1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Steeringcolumn Lockinganti Theft Device Problems

SERVICE BULLETIN 05081 JUST PERFORMED ON MY CORVETTE TO FIX A STEERING COLUMN LOCK PROBLEM. AFTER WORK PERFORMED I GET A MESSAGE TO REMOVE KEY AND WAIT 10 SEC. TGM COMPLETED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON MY CAR THAT LEAVES ME WITH A CAR THAT STALLS IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING. IN THE MANY YEARS I OWNED THE CAR I HAD ONLY GOTTEN THE MESSAGE ONCE, WHICH RELATED TO THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK. NOW SINCE THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM I GET THE MESSAGE EVERY OTHER TIME I START THE CAR. I FEEL AS THOUGH THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE I HAVE ALREADY HAD ONE OCCASION WHERE I DID NOT SEE THE INFO MESSAGE. I PROCEEDED TO PULL OUT OF A PARKING SPACE ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR STALL AND ALMOST GET HIT BY A TRUCK. FORTUNATELY THE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE A COLLISION OCCURRED. THE...

GM STATES THAT THE RECALL ON MY 1997 CORVETTE HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN RESOLVED, WHEN I PRIOR HAD NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE RECALL. AFTER PERSISTENTLY GIVING THEM THE RECALL NUMBER THEY FINALLY ADMITTED TO THE RECALL APPLYING TO MY VEHICLE, BUT STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED TO SPECIFICATIONS, WHEN IN FACT ALL THEY DID WAS RESET THE COMPUTER FOR A TEMPORARY FIX. THEY SAID THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED AND ALL COST INCURRED WOULD BE MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. I REALLY FEEL THAT A RECALL FOR THIS SEVERE OF AN OCCURRENCE SHOULD STAY OPEN UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS COMPLETELY REMEDIED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAULTY PART THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REQUIRE AN OPEN RECALL ON. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V060000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE STEERING HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED A NEW COLUMN LOCK PLATE WAS NEEDED. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILED TO UNLOCK THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A RELAY THAT DID NOT WORK. *NM

ON 12/21/04 I BROUGHT MY 1997 CORVETTE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET SERVICED FOR THE "#4006 ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM" RECALL. LAST THURSDAY (8/11/05) MY VEHICLE'S STEERING LOCKUP UP WHILE MOVING OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT. IT WAS TOWED IN TO BYERS DUBLIN CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP (614-793-4800) THE NEXT DAY. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL AND THAT I NEEDED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER STEERING LOCK ACTUATOR FOR $475. I HAVE READ ON VARIOUS NEWSGROUPS THAT THIS TYPE OF LOCKUP CAN HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN IF THE LOCK PLATE IS STILL IN PLACE. I HAVE REQUESTED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO JUST REMOVE THIS LOCK PIN AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PAY FOR THEIR LABOR TO DO SO, BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO IT. I'VE TALKED TO CHEVROLET CORPORATE (TICKET # 1-355691956) AND THEY STILL REFUSE TO PUT IN A BYPASS OR TO REMOVE THIS LOCK...

RECALL CAMPAIGN:04V060000 THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF THE STEERING RECALL PRIOR TO RECEIVING NOTIFICATION. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS. *NM THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED. *SC *JB

THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. *JB THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE COMPUTER READ PULL KEY WAIT 10 SECONDS. THE COMPUTER THEN READ SERVICE COLUMN LOCK. RECALL# 04V060000. *SC

NHTSA RECALL 04V-060000, ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK. VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AN ECL COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT UNLOCK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE HAD A MANUAL TRANSMISSION IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *LA

I OWN A 1997 CORVETTE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT HAS HAD TWO INSTANCES OF THE ELECTRONIC CLOLUMN LOCK SYSTEM FAILING. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2000 AND GM REPLACED THE MODULE AT NO CHARGE. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUGUST OF 2003. I UNDERSTAND THAT GM HAS DONE A RECALL ON 1997 CORVETTE'S FOR THIS PROBLEM (RECALL CAMPAIGN #04V060). I WROTE A LETTER TO GM REQUESTING INFORMATION AND REINBURSEMENT FOR MY COSTS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ECM IN AUGUST OF 2003, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER THAT MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. I DON'T UNDERDSTAND HOW THERE CAN BE A RECALL FOR 1997 CORVETTE'S THAT EXCLUDES A VEHICLE CAR THAT HAS HAD TWO INSTANCES OF THE RECALLED PART FAILING. THE CAR ONLY HAD 32,000 MILES ON IT, THE SECOND TIME THE PART FAILED. FROM READING THE RECALL...

WHILE PARKING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN NHTSA RECALL 04V060000 CONCERNING VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL). WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO LOCK THE ECL PREVENTED THE TURNING OFF THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE ECL UNLOCKED THE STEERING SYSTEM. DEALER INDICATED SORRY THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO VIN. *AK

RECEIVED RECALL 04V060000 CONCERNING STEERING COLUMN LOCKING MECHANISM. WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTS THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT UNLOCK. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *AK

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING LOCKED UP RECALL (#04V060000). THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM THE CONSUMER DID HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE, BUT HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. *JB

WHEN DRIVING AT 5 MPH STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSE AND THEN LOCKED UP. *AK SEE ODI VOQ #8005263

STEERING COLUMN ANTI-THEFT DEVICE LOCKED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THIS HAPPENED WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. AS CHEVROLET DID NOT HAVE A RECALL THEN HAD TO BUY AN AFTER MARKET DEVICE TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVEABLE CONDITION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON A 55 MPH ROAD CONSUMER GOT ONTO ANOTHER ROAD GOING ABOUT 35 MPH. TURNED RIGHT INTO WORK PARKING LOT AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. AFTER TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WHEELS HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. DISC DISPLAYED A MESSAGE. DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, BECAUSE NOTHING WAS IN VEHICLE'S PATH. SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED VEHICLE TO TRY TO GET WHEELS TO UNLOCK. ALSO TRIED TO TURN WHEEL BACK AND FORTH, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER SAID HE FIXED THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER SOLD VEHICLE SO HE DID NOT KNOW IF PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE WENT ONTO AN EXIT RAMP, SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 35 MPH, AND IT TURNED RIGHT. THEN, WENT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT VEHICLE AND STEERING LOCKED UP. RAN VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD INTO EMERGENGY LANE; DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, BUT HURT SHOULDER, POPPED IT, TRYING TO TURN STEERING. COULD NOT GET STEERING UNLOCKED. GMC SENT INVESTIGATOR OUT TO CHECK OUT CAR, AND THEY FIXED EVERYTHING. REPLACED STEERING COLUMN E7680/ PART 267460, COLUMN LOCK/10424050S WHEEL, AND SC4X 267460 (COUNT 2). CLAIM TYPE E OM. REPLACED N4800 533WC0.60, MODULE 1 AT 9381389, SC4X 9381389. CUSTOMER TO SEND INVOICE.*AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PARK STEERING LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

STARTED CAR , SHIFTED TO REVERSE , STARTED TO BACK OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND STEERING COLUM LOCKED.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE, THE STERRING LOCKED AND SENSOR LIGHT STAYED ON. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED; HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. *AK

WHILE REVERSING THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKING DEVICE FAILED AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND WOULDN'T RELEASE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED UNKNOWN STEERING LOCK COMPONENT. *AK

1997 CORVETTE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP PERIODICALLY. PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN ABLE TO RELEASE IT. LAST WEEK IT OCCURRED WHIL CAR WAS MOVING. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE REP REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN 1997 MODEL YEAR, JUST LATER (SUPPOSEDLY A RECALL EXISTS). SHE SAID THAT I "SHOULD KEEP MY RECEIPT" IN CASE GM DECIDES TO RECOGNIZE IT AS A PROBLEM. I'M OUT $550 AND WORRIED THAT THEIR DENYING THE PROBLEM IN 1997S IS GOING TO COST LIVES. MY BUSINESS PARTNER ALSO HAS A '97 AND HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

ON MY 1997 CORVETTE THE COLUMN LOCK FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 1998 AND UP. THE 1997 IS THE SAME AS THE LATER MODELS AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE RECALL. *AK

