Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09E005000 | DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC. | E (Equipment) | 979 | 02/23/2009 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 02/17/2009 | 02/17/2009 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Dorman is recalling 979 steering knuckles, dorman p/nos. 697-902 and 697-903, sold under dorman's oe solutionstm brand name, and napa p/nos. 7-8502 and 7-8503 which were sold for replacement use on the various vehicles listed above. a potential material or design defect could result in the steering knuckle breaking in the hub area. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | A broken steering knuckle could result in loss of steering control and a possible crash without warning. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dorman will notify owners and replace the defective steering knuckles free of charge and reimburse the repair facility or owner for labor. the recall began on february 23, 2009. owners may contact dorman's toll-free hotline at 1-800-523-2492. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket dorman steering knuckles and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by general motors corporation.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V527000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 08/01/1996 to 07/31/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 750283 | 02/05/2004 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 12/11/2003 | 12/18/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. these retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. if the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. if the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. with the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. in any of these conditions, a crash could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. owner notification began on february 5, 2004. owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 03062.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 050232003 | 06/01/2005 | 10017515 | Revised outer tie rod end nut tightening specification/tie rod end jam nut tightening specification added. *tt | 11/09/2005 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 01292004 | 01/29/2004 | 10013031 | Power steering gear lower pinion bearing, safety recall 03062. *tt | 04/06/2005 | |
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 030232049 | 11/01/2003 | 10004765 | Release of new outer tie rod ends for service. *tt | 01/06/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| RQ03001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/02/2003 | 09/15/2003 | POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE | ||
| Gm conducted a safety recall (nhtsa # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). the recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019. | ||||||
| EA03019 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 09/15/2003 | 12/18/2003 | POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE | 03V527000 | |
| Gm's letter to nhtsa dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (nhtsa 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall. | ||||||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | ||||||
| RQ03001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/02/2003 | 09/15/2003 | POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE | ||
| Gm conducted a safety recall (nhtsa # 02v286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). the recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles built between march 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 1996-1998 pontiac trans sport, chevrolet lumina apv, chevrolet venture, oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire sedans built between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997.odi opened this rq after receiving reports that other vehicles were exhibiting the same symptoms as the recalled vehicles.based on odi's review of technical and complaint data collected during the rq, the w-cars are associated with either a higher steering complaint rate or a higher lpb failure rate than the other vehicles investigated under the rq and are above or near the rates for the recalled vehicles.thus, odi will further examine the w-cars (1996-1997 oldsmobile cutlass supreme, 1996-1998 buick regal, chevrolet lumina, chevrolet monte carlo, 1997-1998 buick century, and 1998 oldsmobile intrigue) under a new investigation, engineering analysis (ea)03-019. | ||||||
| EA03019 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 09/15/2003 | 12/18/2003 | POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE | 03V527000 | |
| Gm's letter to nhtsa dated december 11, 2003, expands its original recall (nhtsa 02v286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.gm determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion bearing and the level of the pinion bearing pre-load spring force.gm states, higher rack pre-load spring force (133 lb.) is the design characteristic most closely associated with higher bearing damage rates in most of the vehicle applications that used the general bearing company (gbc) bearing.all of the vehicles covered in the expanded recall have the 133 lb spring force.the 96 lumina/monte carlo and 97-98 century w-body vehicles included in this investigation utilize a lower spring force and are not included in the recall. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 06/17/2011 | 137000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 buick regal. the contact stated that when making a right turn, the vehicle would loose power steering. the nhtsa campaign id number: 08v118000 (steering), but the vin was not apart of the recall. the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied assistance with the failure. the failure was not remedied. the failure mileage was 137,000 and the current mileage was 137,025. nw | |||
| 02/17/2009 | 54733 | 1 | |
