Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
04V060000GENERAL MOTORS CORP.from 03/01/2001 to 06/30/2002V (Vehicle)12662404/26/2004ODIGENERAL MOTORS CORP.02/09/200402/09/2004
Defect SummaryOn certain passenger vehicles equipped with electronic column lock systems (ecl), when the ignition switch is turned to lock, the ecl system prevents turning of the steering system. when the vehicle is started, the ecl unlocks the steering system. the vehicle is designed so that if the column fails to unlock when the vehicle is started and the customer tries to drive, the fuel supply will be shut off so that the vehicle cannot move when the vehicle cannot be steered. if voltage at the powertrain control module is low or interrupted, however, the fuel shut off may not occur and the vehicle can be accelerated while the steering system is locked. also when the control system shows that the ecl is unlocked and the vehicle is being driven, the lock pin location can vary. depending on the location of the lock plate relative to the switch transition point, there could then be contact between the lock plate and pin causing the steering to lock while driving .
Consequence SummaryIf this occurs, a crash could occur without warning.
Corrective SummaryOn vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, the dealer will disable the steering column lock by removing the column lock plate. when the ignition key is removed, the transmission shifter will lock but the steering column will not lock. on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, the dealer will reprogram the powertrain control module, perform a dimensional check of the column lock and, if necessary, replace the lock plate. the steering column on these vehicles will continue to lock when the key is removed. owner notification to owners of 1997 vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions began on april 26, 2004. owners of 1998 through 2004 vehicles (except 1997-1998 manual transmission vehicles) will be notified beginning on august 2, 2004. the remaining owners (1997-1998 manual transmission vehicles) will be notified later in 2004, when parts are available. owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438.
NotesGm recall no. 04006.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
STEERING
05023500407/01/200510017466Revised steering column turn signal cancel cam and steering shaft upper bearing spring replacement (manual and telescoping) procedure. *tt11/08/2005
03023600208/01/200310012577Revised steering wheel position sensor or steering shaft lower bearing replacement procedure and steering wheel position sensor centering procedure. *eh03/07/2005
STEERING - COLUMN
347510014919Telescoping column moves with seat switch. *tt05/11/2005
STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
0508102/01/200610019745Special policy adjustment-electronic column lock system. the column lock may fail to unlock the steering column when the vehicle is started. *tt04/25/2006
04006A11/23/200404006B10012082Electronic column lock system. this bulletin cancels and replaces bulletin 04006a, issued july 2004. *tt02/11/2005
0400611/23/200404006B10007060Gmp04-057 - 04006 electronic column lock system. *tt this is a part 1 of a 2 part message. *tt05/25/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
STEERING
EA02031GENERAL MOTORS CORP.11/15/200203/11/2004STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP04V060000
 In 2001, general motors (gm) issued customer service campaigns 1044 and 1044a to address a condition where the steering column would fail to unlock during the initial key-in and start-up in certain my 1998-2000 corvette vehicles.however, odi continued to receive complaints concerning steering column lockup on corvette vehicles.as a result, pe02-054 was opened and later upgraded to ea02-031 for my 1997-2001 subject vehicles.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in vehicles serviced through the campaigns, as well as, failures in my 1997-2003 subject vehicles not included in the campaigns.(note: the manufacturer failure data above is limited to my 1997-2003 vehicles through 10/17/2003.)on february 6, 2004, gm notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 1997-2004 corvette vehcles equipped with manual transmissions and my 1997-2000 corvette vehicles with automatic transmissions.the notification stated that if the voltage at the powertrain control module (pcm), which was designed to shut down the fuel supply when the steering column failed to unlock and the customer tried to drive the vehicle, is low or interrupted, the fuel shut off may not occur.as a result, the customer could drive the vehicle while the steering column was locked causing the driver to lose steering control and possibly crash without warning.gm will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the pcm reprogrammed for manual transmission vehicles and the electric column lock disabled for automatic transmission vehicles.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the remedy in the manual transmission vehicles and take further action if warranted.
STEERING - COLUMN
EA02031GENERAL MOTORS CORP.11/15/200203/11/2004STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP04V060000
 In 2001, general motors (gm) issued customer service campaigns 1044 and 1044a to address a condition where the steering column would fail to unlock during the initial key-in and start-up in certain my 1998-2000 corvette vehicles.however, odi continued to receive complaints concerning steering column lockup on corvette vehicles.as a result, pe02-054 was opened and later upgraded to ea02-031 for my 1997-2001 subject vehicles.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in vehicles serviced through the campaigns, as well as, failures in my 1997-2003 subject vehicles not included in the campaigns.(note: the manufacturer failure data above is limited to my 1997-2003 vehicles through 10/17/2003.)on february 6, 2004, gm notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 1997-2004 corvette vehcles equipped with manual transmissions and my 1997-2000 corvette vehicles with automatic transmissions.the notification stated that if the voltage at the powertrain control module (pcm), which was designed to shut down the fuel supply when the steering column failed to unlock and the customer tried to drive the vehicle, is low or interrupted, the fuel shut off may not occur.as a result, the customer could drive the vehicle while the steering column was locked causing the driver to lose steering control and possibly crash without warning.gm will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the pcm reprogrammed for manual transmission vehicles and the electric column lock disabled for automatic transmission vehicles.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the remedy in the manual transmission vehicles and take further action if warranted.
STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
EA02031GENERAL MOTORS CORP.11/15/200203/11/2004STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP04V060000
 In 2001, general motors (gm) issued customer service campaigns 1044 and 1044a to address a condition where the steering column would fail to unlock during the initial key-in and start-up in certain my 1998-2000 corvette vehicles.however, odi continued to receive complaints concerning steering column lockup on corvette vehicles.as a result, pe02-054 was opened and later upgraded to ea02-031 for my 1997-2001 subject vehicles.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in vehicles serviced through the campaigns, as well as, failures in my 1997-2003 subject vehicles not included in the campaigns.(note: the manufacturer failure data above is limited to my 1997-2003 vehicles through 10/17/2003.)on february 6, 2004, gm notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 1997-2004 corvette vehcles equipped with manual transmissions and my 1997-2000 corvette vehicles with automatic transmissions.the notification stated that if the voltage at the powertrain control module (pcm), which was designed to shut down the fuel supply when the steering column failed to unlock and the customer tried to drive the vehicle, is low or interrupted, the fuel shut off may not occur.as a result, the customer could drive the vehicle while the steering column was locked causing the driver to lose steering control and possibly crash without warning.gm will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the pcm reprogrammed for manual transmission vehicles and the electric column lock disabled for automatic transmission vehicles.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the remedy in the manual transmission vehicles and take further action if warranted.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STEERING
07/27/2012930001
 I started my 2002 chevy corvette z06, but the steering column locked and would not unlock. a warning light indicated to remove key and wait 10 seconds i did this, but it did not allow the steering column to unlock. per advice from the local chevy dealership, i disconnected/reconnected the battery, but again the steering lock would not unlock when the car was started. it currently cannot be driven and is stranded in my garage. i am the original owner and understand that recall: 04v060000 was issued for this type of problem. after contacting my local chevy dealership, they said because the car is ten (10) years old, they may not have to honor the towing and repairs at no cost. because i have moved several times in the past three (3) years i have not received a recall notice. ## vin passed ## chevrolet corvette z06 2002 ## *tr
07/22/201243211
 The display reads service column lock and the steering wheel locks. with multiple resets by unhooking battery negative cable finally the column lock released. gm issued several recalls regarding this but at this point they refuse to back that up with the documented repair on this vehicle. i have contacted the local dealer coad chevrolet in cape girardeau, mo. we will find out how committed to customer satisfaction they are. gm does not seem to be very concerned about the safety issue that this poses to a driver. *tr
07/22/20124321
 The display reads service column lock and the steering wheel locks. with multiple resets by unhooking battery negative cable finally the column lock released. gm issued several recalls regarding this but at this point they refuse to back that up with the documented repair on this vehicle. i have contacted the local dealer coad chevrolet in cape girardeau, mo. we will find out how committed to customer satisfaction they are. gm does not seem to be very concerned about the safety issue that this poses to a driver.
