NHTSA Complaint #10610435 — 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK

WE WERE ON VACATION IN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS HEADED UP THE WINDING ROADS TO OUR CABIN WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY AS IF WE GOT 3 FOOT OFF THE ROAD WE WOULD HAVE FELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (AS THERE WERE NO GUARD RAILS). WE TRIED TO REVERSE, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BARELY MOVE. MY HUSBAND REACHED OVER AND WE BOTH TRIED WITH ALL OUR MIGHT TO TURN TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE CABIN WE WERE STAYING AT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, IT SEEMED THIS HAD HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE THE NEXT MORNING AS WE WERE NOT SURE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT DOWN THE CURVY ROADS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN. NO DEALERSHIPS IN THE AREA WERE OPEN WITH IT BEING A HOLIDAY (JULY 4TH) WEEKEND. THEY CONNECTED ME WITH A DEALERSHIP IN ILLINOIS WHO GAVE SOME ADVICE. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BUT THAT MOST VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE TURN EASIER WITH THE ACCELERATOR BEING PUSHED. WE DIDN'T HAVE 3 EXTRA DAYS TO SPEND WAITING FOR A GM DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK, SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD TRY. WE STARTED OUT OK, BUT AS WE GOT FARTHER DOWN (15 MINUTE DRIVE FROM OUR CABIN TO THE BOTTOM) IT GOT VERY HARD AGAIN. WE WOULD SLOW DOWN WAY BEFORE THE CURVE SO THAT WE COULD ACCELERATE THROUGH THE CURVE AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. WE SAFELY MADE IT OUT OF TOWN. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LED US TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD COVER MOST OF THE $1400 IN REPAIRS AS THE PARTS MAY HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE SAME FACTORY AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF RECALL. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT COVER ANY OF IT AS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES WERE CAUSED BY THE PROBLEM. *TR