1999 Chevrolet Suburban Steering

SHIFT GEAR BOX BROKE WHEN PUTTING CAR IN CAR. WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE (BROKEN PART).

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN SMITH ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL IN HIS 1999 CHEVY SUBURBAN *TGW THE CONSUMERS MECHANIC DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE HIGH SPEED STEERING CONTROL LOCATED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MECHANIC DISCONNECTED THE CONTROL FROM THE ELECTRICAL PLUG. THE CONSUMER STATED THE LOSS OF STEERING HAS CEASED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON DRY CONCRETE LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY ON INTERSTATE I-820 SOUTHBOUND, APPROACHING I-30 WESTBOUND AT INTERSTATE INTERCHANGE, SLOWED TO 50 MPH AS TURNING TO RIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 30-45 DEGREES OF STEERING WHEEL INPUT WERE APPLIED TO START RIGHT SWEEPING TURN FROM TANGENT DIRECTION. ) AS DESIRED STEERING ANGLE WAS REACHED, STEERING ANGLE WAS UNINTENTIONALLY INCREASED BY THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. VEHICLE TURN RATE TO THE RIGHT EXCEEDED THE NECESSARY AMOUNT AND VEHICLE INITIATED A TURN-IN OVERSTEER. STEERING ANGLE WAS REDUCED, BUT WHEN RE-INITIATED, THE TURN-IN OVERSTEER RECURRED. THIS SITUATION CONTINUED TO PLAGUE THIS VEHICLE, TODAY. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED, SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WON'T AGREE THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG.*AK

WHEN MAKING ANY SLIGHT TURN, STEERING WILL SEEM TO LOOSE PRESSURE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK 2-3 INCHES. THE DRIVER MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION AT ALL TIMES TO CORRECT THIS OVERSTEER OR THE VEHICLE WILL END UP IN ANOTHER LANE OR OFF THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AND COMPLAINTS EXIST FOR A SAFETY RECALL BUT 7 YEARS LATER....NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY SPORADIC AND MAY NOT OCCUR FOR WEEKS AT A TIME AND THEN SUDDENLY IT WILL OCCUR CONSTANTLY FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES. I RAN INTO AN INTERSTATE MEDIAN ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, TRYING TO CORRECT A STEERING "JERK." THIS COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE ALL BECAUSE A SAFETY RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED EVEN AFTER A DEFECT INVESTIGATION RECOGNIZED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *NM

THE VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING ON MY 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN C1500 IS FAILING TO ATTENUATE DURING ALMOST ALL TURNS FROM TANGENT. I GET ALMOST FULL POWER ASSIST AT ROAD SPEEDS FROM 45 TO 70 MPH; THIS CAN BE QUITE UNNERVING EVEN AT SLIGHT STEERING WHEEL INPUTS. USUALLY THERE IS A "BREAK POINT" AT WHICH THE ATTENUATION IS NORMAL UP TO THAT POINT, BUT BEYOND THE BREAK POINT, THE WHEEL BECOMES QUITE "LIGHT". WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE STEERING INPUT TORQUE AT THE WHEEL IS DECIDEDLY "TOO MUCH" AND MORE STEERING THAN NECESSARY ENUSES. ON DRY PAVEMENT, I HAVE ACTUALLY HEARD THE REAR TIRES SLIDING DURING INTERSTATE INTERCHANGE DRIVING. ON WET PAVEMENT, EVEN WITH NEW TIRES AND PROPER INFLATION, THIS IS GETTING QUITE SCARY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN COOLER WEATHER(NOT NOTICIBLE IN HOT MONTHS), AND NOT EVERY SINGLE TIME, TURNING TO THE RIGHT AROUND A CURVE OR TURNING A CORNER THE STEERING HOLDS THE TURN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN LETS GO OF THAT HOLD (TENSION IS LOST). I CAN CORRECT FOR IT BY RETURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT SLIGHTLY AND THEN BACK INTO THE TURN. SOMETIMES IT HOLDS THE SECOND TIME AND SOMETIMES IT LETS GO AGAIN. THIS IS REPEATED UNTIL THE END OF THE CURVE OR TURN. *NM

