NHTSA Complaint #10644030 — 2005 CHEVROLET CLASSIC

POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY BREAKS AWAY FROM ENGINE CRADLE DUE TO HEAVY CORROSION. (PHOTOS AVAILABLE) WIFE COMPLAINED OF THUMPING NOISE WHEN TURNING. I TEST DROVE A FIGURE EIGHT AND PARKED WITH PASSENGER WHEEL 30 DEGREES OUT OF ALIGNMENT. LOSS OF STEERING (NOT JUST POWER), REGARDLESS OF CAUSE, STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE CRADLE CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO FAIL, EVER. EITHER THE ORIGINAL METALLURGICAL SPECIFICATIONS WERE IN ERROR, OR SOME SUBSET OF THE SUPPLIED CRADLES DID NOT MEET SPECS. 10579587, DATED 3/12/2014 ? IS AN EARLIER ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF SAME PROBLEM. WEB WISDOM SUGGESTS A/C CONDENSATE REPEATEDLY COLLECTS ON THE CRADLE CAUSING (HIDDEN) CORROSION. THAT SEEMS PLAUSIBLE TO ME, SINCE MY CAR IS RUST FREE, INCLUDING THE UNDERCARRIAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE HEAVILY CORRODED CRADLE. ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA GM PRODUCTS THAT SHARE THE SAME GMX130 PLATFORM USING THIS CRADLE ARE: 1999?2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 1999?2005 PONTIAC GRAND AM 1997?1999 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997?2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU 2004?2005 CHEVROLET CLASSIC I MANUALLY BROWSED NHTSA DB FOR FRONT-END RELATED 'FAILED COMPONENTS' ON THESE VEHICLES. I READ FOR A DAY. WHAT DOES A STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF FRONT-END RELATED FAILURES SAY ABOUT THE GMX130 PLATFORM? I ASSERT THAT THERE IS A CRITICAL FLAW IN SOME OR ALL CRADLES USED BY THE GMX130 PLATFORM MAKING THEM VULNERABLE TO EXTREME CORROSION, LEADING TO A VARIETY OF POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING COMPONENT FAILURES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF STEERING. ... UPDATED 03/19/15*BF *JS