWEVER WHEN I CALLED CHEVROLET THEY BASICALLY SAID TOUGH COOKIES AND REALLY DID NOT GIVE A YOU KNOW WHAT. THE DEALERS FIX AS THEY INFORMED ME COMES STRAIGHT FROM GENERAL MOTORS IS TO JUST DELETE THE LOCKING MECHANISMS THUS RENDERING PART OF THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM MUTE. I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY CORVETTE SPECIALISTS ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND IT DEFINITELY IS A PROBLEM, NO MATTER WHAT CHEVROLET TRIES TO SAY. AND THE FACT THAT THEIR FIX IS TO BYPASS THE SYSTEM INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PARTS INVOLVED PRETTY MUCH TELLS YOU THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. EVEN WITH ALL THIS THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE ME PAY FOR THIS ISSUE. I HAVE CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY AND AM LOOKING AT ALL MY OPTIONS, HOWEVER AT THIS POINT I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SHELL OUT THE 450 TO 650 BUCKS IT IS GOING TO COST ME TO FIX GM'S SCREW UP.*JB