NHTSA Complaint #10262864 — 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TO WORK IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF MAJOR MICHIGAN HIGHWAY (I-75). AS I HEADED INTO A RIGHT CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A VERY LOUD SQUEALING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD AND MY STEERING WHEEL PULLED OUT OF MY HANDS, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO PULL BACK STRAIGHT. IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER MY VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT, SO I PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY, I SHUT MY VEHICLE OFF. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE CLOSEST CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR AN INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE POWER STEERING LINE HAD BURST, CAUSING A RAPID LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID AND LACK OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THEY REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE LINE AT A TOTAL COST OF $438. I RELUCTANTLY PAID FOR THE REPAIRS AFTER FINDING OUT THIS DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE "GM CERTIFIED 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY". WHAT I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND IS WHY WOULD A PRODUCT THAT SERVES SUCH A VITAL SAFETY FEATURE IN A VEHICLE, NOT BE HELD TO HIGHER QUALITY STANDARDS AND BE COVERED FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. BASED ON THE RECENT NUMBER OF INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CONSUMERS FOR THIS SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL, I FEEL THIS TYPE OF DEFECT NEEDS TO RECALLED BY GM BEFORE SERIOUS INJURIES OR LIVES ARE LOST. I DON'T THINK I HAVE BEEN MORE PANICKED BEHIND THE WHEEL THAN I WAS AT THAT TIME. *TR