1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups

1997 CHEVROLET K 20 PICKUP TRUCK STEERING .VEHICLE HAS VARIABLE SPEED SENSOR THAT FAILED CAUSING STEERING PROBLEMS WHEN CORNERING........HAPPENED ON A SLICK ROAD AND ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT.....I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT 1997 1998 AND 1999 TRUCKS HAD THIS TYPE STEERING..AS MANY OWNERS AS I COULD FIND HAVE ALL HAD THIS PROBLEM AND EVERY CHEVROLET DEALER I CALLED HAVE HAD ADMITTED THEY HAVE HAD COUNTLESS TRUCKS IN FOR THIS REPAIR. *AK

WE DRIVE TWO CHEVROLET PICK-UP TRUCKS IN OUR DEPARTMENT. ONE 1997 K2500, AND ONE 1998 K3500 MODEL. BOTH OF THESE TRUCKS HAVE HAD SEVERAL REPLACEMENT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES INSTALLED OVER THE YEARS. A FEW WERE COVERED BY WARRANTY AND MORE WERE REPLACED IN OUR SHOP, AT A COST OF ROUGHLY $25.00 ON EACH OCCASION. ANOTHER HANDLE BROKE YESTERDAY. THESE HANDLES ARE MADE OF A WHITE METAL AND BREAK IN THE SAME SPOT EACH TIME. WE ARE THINKING THAT THIS MIGHT BE A DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT AS THE DEALERS ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE REPLACEMENTS IN STOCK. ALL BUT ONE OF THE HANDLES BROKEN HAVE BEEN THE DRIVERS DOOR HANDLE. WE HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND UNLATCH THE DOOR FROM OUTSIDE UNTIL THE REPAIR IS MADE. I NOTICED ONE COMPLAINT HAS BEEN LOGGED ON YOUR SITE. I IMAGINE MANY OTHERS HAVE NOT YET BEEN REPORTED. WE HAVE A DRAWER FULL OF THE DEFECTIVE HANDLES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT THEM. *LA

REDUCED STEERING EFFORT WHILE DRIVING. FEELS LIKE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING, LIKE THERE IS NO RESISTANCE IN THE WHEEL. THIS OCCURS MOSTLY IN TURNS BUT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE. ACCORDING TO CHEVROLET THIS IS DUE TO A BAD SPEED SENSOR AND BEARING ASSEMBLY. WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT??? WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL? THIS OCCURANCE IS VERY COMMON IN 1997-98 CHEVROLET AND GMC C/K, M/L AND G-VAN WITH EVO.*AK

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