NHTSA Complaint #10485236 — 2012 GMC SIERRA DENALI

LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL (THREE EPISODES) : 13 NOV 2012, WHILE EXITING NB I-95 ONTO EB ROUTE 214 IN LANDOVER, MD, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. MY SPEED AT THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE RAPIDLY AS THE RAMP BEGAN TO STRAIGHTEN FROM IT'S SWEEPING RIGHT CURVE. THE LOCKED STEERING WAS FORCING ME ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STOP MY TRUCK ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER BEFORE THE LOCKED STEERING FORCED ME OFF THE HARD TOP. DURING THIS EVENT, THE TRUCKS ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING AND THE IGNITION KEY STAYED TURNED ON. ONCE I WAS SAFELY STOPPED ON THE RAMP'S SHOULDER, I MADE ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. WITH BOTH OF MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND WHILE EXERTING A LOT OF UPPER BODY STRENGTH, I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE THE STEERING WHEEL FREE. YES, I DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM THAT POINT, A DISTANCE OF 16 MILES. EVERYTHING WITH THE STEERING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL, AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTENT AND HAS NOW OCCURRED TO DATE, A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES. BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD INCIDENT, THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC - GMC IN SUBURBAN MARYLAND WASHINGTON DC, FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. WHILE THE TRUCK WAS IN CAPITOLS POSSESSION, IT WAS DRIVEN 83 MILES BUT THE STEERING PROBLEM DID NOT PRESENT ITSELF. TWO DAYS AFTER RETRIEVING MY TRUCK FROM CAPITOL, THE STEERING BEGAN EXHIBITING A STRONG FEELING OF RESISTANCE AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FULLY LOCK, AGAIN. IT DID NOT HOWEVER. THE TRUCK IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC - GMC ON 20 NOV 2012. *TR