The following list was compiled from the NHTSA database for the following article: Police Chevrolet Impala Steering can lockup while driving at any speed  

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Defects Investigation
Consumer Complaints Database 1998

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/index.cfm  

2000 Chevrolet Impala

Date of Failure: 10/01/2000
Component: STEERING:POWER ASSIST
Summary: POLICE VEHICLE: IN PURSUIT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 40MPH. BOTH DRIVER& PASSENGER WAS PROPERLY BELTED. CROSSED RAILROAD TRACKS WHICH WERE RAISED, DUGGED UP & PAVED OVER. DRIVER LOST CONTROL & WENT INTO A DITCH, FRONT END FIRST. VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ROLL END TO END FIRST & THEN CORNER TO CORNER THREE (3) TIMES. PASSENGER IN THE FRONT WAS EJECTED THROUGH DOOR WHICH HAD CAME OPEN. SEAT BELT BUCKLE MECHANISM HAD RELEASED THE BELT. DRIVER REMAINED BELTED IN VEHICLE. PASSENGER SUSTAINED A TORN ANKLE/ LEFT KNEE/SPRAINED SHOULDER & SUPERFICIAL CUTS & BRUISES. DRIVER SUSTAINED SUPERFICIAL CUTS & BRUISES. *AK

Date of Failure: 05/12/2000
Component: STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD:INNER
Summary: POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE TIE ROD FAILURE CAUSED RUBBING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN DEALER FIXED THE STEERING UNIT AND THE STEEL FRAME STILL DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. YH

Date of Failure:
Component: STEERING:GEAR:RACK AND PINION
Summary: TOM HESSER CHEVROLET KEPT TELLING ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR. I CONTACTED CHEV CUSTOMER ASSIST CENTER & TOLD THEM I WANTED THIS CAR CHECKED OUT AT ANOTHER CHEV DELAERSHIP IN MY AREA. THEY SET ME UP WITH SYLVESTER CHEVROLET IN PECKVILLE PA. SYLVESTER CHEVROLET FOUND THE PROBLEMS ON THIS VEHICLE AND DID WORK TO CORRECT THEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

Date of Failure:
Component: STEERING:UNKNOWN TYPE:SHAFT SECTOR
Summary: THE STEERING COLUMN WAS CLUNKING AT LOW SPEEDS WHENEVER A TURN WAS INITIATED. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE HAD A TENDENCY TO WANDER. BILL HEARD CHEVROLET IN BUFORD GEORGIA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. AT THE TIME THEY INDICATED THAT THERE THEY WERE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FAILURES OF THIS COMPONENT. ON JANUARY 8 THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN TO BE REPAIRED. UPON PICKING UP THE VEHICLE THE SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT REPLACED, IT WAS LUBRICATED. I QUESTIONED THAT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS IN ACCORDACE WITH A CHEVY SERVICE BULLETIN. I FEEL THAT THE PART SHOULD BE REPLACED AND THAT FAILURE TO DO SO REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD.*AK

Date of Failure: 08/24/2000
Component: STEERING:COLUMN
Summary: I HAVE GOT THE THIRD STEERING COLUMN, THIRD SET OF TIRES AND A NEW CRADLE. THE PROBLEM STARTED AT 4437 MILES AND HAS CONTINUED YET @ 37204 MILES. HAVE BEEN TO MANY DEALERS, CONTACTED GM AND NOW HAVE A BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU COMPLAINT FILED. THE DEALERS TOLD ME IT WAS THE TIRES AND THE TIRE DEALERS TOLD ME IT WAS THE CAR. IN 4000 MILES MY TIRES WENT FROM 9/32" TO 3/32" WEAR. THE "KLUNK" IN THE FRONT END IS STILL THERE. THE VEHICLE LIKES TO "WANDER" DOWN THE ROAD WITH VIBRATIONS FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOOK IT ON MANY TEST DRIVES AND CONTACTED THE REGIONAL MANAGER=WHO SAID "NOT ANOTHER DIME IN THIS CAR". I WAS ESCORTED TO THE SALES DEPARTMENT AND INTRODUCED TO A SALESMAN FOR PURPOSES OF TRADING THE VEHICLE IN. THE OFFER WAS LESS THAN NADA TRADE VALUE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM'S ASSISTANCE LINE MANY TIMES AND JUST GOT THE "RUN AROUND" WITH OPERATORS DOCUMENTING CONVERSATION AND NO ONE WOULD LET ME TALK TO A "REAL" SUPERVISOR. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS ASK FOR A FAIR SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS THAT THE DEALERS AND GM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE. MY VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. WHY = IF GM STATES IN THEIR LITERATURE = THEY ARE COMMITTED TO "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" = NOT RESPONSIVE IN A FAIR MANNER AND I HAD TO TAKE THIS ISSUE TO ALL OF THESE EXTREMES????????????? ALSO AT ISSUE = IS THE FACT THAT GM PENALIZES DEALERS (WITH BAD CUSTOMER SURVEYS) DUE TO THE MANUFACTURERS ENGINEERING PROBLEMS. WHAT HAPPENED TO TELLING THE "TRUTH" AND "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" IN BUSINESS?????????

Date of Failure: 03/24/2001
Component: STEERING:GEAR:RACK AND PINION
Summary: WE CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS,JUST GOT IGNORED. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY.*AK

Date of Failure: 02/01/2002
Component: STEERING:WHEEL AND COLUMN
Summary: THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL WHEN CONSUMER IS TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND AFTER THREE TRIES DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

Date of Failure: 06/06/2001
Component: STEERING:COLUMN SHAFT UPPER
Summary: FRONT OF VEHICLE WAS RATTLING WHEN MAKING TURNS AT SLOW SPEED. DEALER REPLACED ENGINE CRADLE. IN AUGUST OF 2001 RATTLING RETURNED. DEALER REPLACED STEERING UPPER SHAFT.*AK

Date of Failure:
Component: STEERING:COLUMN SHAFT UPPER
Summary: WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING COLUMN SHAFT UPPER WENT OUT, RESULTING IN LOUD NOISES IN FRONT END OF CAR. *AK

Date of Failure: 09/04/1999
Component: STEERING:POWER ASSIST:RESERVOIR:FLUID
Summary: THE CONSUMER WAS PARKING VEHICLE, SMELLED SMOKE AND NOTICED ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. FRONT HARNESS WIRES OVERHEATED. CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING, AND WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT AND PUT OUT THE FIRE.*AK

Date of Failure: 03/22/2000
Component: STEERING:POWER ASSIST
Summary: DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT 40 MPH AND RAN INTO TELEPHONE POST HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING BRUISES. SEATBELTS WERE WORN AT THE TIME. NO PRIOR WARNING OF DEFECT. *AK

Date of Failure: 08/09/2001
Component: STEERING:GEAR:RACK AND PINION
Summary: VEHICLE EXPERIENCING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL. DEALER REPLACED RACK AND PINION,/CAM AND TOE, AND FRONT SUSPENSION. BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK

Date of Failure: 12/01/1999
Component: STEERING
Summary: ELECTRICAL FAILURE, STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILURE, LOWER BALL JOINT/LOWER CONTROL ARM/LOWER BALL JOINTS/LONG SHAFT SLEEVE FAILURE

2001

Date of Failure: 12/01/2001
Component: STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD:END
Summary: WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN VEHICLE LOST STEERING, AND CONSUMER HIT A LIGHT POLE. DEALER REPLACED A BROKEN TIE ROD AND A- FRAME. CONSUMER SUFFERED A BRUISED ARM. PLEASE ADD AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *AK

Date of Failure:
Component: STEERING:POWER ASSIST
Summary: WHILE TRAVELING IN PASSING GEAR POWER STEERING FAILS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

The above list was compiled for the following article: Police Chevrolet Impala Steering can lockup while driving at any speed