1995 Chevrolet Caprice

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET CAPRICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. CHEVROLET STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 95V221000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS LEAKING AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE OCCASIONALLY, WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE POWERTRAIN AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I WAS DRIVING A 1995 CHEVROLET CAPRICE AND WAS STOPPED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY. I WAS HIT IN THE REAR BY A CAR GOING 50 MPH WHO DID NOT SEE THAT I WAS STOPPED. THE DRIVERS SEAT COLLAPSED INTO THE RECLINED POSITION AND THREW ME INTO THE REAR SEAT. MY SEAT BELT WAS ON AND LIMITED MY MOVEMENT. IN ADDITION, I PULLED ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND BROKE IT AT THE 10 O'CLOCK AND PARTIALLY SEPERATED AT THE 2 O'CLOCK POSITIONS. THE FAILURE OF THE SEAT CAUSED INJURY TO MYSELF WITH NO SUPPORT TO MY NECK AND HEAD. MY QUESTION IS: IS THE SEAT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT MY WEIGHT (6'0, 194 LBS.) UNDER THESE CONDITIONS OR IS IT DESIGNED TO COLLASPE AS IT DID ALLOWING ME TO COME UNSECURRED FROM THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM? SECONDLY, WAS THERE A SAFETY RECALL, SERVICE BULLETIN, OR DEFECT INVESTIGATION ON THIS VEHICLE? I EXAMINED YOUR WEB SITE AND FOUND NO INDICATION OR REPORT ON THIS SITUATION. I APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE ON THIS MATTER.*AK

STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSED (BROKE OFF) AT THE TWO HORIZONTAL POINTS - - 3 O'CLOCK AND 9 O'CLOCK POINTS AT A ROUTINE "ROCKING" AT A STOP. NOT AN EMERGENCY STOP OR SUDDEN STOP; JUST A ROUTINE STOP AT A LIGHT. I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN ANY VEHICLE UNLESS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, MUCH LESS FROM A FRAIL MAN AS MYSELF WHO DOES NOT POSSESS SUPERHUMAN POWERS. I ASKED MECHANICS IF THEY HAD EVER SEEN THIS OCCUR AND THE ANSWER WAS NEGATIVE. I CONTACTED KELLY CHEVROLET (HALLANDALE, FL) AND THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO NEVER HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN, UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN CRASH. SINCE THEN I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING BUT RUN-AROUNDS. THEY ASSIGNED IT CASE NO. 1-21646074, THEN, THEY GOT IT MIXED UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S CASE BY THE NAME OF FENNIMORE. I REPLIED TO THEM TO CORRECT THE NAME ERROR AND PROVIDE THEM WITH FURTHER INFO AND I RECEIVED TWO REPLIES FROM TWO DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN 3 HOURS OF EACH OTHER. THE FIRST ONE, A MS. NEJDI, WHO SAID TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE ORIGINAL REPRESENTATIVE (A MS. WEIR, WHOM HAD DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, OTHER THAN MIX ME UP WITH A MR. FENNIMORE). THE SECOND RESPONSE CAME FROM THE ORIGINAL REPRESENTATIVE (MS. WEIR, ADDRESSING ME AS MR. FENNIMORE, AGAIN). SHE SAID IN THIS EMAIL THE CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED DUE TO MY LACK OF RESPONSE. IN FACT, I HAD RESPONDED AND EVEN ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT HER ERROR OF THE NAME AND SAID CORRECTION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY MS. NEJDI, AS PREVOUSLY STATED HEREIN. THE DISTURBING PART ABOUT THIS IS GM'S FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. A STEERING WHEEL SHOULD NOT COLLAPSE AT A ROUTINE STOP REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OR MILEAGE OF THE CAR WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH. GM IS ACTING TOTALLY INCOMPETENT IN HANDLING THE COMPLAINT AS WELL AS IRRESPONSIBLE BY IGNORING A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE SAVED EACH EMAIL TO AND FROM GM TO PROVE THEIR DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AND MISHANDLING OF THE MATTER. I WOULD APPRECIATE THE NTHSA'S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS CASE.*AK