| 1997 regal buick recall no. 03v52700 was completed on vehicle on 3/18/04 (steering rack and pinion) vehicle had roughly 22,000. same problem has occurred again with 54,733 miles. vehicle driven around town. can't drive have to have vehicle towed steering uncontrollable. called gm will not replace. this is a very serious safety issue. problem was just patched. gm should have to replace because of safety issue. someone could be injured possibly killed. my complaint is that gm should have to replace the steering rack and pinion. there was no accident but could have caused an accident. *tr | |||
| 07/06/2002 | 87000 | 1 | 12/31/1999 |
| On 7-6-02, owner had a problem with the steering. however, owner was told by g.m. that because she had previously installed aftermarket parts, they are not liable for the recall because of the aftermarket parts she had installed prior to the recall. provide further details. *nm *la | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 116000 | 1 | 09/11/1997 |
| The steering wheel is hard to turn on cold mornings and makes a cluncking sound when on center. *la | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 25000 | 05/28/1998 | |
| 1997 buick regal - power steering problem | |||
| 02/06/2003 | 69879 | 07/21/1997 | |
| Loss of power steering assist when turning to the left. dealer says power steering rack is binding when turned to the left. will have to replace, my cost. i see a number of similar complaints on this site. gm had a recall (11/15/2002) for this problem on same model year for cavalier, sunfire, lumina/venture, silhouette, transport, and grand prix (regal's sibling). what about regal? | |||
| 02/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle experienced erratic steering control, which made it difficult to control the vehicle.*jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 10/19/2003 | 66600 | 1 | 05/29/2003 |
| While driving at 65 mph on the interstate, steering locked up making it unable to steer causing car to hit center divider. *la | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 10/03/1997 | 3 | 08/29/1997 | |
| Loose torsion nut on the power steering hose caused the power steering fluid to leak out completely. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle has a history of steering problems from ps pump to rack and pinion cost of repairs are outrageous. most recent failure locked steering completely with my wife and 6mo baby driving at 75mph on interstate. has had numerous other problems with oil seals, electrical, idlers going out. serpentine belt broke dur to idler seized and shut down power steering while at 75mph in a seperate incident | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Power steering pump failed. yh | |||
| 01/06/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| I was assigned this buick regal with 33,000 miles on the odometer. the vehicle has always had a chatter while turning corners. i was informed by the service advisor at kelley buick that the power steering pump did not meet specs. our company has another identical regal that suffered a catastrophic failure of the power steering pump at 25,000 miles. is this a common problem for these cars? *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 04/02/2002 | 1 | 05/01/2098 | |
| On-off loss of power steering during turns. sometimes a strange shake in steering wheel at low speed when first starting to drive.*ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 05/30/1997 | |
| Power steering part replaced because of leakage. yh | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ARM - IDLER AND ATTACHMENT | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle has a history of steering problems from ps pump to rack and pinion cost of repairs are outrageous. most recent failure locked steering completely with my wife and 6mo baby driving at 75mph on interstate. has had numerous other problems with oil seals, electrical, idlers going out. serpentine belt broke dur to idler seized and shut down power steering while at 75mph in a seperate incident | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/17/2009 | 54733 | 1 | |
| 1997 regal buick recall no. 03v52700 was completed on vehicle on 3/18/04 (steering rack and pinion) vehicle had roughly 22,000. same problem has occurred again with 54,733 miles. vehicle driven around town. can't drive have to have vehicle towed steering uncontrollable. called gm will not replace. this is a very serious safety issue. problem was just patched. gm should have to replace because of safety issue. someone could be injured possibly killed. my complaint is that gm should have to replace the steering rack and pinion. there was no accident but could have caused an accident. *tr | |||
| 05/19/2006 | 108000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at low speeds the vehicle was difficult to steer left and right. this occurred intermittently. the manufacturer was alerted. there is a nhtsa recall, # 03v527000, regarding the steering rack and pinion. the vin was not included in the recall. updated 7/25/2006 - *nm | |||
| 03/23/2006 | 105771 | 1 | |
| My wife is complaining of a hard left steer on her 1997 buick regal. the problem does not occur on each turn at this time, but could result in loss of steering. buick's customer hot line is refusing to make the repair on her car. they claim that this car is not involved with the recall # 03062. yet the recall shows this recall covers the buick regal model built between 08-01-96 through 07-31-97. this car was built in this time frame. this could cause my wife to have an accident with the potential of fatal injuries. *jb | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 20 | 07/11/2002 | |
| I noticed that i was having problems steering while turning left and right - very stiff and hard to manipulate steering wheel while at low speeds. i checked to make sure that the fluids were all level etc. and the tires were properly inflated. i continued several weeks later and again the power steering fluid was low (3rd week of dec 2003 & 2nd week of jan 2004). i planned on taking the car in for maintenance when i received the recall notice during the 3rd week of feb 2004. i took the car into signal hill buick in california for the recall repairs. i was met with the rudest service possible, i was unable to get a ride home, the technician i spoke to initially would not even tell me what could be the problem with my steering other than they would look at it and correct the problem. it was never noted that steering system was damaged and needed to be serviced. when i took the car to hooman buick in culver city, ca, they told me that the system was damaged and needs to be replaced in its entirety. *jb | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 123000 | 3 | |
