By Guy Cramer

While the defect with Ford Trucks and Firestone tires blowing out causing over 200 deaths and 700 injuries left us wondering who was to blame for this problem, the steering problem that GM has with a large number of 1997 vehicles may equal or surpass the Firestone problem and in this case there is no scapegoat.

Friends of mine allowed us the use of their 1997 Chevy Venture Minivan for the past few months. Recently my wife was driving home when the steering locked up on her and she started to cross the center line of traffic into oncoming vehicles. She was a short way from home and managed to regain control before hitting anything. Arriving home she stated that the problem happened three times on the way home.

I drove the vehicle down the street and sure enough making a left turn would cause the steering to lock. We took the vehicle to the dealership, Mussallem Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac LTD in Maple Ridge, B.C. They concluded it was the rack and pinion and would replace it with the dealership covering 50% of the $1,000+ repair cost. Dealerships don't normally cover 50% of a problem when a vehicle is past warranty unless there is something more to it.

I researched the problem on the internet and quickly found out that for them to cover 50% is an admission to guilt, did GM know about this problem?

I found that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was investigating the rack and pinion on the Chevy Venture and 36 consumer complaints had been made to the NHTSA specifically regarding the steering locking on the 1997 Venture.

I meet with the Service Manager at the dealership, Larry Kilthau and showed him the complaints, however 50% was as high as the dealership would go. Larry provided me with the GM Customer Assistance Centre Phone number and I was quickly connected to Janice, a Manager of Customer Assistance. She listened and told me that no such problem with rack and pinion was listed with GM and no recall had been made. I told her that the problem was under investigation under NHTSA Action Number PE01-038. She informed me that was an American investigation and Canadian investigations through Transport Canada don't include U.S. problems and GM Canada only looks at Canadian problems. She was going to see if she could resolve the problem, however, I pointed out that unless they would do the same for all people with the same problem, not just this one case, I would inform the public about this lack of responsibility on GM's part.

I went to transport Canada website but they don't post complaints or investigations, only recalls. Considering the defensive reaction I received from the dealership and customer assistance, I wondered if this problem was more widespread than just the 97 Chevrolet Venture.

Going back onto the NHTSA web site, I discovered that the same investigation for Chevy Venture also included the 97 Chevy Malibu, 97 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 97 Oldsmobile Supreme, 97 Pontiac Grand Prix and 97 Pontiac Trans Port. I then researched all rack and pinion steering complaints on GM vehicles for 1997 and found not just the 6 models under the NHTSA investigation but 22 models. There was a total of 179 separate complaints for rack and pinion steering problems in which 55 of those complaints, reported problems with steering problems when turning left. A number had resulted in accidents and injuries. Those in bold are under NHTSA investigation. All are 1997 vehicles.

Buick (12), Cadillac (4), Chevrolet (69), Oldsmobile (11), Pontiac (82), Saab (0), Saturn (1)

Total GM Vehicles (179) (55 specifically reported problems with steering problems when turning left)

Considering I was able to quickly find other GM makes and models with the same problem is cause for concern, why are these other GM vehicles not under the same NHTSA investigation for rack and pinion? 

If there are currently 179 complaints about rack and pinion in GM Vehicles and over 30% mention the problem happens when turning left indicates a design defect with the rack and pinion.

How many steering problems with the GM rack and pinion have not been reported to the NHTSA as the consumer is led to believe that it is only a problem with their vehicle, 10 times as many, 20 times or more? How many serious or fatal accidents might have been caused by this defect in which mechanical failure of the rack and pinion was not discovered as the accident would have destroyed the rack and pinion?

In a few cases it was reported that in the accident the driver side airbag malfunctioned or the dealer discovered the same when repairing the steering that the air bag could not deploy because of the rack and pinion problem. Not only do you unexpectedly lose control of the vehicle but if you do hit something your airbag may not deploy.