1999 SUBURBAN STEERING WHICH LOCKED UP CAUSING VEHICLE TO RUN INTO THE GUARD RAIL. *TS THE STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRONIC MODULE FOR THE STEERING FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME PLAYFUL, AND DRIVER ALMOST LOST CONTROL. *AK

STREERING BEGAN TO ACT ERATICALLY AND FELT AS IF I HIT A PATCH OF ICE WITH A RAPID RELEASE OF TURNING FORCE WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. ON THE FIRST OCCASION WHEN THIS OCCURRED I WAS EXITING A FREEWAY CLOVERLEAF IN WET CONDITIONS AND THE ERATIC MOVEMENT CAUSED THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO LOSE TRACTION AND A NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE THE SLIDE WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT BUT FOUND IT TO BE AN UNNERVING EVENT. AFTER RESEARCHING AUTO FORUMS ON THE WEB I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS POSTINGS ON THIS SUBJECT AND IT IS RELATED TO A FAILURE OF THE STEERING WHEEL SENSOR LOCATED AT ON NEAR THE BASE OF THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I REPLACED THIS SENSOR ON 05-04-05 AND THE CONDITION IS NOW CORRECTED. I PURCHASED THE GM PART #26064468 AT A DEALER AND DID THE LABOR MYSELF. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DEFECT WHICH WILL INEVITABLE CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

DT: 1999 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOT OF A PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE. WHEN THE ROAD IWASUNEVEN IT WAS VERY HARD TO KEEP VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD TTO URN IT TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. IT HAS BEEN ALIGNED AT LEAST 3 TO 4 TIMES. NO ONE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. MECHANIC SAID EVERY THING LOOKED FINE. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME I CONSUMER DRIVE AND AT ANY SPEED. *AK

I PURCHASED A 1999 SUBURBAN ON FEB. 28, 2004. WHEN WE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. ON THE WAY HOME IT STARTED WANDERING ALL OVER THE ROAD AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JERK. WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT NEEDED POWER STEERING FLUID OR PERHAPS TIRES. ON MARCH 11, 2004(TWO WEEKS LATER) I WAS WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND GLANCED DOWN AT MY CLOCK. WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP THE VEHICLE HAD VEERED INTO THE WRONG LANE. WHEN I TRIED TO GET BACK INTO MY LANE THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE RIGHT, WAY OVER CORRECTING ITSSELF. I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN IT BACK OUT BUT IT OVERCORRECTED AGAIN AND CAUSED ME TO GO INTO THE DITCH AND ROLL.*AK

EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT LOSSE OF POWER STEERING WHEN MAKING LEFT TURN, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEED. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY HAD A SIMILAR TYPE PROBLEM. *AK

I PURCHASED MY SUBURBAN IN MARCH OF 2001, I HAVE HAD 3 NEW SETS OF TIRES PUT ON IT. AND 4 FRONT END ALIMENTS. EACH SET OF TIRES HAVE SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. IF MY TIRE PRESSURE GET JUST A LITTLE LOW IT IS VERY HARD TO STEER. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO CHRISWELL CHEVROLET SEVERAL TIME. THEY TELL ME THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM.(IF THEY EVEN LOOK) OR THEY JUST DO A FRONT END ALIMENT OR PUT MORE AIR IN THE TIRE. I HAVE EVEN HAD MY TOW END CHECKED TWICE. MY TRUCK IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE AND IT IS PULLING HARDER TO THE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. I LOVE MY TRUCK, BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH IT. I STILL HAVE OVER 5,000 MILE MORE ON MY WARRENTY. I HOPE I CAN GET CHRISWELL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN TURNING THERE WAS NO RESISTANCE. WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A SHARP TURN, THE STEERING LATER BECAME VERY SOFT. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO WAS NOT ENGAGING IN THE DEFECT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

CONSUMER WAS HAVING STEERING PROBLEMS. IT FELT AS THOUGH STEERING WAS GOING TO GIVE AWAY. THEN, VEHICLE JERKED, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES. HE TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED, AND ENDED UP HAVING IT REPAIRED OUT OF HIS POCKET BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A RECALL.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST STEERING AND WAS SERVICED. CONSUMER STATES AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF HAS PASSED PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE DRIVER LOST STEERING CONTROL. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATED OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NLM

STEERING BOX LEAKED AND PINION SEAL LEAKING. ALSO THE VEHICLES STEEING WAS ERRACTIC AND THE STEERING FEELS LOOSE AT TIMES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 25MPH. STEERING BOX AND PINION SEAL WERE FIXED. THE STEERING SENSOR WAS CHECKED BY DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM. CAR CONTINUES TO DRIVE "ERRACTIC" FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS, OCCURING DAILY.

