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1997 Chevrolet Cavalier: pulls to one side

6 of the 540 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier describe pulls to one side.

owner complaints
6
of this car's complaints
1%
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 11 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Pulls to one side by model year

  • 2005
    1
  • 2003
    3
  • 1997
    6
  • 1996
    5
  • 1995
    1
  • 1994
    1

What owners say

Filed Dec 13, 2004 · Airbags, Steering · AR · crash · 1 injury

Defective steering column in 97 cavalier, caused an accident resulting in extreme injuries. *bf the federal safety agency campaign id number : 02v286000. The consumer was making a slow left and the vehicle pulled to the right. The air bag deployed late striking the consumers left eye. *tc

Filed Jun 11, 2002 · Steering · WA

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.

Filed Aug 16, 2001 · Steering · OK

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.

Filed Sep 2, 1999 · Steering · IL

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.

Filed Jan 11, 1999 · Suspension · CA

While driving at 70 MPH noticed vehicle was slowing down and pulling to the left. Lower control arm could cause the rear suspension trailing arm bolts to break while driving.

Filed Mar 24, 1997 · Acceleration · PA · crash

Driving approximately 35mph and vehicle started to accelerate out of control, wandering and unable to steer, ran into border, causing vehicle to flip over.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Steering: rack and pinionReported November 4, 2002 · 1,159,156 vehicles affected
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 pulling

Is pulls to one side a common problem on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier?

6 of 540 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier (1%) mention pulls to one side. 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 10Steering lock-up 10Headlights 9Engine failure 8Check engine light 7Fuel smell 6Jerking 6Loss of power 6Misfire 6Hesitation 5Seat belt 5Sudden acceleration 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier

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