NHTSA Complaint #10220076 — 2007 CHEVROLET KODIAK

IN REFERENCE TO COMPLAINT #10217562, THIS IS AN ADDENDUM. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN TO AN ALIGNMENT FACILITY, AND IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS REPOSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES OFF CENTER BY THE END MANUFACTURER---MONROE TRUCK EQUIPMENT. THIS DEVIATION FROM CENTER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED BY US TO AN ENGINEER AT ZF LINKSYSTEM (THE MANUFACTURER OF THE STEERING GEAR), AND THEIR OPINION WAS THAT THE STEERING GEAR WAS NOT AT ITS OPTIMAL POSITION--THIS ADVERSELY AFFECTS STEERING "PLAY" AND THE RANGE OF STEERING LEFT OR RIGHT. UPON TESTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS 1/2 GREATER TURN CAPABILITY TO THE LEFT, COMPARED TO THE RIGHT. (THERE WERE 2.5 TURNS LEFT OF CENTER IN THE STEERING, AND 2 TURNS TO THE RIGHT.) THE EFFECT ON TURN RADIUS HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE EXPERT CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE DRAG LINK SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHORTENED TO MAINTAIN THE ORIGINAL TURNING SPECIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE. THIS MAY BE THE INCITING FACTOR IN THE BUMP STEER COMPLAINT. IT MAY ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATOR'S DIFFICULTY IN RECOVERING FROM SUCH A BUMP STEER EVENT. MONROE TRUCK EQUIPMENT DENIED THE ALIGNMENT AS PART OF THEIR WARRANTY OBLIGATION AND HAS DENIED THAT THEIR MODIFICATIONS HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE VEHICLE'S STEERING. *TR