2000 Chevrolet Suburban Steering

IN LATE JUNE 2005, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2000 SUBURBAN. DURING A TURNING MANEUVER HER POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THE DEALER DOING THE REPAIR SAID A POWER STEERING ROD HAD BROKEN, AND IT COST JUST UNDER $800 TO REPAIR. LATER, I SAW NHTSA RECALL ID 05V005000, WHICH REPORTS BROKEN SHAFTS IN POWER STEERING PUMPS ON SOME SUBURBAN MODELS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, BUT THE SIMILARITY SEEMS TOO STRONG TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WOULD BE THE CASE. MY VIN IS [XXX]. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2000 SUBURBAN 2500 [XXX] - LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES AT SPEED. MY 73 YEAR OLD FATHER WAS DRIVING MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AND WAS ROUNDING A CORNER WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AND THE BRAKES BARELY ABLE TO STOP. HE WENT STRAIGHT MIDWAY THROUGH THE TURN AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS HE COULD. LUCKILY, NO CARS WERE APPROACHING AND HE EVENTUALLY STOPPED. I HAD THE SUBURBAN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT A RECALL WAS IN PROGRESS FOR MY VEHICLE AND THE PARTS AND LABOR WOULD BE REPLACED FOR FREE. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE REPAIR ON MY VISA AND THEN BE REIMBURSED. I CALLED GM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND THE REIMBURSEMENT FORMS. THEY THEN CALLED ON MARCH 17TH AND SAID THAT MY VEHICLE WAS JUST OUTSIDE THE VIN RECALL RANGE BUT WAS IN THE SAME YEAR AND I WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE PARTS THAT WERE RECALLED WERE IN MY VEHICLE BUT GM CLAIMS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED. HERE IS THE RECALL DESCRIPTION FROM GM - "THE HYDRAULIC PUMP DRIVESHAFT CAN FRACTURE IN THE 98,221 VEHICLES MENTIONED, WHICH CAUSES IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST AND CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF BRAKING ASSIST". THE REPAIR WAS OVER $600 BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, MANY OF THE VEHICLES WITH THE BAD PARTS (LIKE MINE) WILL NOT BE RECALLED AND SOMEONE COULD EASILY BE KILLED ( A PEDESTRIAN, A HEAD ON CRASH, ETC). WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CATASTROPHIC STEERING AND BRAKE FAILURE AT THE SAME TIME! NORMALLY, I'M NOT TOO CARING ABOUT THIS STUFF AND I REGARD IT AS SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEM BUT I DON'T WANT THIS BLOOD ON MY HANDS IF I DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POPPING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT, ALWAYS HEAR THIS NOISE WHEN TURNING ,LEFT OR RIGHT.NOISE STARTED WHEN VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 38,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE.*AK

MY 2000 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN LOST ALL POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING WHEEL LEFT TO AVOID SLIDING ON ICE. HARBOR CHEVROLET/MICHIGAN CITY IN REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP; TOTAL COST $650.10, INCLUDING TOWING.*AK

WHILE DRIVING A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN. CONSUMER SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE REPACKED.*TS *JB

RIGHT FRONT TIE ROD SNAPPED IN HALF WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND TOWING A TRAILER. BOTH VEHICLES WERE A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, BROKE INTERNALLY. MY WIFE WENT TO TURN THE SUBURBAN AROUND (ON DIRT DRIVEWAY) AND IT QUIT ALL AT ONCE.*AK

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED BEFORE IT FAILED DUE TO NOISE HEARD WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED SEVERAL OTHERS UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.*AK

DEALER RECENTLY REPLACE PART (WITH NO CHARGE) BUT DID NOT PERFORM A FRONT END ALIGNMENT TO ENSURE VEHICLE IS SAFE. NEW PART (9PER THE LIMITED WARRANTY) IS GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS AFTER SALE OR REPLACEMENT. STEERING SHAFTS SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR LIFE VS FAILING AFTER 18 MONTHS. UNSURE OF OTHER 2000 SUBURBAN'S BUT, THIS WAS A CRITICAL PART OF THE VEHICLE AND IF NOT FIXED SURELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED AND ACCIDENT..

CONTINUED INTERMITTENT POPPING NOISE WITH STEERING, LOSS CONTROL TWICE, INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT 04/22/00, POPPING WAS EVIDENT PRIOR TO ACCIDENT BUT NOT REPORTED BECAUSE THE SUBURBAN WAS NEW AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE WEAR IN OF A BRACKET, LEMON LAW PROCEDURE FILED AND ARBITRATION TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR 01/29/01. GM'S POSITION IS THE POPPING AND STEERING PROBLEMS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT. OUR POSITION IS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT NT.PT CHEVROLET ADVISED US TO BEGIN LEMON LAW AND INVOICES DETAILING WARRANTY REPAIR AND INTERNAL CHARGES FOR REPAIRS TO THE LINKAGES., THE ACCIDENT DAMAGE WAS ONLY COSMETIC WITH NO COMPROMISE TO THE FRAME OR ENGINE. THE POPPING NOISE HAS NOW BECOME A RATTLING NOISE AND RATTLING VIBRATION IN THE STEERING COLUMN NOT NECESSARILY RESULTANT OF TURNING. *AK

THE ACCELETATOR IS TO CLOSE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL.

WHILE TRYING TO STEER VEHICLE IT IS VERY HARD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PROBLEM RETURNED AFTER REPAIRS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK