NHTSA Complaint #10293792 — 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

POPPING NOISE FROM STEERING,WHEN TURNING ON IRREGULAR SURFACES WHICH CAN ALSO BE FELT IN STEERING WHEEL,LEADING DRIVER TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION OR STEERING. CONTACT W/DEALER SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ON FULL SIZE GM TRUCKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS,RESULTING FROM A POORLY DESIGNED"INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT",WHICH APPARENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED EVERY FEW THOUSAND MILES TO FORESTALL THIS PROBLEM. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN TO OWNERS OF SUCH VEHICLES AND GM AS THERE HAVE BEEN TSBS(PATCH-UP)ISSUED MULTIPLE TIMESTHESE BULLETINS SEEM TO INDICATE BASICALLY TO GREASE THE PART,THEREBY TEMPORARILY QUIETING IT FOR A TIME WITH NO PERMANENT RESOLUTION,UNTIL OWNER IS "OFF-WARRANTY"SNF WILLING TO SHELL OUT THE OUT OF POCKET COSTS FOR CORRECT REPAIR. MY VEHICLE(2006) WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH A STANDARD 3 YR/36000MI WARRANTY WHICH EXPIRED 3/09 DATEWISE,HOWEVER THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 11000 HIGHWAY MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN USED OFF-ROAD OR ABUSED. APPARENTLY GM HAS,AS OF 01/07 A REDESIGNED REPLACEMENT PART(PER GM TSB)BUT,IS AT OWNERS COST(PARTS/LABOR) IF YOUR 3YR/36000 OR 2007-ON 5/50 WARRANTY HAS PASSED ITS DATE/MILEAGE TIME. I FIND IT QUITE IRRITATING THAT ALTHOUGH GM AND AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR NEARLY 2 DECADES THEY KNOWINGLY CONTINUED TO UTILIZE A SUBSTANDARD PART UNTIL 2007. ALSO IT APPEARS A WARRANTY"EXTENSION"REGARDING THIS PART HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR 2007+MODELS UP TO 70KMI,HOWEVER DEALER DENIES KNOWLEDGE. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS TO HAVE PROBLEM"DIAGNOSED"(AT MY EXPENSE),AND IF PROBLEM EXISTS,DEALER CAN MAKE REPAIRS(AT MY EXPENSE).MAYBE IF I(DISABLED) HAD $300-400 SPARE CASH LAYING AROUND I COULD AFFORD THEIR GAME BUT CANNOT. *TR