NHTSA Complaint #10277259 — 2005 CHEVROLET TAHOE

2005 TAHOE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT BEGAN TO RATTLE AT 20,000 MILES. DEALER REPAIR WAS TO "GREASE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT". THIS REMEDIED THE PROBLEM FOR ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. WHEN I SPOKE TO DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM (OUT OF WARRANTY) THEY EXPLAINED THAT IT "WASN'T A SAFETY PROBLEM, JUST IRRITATING RATTLE BECAUSE GREASE HAD WORKED ITS WAY OUT OF SHAFT AGAIN." THE FIX? REPLACE SHAFT WITH NEW COMPOSITE SHAFT. COST: $240.00. THEN I WAS INFORMED THAT GM KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS (EVEN BEFORE PREVIOUS REPAIR) BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY, SIMPLY APPLIED NEW GREASE TO DEFECTIVE SHAFT. GM WAITS UNTIL WARRANTY EXPIRES TO ADVISE YOU TO REPLACE SHAFT-AT YOUR EXPENSE. I HOPE THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED NOW, BUT SHAME ON GM FOR THIS MANNER OF BUSINESS. AND GM CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY CONSUMERS DON'T RETURN TO THEM? *TR