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1998 Chevrolet Cavalier: steering wheel locks up

5 of the 345 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier describe steering wheel locks up.

owner complaints
5
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

Steering wheel locks up by model year

  • 2005
    1
  • 2004
    1
  • 2003
    1
  • 2000
    1
  • 1999
    2
  • 1998
    5
  • 1997
    10
  • 1996
    9
  • 1995
    4
  • 1994
    1
  • 1991
    1

What owners say

Filed Jan 31, 2009 · Engine, Steering · 2,000 miles · OH

Ever since I bought my car brand new, I have had issues with the engine stalling on hills or inclines. My car will start to feel as if it's going to stall, and the RPM's jump up as if I am accelerating the gas, but since this normally only happens on hills, when I apply the brakes, my car will not stop, b/c the RPM's are still high, then that's when the car stalls, and of course my steering wheel locks, and I cannot stop without using the e-brake, or put it back into neutral and restart it. I have no warranty left since it has expired, however, I had taken my vehicle to the dealership and they always said nothing was wrong. I have small children, and it's not fair that this defect has "slipped" through the cracks for this long. Something must be done before owners of this car get injured or killed! I am also having a rack and pinion problem, but gmac said that my car didn't come from the plant with the defective parts! Well, I think it did. My car has been unreliable more often than not. Every time I have drive down a hill, I say a prayer. This happens about 2-3 times/week. My steering is so bad from the defective rack and pinion, that I can't turn my steering wheel until the car has been running for about 15 mins.(when it's cold out). Gmac has failed to take my concerns serious, it's sad that a company I paid all my hard earned money to, can't even make/or fix an unsafe vehicle! And I also have the recalled dex coolant, but you have to have paid for the damages and repairs in order to get reimbursed! They need to fix all the affected cars, not just the ones people have paid to already have it fixed!

Filed Jul 24, 2007 · Steering, Wheels · 83,656 miles · OK

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet cavalier. While driving 10 MPH, the power steering locked and the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic and they stated that the steering rack needed to be replaced. As of july 24, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 83,656. Updated 01/11/08. *lj a broken wheel stud and nut were replaced. Updated

Filed Apr 29, 2004 · Steering · 39,040 miles · NY

When driving at low speeds steering wheel locked up. Consumer towed the vehicle to dealer for inspection. However, mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. *ak consumer went to a mechanic to have a recall repair on the vehicle (type of recall repair wasn't stated). When the repair was finished, consumer heard a noise in the vehicle. Consumer asked the mechanic where the noise was coming from. The mechanic couldn't figure out the cause of the noise and thought that the noise was coming from the belt for the air conditioner. Consumer decided to have it consulted to a different mechanic. Vehicle was driven to the mechanic by (presumably) a friend of the consumer. As the driver was about to resume coming from a stop sign, steering rack and pinion mechanism fell which also LED to steering lock-up. The steering failure resulted the driver to over turn vehicle into a ditch. Police inspected the vehicle and found that bolt from the fallen mechanism was missing.

Filed Nov 10, 2003 · Steering · 10,000 miles · PA

Chevrolet cavlier 1998 - the car is only 5 1/2 years old with 33,000 miles on it. I have had steering issues for more than 3 years with this car. I can not parallel park or make hard turns with out the steering locking up or forcing me to you my entire body weight to ge the wheel to move. When I've taken it to a dealership they simply say this is how the car is designed use the gas and that a recall has not been issued although according to this web page there has been. Apparantly according to gm my VIN number is not included in the nov/2002 recall for steering rack/pinion which sounds as if it is exactly what the problem is and that there are no recalls scheduled in the future.

Filed Nov 17, 1999 · Brakes, Steering · MD

When first starting vehicle steering wheel locks up and continues not to move as a result of the wheel locking , brakes will also not work.

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 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier steering lock-up

Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier?

5 of 345 owner complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier (1%) 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 1998 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 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier

Stalling 20ABS 18Fire or smoke 14Headlights 10Brake failure 8Won't start 7No deployment 6Check engine light 6Engine failure 6Sudden acceleration 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier

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