1998 Chevrolet Cavalier

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE FAILURE WAS A CONTINUOUS OCCURRENCE IN ANY SELECTED GEAR. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V286000 (STEERING: RACK AND PINION) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER BEING DRIVEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000. UPDATED 5/24/11 *CN UPDATED 1/18/2012 *LN *TR

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW, I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE STALLING ON HILLS OR INCLINES. MY CAR WILL START TO FEEL AS IF IT'S GOING TO STALL, AND THE RPM'S JUMP UP AS IF I AM ACCELERATING THE GAS, BUT SINCE THIS NORMALLY ONLY HAPPENS ON HILLS, WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, MY CAR WILL NOT STOP, B/C THE RPM'S ARE STILL HIGH, THEN THAT'S WHEN THE CAR STALLS, AND OF COURSE MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKS, AND I CANNOT STOP WITHOUT USING THE E-BRAKE, OR PUT IT BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART IT. I HAVE NO WARRANTY LEFT SINCE IT HAS EXPIRED, HOWEVER, I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ALWAYS SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN, AND IT'S NOT FAIR THAT THIS DEFECT HAS "SLIPPED" THROUGH THE CRACKS FOR THIS LONG. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BEFORE OWNERS OF THIS CAR GET INJURED OR KILLED! I AM ALSO HAVING A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM, BUT GMAC SAID THAT MY CAR DIDN'T COME FROM THE PLANT WITH THE DEFECTIVE PARTS! WELL, I THINK IT DID. MY CAR HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. EVERY TIME I HAVE DRIVE DOWN A HILL, I SAY A PRAYER. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 2-3 TIMES/WEEK. MY STEERING IS SO BAD FROM THE DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION, THAT I CAN'T TURN MY STEERING WHEEL UNTIL THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 15 MINS.(WHEN IT'S COLD OUT). GMAC HAS FAILED TO TAKE MY CONCERNS SERIOUS, IT'S SAD THAT A COMPANY I PAID ALL MY HARD EARNED MONEY TO, CAN'T EVEN MAKE/OR FIX AN UNSAFE VEHICLE! AND I ALSO HAVE THE RECALLED DEX COOLANT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PAID FOR THE DAMAGES AND REPAIRS IN ORDER TO GET REIMBURSED! THEY NEED TO FIX ALL THE AFFECTED CARS, NOT JUST THE ONES PEOPLE HAVE PAID TO ALREADY HAVE IT FIXED! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AS OF JULY 24, 2007, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 83,656. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ A BROKEN WHEEL STUD AND NUT WERE REPLACED. UPDATED *JB

A RECALL REPAIR ON THE STEERING MECHANISM WAS PERFORMED IN 2003; LESS THAN FOUR YEARS LATER, THE SAME REPAIR WAS NEEDED AT AN EXORBITANT COST DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE RECALL-REPLACED PART. CHEVY REFUSED MONETARY ASSISTANCE. IS IT COMMON PRACTICE TO PLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN RECALLS SO THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY THE REPAIR, HENCE THE COMPANY GETTING THEIR MONEY BACK FOR THE RECALL REPAIR? THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS INJURED WHEN THE STEERING MECHANISM BROKE. *NM

THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE STEERING RACK AND PINION ON 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER BUILD IN 4-01-1997 TO 10-31-1997 MINE WAS MADE 11-01-1997. I KNOW THAT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH MINE BECAUSE AT TIMES I CAN'T TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL WHEN I SLOW DOWN. THE REASON I'M WRITING ABOUT THIS IS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE BEEN OTHER REPORTS ON THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER 98 CAVALIERS MADE AT THIS TIME. I WOULD LIKE A REPORT SENT TO GENERAL MOTORS TO SEE IF THEY WILL GO GOOD FOR THIS PART. I HAVE A CHILD AND I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY THAT THEY SHOULD GO GOOD FOR IT AND HAVE IT FIX BY A DEALER AND THEY SHOULD PAY THE DEALER FOR THE PROBLEM. PLEASE EMAIL ME BACK . YOU HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR BACK ON THIS REAL SOON. THANK YOU. *JB

ON 08.25.2003 SUN CHEVROLET (IN PITTSBURGH, PA) PERFORMED RECALL WORK ON MY 1998 CHEVY CAVALIER. THIS WAS CLASSIFIED AS "RACK AND PINION CAMPAIGN 02049, MA-96-V0948.7". AT THAT TIME THE ONLY PART LISTED ON MY RECEIPT AS BEING INSTALLED ON THE CAVALIER WAS BEARING K 6.835 A. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERING DIFFICULTY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, WHERE IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE POWER STEERING HAS BECOME DISABLED INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS VERY STARTLING WHEN IT OCCURS, AND HAS LED TO SEVERAL "NEAR MISSES" IN TRAFFIC WHEN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE TURNS. SO, ON 07.21.2005, I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO SUN CHEVROLET FOR THEM TO EVALUATE THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW "STEERING GEAR" FOR $1168.95, AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I CALLED PRICILLA LUNDQUIST (FROM CHEVROLET 866.952.4368 X 58092, SERVICE REQUEST # 1-351040321) ON SATURDAY 07.23.2005, AND SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD SPEAK WILL SUN CHEVROLET THEN GET BACK TO US ON MONDAY (07.25.2005). AT THAT TIME SHE TOLD US THERE IS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM, IT WAS COMPLETELY OUR PROBLEM TO FIX AND PAY FOR. FROM READING THE INFORMATION ON THIS RACK AND PINION RECALL, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE STEERING GEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THE TIME OF THE RECALL (08.25.2003) ALONG WITH THE BEARING TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM NOW. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 55,000 MILES ON IT, BUT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THIS STEERING PROBLEM.

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN SHE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, AT TIMES SHE WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. SHE STATED IT HAPPENED EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT IT WAS A CONCERN: SHE SAID SHE LOOKED ON THE WEB AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS A RECALL. (RECALL # 02V286000 AND CAMPAIGN # 02049) SHE SAYS WHEN SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS GOING BAD. *JB