NHTSA Complaint #10304815 — 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA

MY CAR IS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA,4DR, WHITE. I BOUGHT IT NEW FROM A DEALER IN PICKENS SC, WHO WENT OUT OF BUSINESS SOON AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I HAD NO TROUBLE WITH IT UNTIL THE INCIDENCE DESCRIBED HEREIN. ON JANUARY 10, 2010, I WAS GOING DOWN RUTHERFORD ROAD IN GREENVILLE SC TO THE LAUREL BAYE HEALTHCARE HOME IN GREENVILLE SC. I TURNED INTO THE ROAD TO LAUREL BAYE FROM RUTHERFORD ROAD. THIS IS A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A ROAD THAT GOES UPHILL. HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN MY CAR'S STEERING WHEEL LOCKED COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT TURN MY WHEELS AT ALL. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, AND ALL OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE CAR WORKED, BUT MY STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE MOVED. I PUT ON MY BRAKES, WHICH WORKED, AND DROVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NARROW ROAD. I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR, AND WAITED A FEW SECONDS. THEN I TURNED MY CAR BACK ON. THE WHEELS WERE STILL LOCKED. AT THAT TIME ANOTHER CAR DROVE UP, AND THE DRIVER GOT OUT AND TRIED TO GET MY CAR WHEELS TO MOVE, WITH NO SUCCESS. IN TURN, A POLICEMAN, AND MY NEIGHBOR TRIED TO MAKE THE CAR WHEEL TURN, BUT NO SUCCESS. IN THE MEANTIME MY NEIGHBOR GOT THE CAR TO RELEASE THE WHEELS, AND I DROVE IT HOME, AND IT APPEARED TO BE OK AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO A CHEVROLET, BUICK, CADILLAC DEALER IN GREER SC. I REPORTED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD EXAMINE THE CAR. THE SERVICE MAN SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED AND THREATENED TO WRITE LETTERS OF COMPLAINT. SO THEY TOOK THE CAR AGAIN, AND KEPT IT FOR 11 DAYS TESTING IT, AND STILL REPORTED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING THAT HAD CAUSED THE WHEELS TO LOCK. IN THE MEANTIME I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY REPORTS OF GM CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN CLASS ACTION SUITS, AND SUITS WHICH HAVE BEEN SETTLED BY GM. NOW I FEEL MY CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND I FEEL UNEASY DRIVING IT. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT AND HOPE THAT GM WILL BE FORCED INTO A RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR