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 | ||||||||||||||||
| 08E063000 | DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC. | E (Equipment) | 3855 | 10/16/2008 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 10/17/2008 | 10/20/2008 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Dorman products is recalling 3,900 intermediate steering shafts dorman part nos. 425-151, 425-152, and 425-153, (sold under dorman's oe solutions brand name), balkamp #'s 7-3057, 7-3058, 7-3059 (sold under the napa brand name), and platinum parts #'s 2425151, 2425152, and 2425153 manufactured during the month of september 2007. these replacement steering shafts can be used on the vehicles listed above. the weld connecting the inner tube to the outer tube may be defective. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the weld fails, loss of steering could result, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dorman will notify owners and replace the steering shafts free of charge. the recall began on october 16, 2008. owners may contact dorman toll free at 1-800-523-2492. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to dorman's oe solutions brand name, balkamp's napa brand, and the platinum brand steering shafts and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by general motors corporation.customers may 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 | ||||||||||||||||
| 02V286000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 04/01/1997 to 10/31/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 1159156 | 01/24/2003 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 11/04/2002 | 11/06/2002 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. these and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, 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 january 24, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 02049.also, customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 010232001F | 02/01/2006 | 10019516 | Clunk felt/noise heard from steering column, steering gear and/or front of vehicle during turning maneuver and/or steering wheel rotation. *tt | 03/21/2006 | |
| 040235004D | 11/01/2005 | 040235004C | 10008657 | Clunk noise from front of vehicle during turning maneuver/steering wheel rotation. *tt *nm | 08/13/2004 |
| 010232001C | 09/01/2003 | 010232001B | 10004280 | Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from the front of the vehicle during a turning maneuver. *tt | 12/01/2003 |
| 010232001B | 07/01/2002 | 010203001A | 634803 | Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from the front of the vehicle during a turning maneuver. *tt | 10/09/2002 |
| 051101 | 11/05/2001 | 628094 | Some vehicles may exhibit a clunk type noise especially felt in the steering wheel while turning. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| 150900 | 09/15/2000 | 619039 | This message concerns vehicles exhibiting a clunk noise coming from the front of the vehicle. customers may state that a clunk noise is heard when turning the steering wheel. *tt | 05/11/2001 | |
| 180101 | 01/18/2001 | 618179 | Information on diagnosing clunk or bump noise usually heard when turning emitting from the front of the vehicle. this condition may also be felt through the steering wheel of vehicle with the car in park or moving slowly and the steering | 04/06/2001 | |
| 020601 | 02/06/2001 | 618119 | Customers may complain of a clunk noise from front end of the vehicle during turning maneuvers or steering wheel rotation. *jb | 04/04/2001 | |
| 01-02-32-001 | 04/01/2008 | 010232001O | 618086 | Concerns with clunk noise from front of vehicle turning maneuver / steering wheel rotation.*jb (lubricate or replace intermediate shaft as appropriate). updated 10/05/07. *nj updated 4/1/08. *nj updated 7/1/2008 *pe | 04/03/2001 |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 070232006 | 08/01/2007 | 10022926 | Clunk felt/noise heard from steering column, steering gear and/or front of vehicle during turning maneuver and/or steering wheel rotation (lubricate intermediate shaft [i-shaft]). *nj | 10/05/2007 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 10/01/2011 | 66241 | ||
| Apparently, their is a known issue w/the 98 pontiac sunfire steering rack and pinion gear making it feel like their is a total loss of power steering, even though the power steering pump is working properly. i purchased this car in january of 2011 off a little old lady, who kept it in a garage and barely drove it, the car only had 51,000 miles on it. she advised that she didn't know of any recalls, so she didnt take it in for any of the recall repairs. i have check the nhtsa website as well as several other reputable sites and have found their have been several recalls on this vehicle. however, upon calling pontiacs recall hotline, they are telling me that these recalls on your website never existed for my 98 pontiac sunfire and went on to say that you can believe every thing you read on the internet (how funny, your average moron could have figured that out). but regardless, it appears that pontiac is saying that they will not fix these recalls. please investigate and let me know if my concerns are legitimate. i don't want to pay for a repair, when the car should have been fixed under their recall. thanks. | |||
| 11/30/2010 | 97000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1998 pontiac sunfire. while driving less than 5 mph he was unable to turn the vehicle to the left. the vehicle became very difficult to steer to the left. he stated because of the failure he had to back up and reposition the vehicle in oder to make the turn. he called the dealer and the dealer referred him to the manufacture. the contact referenced recall 02v286000, steering:rack and pinion. he called the manufacture and was advised that his vehicle was not part of the recall. the failure happen on november 30, 2010. the failure had occured several times in one day. the vehicle had not been repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage were 97,000. vwb | |||
| 65000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced the same defect with its steering as stated in recall 02 v 286 000. but this vehicle was not included in recall due to vin. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 60000 | 2 | |
| A clicking noise was coming from the steering column. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs twice, and results indicated that the steering column needed to be greased, otherwise the consumer could lose steering while driving. *ak the noise was the sound of metal on metal. gm was aware of the problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 08/24/1998 | |||
