NHTSA Complaint #745552 — 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR (SWP, MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) SENDS AN INPUT TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) WHICH IN TURN THEN CONTROLS POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID FLOW BASED ON VEHICLE SPEED AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CAUSING A VERY SERIOUS INTERMITTANT STEERING PROBLEM ONLY DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THIS HAS TWICE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS THE NATURAL REACTION TO THIS FAILURE (WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL) IS TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER TO THE RIGHT TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. IN BOTH NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS THERE WAS A CAR ON MY RIGHT SIDE WHICH I CAME CLOSE TO HITTING. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO AND AT LOW SPEED NOT MUCH OF A CONCERN BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT IS SERIOUS. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER, WHICH HAS BEEN COURTEOUS AND HELPFULL, TELLS ME THEY HAVE HAD TWO TRUCKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN FOR THE SAME TROUBLE (SWP SENSOR) AND A CO-WORKER ALSO HAS THE SAME TROUBLE, SO THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AFFECTING OTHER GM VEHICLES INCLUDING SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON AND SIERRA. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME BUT PLAN TO REPLACE THE SWP SENSOR MYSELF QUITE SOON AS THE DEALER SAYS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. ESTIMATED DEALER REPAIR COST IS 160.00. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IS THE FIRST TIME IN SOME 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A MALFUNCTION OF THIS TYPE, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEED IT GETS YOUR ATTENTION VERY FAST! AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ROLL OVER AS WELL SHOULD THE DRIVER JERK ON THE WHEEL TO HARD TO CORRECT IT. I FEEL CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS TROUBLE AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO FIX THIS REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY COVERAGE AS LAW SUITES AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT/S WILL COST THEM MUCH MUCH MORE.*AK