1999 Chevrolet Cavalier

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN 2005 WHEN SHE MADE A RIGHT TURN AT 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS THAT WOULD ALLUDE TO THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD UNLOCK AND TURN INVOLUNTARILY WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOCKED. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND HEADLIGHTS, WERE ALSO FAULTY. THE BULBS IN THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT BURNED OUT AND MELTED AFTER THEY WERE USED THREE TO FOUR TIMES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER TO ASK ABOUT RELATED RECALLS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS FOR HER VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT FOUND EIGHT RECALLS FOR HER YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000.

I PURCHASED A NEW 1999 CHEVY CAVALIER IN MARCH 1999 AND BEGAN HEARING CREAKING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY I TOOK IT THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FOR REPAIR. THEY GREASED SOME PARTS TO DIMINISH THE NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR IN 2 OTHER TIMES TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE SAME ACTION WAS TAKEN, NO PARTS WERE EVER REPLACED. RECENTLY I TOOK THE CAR TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $2300. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS AND WARNINGS TO MECHANICS THAT CONSUMERS MAY COME TO THEM WITH THESE ISSUES LISTED OVER THE LAST 9 YEARS. THEREFORE, THIS IS A FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE THAT UNTIL NOW CHEVROLET HAS NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS STILL MAKING THE NOISE AND I WAS WARNED IF THE WHEEL STARTS TO "STIFFEN UP" TO COME BACK IMMEDIATELY AS THE DANGER OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY HIGH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND WAS HEARING THIS WHINING NOISE. THE NEXT DAY I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AT WORK AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. I CALLED THE SHOP I TAKE MY CAR TO, AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK IT TO THEM AND THEY SAID A METAL PIECE UNDERNEATH THE CAR HAD RUBBED AGAINST THE TUBE THAT CARRIES THE POWER STEERING FLUID. I ASKED THEM WHAT HAD CAUSED IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN AROUND FREELY WITHOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE COUPLING WHERE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT MEETS THE STEERING WHEEL SLID OUT, LEAVING THE BOLT IN THE STEERING COMPLETELY INTACT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, BUT IS STILL AT THE SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT REFUSED TO ASSIST DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *AK

CAR STARTED BEING HARD TO STEER TO THE LEFT AND IT WAS INTERMITTENT. IT JUST STARTED THAT MORNING OF 5-28-05 . I WAS GOING DOWN A STEEP HILL AND IT BECAME HARD TO TURN IT ON A CURVE GOING OFF TO THE RIGHT. I PROCEEDED SLOWLY AND AS I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE ANOTHER LEFT TURN SOMETHING SNAPPED UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS OF THE CAR AND IT WOULD NO LONGER TURN AT ALL-IT WOULD ONLY GO FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK WHO TOWED IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY INFORMED ME THE STEERING GEAR BOX TOTALLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST OF OVER $1800.IT TOOK THE DEALER 5 DAYS TO COMPLETE THIS REPAIR AND THEY KEPT THE OLD PARTS

RECALL 02V286000 CONCERNING POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE STEERING WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. CONSUMER SAW ON NHTSA WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM INVOLVING 1996-1998 VEHICLES, BUT THE 1999 VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. *NM