MY 1997 C-5 CORVETTE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPEN WHEN MY WIFE HAD IT AT WORK, WHEN SHE WENT TO LEAVE SHE STARTED OUT BUT COULD NOT STEER. THE DASHBOARD READER DISPLAY SAID "COLUMN FAILURE". WHEN CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL WE FOUND "COLUMN FAILURE" AND IT SAID TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP FOR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE GENERAL MOTORS WOULD NOT ADMIT TO A PROBLEM. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR 1998-2002 C-5 CORVETTES FOR STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP, BUT THEY SAID THAT MINE WAS CAUSED BY A DIFFERENT PART AND THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL. ON TUESDAY 10 JUNE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP AGAIN THIS TIME WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING. SHE HAD JUST PULLED INTO TRAFFIC AND HEARD A CLICK AT WHICH TIME THE STEERING LOCKED UP. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE...

IN AUGUST 2002,UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE. A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED INDICATING STEERING COLUMN LOCK. I WAS FORCED TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE ME TO THE DEALER. BECAUSE OF THE PARKED POSITION OF THE VEHICLE AND THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION, THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE FOR US TO LOAD THE VEHICLE WAS TO BACK IT INTO AN ACTIVE ROADWAY. I HAD THE PART REPLACED BY MAIL. CHEVROLET DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. A SEARCH OF THE WEB INDICATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON OTHER CORVETTE'S. I SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THEY HAVE BEEN NON-RESPONSIVE TO TWO LETTERS. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT THIS STEERING COLUMN LOCK UP COULD OCCUR AT SPEED AND WOULD...

STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN PARKING LOT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS LOCKED ALTHOUGH THE FIRST TWO TIMES THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. *JB REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

LAST SUMMER,WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, MY COLUMN LOCK FAILED TO RELEASE AND NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION W/2 OTHER CARS. I CALLED THE LOCAL CHEV. DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CORVETTE DIDN'T FALL WITHIN CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS FOR THAT RECALL FOR THAT VERY SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM. WELL, IT DOES HAVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BUT GM WONT FIX THEIR FAULTY DESIGN/PARTS AND WANT TO CHARGE ME $500 MINIMUM TO FIX! SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME, ATE THE $100 FLAT BED TOW BILL, AND CALLED OTHER GM DEALERS-ALL DENY THE PROBLEM ON MY PARTICULAR CAR. CAN ANYBODY HELP ME? IF I WERE BACKING ONTO A BUSY ROAD, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. MY CAR IS A 1997 C5 CORVETTE VIN# [XXX] W/APPROX ONLY 30,000 MILES. THANKS,[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)....

AFTER READING ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET ON THE SERVICE COLUMN LOCK PROBLEMS, THERE SHOULD DEFINETLY BE A RECALL ON THIS!*AK DID NOT COUNT IN NUMBERS DUE TO OWNER NOT EXPERIENCING HIMSELF.

MY STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCKED WHEN MY CAR WAS PARKED. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER BAY CHEVROLET TO BE FIX. WHEN IT LOCKED THE COMPUTER OR (DIC) READ SERVICE COLUMN LOCKED. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE MY CAR. THE CAR STARTED BUT I COULD NOT USE MY STEERING WHEEL TO GUIDE THE CAR. LUCKY FOR ME I WAS PARKED AT HOME. IF I WAS ON THE ROAD AND THIS HAPPEN , I HATE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT THE LOSS OF MY LIFE AND THE OTHERS ON OUR HIGHWAYS. THIS PROBLEM CAME WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER SAID THAT AN ACTUATOR FAILED. SOME REPORTS ON THE NET HAS INDOCATED THAT THIS LOCKED STEERING UNIT FAIL S EVEN WHILEL DRIVING THE CAR. THIS IS A DANGER AND A HAZARD. PLEASE TO DEMANDED THAT GM RECALL THIS SAFETY DEFECT BEFORE SOMEONE LOSS THEIR LIFE NEEDLESSLY. *AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS ACTIVATED BY THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. NLM

MY 97 COUPE, 16K, HAD ITS STEERING COLUMN LOCK TROUBLES WHILE BEING VALET PARKED DURING VACATION IN SC. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

COLUMN LOCK COULD FAIL WHEN CAR IS MOVING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD.*AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED DUE TO STEERING LOCK MOTOR OPEN CIRCUIT FAILURE. YH REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS ACTIVATED BY THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. NLM REF. IN EA02-031 CJS