NHTSA Complaint #10945418 — 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA

WHEN I BACK OUT OF A PARKING STALL OR DRIVEWAY AND STILL HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE, WHEN I TRY TO TURN THE WHEEL TO START TO DRIVE DOWN THE STREET, IT IS LIKE I LOST POWER STEERING AND IT TAKES EVERYTHING IN MY POWER WITH MY HANDS TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. ALSO WHEN I AM STARTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING STALL WHEN THE CAR IS BARELY MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMS TO LOCK UP WITH NO POWER STEERING AND I HAVE DIFFICULTY TURNING THE WHEEL. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I CAN'T GET THE WHEEL TURNED AND I'M UNABLE TO PARK IN THE STALL. WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS AND WHEN I GO TO TURN, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT IS TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, THE POWER STEERING IS VERY STIFF AND SOMETIMES WILL STIFFEN UP TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE A HARD TIME TURNING THE WHEEL. I TOOK INTO THE DEALER IN 12/2016 AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK IT OUT WHILE THEY DID AN OIL CHANGE TO MY CAR AND THEY SAID ALL FLUIDS WERE FINE AND NOTHING IS WRONG. I HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A WRECK WHEN I TRY TO TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL ALL OF A SUDDEN STIFFENS UP SO TIGHT THAT IT TAKES ALL MY STRENGTH AND POWER TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT ACTS LIKE THE WHEEL ISN'T GOING TO TURN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW. THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THE STEERING. MY 2012 IMPALA ONLY HAS 17,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF THIS STEERING ISSUE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH THE 2012 IMPALAS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. THERE IS DEFINITELY A POWER STEERING OR OTHER ISSUE THAT IS CAUSING THE WHEEL TO STIFFIN UP SO TIGHT THAT YOU CAN BARELY TURN IT. *TR