Tl-the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet lumina. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle constantly pulled to the left, while the wheels pulled to the right. The current mileage was 174,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.
Chevrolet Lumina pulling problems
13 of the 2,945 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Lumina describe pulls to one side, most of them for the 1995 model year.
- owner complaints
- 13
- worst model year
- 1995
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 19982
- 19972
- 19961
- 19954
- 19941
- 19931
- 19902
Often reported together
Premature wear 2Grinding brakes 2Ball joint 2Steering lock-up 1Door locks 1No deployment 1ABS 1
What owners say
Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the car suddenly pulled to the right. When the contact regained control of the vehicle, the steering wheel was in the upside down position. The vehicle was steered into a driveway. Upon inspection, the shaft between the steering column and the rack and pinion was observed to be detached. When the rack and pinion was reassemled it appeared to be very loose. The contact is a private mechanic by trade.
After the dealership replaced the lower pinion bearing as stated in recall 03v527000 the vehicle had a severe pull to the right and the steering wheel was hard to control. The consumer took the vehicle back to the dealership. The dealership then replaced the steering gear because they indicated the replacement of the lower pinion steering caused the steering gear to fail. The problem still exist. *nm
At any speed vehicle will pull to the left and its hard to steer, the steering wheel locks up with no warning and at any speed,. The dealer replaced the rack and pinion. *ak
Since I bought the car in may of 1997, I have had to have the front brakes repaired or replaced four times. The first time was two weeks after I bought the car, I took it in to the dealer, because the brake fluid kept leaking, and the front disc pulled. They told me that this was a recall problem, and they claimed to fix it. Nine months later I had to have the the front brakes replaced, and the rear brakes adjusted, due to pulling and squeaking, (at sears auto center). Later in october of 1998, I had to replace front discs again. This was when I took my car in for its 60000 mile service. The mechanic at kauffman tire in hiram, ga showed me the wear on the pads and brakes, they replaced the pads and machined the rotors. In june of 1999, the brakes started squeaking again, and it was pulling to the left. I had the brakes fixed at mid-state motors, in manchester, tn, and they worked fine until about mid-february 2000. Now when I pressed the brake pedal, it vibrated violently. I feel that the brakes are wearing and going bad much sooner than they should.
I ws driving at about 35 MPH when I heard a noise like I went over a bump or pothole. Then I felt a pulling to the right, like a flat tire,so I immediately pulled into a parking lot. When I stopped and looked under the front passenger wheel, it looked like something was falling. I got back into the car and tried to move it further into the lot, and there was a noise and it would not move. When I got out, the front engine cradle had fallen to the ground. In addition, the steering wheel no longer worked. At first look, the tow truck driver and my mechanic thought that the engine cradle bolts had broken, but when the mechanic went to fix it, he found that the entire engine cradle had rotted out and had fallen. It was replaced along with the engine mounts, tie rods, and front upper motor mount. If I had not pulled into the parking lot, I would have been involved in a serious accident. Initially, it was reported to chevy that the engine mounts had broken. We will be sending them a letter with pictures of what happened when the pictures are developed. This is a very serious problem. It is not something that would be apparent unless a mechanic was aware that there could be a problem and checked the engine cradle regularly.
Front end floating all over the road .pulling to the right .had 4 wheel aligments and the dealer put 4 used tires on the car the last time and now it shimmies. The owner bruce weed said that as good as it gets . I think its a problem because I put my family in the unsafe car please help
Vehicle hit head-on. Air bags did not deploy. Side window shattered. Vehicle towed. After repairs, vehicle pulls to right/transmission does not work properly/ door locks go up & down when driving and braking is very hard.
When brakes are applied hard, driver's door would slide forward off track. Fender would impede its progress. Passenger's door fails to open. Brakes: brake pads worn down. Front end misalignment, causing vehicle vehicle to pull hard to right/tires to wear out. Will be taking vehicle to dealer.
Everytime the brakes are applied, the front wheels lock up; causing vehicle to pull to the left & then right. Hit dirt embankment. Ended besides telephone pole on side of road. Vehicle totaled.
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers 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 on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537; or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.
Recall number 03V527000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- The four (4) steering column support bracket attaching bolts were under torqued during assembly.
- Risk
- Inadequate torque can cause these bolts to vibrate, loosen, or fall out resulting in loss of steering control and increase the potential for a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will retorque the steering column support bracket attaching bolts to the correct specifications.
Recall number 95V030000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Lumina pulling
Which Chevrolet Lumina years have pulls to one side problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1995 (4 complaints), 1990 (2 complaints) and 1997 (2 complaints).
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