2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

I HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM SINCE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF MY VEHICLE. (PURCHASED NEW SEPTEMBER 2001...HAS 47,000 MILES IN 2006.) THE LEATHER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG KEEPS PULLING AWAY FROM THE SEAT AND EXPOSING THE SEAT. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT NUMEROUS TIMES AND TUCKED THE LEATHER BACK IN, BUT THAT LASTS LESS THAN AN HOUR BEFORE IT IS EXPOSED AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED THE AIR BAG MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING - OR - NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY DURING AN ACCIDENT. I EVEN HAD AN UPHOLSTERY COMPANY LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT DISCONNECTING THE AIR BAG, ETC. AND THERE WOULD BE NO GUARANTEE IT WOULD HOLD AFTER REPAIR. I DECLINED THAT OFFER. RESEARCH SHOWS MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE HAD MY 2001 MONTE CARLO LS SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2001 I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AT ABOUT 20,000 MILE AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER LUBED IT AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR AWHILE. THE LUBE ONLY LASTED TILL ABOUT 48,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY DID IT AGAIN UNDER WHAT THEY CALL GOOD WILL. AT AROUND 63,000 MILES IT WAS HAPPENING AGAIN AT WHICH TIME I DECIDE TO CALL GENERAL MOTORS. I EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM TO THEM EVEN GIVING THEM THEIR OWN BULLETIN NUMBER THAT CALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING SHAFT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME BY A GM TECHNICIAN. THEY COULD NOT FIND THAT IN THEIR DATABASE UNTIL I GAVE THEM THE NUMBER THEN THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A BULLETIN THE SUPERSEDED THE BULLETIN I GAVE THEM WHICH CALLED FOR LUBING THE SHAFT. THEY HAD ME TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHICH THEY TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE LUBED WHICH IS WHAT I TOLD GM ON THE PHONE. GM TOLD ME THEY WHERE NOT GOING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR EVEN KNOW THE SAME PART FAILED 3 TIMES IN UNDER 70,000 MILES. THE DEALER QUOTED ME 280.00 FOR THE REPAIR WHICH I DECLINED AND THEY CHARGED ME FOR DIAGNOSIS OF 75.00. I ENDED UP BUYING THE LUBE FOR 11.00 AND DOING IT MYSELF. I REALLY THINK IF GM IS GOING TO SELL CARS THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FAULTY PARTS THEY ARE PUTTING INTO VEHICLES KNOWINGLY COSTING CONSUMERS MILLIONS YEARLY. THERE ARE MANY TECHNICAL BULLETINS ON THE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEMS. I'M JUST GOING TO PUT ANY DATE IN FOR INCIDENT DATE BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM. *JB

STOP & GO DRIVING. ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATES. ALL LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING BUT RESET AFTER IGNITION TURN OFF/ TURN ON PROCEDURE AS DESCRIBED IN OWNERS MANUAL. NEXT DAY, SAME LIGHTS & WARNINGS. TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER ON 4/05/06. "COMPUTER CHECKED SYSTEM CODES P1189, P0135, C1216 IN SYSTEM. ITEMS TESTED PER TROUBLE TREE. ALL ITEMS TEST GOOD." NO CHARGE. NEXT DAY, 4/6/06, SAME WARNINGS! TAKE TO DEALER AGAIN WITHOUT RESETTING WARNINGS. NO COMPUTER SYSTEM CODES SHOWING, BUT NO INPUT SIGNAL FROM RIGHT FRONT HUB. DEALER REPLACES RIGHT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY - COST $479. VEHICLE SEEMS FINE, UNTIL ABOUT 4/20 WHEN BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATION COMES BACK AND WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF. I TURNED OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. ON 4/25, WITH THE TRACTION SYSTEM OFF, THE PEDAL VIBRATION WAS BACK AND THE ABS & TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. WENT BACK TO DEALER. ALTHOUGH THEY TOLD ME THE COMPUTER CHECK SHOW CODES OF C1222 AND C1226, THE CODES DO NOT SHOW ON MY INVOICE. CODE C1226 APPEARS ON NHTSA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ITEM NUMBER 10017271 FOR MY YEAR AND MAKE OF VEHICLE. HOWEVER THE SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 3500 IS NOT KNOW TO THE DEALER AS A VALID TSB NUMBER, AND THEY COULD NOT LOCATE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT. DEALER "DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED EBTCM, AND PROGRAMMED SYSTEM" - COST $697. I FEEL THAT BY REPLACING THE "BRAIN" (EBTCM) AND PROGRAMMING IT, THE DEALER AND/OR THE MANUFACTURER MAY BE COVERING UP A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH EITHER ONE OR BOTH SYSTEMS, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE DEALER PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN A DANGEROUS POSITION BY FAILING TO DIAGNOSIS ANY PROBLEMS ON THE FIRST VISIT, AND THEN DOING IT AGAIN BY MAKING ME FEEL SAFE BY PAYING FOR A REPLACEMENT PART THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EITHER SYSTEM! *NM

SECURITY LIGHT, SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT ALL FLASH. THE RADIO WILL "LOCK" AND WILL NOT PLAY. THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN FINE BUT THE LIGHTS FLASH CONSTANTLY. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS MODEL, BUT YET IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE OTHER RECALLS ON MONTE CARLOS. MY DEALERSHIP WANTS $80.00 JUST TO LOOK AT IT. THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND I AM AFRAID MY AIR BACK WON'T WORK IF NEEDED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE HOOD WAS OPENED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION THE PLASTIC PRESSURE REGULATOR GAUGE WAS CRACKED WHICH CAUSED GAS TO POOL IN THE INTAKE AREA. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PRESSURE REGULATOR GAUGE. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH WAS ENGAGED SEVERAL TIMES. AFTERWARDS THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED, BUT THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LIGHTS WEAKENED WHILE THE DIMMER SWITCH WAS ENGAGED. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER.

THE BRAKE ROTORS ON MY 2001 MONTE CARLO HAVE HAD TO BE RESURFACED TWICE AND NOW NEED TO BE RESURFACED A THIRD TIME FOR BECOMING WARPED. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE BRAKES RESURFACED WAS AT 19,874 MILES. THE SECOND TIME WAS AT 40,644. I HAVE 55,562 MILES ON MY VEHICLE NOW AND THEY NEED TO BE RESURFACED AGAIN, BUT THE VIBRATIONS HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT BAD YET. ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIBRATIONS FROM MY ROTORS BECOMING WARPED, I EXPERIENCE A "KNOCKING" FEELING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK MY CAR INTO MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AT ABOUT 39,700 MILES AND DESCRIBED MY PROBLEM TO THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND NEEDED RESURFACING AND THAT THE STEERING SHAFT HAD GONE BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING. I HAD THEM REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT ($480 JOB) BUT NOT THE BRAKES. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO RESURFACE THE ROTORS (LESS EXPENSIVE THAN DEALER COST). I AM HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF THE STEERING SHAFT GOING BAD AGAIN. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY CHEVROLET WON'T DO SOMETHING FOR ITS MONTE CARLO CUSTOMERS. *JB