| Steering wheel is loose and tilt steering mechanism has slipped out of position while driving. also, accelerator stuck while driving at 40 mph. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 100000 | 1 | 10/02/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated six to eight months ago, when turning left, a pop was heard in the steering column. since that time, the steering has been harder to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who determined the rack and pinion and power steering hose needed to be replaced. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 02/14/2005 | 1 | ||
| Nhtsa recall campaign 02v286000; general motors issued a steering assembly recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. but at certain times the power steering failed when making turns, making the ability to maneuver the vehicle difficult, and increasing the risk of a crash.*ak vehicle power steering performs like it has no power stering , just like recall describes. dealer refused to take action cause vin is not in lot of #'s recalled. *bf | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/06/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| First this clicking/popping sound started coming from the steering wheel when you turn it at low speed. the mechanic said its the inner tie rods that need to be replaced. but to replace them you have to replace the whole steering assembly because there made as one piece. then one month ago the car started shacking at idle speed. if you are in drive or nuetruel at a stop light standing still you could feel it shacking a little. the dealer said it could be anything from electric problems to coil problems. but just yesterday i was driving at night on the freeway going about 60mph when i saw smoke behind my car. i got on the shoulder and saw smoke comming out of the engine. then i tried starting the car but it won't start. so i had it towed to my house. at my house i checked the engine with a flashlight and found a big hole (3-4 in diameter) in the engine by the dipstick. it seems that something got loose in the engine that made the car shacking and when it got lose it just flew out. luckly it didn't when tru the hood. if anyone could help me please in finding maybe theres like a service bulletin or a recall for this problems. also i will never buy any stupid pontiacs and won't reccomend one for anyone. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 100000 | 1 | 10/02/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated six to eight months ago, when turning left, a pop was heard in the steering column. since that time, the steering has been harder to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who determined the rack and pinion and power steering hose needed to be replaced. | |||
| 08/02/2004 | 1 | 12/30/2003 | |
| This is an ongoing problem with my steering column. when i turn my steering wheel to the right or left, it makes a bumping noise. it happens every time the wheel is turned to the right or left. now it has gone out and the recalls r the same but they say it does not cover my car i need to know how this is going to be fixed. *ak | |||
| 02/14/2004 | 1 | 11/20/2000 | |
| This is an ongoing problem with my steering column. when i turn my steering wheel to the right or left, it makes a bumping noise. it happens every time the wheel is turned to the right or left. it sounds like something is knocking.*ak | |||
| 09/05/2002 | 51000 | 01/16/2002 | |
| On 9/5/02 my car was involved in an accident which totally destroyed it. accident was caused when i was slowly making a left turn, suddenly i experienced loss of power making it very hard to maneuver car due to high resistance. i was going south, and when i started to make left turn, north bound was free and clear, but because the length of time i spent trying to control my vehicle, another car going north approached the intersection where i was and could not avoid hitting the other car causing the crash. i spent my entire savings to purchase this car from a pontiac dealer, and this accident that left me without transportation, caused the lost of my job and many other hardships. then on january 2003, pontiac decides to send me a recall letter, which was too late for me. my question is what took pontiac such a long time to issue the recall notice? if they had done it earlier, i would have never purchase this used vehicle in 2002. four years is a long time and i am sure there must have been numerous accidents, hope they were as lucky as me who is alive to tell the story. now for my rights..... what are they in this situation? as i said before, this minor mistake of gm left me without car, without savings and without a job. i strongly believe that gm should compensate me with an equal car or the equivalent for me to purchase another car, it is only fair. if the problem was made public in 1999 or 2000 i would not be in this predicament. please present my complaint to the manufacturer and advise me on how to proceed in order to be reimbursed for the damages this minor defect had caused me. i desperately need a car to be able to get to a job. please help me! thank you. (by the way, it took me a while to find you) (don't know what eom means, i checked no, but don't know the answer). *nlm | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| Recall #02-v-286-000 the recall regarding the rack and pinion failed, after the recall was performed.*jb | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - PINION SHAFT | |||
| 08/12/2004 | 2 | 08/01/1998 | |
| My car makes a clunking noise whenever i turn to the right or left. the first time i had the repair was in 2002 at a pontiac dealership and was covered by warranty. however the problem has returned and i contacted the dealership. they have told me that they only guarantee work done for a year, which leaves me to pay for the repair. i have also contacted gmc and they will not help cover any charges, even though this is the second time i will need this same problem fixed. it seems to me that this shaft problem should be taken care of either by the dealership or gmc. by reading the other reports here, it's obvious to me that there are others who are complaining about the same problem. so why hasn't there been a recall? why am i responsible for the payment when it's a manufacturer issue? | |||