DURING A LEFT HAND TURN, AT APPROX. 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES LOOSE, THEN STIFF AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE FLUID LEVEL OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS A T IT'S PROPER LEVEL AND THE BELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I HAVE HAD IT AT (2) SEPARATE SHOPS AND NEITHER HAVE REPORTED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END AT ALL. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****770103

CONSUMER STATES THAT TRAVELING ON THE ROAD AND WHEN TRYING TO TURN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL THE STEERING WHEEL WILL GET A REALLY BAD TENSION. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE SPEED TENSION CONTROL HAD PROBLEMS. MR

APPARENTLY THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VECHICLE WHICH INVOLVES A FAILURE OF THE PATHLOCK SYSTEM. WHEN CAR IS STARTED SECURITY SYSTEM SHUTS THE VEHICLE DOWN BY CUTTING THE GAS SUPPLY OFF. APPARENTLY IT IS PART OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE KEY HAS TO BE LEFT IN THE IGNITION FOR 15 TO 30 MIN UNTIL THE SECURITY LIGHT GOES OFF AND THE VEHICLE CAN THEN BE STARTED. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR MY WIFE AS SHE IS OFTEN LEFT STRANDED FOR 20 TO 30 MIN WITH 5 CHILDREN WAITING TO BE ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. *AK

FINALLY AT THE END OF THIS FORM I GET TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM. THE NHTSA, HOWEVER, HAS ALREADY RECEIVED SEVERAL OTHERCOMPLAINTS ON THIS MATTER AND OPENED AN INVESTIGATION AND COMPLETED IT. I SIMPLY WANTED TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION THAT WAS CONDUCTED. THE PROBLEM CONCERNS THE SEVERE ERRATIC STEERING ON MY 1999 CHEVY SUBURBAN. THESE VEHICLES ARE DANGEROUS AND I HOPE SOMETHING WAS DONE TO DRAW ATTENTION AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM.. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE MANY OTHER CONSUMERS HAD THAT COMPLAINED. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM???NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

STEERING SEEMS LOOSE AND SLOPPY, VEHICLE WANDERS, SAME AMOUNT OF INPUT PRODUCES DIFFERRENT RESULTS AT DIFFERENT TIME. ALMOST LIKE TIE ROD ENDS ARE BAD. 3 TRIPS TO DEALER - ONCE SAID IT WAS JUST SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING; ONCE @ 38,510 MILES REPLACED EVO SENSOR; AGAIN @ 39,846 MILES ALIGNED AND REMOVED KNOCKOUT SAYING THAT SHOULD FIX. STILL WANDERS, FEELS SLOPPY, AND MAKES ME WONDER IF I'M IN FULL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

ERRATIC STEERING - VEHICLE WANDERS IN LANE AND HAS NO TACTILE FEEDBACK TO TELL YOU THAT YOU MOVING LEFT OR RIGHT. STEERING SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND HAS BEEN TESTED SEVERAL TIMES. PROBLEM IS VERY INTERMITTENT. ON LAST OCCURENCE SIMPLY STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING IT RETURNED THE STEERING TO NORMAL. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK

WOULD BE DRIVING AND VEHICLE WOULD BE HARD TO CONTROL. STEERING IS ERRATIC. FEELS AS IF VEHICLE HIT A PATCH OF ICE. WOULD TURN STEERING WHEEL AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. THEN, SUDDENLY WOULD WHIP AROUND LIKE IT WAS FREE WHEELING. PROBLEM WAS STEADILY GETTING WORSE AFTER TAKEN IT TO DEALERSHIP.*AK CONSUMER STATES HAPPENS MAINLY WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT, IT IS NOT THAT THE TIRES DON'T TURN, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT IS IN THE STEERING WHEEL THAT IT JERKS. *JB