NHTSA Complaint #706908 — 1995 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO

ON APRIL 10, 1999 I WAS DRIVING ON SUNRISE HIGHWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING. TRYING TO CENTER MY CAR IN THE LEFT LANE WHERE I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD SWING TO THE LEFT AT A SUBTLE TILT OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN THAT DIRECTION; AND WOULD LIKEWISE, SWING TO THE RIGHT WITH A TILT OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. BREAKING DID NOT SEEM TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AT THIS POINT. I CONTINUED TO SUCCESSIVELY ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE CAR, SWINGING TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT UNTIL I ROAD ALONG THE GUARDRAIL IN THE RIGHT LANE, AT WHICH POINT THE REAR END OF THE CAR SWUNG AROUND TO HIT THE RAIL, BRINGING ME TO A COMPLETE STOP. A WITNESS WHO CAME TO MY AID AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED THAT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE, AND RECOMMENDED THAT I INVESTIGATE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. BOTH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, PROGRESSIVE, AND MY AUTO BODY REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THESE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT TO PROVE AND THAT I SHOULD JUST REPAIR IT. I DID. HOWEVER, $8,000 AND A ONE NYS INSURANCE CLAIM LATER, I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE BODY SHOP (5/14/99)BECAUSE MY STEERING FEELS VERY 'LOOSY-GOOSY'. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DELAY BETWEEN MY INSTRUCTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE RESPONSE OF THE ACTUAL TIRES OF THE CAR. WHEN I DESCRIBED THIS TO THE AUTO BODY REPRESENTATIVES THEY INVESTIGATED TELLING ME THAT IT'S PROBABLY THE RACK AND PINION AND THAT THEY WOULD ORDER ME A NEW PART, AND "EAT" THE COST OF THE ADDITIONAL REPAIR WHICH WOULD TAKE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL DAYS. TO MY SURPRISE THEY CALLED ME BACK THE SAME DAY TO SAY THAT THE RACK AND PINION REPAIR WAS COMPLETE. THE FIRST TWO DAYS AFTER THIS ADDITIONAL "REPAIR" SEEMED TO PROVIDE ME WITH A HEALTHY FEELING ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR, HOWEVER IT HAS SINCE BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY LOOSER IN THE CONTROL OF THE STEERING AGAIN. I AM SUSPECT ABOUT THIS MOST RECENT REPAIR, AND HAVE SINCERE FEELINGS THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS A STRUCTURAL FAILURE.YOUR INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT. *AK