STEERING COLUMN COMPLETELY LOCKED RESULTING IN VEHICLE BEING TOWED TO DEALER AND HAVING STEERING LOCK, CYLINDER, IGNITION, LOCK ACTUATOR REPLACED AT THE TUNE OF $591.61. IN AUGUST OF 2001 SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND PART REPAIRED. NO ASSISTANCE WHAT SO EVER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Corvette years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette are substantially higher than the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Corvette years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
46 reports with mileage · 107 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 95 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
153 reportsAFTER READING ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET ON THE SERVICE COLUMN LOCK PROBLEMS, THERE SHOULD DEFINETLY BE A RECALL ON THIS!*AK DID NOT COUNT IN NUMBERS DUE TO OWNER NOT EXPERIENCING HIMSELF.
I UNDERSTAND YOU REVIEWED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 1999 MODEL AND CHEVROLET HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR SPECIFIC VIN NUMBERS AND YEARS, BUT HAVE EXCLUDED 1997. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND EXPECT IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL GMC DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
THE CAR'S TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGES EVEN WHEN WHEELS ARE NOT SLIPPING. IT DID THIS ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT DOES IT EVERY TIME I TRY TO DRIVE THE CAR. WHEN THE TCS KICKS IN, THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED SO YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 15MPH. IT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN ABRUBTLY AND NEVER TURNS OFF UNTIL YOU TURN OFF…
Read full complaint
THE CAR'S TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGES EVEN WHEN WHEELS ARE NOT SLIPPING. IT DID THIS ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT DOES IT EVERY TIME I TRY TO DRIVE THE CAR. WHEN THE TCS KICKS IN, THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED SO YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 15MPH. IT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN ABRUBTLY AND NEVER TURNS OFF UNTIL YOU TURN OFF THE CAR. THE DASH DISPLAYS MANY ERROR MESSAGES REPEATEDLY SUCH AS "SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM" "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" "SERVICE ABS SYSTEM" "CHECK ENGINE". THIS IS A SUPER SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN YOU HAVE A 345HP CAR, YOU TEND TO PULL OUT ON TO A HIGHWAY KNOWING YOU CAN GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY. SEVERAL TIMES, I PULLED OUT AND THE CAR'S ENGINE CUT OUT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OTHER 97 CORVETTE OWNERS AND GM SHOULD HANDLE THIS WITH A RECALL TO FIX THE FAULTY COMPONENTS. MY CAR ONLY HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT.
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED AND WON'T UNLOCK. *AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
T-TOP ROOF ASSEMBLY IS SEPARATING FROM VEHICLE. THERE IS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN AN 1/8" SEPARATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT MOVES APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 2 INCHES FORWARD WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *AK
THE CORVETTE'S STEERING BECOMES INOPERATIVE RANDOMLY DUE TO THE COLUMN LOCK NOT RELEASING. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED TO REPLACE THE LOCK AT MY COST AND STATED THE PROBLEM MAY STILL OCCUR WITH THE NEW LOCK? REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
MY CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF A GROCERY STORE. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR I STARTED THE ENGINE AND THE DIC PANEL READ STEERING COLUMN LOCKED, PULL KEY AND WAIT 10 SECONDS. I TRIED TO GET THE CAR TO UNLOCK THE STEERING COLUMN FOR 1 HR. I CALLED FOR HELP AND HE ALSO TRIED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE…
Read full complaint
MY CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF A GROCERY STORE. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR I STARTED THE ENGINE AND THE DIC PANEL READ STEERING COLUMN LOCKED, PULL KEY AND WAIT 10 SECONDS. I TRIED TO GET THE CAR TO UNLOCK THE STEERING COLUMN FOR 1 HR. I CALLED FOR HELP AND HE ALSO TRIED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. JERRY HAMM CHEVROLET WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR EXPENSES EVEN THOUGH I NOTIFIED THEM OF THE 13 COMPLAINTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE. THE REPAIRS COST ME $418.00 PLUS $65.00 FOR TOWING. CHEVROLET NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS MALFUNCTIONING PART. I AM HANDLING MY DISPTE THROUGH ARBITRATION AND WILL TAKE THEM TO COURT IF NECESSARY.*AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
Official recalls
504V060000 · Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
Feb 9, 2004
ON 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 & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: ON 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.
00V111000 · Seat Belts:front
Apr 17, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LAP BELT WEBBING CAN TWIST ALLOWING THE WEBBING TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: WHEN THE BELT WEBBING BECOMES JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR, THE SEAT BELT MAY BE UNUSABLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL INSERTS TO THE BELT WEB GUIDE OF EACH LAP BELT RETRACTOR.
97V104000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Jun 28, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELTS IN THESE VEHICLES INCORPORATE AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOP. THIS LOOP IS INADEQUATE TO ABSORB THE NECESSARY FORCES THAT CAN BE EXERTED ON IT. THEREFORE, THE VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOP WILL NOT ABSORB ENOUGH ENERGY, AND INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT CAN OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLIES.
97V105000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Jun 23, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE A TORN FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT/PUMP SEAL. THIS CAN CAUSE FUEL ODOR AND/OR LEAKAGE AT THE ATTACHMENT LOCATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE FROM A TORN SEAL CAN RESULT IN A FIRE IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK ASSEMBLIES (INCLUDING FUEL SENDING UNIT AND PUMP).
97V044000 · Suspension:rear
Mar 20, 1997
THE REAR SUSPENSION TIE ROD ASSEMBLY CAN FRACTURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL CAN RESULT INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT-HAND REAR SUSPENSION TIE ROD LINKS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4EA02031 · Steering Column Lockup
Opened Nov 15, 2002 · Closed Mar 11, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column; Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
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.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:column
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
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
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.
PE02054 · Steering Column Lockup
Opened Jul 1, 2002 · Closed Nov 15, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
SEE RESUME IN REPOSITORY.
EA00009 · Front Lap Belt Malfunction
Opened Mar 16, 2000 · Closed Apr 18, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
ODI OPENED THIS EA00-009 ON MARCH 16, 2000, TO CONTINUE ANALYSES BEGUN UNDER PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE99-076.THE ALLEGED DEFECT: LAP BELT WEBBING IN BOTH SEATING POSITIONS TENDS TO FOLD OVER WHILE ENTERING THE RETRACTOR OPENING.THESE FOLDS FREQUENTLY IMPEDE PROPER WEBBING RETRACTION.IF THE RETRACTOR HAS BEEN INADVERTENTLY TOGGLED INTO AUTOMATIC LOCK RETRACTOR (ALR) MODE BY BEING EXTENDED TO ITS FULL LENGTH, IT MAY FAIL TO RESET ITSELF TO THE NORMAL EMERGENCY LOCK RETRACTOR (ELR) MODE.SUCH A CONDITION HAS BEEN SHOWN TO RENDER THE ACTIVE RESTRAINT UNUSABLE.CONCLUSION: GM WILL REMEDY THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN 71,569 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO AUGUST 1999 BY ADDING WEBBING GUIDE INSERTS TO THE LAP RETRACTOR OPENINGS OF BOTH SEATING POSITIONS TO PREVENT THE ADMISSION OF FOLDED WEBBING ONTO THE RETRACTOR SPOOL.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAS BEEN CLOSED.
PE99076 · Front Lap Belt Malfunction
Opened Dec 10, 1999 · Closed Mar 16, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available
Illustration