2002 Chevrolet Corvette

ON JUNE 10, 2010, MY 2002 CORVETTE, 'MANUAL" TRANSMISSIONS," WAS AT BRANDON AUTO IN ROANOKE VA., WHERE THEY WERE REPLACING THE ORIGINAL TIRES WITH 4 NEWS TIRES. THE CAR HAS JUST OVER 29,100 MILES. BRANDON STATED THAT WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE, A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED STATING, "SERVICE STEERING COLUMN." THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF, AND COULD NOT BE DRIVING. IT WAS TOWED BY AAA TO PINKERTON CHEVROLET IN SALEM, VA. PINKERTON WAS THE GM DEALERSHIP THAT IN OCT OF 2006 CORRECTED THE "STEERING COLUMN LOCKING DEVICE" UNDER THE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA02031AND GM RECALL NO. 04006. ON JUNE 16TH PINKERTON DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK, AND I WAS BILLED $624.80. WHEN I QUESTIONED THEM ABOUT THE ABOVE RECALL/DEFECT OF THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK, THE PINKERTON SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I PICKED THE CAR UP ON THE 16TH AFTER PAYING THEM IN FULL. THAT SAME DAY I CALLED GM'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FILED A COMPLAINT, #71-839793121. ON JUNE18TH I WAS INFORMED BY GM CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT "GM" WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING COLUMN RECALL/DEFECTS. WHEN I ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR, THEY PUT ME ON "HOLD" FOR OVER 30 MINUTES AND THEN "HUNG UP" ON ME. HAD I BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN DEFECT OCCURRED, IT COULD HAVE CAUSE A CRASH RESULTING IN POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURIES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. I WOULD APPRECIATE "NHTSA ODI" INVESTIGATION OF THIS SERIOUS VEHICLE DEFECT. ALSO, GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE: A). FOR NOTIFYING ALL CORVETTES OWNERS OF THIS CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK; B). RECALLING ALL VEHICLES AND EFFECTING CORRECTIVE REPAIRS AT "NO COST" TO THE OWNERS; C). AND ENSURE THE CORVETTE OWNERS THAT GM'S CORRECTIVE ACTION 'IS A PERMANENT FIX TO THE PROBLEM." *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. 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 TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT SO THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD FUNCTION NORMALLY. OCCASIONALLY ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE WHICH CAUSED 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, A 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 CANCELING THE SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING OPTION WAS A SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

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

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

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

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