NHTSA Complaint #10374139 — 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT

I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY 06 COBALT BACK IN EARLY 07 IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE 7 TIMES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR STEERING CONCERNS. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE HARD STEERING PROBLEM OR PRODUCE COMPUTER PROBLEM. I WAS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT THIS AND ALSO GOT NEW TIRES THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. IT WAS NOT ! I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING, AND WAS LEARY TO DRIVE MY CAR (A GIFT FROM MY MOM) BUT HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DRIVE. IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR ON THE 30TH I WAS COMING FROM A FRIENDS HOME AND WAS ON A SIDE ROAD I SLOWED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO RIGHT, IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN, AND I WENT THROUGH THE LIGHT AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TOLD LATER I MISSED THE SENSOR. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND G.M. WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CAR SAT FOR 2 MONTHS WITH A DEAD BATTERY THE COMPUTER DOES NOT LOOSE DATA. (G.M.) I KNOW OF SEVERAL COBALT OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE POWER ASSIST REPLACED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND IT STILL WENT OUT. THE MECHANICS (A.S.E.)CERTIFIED INFORMED ME IT IS NOT THE POWER ASSIST IT IS IN THE STEERING COLUMN, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED, BUT G.M. WON'T DO THAT IT WOULD COST TOO MUCH MONEY. IT IS NICE TO KNOW THAT G.M. WOULD RATHER SACRIFICE THE CONSUMER RATHER THAN TAKE CARE OF THEM. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE COMPUTER HAS A HISTORY OF NOT RECORDING PROPERLY WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE REST OF US WHO HAVE HAD A CRASH WITH AND WITHOUT AIR BAGS NEED SOME KIND OF SOLUTION. G.M. IS SWEEPING THIS UNDER THE RUG!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UPDATED PORTABLE 06/22/11