05/19/201172301
 Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized. the contact shut the vehicle off and the failure continued upon restart. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated that the recall vehicle was previously repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v060000 (steering:column locking:anti-theft device). the manufacturer was notified and the contact was awaiting a response. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 72,301.
05/19/201172301
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized. the contact shut the vehicle off and the failure continued upon restart. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated that the recall vehicle was previously repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v060000 (steering:column locking:anti-theft device). the manufacturer was notified and the contact was awaiting a response. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 72,301. sm.
05/19/201172301
 The contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated the steering system locks itself. the column fails to unlock when the vehicle is started and the contact starts to drive. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated the recall was previously completed and if they should repair a second time he would have to pay the cost which was $931. the recall was nhtsa campaign id number: 04v060000 nhtsa campaign id number: 04v060000 component: steering: column locking: anti-theft device component: steering: column locking: anti-theft device. the manufacturer was notified who stated they will research the problem and give him a return call. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 72,301.
09/26/201170000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated that the steering column seized and he was unable to drive the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer in 2004 where it was repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v060000 (steering:column locking:antitheft device). the manufacturer was aware of the failure; however, offered no further assistance. no additional repairs were performed. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.
09/26/201170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated that the steering column seized and he was unable to drive the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer in 2004 where it was repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v060000 (steering:column locking:antitheft device). the manufacturer was aware of the failure; however, offered no further assistance. no additional repairs were performed. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. sm.
08/02/201150000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated the steering locked while he attempted to start the vehicle and was unable to unlock the steering. the manufacturer took a report 71972823961 and they advised recall that nhtsa campaign id number: 04v060000 component: steering: column locking: anti-theft device was performed on the vehicle therefore they would not assist with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired the failure and the current miles was 50,000. li
07/01/201175000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact was entering a parking space when the steering wheel locked abnormally. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the steering motor and relay needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was then contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 75,000. kmj
07/01/201175000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact stated that when pulling into a parking space and cutting his wheel, it suddenly locked. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that steering motor and relay needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was then contacted and they offered him no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 75,000. tb
04/10/201137500
 Tl- the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact noticed that the steering wheel remained stuck and she was unable to move the wheel. the vehicle was previously repaired under recall number: 04v060000 (steering:column locking:anti-theft device). the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under the previous recall and offered no additional assistance. no repairs were performed. the approximate failure mileage was 37,500. bw
09/22/201023406
 Steering on my 2002 corvette locked up several times while i was driving yesterday. moran chevrolet put in a new battery and reset the codes (said something like service steering column) and says not to worry about it. i am worrying about it.
08/20/200955000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the service active handling system light illuminated intermittently. whenever the light illuminated the vehicle began pulling to the right and the brakes responded as if she were driving on ice. she had the option to cancel the service active handling system or shut the vehicle off and restart it in order for the vehicle to function normally. occasionally all of the warning lights on the instrument panel would illuminate and cause the active handling light to malfunction. the failure was identical to recall 10v172000, steering column which was specific to the 2005 chevrolet corvette. in august 2009, the customer service engineer stated that it must be an anomaly or a bad sensor that caused the failure to occur. the dealer had not diagnosed the failure; however, during a routine oil change in june 2010, she was advised that the service active light had illuminated. the contact can provide a copy of her invoice. the contact was also concerned that cancelling the service active handling option was a safety risk. the failure mileage was 55,000. the current mileage was 62,000.
04/07/200230000
 I have a 2002 corvette. the steering wheel lock does not unlock. there was a recall in 2004 but my car was not repaired. today it is not covered by that recall and is dangerous to drive.
