While driving 55 MPH steering wheel locked up. Consumer tried to unlock it but was unable to do so. Consumer applied the brakes and pedal went to the floor. Consumer lost control of the vehicle, and hit a median steel barrier. Then, vehicle rolled three times and landed upside down on the highway. Upon impact, both frontal airbag did not deploy. Driver sustained neck and back injuries and was transported by ambulance, to the hospital. Vehicle was totaled.
1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo: steering wheel locks up
6 of the 164 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
- 20041
- 20031
- 20011
- 20002
- 19976
- 19951
What owners say
When making a left turn, the steering wheel locked up. The dealer has been contacted. The dealer is replaced the rack and pinion. *jb
When turning the steering wheel towards the left, the steering locked up, which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. *ak the rack and pinion was replaced *jb
Power steering locked up when making a left turn. At first it happen with my son driving, was fine one day, and like something broke the next. I took my car to my mechanic, they said they have seen 3 monto carlo's that month having the same problem. I have owned numerous vehicles in my life and have never had this kind of problem. It is a very dangerous situation. Then when driving it to my mechanic, thank god my son was in the car with me, and helped me muscle the car through the turn, or there would have been a serious accident. Also the gas gauge has never given a accurate reading. When my mechanic told me they had been seeing a lot of monte carlos with this problem, it alerted me that there must be a serious problem with the power steering, and I starting checking the recalls, and sure enough, gm has recalled 96 - 98's chevrolet luminas, which is a sister car to the monto carlo, the only major difference between these two cars is the body style coupe (2 door) to sedan (four door). They have the same mechanical working parts. Hopefully they'll get the monte carlo recalled soon before there are serious consequences.
While driving 15mph, steering wheel locked up. *ak vehicle would not turn from left to right, consumer had to stop to unlock steering.
Power steering froze due to broken rack and pinion on the xepressway, was very dangerous and scary.
Service bulletins that may apply
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
Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo?
6 of 164 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (4%) 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 Monte Carlo?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
ABS 7No deployment 6Power steering loss 6Stalling 6Ball joint 5
VIN decoder
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