Taking a left turn in a 1997 chevrolet cavalier, the steering wheel locked, causing the car to veer left without ability to correct until explicit force was applied. The incidents left the steering wheel with sluggish control and therefore unsafe for driving. The car was taken to the dealership which asked for 800$ for the repair of the steering wheel. Information about this defect in gm cars has been seen throughout the internet, and a complaint is more than necessary.
1997 Chevrolet Cavalier: steering wheel locks up
10 of the 540 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 11 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
Rack and pinion failure. While turning onto the interstate my 17 year olds 1997 chevy cavalier steering locked, makiing it impossible to turn the wheel to the left. Fortunately she only grazed the gaurd rail but this could have easily been a fatal failure.
Consumer states that the rack opinion has gone bad causing the vehicle unable to make a left turn. When making a left turn the steering wheel locks. Ts
While driving at 25-30 MPH steering wheel locked up and would not allow consumer to make a left turn. Contacted dealer ,and dealer was not willing to do anything.
While driving through a parking lot I turned the wheel to go left and the steering wheel locked up and began pulling right almost causing me to run into another vehicle. Had I been going any faster I would have crashed and died. On the way home the wheel locked up again turning left onto our road and I almost drove off the road. I've parked the car and haven't driven it since with concern that this life threatening problem will cause a serious accident. Many other gm vehicles have reports of this steering problem with 97 vehicles which can be seen in a report by guy cramer at http://www.yfiles.com/gm-steering-problem.htm.
Mid-way through a left turn from a stop sign, the steering locked up and began pulling to the right. Initially the car steered freely to the right and only locked left; then both right and left locked up. Mechanic says the steering gear on the power assist rack & pinion failed creating a safety issue.
Power steering seized due to failure of the rack and pinion, dealer replaced rack and pinion, consumer states that vehicle pulled to the right and stopped just short of hitting a tree.
While driving at any speed steering wheel lock ups. At lower speeds the steering wheel is very difficult when making a left turn. The dealer is aware of the problem. The problem is being corrected.
Consumer experienced an intermittent/ongoing problem with vehicle steering locking up while making a turn at a low speed. Vehicle been in/out dealer shop on three occasions, and informed that nothing could be found/duplicated and problem still occurs.
Steering wheel locked up prior to recall.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Concerns with clunk noise from front of vehicle turning maneuver / steering wheel rotation
- Clunk felt/noise heard from steering column, steering gear and/or front of vehicle during turning maneuver...
- Clunk felt/noise heard from steering column, steering gear and/or front of vehicle during turning maneuver...
- Clunk noise from front of vehicle during turning maneuver/steering wheel rotation
- Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from the front of the vehicle during a turning...
- Some vehicles may exhibit a clunk type noise while turning, especially felt in the steering wheel
- Some vehicles may exhibit a clunk type noise especially felt in the steering wheel while turning
- Customers may complain of a clunk noise from front end of the vehicle during turning maneuvers or steering...
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V286000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier?
10 of 540 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier (2%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier?
There is 1 recall and 11 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
Stalling 40Wipers 20ABS 19Fire or smoke 18Won't start 18No deployment 17Grinding brakes 13Power steering loss 13Overheating 12Knocking 10Fuel pump 10Headlights 9Engine failure 8Check engine light 7Fuel smell 6Jerking 6Loss of power 6Misfire 6Pulling 6Hesitation 5Seat belt 5Sudden acceleration 5
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