08/22/200521910105/13/2005
 Dt: no problems leading up to the failure, and then while backing car out of garage, steering column locked, removed key, waited 10 seconds as shown on dashboard and the vehicle started. went for a few feet and the fuel line shut car off. had to push car into the garage and then had it towed to the dealer the next day. they replaced the locking parts, rack/ sector/ lock bolt that locked the steering column, which had been recalled 04v06000 in 2004. the dealer wanted to charge a deductible because the recall had already been done, but gm authorized the repair with no deductible charged. *ak *nm
STEERING - COLUMN
06/01/20121
 2004 chevrolet corvette convertible. consumer writes in regards to recall concerning steering wheel position sensor *tgw the consumer stated she experienced the same steering column failure as outlined in the recall. however, the recall was for the 2005-2006 models only. recall# 10v172000 *jb
06/10/2008568301
 Steering column lock safety recall has not been resolved after 6 attempts! this morning the service column lock error occurred while on the highway at 65 mph!!!! the engine was disabled and was not able to be restarted! the car was towed to my house where it now sits dead for the 7th time! chevrolet and general motors have decided not to continue to fix this problem any more because now they are claiming i am out of warranty and the vehicle has now a branded title from light flood damage. the vehicle has supposedly passed ct dmv inspection and was sold to us with a branded title from a local licensed dealership in my area. *tr
12/17/20042
 While pulling inside of the garage and without warning the steering wheel locked up. the consumer tried to unlock, but was unsuccessful. please fill in additional information. please fill in additional information. *jb *tc
01/02/20031
 The steering column locked up, the front headlights did not elevate and the driver's seat back broke. *dt *jb ref. in ea02-031 *cjs
STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
07/27/2012930001
 I started my 2002 chevy corvette z06, but the steering column locked and would not unlock. a warning light indicated to remove key and wait 10 seconds i did this, but it did not allow the steering column to unlock. per advice from the local chevy dealership, i disconnected/reconnected the battery, but again the steering lock would not unlock when the car was started. it currently cannot be driven and is stranded in my garage. i am the original owner and understand that recall: 04v060000 was issued for this type of problem. after contacting my local chevy dealership, they said because the car is ten (10) years old, they may not have to honor the towing and repairs at no cost. because i have moved several times in the past three (3) years i have not received a recall notice. ## vin passed ## chevrolet corvette z06 2002 ## *tr
04/10/201137500
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet corvette. the contact noticed that the steering wheel remained stuck and she was unable to move it. the vehicle was previously repaired under recall number: 04v060000 (steering:column locking:anti-theft device). the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under the previous recall and offered no additional assistance. no repairs were performed. the approximate failure mileage was 37,500.
01/01/19012
 2002 chevy corvette with dashboard lights illuminating. consumer states that the suspension and brake lights illuminated. she also states that the steering column locked engaged and she could not disengage it. *kb the consumer stated all three problems she experienced were related.
10/15/200757000211/09/2001
 My steering locks up on my 2002 chevrolet corvette ! gmc refuses to reimburse me on the repairs. *tr
01/02/2002580003
 Steering column lock-up on 2 corvettes ( 97 & 02 ) locked up 3 times on the 2002 corvette & 1 time on 1997. both mirrors broke on 97 & had to be replaced. fuel gauge would go from half to empty & later back to half on 2002 & passenger door would not unlock w / remote & sometimes passenger window would not go down when convertible was put down . read-out on heater / temp. gauge & radio display would fade in and out. *nm
01/27/20068000108/08/2003
 Dt*: the contact stated recall letter # 04060000 was received. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the steering wheel could not be removed to perform the required repair. to perform the remedy repair, the dealer manager determined the steering wheel would have to be broken and the cost of new steering wheel would not be covered under the recall. the dealer contacted the manufacturer who agreed with the dealer's decision. the manufacturer was pending for resolution and provided a reference ref# 1-423750902. the vehicle remained at the dealer for more than a week and the contact continues to wait for the manufacturer's resolution. updated 09/15/06. *jb
07/30/200627057212/14/2004
 Driving in a parking lot the steering column locked up. the recall for this problem had been completed but the problem was not fixed. *nm
03/20/200628500109/13/2004
