1998 Chevrolet Cavalier

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CONSUMER TOWED THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER WENT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE A RECALL REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE (TYPE OF RECALL REPAIR WASN'T STATED). WHEN THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER ASKED THE MECHANIC WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. THE MECHANIC COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE AND THOUGHT THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE BELT FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER. CONSUMER DECIDED TO HAVE IT CONSULTED TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE MECHANIC BY (PRESUMABLY) A FRIEND OF THE CONSUMER. AS THE DRIVER WAS ABOUT TO RESUME COMING FROM A STOP SIGN, STEERING RACK AND PINION MECHANISM FELL WHICH ALSO LED TO STEERING LOCK-UP. THE STEERING FAILURE RESULTED THE DRIVER TO OVER TURN VEHICLE INTO A DITCH. POLICE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT BOLT FROM THE FALLEN MECHANISM WAS MISSING. *LA

I HAVE HAD MY 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER FOR ALMOST 5 YEARS NOW; IN FEB. 2003 I HAD TO PAY 321.25 TO HAVE AN IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED IN MY CAR (WHICH WAS AN RECALL ISSUE); I ASKED MARTIN BURKS CHEVROLET ON FOREST PARK PARKWAY IN FOREST PARK, GA IF THE IGNITION PROBLEM WAS A RECALL ISSUE AND BOB ALLEN, THE AUTO PART SERVICE MANAGER LIED TO ME AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE, SO I PAID $321.25 FOR REPAIR SERVICE TO FIND OUT A YEAR LATER THAT THE IGNITION SYSTEM PROBLEM WAS A RECALL ISSUE. SO I WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT CHEVROLET HAS AUTO REPAIR SERVICE CENTERS WITH WORKERS THAT LIES TO CONSUMERS JUST TO TAKE THEIR MONEY. AT THIS PRESENT TIME, MY 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER WILL NOT START BECAUSE SOMETHING IS BLOCKING THE FUEL FROM REACH THE MOTOR/ENGINE (WHICH IS ANOTHER RECALL PROBLEM) BUT NOT ACCORDING TO THE CHEVROLET MANUFACTURER; MY WHEELS FEELS AS IF THEY ARE WOBBLING SOMETIMES; AND MY STEERING COLUMN IS MAKING A SQUEAKING SOUND WHEN I TURN IT LEFT OR RIGHT. BY PUTTING IN THE VIN NUMBER, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN FOUR RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THERE HAS BEEN ONLY ONE RECALL, SOMEONE IS AGAIN LYING AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS THE CARFAX REPORT. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTIES ON THEIR VEHICLES LONGER THAN THEY DO BECAUSE THEIR VEHICLES ARE LEARNED TO BE DEFECTIVE BEFORE A LIFETIME OF 5 YEARS IS UP (PRE YEARS LIFESPAN) FOR ANY VEHICLE AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO PURCHASE THE WARRANTIES, BUT GMPP (GENERAL MOTORS PROTECTION PLAN) SHOULD REISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN SOMEONE HAVE HAD AS MANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLES AS I HAVE WITHIN THESE LAST TWO YEARS. I FEEL THAT THESE HEADACHES AND EXPENSES COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF MARTIN BURKS HAD FIXED MY CAR THE FIRST TIME; I ALSO FEELS THAT MARTIN BURKS CHEVROLET IS AN UNTRUSTWORTHY SERVICE CENTER. I WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU TO INFORM THEM OF THE UNSATISFIED SERVICE I HAVE HAD WITH MARTIN BURKS CHEVROLET SERVICE CENTER. *AK

AS LISTED IN THE MAY 2004 C.R. THE RECALLS ON THE CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO, AND MALIBU 97-98 ON REPLACING THE PINION BEARING IN POWER-STEERING GEAR COULD SEPARATE AND ALLOW PINION SHAFT TO MOVE. I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER, WHEREAS I COULD BARELY TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT WHILE TURNING. MY RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. WHY IS THIS NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR RECALL LISTINGS. *LA

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT TO PULL OUT OF A PARALLEL PARKING SPACE WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING POP AND IT SUDDENLY FELT AS IF MY CAR HAD LOST ALL POWER STEERING. ONE MONTH LATER I HEARD OF RACK AND PINION STEERING RECALL ON 1998 CAVALIERS WHICH IS WHAT I DRIVE AND MY CAR HAD ALL OF THE EFFECTS OF WHAT WERE LISTED. AFTER TAKING MY CAR INTO A CHEVY DEALER, I WAS TOLD MY CAR DID NOT FIT THE RECALL AND THAT I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. I ASKED IF THEY HAD CHECKED MY TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND THEY SAID YES THAT THERE WAS PLENTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 1200 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I DECLINED THEIR SERVICES TO FIX MY VEHICLE AND LATER HAD MY UNCLE WHO IS AN AIRPLACE MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK AT IT. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION I WAS JUST VERY VERY LOW ON FLUID. MY TRANSMISSION IS PERFECT NOW AND HE AGREES THAT MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SEEING AS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING HAS BROKEN. REPEATEDLY I HAVE CALLED GM TO NO AVAIL ON WHY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL, AND I FEEL VERY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THE CHEVY DEALER OUTZ CHEVROLET FOR NOT BEING HONEST WITH ME ABOUT MY CAR.*AK

THE RACK AND PINION ON MY CAR FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING IT. I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE LOWER PINION SEPERATION AS OF JAN. 2003, IT ONLY SEEMS TO COVER A CERTAIN RANGE OF VIN #'S FOR THIS MAKE. MY MECHANIC CALLED IN JAN. OF '03, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN ANY INFORMATION ON IT. I GUESS UNTIL A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN, AND THERE ARE NO INJURIES, THE MANUFACTURERE DOES NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I HAVE 3 YOUNG KIDS, AND I CAN NOT WAIT FOR A FATALITY FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM.