1997 Chevrolet Silverado

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING WHEEL GETS LOOSE. IF I'M ON A ROAD WITH A CURVE AND I HAVE PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT LET'S SAY OR LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SUDDENLY LOOSEN UP AND QUICKLY TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESSURE I'M APPLYING. AS IF OPENING A JAR. IT GETS THAT LOOSE. I ALMOST HIT A COUPLE OF PARKED CARS BECAUSE OF THIS. THE ONLY REASON WE FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IS WE OVERHEARD A CHEVY OWNER SHOWING SOMEONE THE PART HE HAD TO CHANGE. THIS WAS AFTER WE HAD THE FRONT END DONE TO NO AVAIL. THIS GUY HAD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FRONT END WORK DONE AT THREE DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS TO NO AVAIL. OUR PART COST $50 AND THE LABOR WAS $100. I'VE TALKED TO TAHOE OWNERS AND RODE IN THEIR VEHICLES AND THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS I DID. WE HAD TO TELL THEM WHAT THE FIX WAS. PRETTY LAME SEEING THE DEALERS DON'T EVEN KNOW. IF CHEVY WOULD AT LEAST TELL THEIR MECHANICS IF THEY WON'T RECALL. BY THE WAY THE PART IS A EVO SENSOR AND IT RAPS AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN INSIDE THE VEHICLE RIGHT ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL. WE WOULD HAVE CHANGED IT OURSELVES BUT YOU HAVE TO FOOL WITH THE AIRBAG, SO WE PAID SOMEONE TO DO IT. ALSO, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE WE FIXED IT. THERE WASN'T JUST ONE INCIDENT DATE AS YOU MADE ME FILL OUT ON YOUR FORM. THANK-YOU. *LA

WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL GIVES AND CAUSES TEMPORARY STEERING LOSS. TS THE VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES, THE PCV VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE #2 AND #3 HEAT SHIELDS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK. THIS MALFUNCTION WAS REPAIRED AND NOW THE 4 LOW GEAR IS INOPERABLE. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSOR, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. NOTICEABLY AFTER PURCHASE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT GIVES WHEN BRAKING. *JG

I HAVE TWO GM TRUCKS ONE A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND ONE A 1997 GMC SIERRA K-2500 THIS WILL BE THE THIRD REPLACMENT OF THIS STEERING PART, IT IS A DANGER BECUSE WHEN YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OVER STEERS LIKE YOU JUST HIT ICE. ITS A SIMILAR FEELING TO HITING THE BRAKES AND THE WHEEL BEING JERKED OUT OF YOUR HAND. THIS WOULD BE VERY HAZARDEST ON ICE COVERED ROADS. BOTH TRUCKS HAVE ONLY ABOUT 42K MI. AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 15K MI. I HAVE REPLACED THREE NOW. THE DEALERS SAY IT IS A VERY COMMON PARK TO REPLACE.*AK

THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR (SWP, MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) SENDS AN INPUT TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) WHICH IN TURN THEN CONTROLS POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID FLOW BASED ON VEHICLE SPEED AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CAUSING A VERY SERIOUS INTERMITTANT STEERING PROBLEM ONLY DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THIS HAS TWICE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS THE NATURAL REACTION TO THIS FAILURE (WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL) IS TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER TO THE RIGHT TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. IN BOTH NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS THERE WAS A CAR ON MY RIGHT SIDE WHICH I CAME CLOSE TO HITTING. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO AND AT LOW SPEED NOT MUCH OF A CONCERN BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT IS SERIOUS. THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER, WHICH HAS BEEN COURTEOUS AND HELPFULL, TELLS ME THEY HAVE HAD TWO TRUCKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN FOR THE SAME TROUBLE (SWP SENSOR) AND A CO-WORKER ALSO HAS THE SAME TROUBLE, SO THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AFFECTING OTHER GM VEHICLES INCLUDING SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON AND SIERRA. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME BUT PLAN TO REPLACE THE SWP SENSOR MYSELF QUITE SOON AS THE DEALER SAYS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. ESTIMATED DEALER REPAIR COST IS 160.00. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IS THE FIRST TIME IN SOME 30 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A MALFUNCTION OF THIS TYPE, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEED IT GETS YOUR ATTENTION VERY FAST! AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ROLL OVER AS WELL SHOULD THE DRIVER JERK ON THE WHEEL TO HARD TO CORRECT IT. I FEEL CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS TROUBLE AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO FIX THIS REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY COVERAGE AS LAW SUITES AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT/S WILL COST THEM MUCH MUCH MORE.*AK