 Dt*: the contact stated the steering column intermittently locked while attempting sharp turns at speeds of 35 mph or less. there is a nhtsa recall, #04v060000 concerning the steering. although the recall repair was performed accordingly, afterwards the problem returned. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and is awaiting inspection of the ongoing steering problem. *ak
09/16/200543727301/30/2004
 Steering wheel interlock problems (again after recall). *jb
09/03/200558000509/21/2001
 Steering column lockup on 2002 corvette with manual transmission. scenario is as follows: when starting the vehicle the steering column does not release the steering wheel. the steering wheel remains locked in position. this can be extremely hazardous if it occurs at stop sign or stop light after the driver has accidentally killed the vehicle and needs to restart. when it occurs the only course of action is to call a tow service and get the vehicle off the road. gm states that the vehicle is fine. the event does not log an error code so when they plug their computer into the car they find no problems. its seems over time the steering column will release when restarted. i had waited 30 minutes on one occasion and the column released. for today's incident, after four hours the column would not release. many corvette owners have opted to disable the steering column lock feature with an aftermarket device. i will be doing the same shortly. *jb
08/01/2005370006
 Regarding a 2002 c5 corvette. steering randomly locks up. the car can only be towed then fixed by a dealer. this can even happen while the car is in motion. any corvette only from the year 97 to present can be affected. gm knows this is a problem and will happen to almost every vette owner. this is extremely unsafe and gm is not to doing there job to fix this problem even after 8 year from the original date to which this first occurred. this is unacceptable. *nm
07/21/2005110/28/2004
 Went to drive car and dic informed me that the service column was locked. had to have the car towed to dealership. dealership replaced part #26089807 (column lock actuator assembly) to the cost of $425. according to them (newsome automotive, florence s.c.) this part # was not one in the april 04 recal. i find that hard to believe.
09/07/2004113001
 I had the same column-lock issue that has been widely reported on the c5 corvette. i received my recall notice for my 2002 manual-transmission vette and had the recall performed. i had had no previous problem with the steering column locking. the dealer told me that they checked the column-lock mechanism and then reprogrammed the computer. however, several weeks later, my steering column locked upon startup.*ak
07/20/2004250002
 While backing out of the driveway the steering column became very stiff. before the vehicle could reach the street the steering column locked up. the wheels could not be turned in any direction. after letting the vehicle set for a while the steering column worked as if nothing ever happened. this problem has occurred twice with this ehicle. *jb
07/14/20046000605/16/2003
 Steering column will not unlock.try to move car and fuel shuts off. problem well documented. dealer claims vin# not on recall list however is under warrenty. as this happens randomly the dealer will do nothing unless it is locked when brought in. *ak
06/05/2004960309/13/2001
 This vehicle has been to the dealership numerous times for the following problems. the steering column system locked up 3 times. the dealership service the traction master, and active handling system several times. this failure has resulted in an accident. there's a recall for the electronic column lock 04v06000 but the vin number isn't included. charged system once. the car is currently setting in my garage with all four of the above listed problems. *ak
06/08/2004240001
 While driving at any speed, the steering column locked. recall 04v060000) was issued. dealer refused to honor the recall, stating that the year of the vehicle was not included. *ak
05/04/200450001
 While driving at 40 mph electronic steering wheel locked up the system. consumer was able to pull the vehicle out of road. manufacturer's engineering department and dealer's technician didn't find anything wrong with the vehicle. *ak
04/16/200450001
 The steering wheel locked up when turning towards the right, causing the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. the owner took the vehicle to the dealership to be inspected. *la *sc *jb
02/27/2004335001
 While driving driver was unable to steer because the steering column locked. this caused the vehicle to hit a curb, and the front left wheel detached from the vehicle. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer, but problem was not resolved. *ak
09/03/20030108/03/2001
 The steering column on my 2002 chevrolet corvette z06 would not unlock. *ph
08/25/200313590104/28/2002
 Steering column lockup on 2002 chevrolet corvette, a model year not covered under current tsb/recall campaign.*ak
03/31/200317000110/01/2002
 The steering wheel locking mechanism did not disengage when the key was placed in ignition. *jb *tt ref. in ea02-031 *cjs
11/12/2002
 The vehicle was inside of the garage he was backing out of the garage attempt to pull back inside . the steering column lock. please provided additional information dealer is aware of the problem. ts ref. in ea02-031 *cjs