NHTSA Complaint #738587 — 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

THE FIRST TIME I HAD A PROBLEM WAS RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT THE SUBURBAN, IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY EVENTUALLY ALIGNED THE TIRES ( WHICH THEY SAID IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE TO DO THAT FOR A BRAND NEW VEHICLE). OVER THE MONTHS AFTER THE ALIGNMENT, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS. I CAN NOT TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN MY CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE A VERY LOOSE FEELING IN THE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THINKING IT WAS JUST ME, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT FOR AWHILE. I HAD TIRES PUT ON MY CAR AND THE STEERING FELT DIFFERENT (GOOD), I THOUGHT MAYBE IT HAD SOMETHING TO WITH TIRES AND IT WAS FIXED. EVENTUALLY THE STEERING STARTED DOING THE SAME THING, THE SUDDEN LOOSE STEERING. WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA 40 MILES FROM OUR DEALER AND BY THE TIME I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT NORMAL, AND I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE MY VEHICLE UP FOR A FEW DAYS, MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (MILEAGE) SO I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT I USE, THEY DROVE IT AROUND ON THEIR ERRANDS FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS AND IT FINALLY DID IT FOR THEM. THEY WERE THINKING THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE GEAR BOX, BUT THEY CALLED GM TO CONSULT ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD THEM ABOUT STEERING SENSOR PROBLEMS. ON 9/20/00, I GAVE THEM THE OK TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS AS OF THIS DATE. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED FOR OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS A VERY SCARY FEELING WHEN THE STEERING CHANGES TO A LOOSE FEELING AND THINKING IF I WERE TO REACT TO AN INCIDENT, I WOULD PROBABLY OVERCORRECT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM STEERING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK