NHTSA Complaint #10712985 — 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA

DROVE FROM HOME, TO WORK, MAYBE 3 MILES. ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MESSAGES ON DASH. SPEED LIMIT IS 35MPH. FOR PART OF THE DRIVE, AND 25MPH THE LAST PART. PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AS USUAL. STILL NO PROBLEM. SLOWED TO PARK. AS I TRIED TO TURN INTO THE PARKING SPOT FROM THE MAIN LANE, THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. I WAS TURNING RIGHT, AND HAD TO FORCE THE WHEEL. I STOPPED AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I HAD NOT STALLED, OR TO SEE IF ANYTHING ELSE WAS WRONG. I TRIED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK. THEN I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON. I TRIED REVERSE. NONE OF THOSE THINGS MADE IT ANY BETTER. I INCHED THE CAR INTO THE PARKING SPOT AND CALLED MY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BAIERL CHEVROLET IN WEXFORD, PA. THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST ME AT LEAST $1600 TO FIX.THEIR REPRESENTATIVE DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS STEERING, HYDRAULIC, POWER ASSIST, ETC. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL HAS HAD RECALLS FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM I SEEM TO HAVE. MOTORTRENDS AND CARCOMPLAINTS.COM HAVE DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM. IT IS NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 11V398000. THE DEALER I USE IS A CERTIFIED GM DEALER. WHY ARE THEY NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY IF IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT? THANK GOD THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT, AND NOT WHILE I WAS OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, OR ANOTHER MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING. WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE TRAVELING 55MPH OR MORE AND YOUR STEERING JUST QUITS? NOW I HAVE TO RENT A CAR, AS THEY WOULD NOT EVEN OFFER A VEHICLE TO DRIVE OVER THE WEEKEND TO GET TO WORK AND SUCH. ANOTHER EXPENSE I DID NOT NEED. I AM NOT SURE I WANT TO HAVE THIS CAR FIXED, BUT I DO NEED A CAR TO DRIVE. DON'T TRUST THAT IT WILL BE SAFE. *TR