1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups

THIS IS IN REGARD TO AN ONGOING PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH MY VEHICLE FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS, AND I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I OWN A 1997 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUP WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER I PURCHASED IT, I NOTICED MY STEERING SUDDENLY GOT EXTREMELY LOOSE AND VERY SENSITIVE, CAUSING ME TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL WITH MY DRIVING. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT IN TO AN AUTHORIZED CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. ONCE COMPLETED, I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN WHAT HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM. HE STATED THAT IT WAS THE STEERING ASSIST, ALSO KNOWN AS THE EVO SENSOR, THAT WENT BAD. LUCKILY, MY VEHICLE WARRANTY COVERED THE COSTS. TWO YEARS LATER AFTER MY VEHICLE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED I BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME THOUGH, SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO CHARGE ME $100 TO REPLACE IT, I DECIDED TO DO IT MYSELF WITH SOME HELP FROM A FEW AUTOMOTIVE FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. THE SENSOR ITSELF COSTED ME ABOUT $50 OR $60, BUT THE INSTALLATION WENT SMOOTH. WELL, APPARENTLY THESE EVO SENSORS ONLY HAVE A LIFE SPAN OF 2 YEARS BECAUSE MY SENSOR JUST WENT OUT AGAIN. NOW I KNOW THERE ARE MANY GM VEHICLE OWNERS OUT THERE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. I'VE READ MANY POSTS ON MESSAGE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLES THAT USE THIS EVO SENSOR, MAINLY THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN 1997, AND GET SOME KIND OF PERMANENT FIX FOR THEM. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ONE IS DRIVING AT FAST SPEEDS AND SUDDENLY LOSE STEERING CONTROL. AS FOR MYSELF, I'M HAVING TO CONCENTRATE MORE ON KEEPING MY VEHICLE BETWEEN THE WHITE LINES, AND FORGET ABOUT EVEN TAKEN YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD EVEN A SECOND.....YOU'LL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO DRIFT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS THE WAY YOUR CAR HANDLES AND DRIVES FROM ONE MOMENT TO THE NEXT, ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING, SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK

1) BURNT ELECTRICAL WIRES FOR THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. LOCATION IS INSIDE THE GAS TANK. HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. EXPLOSION HAZARD. 2) POWER STEERING- WHEEL WOULD JERK VEHICLE TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. NOTICED MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT. EVEN BY THE NTSB! IS SOMEONE RECEIVING A KICKBACK ON THIS THING OR WHAT? 3) BURNT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION-CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE HVAC COOLING FAN AND THE SELECTOR SWITCH INSIDE OF DASH. 4) CLUNKING NOISE/HARD SHIFT, FROM TRANSMISSION 4L60E-HAPPENS CONSTANTLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS WARM. *JB

STEERING HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR 2 YEARS, BUT TAKEN TO DEALER IT WILL NOT ACT UP. IT IS COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE TO WHEN THE STEERING ACTS UP. THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND YOU CAN MOVE THE WHEEL EASILY. THEN IT LETS GO AND HAS LOOSE FEELING. IT IS REALLY NOTICEABLE WHILE DRIVING ON CURVY ROADS OR IN THE MOUNTAINS. I HAVE NOTICED A GREAT OF COMPLAINTS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION ABOUT THE ERRATIC STEERING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, GMC TRUCK AND TAHOES AS WELL. I REPORTED IT TODAY TO GM AFTER A NEAR ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY WHEEL LOCK UP AND I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO MOVE OUT OF WAY OF AN ONCOMING TRUCK ONTO THE FREEWAY. HE WAS NOT LOOKING AND ALMOST SIDESWIPED ME. THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE. *AKRATHER HARD TO BELIEVE AT THIS POINT.

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN WONDERFUL ABOUT FIXING THE DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM-REPLACEMENT OF RING AND PINION AND RESET DEPTH. THE ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING IS FRIGHTENING. IT IS UNPREDICTABLE. ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS IT MAY ACT UP, CAUSING ERRATIC STEERING AND FEELING LIKE THE STEERING IS LOCKING UP AND COMPLETELY FAILING. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO GM, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HAD COMPLAINT, AND THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP AND CALL ME BACK. I HAVE FOUND MANY, MANY REPORTED SITUATIONS WITH STEERING FAILURE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR THE 1997 CHEVROLET TRUCK. NOW I WONDER WHAT GM WILL DUE ABOUT IT. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURING FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD FUEL INJECTOR PROBLEMS, AND HAS COST ME OVER $500. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS BEEN REBUILT 4 TIMES AND NOW NEEDS IT AGAIN. ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE THE DIFFERENTIAL HOWL STARTED. THE DEALER SAID TO DRIVE IT FOR 5000 OR MORE MILES AND BRING IT IN IF IT STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING TRUCK ON HIGHWAY AND TURNING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOSES CONTROL AND TURNS ON IT'S ON.LATER THIS HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AND THE WHEEL SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING TURNED TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH SOMEONE TURNED IT ....I WAS DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS SEVERAL TIMES AND THIS ERRATIC SUDDEN MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING HAPPENED...EACH TIME THE DEALER SAYS THEY CALLED CHEVROLET AND ASKED HOW TO REPAIR THIS.THEN THEY DO SOMETHING LIKE REPLACING THE POWER STEERING SENSOR...ONCE THEY REPLACED THE PUMP ASSEMBLY...ONCE THE STEERING MODULE....I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK ON 10/27/99 AFTER EXPERIENCING SEVERAL EPISODES OF THIS PHANTOM TURNING OF THE STEERING WHEEL...THEY RETURNED MY VEHICLE WITH A NOTATION ON THE ORDER THAT THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT IT AND WOULD REPAIR AT A LATER DATE...THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION ...IT HAS DONE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH NO FIX FROM THE DEALER OR CHEVROLET...THE TRUCK SOON WILL BE OUT OF WARRANTY...I CANNOT RELAX DRIVING THIS VEHICLE.