1997 GMC SIERRA Steering Problems

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL JERKING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN MAKING A SLIGHT TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. IT CAUSES ME TO OVERCORRECT MY STEERING. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST YEAR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE STEERING GETS VERY LOOSE. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM SHOULD CORRECT, AS MINE IS FAR FROM THE ONLY TRUCK WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

I TOOK MY 1997 GMC SIERRA TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS INVOLVING THIS VEHICLE. BUT THE DEALER SAID ALL THE RECALLS PERTAIN TO THE 1999-2004 MODELS NOT MINE - BUT I AM HAVING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEMS - DRIVE SHAFT, AND BRAKES - MY BRAKES LOCK UP - CREATE LOTS OF NOISE, CALIPHER DAMAGE, ETC. I BELIEVE THAT THE RECALLS FOR THE NEWER VEHICLES SHOULD APPLY TO MINE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN THE BRAKES DECIDE NOT TO WORK. MY WIFE DRIVES THE TRUCK AND I AM CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY.*AK

THE ENGINE ROD BEARINGS STARTED MAKING NOISE AT 80,000 MILES. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVLY GOT WORSE SO I WAS ADVISED TO RUN A 15W-40 OIL AND RUN THE MOTOR TO FAILURE. GM GAVE ME A PRICE OF $2500 FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT SAYING IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO JUST REPLACE ROD BEARINGS AND THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW MOTOR WAS BETTER. AS FAR AS THE STEERING PROBLEM, THE TRUCK STARTED TO UNDER-STEER AT ABOUT 4500 MILES. AS YOU ENTER A TURN (LEFT OR RIGHT) SOMETIMES THE TRUCK JUST DIVES IN THAT DIRCTION AND YOU MUST COMPENSATE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DRIVES THE TRUCK. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 97 CHEVY TRUCK AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HE HAD IT REPAIRED FOR THE SUM OF $1000.

GOING DOWN THE ROAD ALL AT ONCE YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF YOUR STEERING WHEEL. IT IS LIKE YOU HAVE NO WAY TO TURN OR ANYTHING. IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR YOU TO HAVE CONTROL OF YOU PICKUP AGAIN. THIS COULD BE REAL DANGEROUS IF YOU WERE TO HIT SOME ICE OR RAIN SLICK ROADS AND ALL AT ONCE YOU COULDN'T CONTROL YOUR PICKUP. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THESE LATE MODEL PICKUPS AND GM HAS MADE NO RECALLS ON THIS. IT IS 1996 THREW 1999 THAT THE TROUBLE IS IN. THERE IS A SENSOR IN THE POWER STEERING THAT TELLS IT WHAT TO DO. THERE WAS A LADY IN THE SAME TIME I WAS IN GETTING HER PICKUP FIXED ON A RECALL ON THE WIPERS AND I ASKED HER IF SHE HAD EVER HAD ANY TROUBLE LIKE THAT. SHE SAID YES IT...

WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL JERKS IN THE SAME DIRECTION. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A GMC SUBURBAN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. *AK

I BOUGHT A 1997 GMC SIERRA IN 1999. THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH IT, AND SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, IS ON OCCASION, WHEN I MAKE A TURN, EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE STEERING COMPLETELY. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. IT ONLY DOES THIS FOR A MINUTE PORTION OF A SECOND, AND THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL.*LA

WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR OR SO, THE STEERING WHEEL OCCASIONALLY LOSES ALL RESISTANCE AND THE WHEEL TURNS AROUND TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE. I READ THAT GM HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR MANY VEHICLES THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE GMC 1500 TRUCK DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AMONG THEM. PLEASE ADD IT. *LA

I HAVE A GMC 1500 SEIRRA PICK-UP 1997 THAT I HAVE HAD A LOT OF STEERING ISSUES WITH SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TURN THEN IT GETS REAL LOOSE AND IF I GO IN TO A TURN, IT FEELS LIKE IT LOOSES ALL TENSION AND I OVER CORRECT MYSELF ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK. *LA

VEHICLE LOSES IT'S ABILITY TO TURN TO THE LEFT

STEERING PROBLEMS AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. HOWEVER, DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND/OR RECALLS POSSIBLY RELATED TO STEERING PROBLEMS AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIRS. CONSUMER REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH REIMBURSEMENT. *TT *NLM

THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER ALSO STATED WHEN HE MADE A RIGHT TURN, IT FELT AS THOUGH ALL STEERING WAS LOST. TS *JB

THIS STEERING SENSOR MALFUNCTION WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND AT LEAST TWO OTHERS THAT I KNOW OF CAUSES THE TRUCK TO JERK IN THE DIRECTION YOU ARE STEERING. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING ON SLIPPERY ROADS. I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, JUST WANTED TO ADD MINE TO THE LIST.*AK

VEHICLE IS SITTING AND RUNNING. THE STEERING IS HARD TO TURN. THERE IS NO NOISE WHILE TRAVELING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

THE STEERING BECOMES QUITE LOOSE AND IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP ON THE ROAD, MOSTLY DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON ICY OR SNOWY ROADS.

THERE WAS REDUCED STEERING, AND STEERING WANDERED TO ONE SIDE. HAPPENED AT ABOVE 25 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 86-32-06 WAS USED BY THE DEALER TO FIX. CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL IN STEERING. *YH

STEERING BECOMES HARD TO TURN, AND THEN SUDDENLY WILL BECOME LIGHT WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*AK

WHEN STEERING VEHICLE EITHER TO LEFT OR TO RIGHT STEERING WHEEL MOVES ONE INCH. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK THE STEERING PROBLEM CAUSED BY A STEERING SENSOR FAILURE. *YH

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN STEERING SENSOR WENT OUT. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE STEERING CONTROL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC REPLACED STEERING SENSOR. PROBLEM WAS VERY GRADUAL UNTIL IT BECAME WORSE.*AK

WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN STEERING WHEEL JERKS LOOSE INTO THE DIRECTION THAT THE WHEEL IS TURNED, BUT THE VEHICLE ITSELF DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE JERK. IF HELD IN THE TURNING POSITION, WHEEL PULSATES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHEN TRAVELING UPON MAKING A LEFT OR A RIGHT HAND TURN CONSUMER NOTICE THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL, CONSUMER ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

STEERING BECOMES IRRATIC WHEN TURNING. VEHICLE SUDDENLY OVERSTEERS THEN RETURNS BACK TO NORMAL ,CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED (SVS)SENSOR TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK

THE STEERING SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FEEL"LOOSE" WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *YC

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, FRON WHEEL STEERING FRONT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, ALLOWING WRONG SIGNALS INTO STEERING. WHEN GOING AROUND A CURB OR CORNER THE STEERING LOOSENS UP. *AK

WHEN MAKING TURNS, PRIMARILY RIGHT TURNS, STEERING WILL BECOME VERY LOOSE WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK

DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE FRONT LEFT TIRE FEELS LIKE IT'S SLIDING ON ICE. HAPPENS SPORADICALLY. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GETS DIFFICULT AND THEN GETS EASY AGAIN. *AK

FRONT END STEERING PROBLEMS, TURNS TO FAR TO EACH SIDE.

POOR STEERING CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

ABS BRAKES/LOCKED UP INTERMITTENTLY, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. IN ADDITION, STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.