| Consumer stated when turning the steering wheel in either direction power steering failed due to rack and pinion malfunctioning. *ak | |||
| 02/24/2004 | 89871 | 1 | |
| After the dealership performed steering gear bearing recall 03v527000 repairs the steering wheel made a clicking noise . the noise occurred when making a sharp left or right turn and when in reverse.*ak | |||
| 03/16/2004 | 81000 | 2 | |
| Consumer received recall 03v527000 notice regarding rack and pinion failure. vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repairs. dealer replaced the bearings on the steering column. three weeks later, rack and pinion became defective and it was hard to steer. vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who informed the consumer that a new rack and pinion was needed.*ak | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 2 | 01/31/2002 | |
| Rack and pinion assembly was replaced less than a year ago due to complete failure of power steering. the rack and pinion began making noise and producing wheel vibration while turning and eventually developed a leak. rack and pinion assembly was replaced at my expense for parts and labor. unfortunately, car is begin to demonstrate early symptoms of it failing again. the symptoms are increased noise and vibration while turn at slow speeds or tight turns at moderate speeds. i am not looking forward to replacing this again. i note that many other complaints exist on the list for similar items, and that similar issue exist for other gm vehicles. please provide information on actions being taken on the behalf of the consumers of this vehicle. *la | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 60000 | 2 | 11/15/1999 |
| Steering rack locked up at 40,000-60,000 mi had it replaced and it seems to be starting again at 115,000 mi. *la | |||
| 09/16/2003 | 88000 | 04/03/1999 | |
| 97 buick regal--locked up steering--sitting in my garage--waiting to be repaired called cardealer est:1,000. to repair | |||
| 10/22/2002 | 48000 | ||
| Steering seemed to lock at near full travel either direction on several occasions, but would release with a hard pull back toward center. last incident, upon pull back, wife heard a pop and steering effort seemed markedly reduced. when inspecting, i found bottom pinion shaft cover in rack housing to be missing, but found it in driveway near where last lock up was. it had grease and lots of shrapnel , seemingly hard plastic, that was wiped off and cap put back into housing. steering has not locked since, but feels vague and loose near end of travel either direction. car only has 51k miles. | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle has a history of steering problems from ps pump to rack and pinion cost of repairs are outrageous. most recent failure locked steering completely with my wife and 6mo baby driving at 75mph on interstate. has had numerous other problems with oil seals, electrical, idlers going out. serpentine belt broke dur to idler seized and shut down power steering while at 75mph in a seperate incident | |||
| 04/25/2001 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| Steering rack locked up while driving rendering vehicle unstable while traveling aprox. 35 mph and creating a potentially lethal situition.*ak | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 3 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Tranmission was replaced while car under warranty w/remanufactured transmission which is now needing to be replaced...dealership did not advise it was being replaced w/remanufac. part. contacted buick only to be advised car was not under warranty and they could not help. steering/rack & penion: steering locks, pops, etc when driving ...i don't have much info on this right now as we are having checked by mechanic now. have been advised that this appears to be the problem. we have had numerous other non life threatening problems w/this car and are very disheartened as the car is only 3 1/2 years old.*ak | |||
| 07/02/1999 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 12/24/2007 | 128281 | 1 | 01/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick regal. the contact stated that it was difficult to turn the steering wheel and requires a lot of effort. he feels it is a safety hazard because he is unable to steer properly. general motors stated that nothing could be done because his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v527000 (steering:rack and pinion), even though the failures are identical. the gm recall number is 03062. the failure and current mileages were 128,281. updated 02-14-08. *kb | |||
| 11/26/2005 | 10 | 3 | 05/21/1998 |
| Unable to make left turn with ease. left turns are very hard and at times does not turn left at all. steering wheel does not automatically return to center position. i was unable to make a complete left hand turn, which caused me to over turn and drive off the road. *nm | |||
| 08/06/2005 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Dt: the rack and pinion steering gear malfunctioned. the consumer took vehicle to the dealer to be repaired , but the consumer did not like that they were going to charge him for the repairs.. the vehicle was not under warranty and there were no recalls on this issue. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 1 | |||
| Dashboard lights flickered and the exterior window molding needed to be replaced. the left side of the steering wheel rotted to the point the metal bar could be seen. mr..*ak | |||
| 07/01/1997 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Steering wheel wobbles. | |||
| 12/08/1997 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Steering wheel shakes on left hand turns. | |||