NHTSA Complaint #10513274 — 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FINE. SHE PULLED OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND INTO THE TURNING LANE ON A FAST MOVING STREET TO TURN INTO HER SCHOOL PARKING LOT. AS SHE WENT TO TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP RIGHT AS SHE WAS TURNING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE SAID IT TOOK EVERYTHING IN HER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH JUST SO SHE COULD GET ONTO THE CURB AND OUT OF THE WAY. SHE THEN WENT TO PARK AND COULD BARELY MAKE IT INTO A PARKING SPACE. SHE SAID WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED TO TURN, A SOUND WENT OFF; AND A GOLD WRENCH SIGN APPEARED UNDERNEATH HER RPMS. SHE TURNED OFF THE CAR ONCE IN HER PARKING SPACE AND THEN TURNED IT BACK ON, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL LOCKED. SHE DID IT ONE MORE TIME, AND IT FINALLY UNLOCKED. HER, MY OTHER DAUGHTER, AND MY FRIEND'S TWO KIDS WHO WERE ALSO IN THE CAR, WERE EXTREMELY SHAKEN AND ON THE VERGE OF TEARS. IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR THEM ALL. MY MOST PRECIOUS THINGS IN LIFE WERE ALMOST IN A SERIOUS (PERHAPS EVEN DEADLY) ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE. I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BECAUSE I FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING ONLINE. IT'S TIME CHEVROLET FINALLY STEPS UP, TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, AND RECALLS ALL THESE VEHICLES TO GET THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE FIXED BEFORE IT TAKES A LIFE (OR LIVES)! *TR