NHTSA Complaint #748066 — 1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE

STEERING POSITION SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM TO LOSE RESISTANCE AT SPEED. INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A SWEEPING LEFT HAND TURN. I WAS APPLYING CONSTANT LIGHT LEFT HAND PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM LOST RESISTANCE AND THE WHEEL TURNED FREELY AND QUICKLY TO THE LEFT. BEFORE I REGAINED CONTROL I HAD MOVED 1/2 LANE TO THE LEFT. THE PROBLEM WAS VERY INTERMITTENT AT FIRST BUT GREW INCREASINGLY MORE REGULAR. THE STEERING WOULD SEEM TO TWITCH AND CAUSE MOMENTARY LOSS OF FEEL. I*AK FINALLY REPLACED THE STEERING POSITION SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WHEN I PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT PART AT THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, THE PARTS COUNTERMAN NEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND COMMENTED THAT IT MUST BE A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD A WHOLE BIN OF STEERING POSITION SENSORS. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL CAN BE VERY UN-NERVING.