NHTSA Complaint #11311592 — 1998 GMC SIERRA 1500

WHILE TRAVERSING A FREEWAY OVERPASS GOING 60 TO 65 MPH THE TRUCK SUDDENLY LURCHED TO THE LEFT. FORTUNATELY NO IMMEDIATE TRAFFIC ON MY LEFT. REALLY FRIGHTENED ME. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT A COMPONENT (CIRCUIT BOARD) OF THE NEW "SPEED SENSITIVE" POWER STEERING COULD FAIL, MAKING THE TRUCK THINK IT WAS GOING SLOWER AND INCREASE THE POWER STEERING ASSIST, CAUSING THE LURCH TO THE LEFT. THIS WAS AFTER HAVING THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE CHECKED FOR ALIGNMENT, FAULTY OR DAMAGED PARTS, ANY ADJUSTMENTS OUT OF SPEC. THEY FOUND NO CAUSE. I DON'T ACTUALLY REMEMBER THE DATE AND HAVE ESTIMATED THE DATE BELOW. I EVENTUALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM (AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATING THAT REPLACING THE CIRCUIT BOARD SOMETIMES WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. THE SOLUTION WAS INSTALLING A "KIT" I FOUND ONLINE THAT COMPLETELY REMOVED THE NEW SPEED CONTROLLED POWER ASSISTANCE. I PROBABLY HAD 4 OR 5 INSTANCES OF THIS OCCURRING, AND CONSIDER MYSELF EXTREMELY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF EXTREME VIGILANCE ONCE I HAD DETERMINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. DURING MY RESEARCH I FOUND MANY REPORTS OF THE PROBLEM, MANY TRIED FIXES THAT DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. ONE MAN SPENT $4000 TO HAVE THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF HIS VEHICLE REPLACED, ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RECUR. WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME IS BOTH WHY THIS DID NOT RESULT IN A RECALL, AND THE FACT THAT THIS HAPPENED SO FREQUENTLY AND DEALERS WOULD NOT RECOMMEND AN ACTUAL FIX, BUT LET CUSTOMERS WASTE A LOT OF MONEY "TRYING TO FIX" THE PROBLEM, LEAVING THIS SAFETY HAZARD IN PLACE.