NHTSA Complaint #10292434 — 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

MY SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING LIGHT CAME ON 11/13/09.ON 11/14/09 I WAS TRAVELING ACROSS A BRIDGE AT 55 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY BRAKES AND STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I EVENTUALLY SLID TO A STOP CAUSING TRAFFIC BEHIND ME TO SWERVE INTO THE NEXT LANE. I COULD BARELY GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RELEASE. THIS IS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE WITH 33,000 MILES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING SENSOR INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE WIRES NEEDED TO BE CHECKED AND RE TIGHTENED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SEVERE OR EVEN FATAL IF NOT FOR THE TIME OF DAY AND THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC. I COULD NOT BELIEVE SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS WAS NOT RECALLED. I AM SURE OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND CRASHED THEIR CARS AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED, IF NOT FOR MY QUICK REACTIONS OR LUCK, I MIGHT HAVE RAN OFF THE BRIDGE AND KILLED MYSELF OR INJURED SOMEONE ELSE. THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING I CHECKED ON ANY 2005 CORVETTE THAT HAD AN UNEXPLAINED CRASH WHERE THE DRIVER SIMPLY LOST CONTROL. I WAS NOT ACCELERATING OR DOING ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHEN MY INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE REPAIR COST ME $612.00, COSTLY FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ENGINEERING FLAW. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY HE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL! THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CHEVROLET OR ANY DEALERSHIP SHOULD PROFIT FROM THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT. *TR