NHTSA Complaint #11385953 — 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV

THIS VEHICLE AS 42987 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAS BEEN USED ONLY IN STANDARD HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE STEERING STARTED TO MAKE A "CLICKING" NOISE AND BECAME HARDER TO HANDLE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN CHEVROLET BOLT CARS, OFTEN OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER WHO RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC THAT SHOWED THE CAR'S STEERING WAS OPERATING "WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECS." I WAS ABLE TO PERSUADE THE DEALER TO DO AN ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION. THE TECH DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING RACK/GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS SHOT AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPAIRED SIMPLY BY RE-TORQUING THE STEERING HEAD BOLTS. THE COST OF REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK WAS QUOTED AT $2,033. POSTS ON THE INTERNET SUGGEST THAT THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK IS OFTEN DISCOVERED BY OWNERS WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THEN REPAIRED BY CHEVROLET. WHAT IS NOT CLEAR IS HOW OFTEN THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK IS DISCOVERED JUST AFTER THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY (THE "BUMPER TO BUMPER" WARRANTY ON A BOLT IS ONLY 36,000 MILES, SO MY DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK FAILED JUST AFTER THE END OF THE WARRANTY AND CHEVROLET WILL NOT COVER THIS DEFECT.) I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE HOW OFTEN THIS DEFECT OCCURS AND ORDER A RECALL.