1997 Chevrolet Silverado

WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. CONSUMER LOST THE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER INDICATED DETERMINED THAT RACK AND PINION FAILED. *AK CONSUMER CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, AND WAS TOLD TO FIX THE VEHICLE AT OWN EXPENSE. IF VEHICLE WAS RECALLED, CONSUMER WOULD BE REIMBURSED AT A LATER TIME. *LA

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1997 SILVERADO EXT CAB FLEET SIDE. I'VE HAD MY BRAKES SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES AND IT CONTINUES TO PULL TO THE LEFT WHEN I'M BRAKING. ALSO IT'S VERY HESITANT IN PICKING UP SPEED WHEN PASSING EVEN WITH MAJOR TUNE-UPS AT CHEVY DEALERSHIPS ONLY TO BE SERVICED. I'M CONSTANTLY PURCHASING FRONT TIRES FOR MY TRUCK, WITH FRONT END ALIGNMENTS BEING DONE OFTEN WITH THE PURCHASE OF THESE TIRES. *JB

IN JANUARY 2004 THE NEWS REPORTED A RECALL ON CHEVROLET CARS WITH THE EXACT PROBBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING SINCE 2000. THE POWER STEERING WILL OVER-ASSIST CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK AND HENCE THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY STEER RIGHT OR LEFT. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN ON A CURVE OR WHEN DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THIS PROBLEM IS UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS CAUSED SOME NEAR MISSES AND SCARY MOMENTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SNOW COVERED STREETS. THE FAILURE OCCURS FREQUENTLY AND LASTS FOR A DAY OR A WEEK AT A TIME THEN GOES AWAY FOR AN UNDETERMINABLE PERIOD. BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHILE TEST DRIVING OTHER 1997 PICKUPS. SINCE THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON CHEVROLET CARS I FEEL IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE C/K, SILVERADO PICKUPS AS WELL. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE AN ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR.*AK

I HAVE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS AND BRAKE PEDAL SURGE ON MY 1997 SILVERADO EXT-CAB K-1500 Z71. UNDER LIGHT BRAKING CONDITIONS THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY ENGAGE FOLLOWED BY SHORT INTERVALS OF PRESSURE/LOSS OF PRESSURE UNTIL THE VEHICLE STOPS. I HAVE NEVER LOST (AT LEAST UNTIL THIS POINT IN TIME) COMPLETE BRAKE PRESSURE. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE BRAKE SURGE IS NOT PRESENT. IN THIS CASE, THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES. THE BRAKE PROBLEMS OCCUR EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN (DRY AND WET CONDITIONS). I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK SERVICED TWICE IN THE PAST MONTH, AND MY DEALER CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO START REPLACING BRAKE COMPONENT BY COMPONENT UNTIL IT IS SOLVED ($$$). THEIR COMMENT TO ME IS THAT THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM (THAT'S THE AREA THAT MY DEALER IS FOCUSING ON) IS A POOR DESIGN BY GM.